06-03-2004, 09:48 PM
This is a dated article. I post it because there is a substantial section of the US polity which is uneasy at the idea of a powerful India and will use all their persuasive power to prevent it from happening.
The U.S. âWar on Terrorâ and East Asia
By James Reilly
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->South Asia: Expanded Arms Sales to an Unstable Region
Once the dust settles from the current India-Pakistan dispute and the al-Qaeda manhunt in Pakistan subsides, the U.S. appears poised to dramatically expand its arms sales to South Asia. These sales, justified to "keep the military balance," will introduce more arms into this volatile region, and may well encourage China to build up or sell more arms to Pakistan to further "balance" against India.
Now that President Bush has convinced Congress to lift sanctions on arms sales to Pakistan, it is likely that the U.S. will provide arms as a reward for its critical support in the war in Afghanistan. One Pakistani defense official recently said, "We want the kind of relationship the U.S. has with Egypt in terms of weapons sales." For starters, this means the Pakistanis would like delivery of the 28 F-16 fighters purchased in the 1980s, but never delivered due to U.S. concerns about their nuclear program.
Once the U.S. opens the arms spigot for Pakistan, India will certainly demand its share of U.S. weaponry. Already U.S. ambassador Robert Blackwill has promised the Indians, "We are at the beginning of a very important arms sales relationship." If U.S. diplomats do manage to encourage India to stand down in the current dispute with Pakistan, part of the carrot they proffer will likely be expanded arms sales.
For China, South Asia is an area of great strategic importance. The border dispute that led to the 1962 war between China and India remains unresolved. The region also borders the Chinese provinces of Tibet and Xinjiang, where China continues to struggle against separatist movements. Nor are China's fears fully unrealistic. Recently a Taiwanese magazine disclosed that the U.S., Taiwan, and India have for years jointly run a listening post based in India to monitor the PRC's military movements in the region.
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
The U.S. âWar on Terrorâ and East Asia
By James Reilly
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->South Asia: Expanded Arms Sales to an Unstable Region
Once the dust settles from the current India-Pakistan dispute and the al-Qaeda manhunt in Pakistan subsides, the U.S. appears poised to dramatically expand its arms sales to South Asia. These sales, justified to "keep the military balance," will introduce more arms into this volatile region, and may well encourage China to build up or sell more arms to Pakistan to further "balance" against India.
Now that President Bush has convinced Congress to lift sanctions on arms sales to Pakistan, it is likely that the U.S. will provide arms as a reward for its critical support in the war in Afghanistan. One Pakistani defense official recently said, "We want the kind of relationship the U.S. has with Egypt in terms of weapons sales." For starters, this means the Pakistanis would like delivery of the 28 F-16 fighters purchased in the 1980s, but never delivered due to U.S. concerns about their nuclear program.
Once the U.S. opens the arms spigot for Pakistan, India will certainly demand its share of U.S. weaponry. Already U.S. ambassador Robert Blackwill has promised the Indians, "We are at the beginning of a very important arms sales relationship." If U.S. diplomats do manage to encourage India to stand down in the current dispute with Pakistan, part of the carrot they proffer will likely be expanded arms sales.
For China, South Asia is an area of great strategic importance. The border dispute that led to the 1962 war between China and India remains unresolved. The region also borders the Chinese provinces of Tibet and Xinjiang, where China continues to struggle against separatist movements. Nor are China's fears fully unrealistic. Recently a Taiwanese magazine disclosed that the U.S., Taiwan, and India have for years jointly run a listening post based in India to monitor the PRC's military movements in the region.
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->