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STRATFOR.com
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India: Sibling Rivalry Surges on Subcontinent
November 8, 2001
Summary
Indian Prime Minister Atal Vajpayee meets U.S. President George W. Bush on Nov. 9. Vajpayee is pressing Washington and Moscow to include India in international anti-terrorism operations and to support New Delhi's fight against Pakistani-backed Islamic militants in Kashmir. New Delhi is concerned that Washington's immediate reliance on Pakistani cooperation will revive close U.S.-Pakistan military ties, leaving India once again playing second fiddle to its rival.
Analysis
Indian Prime Minister Atal Vajpayee will meet with U.S. President George W. Bush Nov. 9, less than a week after talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. On the agenda are India's cooperation in international anti-terrorism efforts, Pakistan's alleged support of militants in the contested Kashmir region and greater technical, economic and military cooperation between Washington and New Delhi.
Vajpayee's visit comes amid an Indian push to recast perceptions of Pakistan as a friend of Islamic terrorist organizations. New Delhi is concerned that Washington's immediate reliance on Pakistani cooperation for the fight in Afghanistan could presage closer political and military ties between Islamabad and Washington, leaving India facing a strengthened Pakistan while failing to gain U.S. backing on the Kashmir issue. Although internal political pressure will force officials to repeatedly bring the issue to the fore, New Delhi will avoid going so far as to undermine its own position as a long-term strategic asset to the United States.
Long-standing rivalries and continued bickering over Kashmir have rendered nearly hopeless the U.S. State Department's attempts in recent years to de-link Washington's relations with Islamabad from those with New Delhi. Since the planning stages of the U.S.-led attacks on Afghanistan, Washington has struggled to balance the immediate need for Pakistani cooperation with a long-term strategic need to enhance relations with India.
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(c) 2001 Stratfor, Inc.
Dan
India: Sibling Rivalry Surges on Subcontinent . . .