Re: US pushes Bharatis around: Iranian Gas no good for Bharati Belly
Bharatis are now realising all that IT $hitey comes at a price. The price this time is the heads of Iranian MAToos. I’m sure Bharatis will be quick to present these heads to Condi soon.
Iran issue may affect India’s N-ties with US
From L K Sharma DH News Service Washington:
External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh faces a delicate task when he meets Ms Condoleezza Rice in New York next week.
http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/sep112005/foreign1059302005911.asp
Will the Indo-US civilian nuclear cooperation be held hostage to the US policy on Iran? An irritant may creep into the bilateral relations, with the US telling India to toe its line on Iran.
After the Democratic and Republican Congressmen sought to soften up India by linking the Iran and India policies, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice publicly alerted External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh about what she wishes to discuss with him when they meet in New York next week.
She wants New Delhi to join the US in threatening Iran with UN sanctions, unless it stops making nuclear fuel which it is entitled to do under NPT. Earlier the US had made known its unhappiness to New Delhi about any pipeline project involving Pakistan and Iran.
Cold reaction from Pakistan
Pakistan has not been warm towards the predominantly Shia Iran but the Khan network was able to help Iran’s nuclear programme. In Gen. Musharraf, the Bush administration found a good source of information regarding Iran’s nuclear programme.
Curiously, Washington has not signalled to Islamabad to pull out of the talks about the pipeline project. Without the use of Pakistani territory, the pipeline would not materialise. Thus all that Washington has to do is tell Gen Musharraf to forget about this trilateral project.
Washington is threatening to refer Iran to the UN Security Council for imposition of sanctions. The support of China and Russia is crucial since both are veto-holding powers.
The UN will be witnessing a situation somewhat similar to that which prevailed before the US invasion of Iraq – the US wanting some action against a country while many others opposing it.
During his earlier European tour, Ms Rice managed to influence Britain, France and Germany who too were reluctant earlier to take a hardline on Iran.
India’s relations with Iran
India can not hold up any US move in the UN, if the Bush administration has the support of the permanent members of the Security Council. But the political establishment in Washington is keen to ensure that New Delhi falls in line even if it means the disruption of friendly ties between India and Iran. The old logic of “if you not with us on a given issue, you are against us” is being used.
That’s why this was made into a big issue at a Congressional hearing on the US-India civil nuclear cooperation which is promised. Iran has been a reliable energy supplier and a friend of India.
Those lawmakers who were least concerned when Pakistan was developing the nuclear bomb are crying about the “Mullah’s bomb”.
It comes as a diplomatic challenge to India. New Delhi did not allow the US supply of F-16s to Pakistan to affect its warm relations with the US. But now some US Congressmen are shouting that New Delhi must make a choice between Iran and America!
US fears Chinese veto
Lacking support for its move and fearing a Chinese veto, the Bush administration has unleashed a diplomatic campaign. Since Russia and China do not support the move against Iran, the US will be embarrassed if it sought to punish Iran for its nuclear activities through the UN mechanism.
The Secretary of State said more international pressure must be mounted on Iran to make it halt its nuclear program, or face possible action by the UN Security Council. She made an unusual public appeal to countries such as India, China and Russia to join the United States and the European Union in pressuring Iran.
Ms Rice said the international community, including Russia and China and India, must send a message to Iran. Iran’s refusal to return to the suspension of sensitive nuclear activities, as prescribed in its November 2004 Paris agreement with the EU-3, leaves the international community with few choices other than a Security Council referral, she said.
) Indians stand up for their rights and don’t bukle under such rhetoric. Go read how the Indian PM swatted lantos.