Vichaar has a very nice post called Do we have any military allies in the world ?, which discusses the various military allies India has in the current environment - unfortunately, not that many. While lesser countries like Pakistan haev been able to gamble on and latch onto strong allies like the US, India has traditionally been going after mirages in the Arab world that have never stood by us. Finally we got Israel to help us like in the Kargil war and guess what? Our self-destructive streak surfaces again, according to JK. Do these guys ever learn? Seriously, does Congress really think they are going to somehow benefit with these stupid plans or are they just doing the opposite of anything BJP did while in power?
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India did not support the Palestinian cause because India was chasing the Arabs. India supported the Palestinian cause because India was on the side of USSR against USA. India also did not have a choice but to support USSR. Both India and Pakistan tried to court the USA in the early 50’s. Eisenhower however decided to take Pakistan as an ally and not India because Eisenhower understood that Pakistan was more vulnerable to falling to the Communists than the relatively bigger and more stable India. So India had no choice left but to take the side of the USSR. Well now with the demise of the Soviet Union, there is no urgent need for India to take clear sides on the Israel Palestine issue. First, the Arab countries are actually neutral on Kashmir. Look at the resolutions (or lack of them) passed by the Arab League on Kashmir. India should play both sides. There’s no advantage in embracing Israel at the cost of ignoring the Palestinians. Israel has no allies and would rather have a neutral India than a hostile India.India can very easily give lip service to the Palestinians while at the same time continue trading with Israel. This will keep the Gulf Sheikhdoms, Syria and Iran happy and the Israelis happy too.This seems to be the policy of Congress. It seems pretty pragmatic to me.
Posted by: Al Mujahid at August 30, 2004 8:57 PM
AM, I think it would really be evry clever of the Congress to do something like you described above. I have my doubts about the sophistication required to carry out something like that and the congress peoples’ ability to do it.
Posted by: Shanti at August 31, 2004 9:12 AM
In the mordern world, its’ economics that decides millitary allies.
Wait, not for long, and you would find the strangest of bedfellows…
Posted by: Nilu at August 31, 2004 10:16 AM
I think AM is right. Not only that it doesn’t seem fair to reflexively doubt Congress’ ability to pursue a sound foreign policy. Give them a few more years and lets see how things go. Then we can start being critical — its been only a 100 days so far. J N Dixit who is currently the NSA has written extensively about India’s relations with the middle-eastern countries and the upshot is more or less what Mujahid has described. There is still hope if you ask me…
Posted by: Dilip at August 31, 2004 10:20 AM
Dilip, the reason why I am “reflexively” doubtful of Congress’ abilities as to foreign policy is because of the mess they have made of it in the decades of rule before BJP came to power. Think about it, who got us the major problems that plague India today and plagued her before - Khalistan, Kashmir, LTTE, terrorism in the North-East - pretty much every single problem has been exacerbated in some form or the other because of their stupid policies while we were practically all alone in our dealing with the world.
p.s. - Soviet might have been with us when we ranted against the US but who did they support when China warred with us?
Posted by: Shanti at August 31, 2004 11:04 AM
Well, as I understand the Congress Party has not rescinded any of the agreements with Israel on military technology, training, counter-terrorism measures or general business. What has changed is that India will not invite Sharon to India anymore. Now inviting Sharon to India might piss off some Muslims in India and that might make Modi-Thackeray-Uma happy, but its not exactly sound foreign policy either. The Congress Party like the EU will now elevate the quality of lip service to the Palestinian cause while continuing to trade with Israel. If the Congress pulls back from military or trade ties with Israel then ‘we’ need to get concerned. Right now, it hasnt. So lets wait and see. India should be concerned that the US prevented Israel from selling the ‘falcon’ technology to India because of pressure from Musharraf (or as Bush calls him the ‘reform minded freedom loving ally’) Btw have you guys noticed the erudite. eloquent Pakistani representatives in the US as compared to the clueless Indian representative who are a product of the quota/reservation system. Its surely an embaressment. The Pakistanis send their best to the foreign services while India is all wrapped up in giving the foreign services exam in vernacular languages.
Posted by: Al Mujahid at August 31, 2004 3:00 PM
I beleive form all my studying that India’s best and probably most important future allie is the Republic of Iran (Persia). The Iranians have a wold class military, the strongest force in the Middle-East, one of the (if not the) best geo-strategic locations in the world with openings to Central Asia, Caucasia, Russia, Europe, the Persian Gulf, Irag, Turkey and the Indian sub-contient. The hold great influence in the regions of the former Soviet Union, the Persian Gulf, and the Middle-East. The are strategic allies with Russia and can also act as a bridge between Pakistan and China one one side and India on the other.
Recently the Iranian government and military have started talks with India in regards to granting the Indian Republic a base in the Perisan Gulf. The iranians can be great assets in India’s goal to becoming a greater power and a future superpower. They hold high influence in their region and the world and all the great powers know that the Iranians will be one of the most influencial nations in this new century.
Naval co-operation and agreements will undoubtably expand between India, Iran, and Russia. Also there is remours that all three, India, Russia, and Iran are looking together at establishing a joint command or Indian Ocean base in the Maldives.
Posted by: Robert Rassi at November 12, 2004 1:16 AM
You are so racist :evil:
Posted by: Me at March 14, 2005 8:23 AM
India’s best move is to maintain friendly relations with all nations without committing to a single one. There are permanent interests but never pemanent friends. An old Japanese strategy that India should adopt is to “make frends far away while preparing to attack nearby” Any comments?
Posted by: Satya at March 27, 2005 2:17 PM
India did not support the Palestinian cause because India was chasing the Arabs. India supported the Palestinian cause because India was on the side of USSR against USA. India also did not have a choice but to support USSR. Both India and Pakistan tried to court the USA in the early 50’s. Eisenhower however decided to take Pakistan as an ally and not India because Eisenhower understood that Pakistan was more vulnerable to falling to the Communists than the relatively bigger and more stabl I disagree go to http://www.apartments.waw.pl
Posted by: Warsaw apartments at October 26, 2006 1:18 AM