No one has hurt Indo-American relations more than Defence Minister A.K. Antony

by Rishi Sun Mar 02, 2014 8:39 pm

Washington has woken up and started to smell the saffron.

It is hardly a secret that President Barack Obama has lost what limited interest he might have once had in India. His Asian priorities are to the east and west of India. He continues to invest heavily in the China relationship because of its value to the American economy. India brings nothing to the economic table.

Obama remains committed to withdrawal from Afghanistan, for which he needs the cooperation of Pakistan. India probably has greater potential role after America leaves, but that is a role which will be defined by the future.

Obama's most significant initiative is the extraordinary effort to normalise relations with Iran. He knows that this is one for the history books, apart from the immediate and dramatic geopolitical implications. India could have served as a supplementary bridgehead, but that needed trust, which had evaporated.

Instead, the powerful group of American bureaucrats and politicians, who shaped the nuclear deal with India, are advertising a feeling of betrayal. In their estimation, India has not lived up to the unspoken part of the arrangement. No one has hurt Indo-American relations more than Defence Minister A.K. Antony, who eliminated the American bid to sell fighter planes at an early stage. Those with a memory recall another left-leaning politician from Kerala, Krishna Menon. If Antony has a case, he and his envoys have not done a good job of explaining it.

http://www.sunday-guardian.com/analysis/washington-smells-the-saffron

by Marathadi-Saamiyaar Sun Mar 02, 2014 8:59 pm

Rishi wrote:Washington has woken up and started to smell the saffron.

It is hardly a secret that President Barack Obama has lost what limited interest he might have once had in India. His Asian priorities are to the east and west of India. He continues to invest heavily in the China relationship because of its value to the American economy. India brings nothing to the economic table.

Obama remains committed to withdrawal from Afghanistan, for which he needs the cooperation of Pakistan. India probably has greater potential role after America leaves, but that is a role which will be defined by the future.

Obama's most significant initiative is the extraordinary effort to normalise relations with Iran. He knows that this is one for the history books, apart from the immediate and dramatic geopolitical implications. India could have served as a supplementary bridgehead, but that needed trust, which had evaporated.

Instead, the powerful group of American bureaucrats and politicians, who shaped the nuclear deal with India, are advertising a feeling of betrayal. In their estimation, India has not lived up to the unspoken part of the arrangement. No one has hurt Indo-American relations more than Defence Minister A.K. Antony, who eliminated the American bid to sell fighter planes at an early stage. Those with a memory recall another left-leaning politician from Kerala, Krishna Menon. If Antony has a case, he and his envoys have not done a good job of explaining it.

http://www.sunday-guardian.com/analysis/washington-smells-the-saffron

When US supported the Nuke deal they "expected" India to give all their Nuke plant and defense arms deals to American Companies. Of course, the US companies will not ever share even a drawing for a 1/4" rivet that is used on the fuselage. They never change their policies but expect all others to give up their tradition, principles and methods.

with US out of Afghanistan, the US will - as always - turn towards Pakistan to act as surrogates. They will supply arms and give aid, change tune on Kashmir favoring pakistan, which will act against India as it always does every 10 years.

Indians as usual will day dream and wake up when it is too late and try to survive. ABV took power with lots of hope and the nuke tests took the fantasy out. Now with Modi - if he comes the PM - US will have expectation (that US will dictate and India would faithfully follow) only to be disappointed.

India is not UK or Germany not is it like Pakistan or Russia. The US should deal with India separately and irrespective of relations with other countries.

Hope someone tells Pew research about my Gyaan.

No one has hurt Indo-American relations more than Defence Minister A.K. Antony

No one has hurt Indo-American relations more than Defence Minister A.K. Antony

Re: No one has hurt Indo-American relations more than Defence Minister A.K. Antony