President Bush says it succinctly, "We seek a peaceful region where no power, orcoalition of powers, endangers the security or freedom of other nations; where military force is not used toresolve political disputes." Or as Henry Kissinger wrote twenty years ago, "the management of abalance of power is a permanent undertaking, not an exertion that has a foreseeable end."
Achieving this objective requires the United States to particularly strengthen political, economic, andmilitary-to-military relations with those Asian states that share our democratic values and nationalinterests. That spells India. A strong US-India partnership contributing to the construction of a peaceful andprosperous Asia binds the resources of the world's most powerful and most populous democracies in support offreedom, political moderation, and economic and technological development.
Even as together we support peace, prosperity and liberty in this part of the world, Asia remains an areawracked by a variety of serious threats. The most pressing current danger is international terrorism. Duringthe past decade, more familiar ethnic, nationalist, and separatist terrorist groups have been joined by neworganizations with murderous ideological motivations.
These newer terrorist organizations, which attract recruits by perverting great religious traditions, embody alethal threat to both India and the United States. Their worldview propels them to conduct deadly attacks toinflict mass, indiscriminate casualties among innocents. Both the United States and India are principalvictims of this new and more dangerous kind of terrorism.
If promoting peace, prosperity and freedom in Asia, and defeating international terrorism are two importantlong-term objectives of a transforming US-Indian relationship, the third and final strategic challengeunderlying this radical reform of our bilateral ties is to curtail the proliferation of Weapons of MassDestruction in Asia, and the means to deliver them. Today, Asia has eight nations that either have nuclearweapons capabilities, or are trying to acquire them. Nine countries have biological and chemical weapons orare attempting to obtain them. Eight nations have ballistic missiles with ranges exceeding 1,000 km.
No other part of the globe has such a concentration of WMD nations and capabilities, and these disturbingtrends could worsen. As WMD programs have become more advanced and more effective as they mature, manycountries of concern have become more aggressive in pursuing them.
Both India and the United States share a common vital national interest in restraining the furtherproliferation of WMD, and their means of delivery. Both countries face a significant risk within the next fewyears of confronting either terrorists or rogue states armed with such WMD capabilities.
Thus, strong US-India relations are rooted not simply in a crucial commonality of democratic governanceindispensable as that is, but also in the fundamental congruence of US and Indian vital national interests.Indeed, it is difficult for me to think easily of countries other than India and the United States thatcurrently face to the same striking degree all three of these intense challenges simultaneously -- advancingAsian stability based on democratic values; confronting daily the threat of international terror; and slowingthe further proliferation of WMD. This daunting trio will be an encompassing foundation for US-India strategiccooperation for years to come.
Transforming US-India Relations: Collaborating to Advance Stability
At this point, you may ask what the Bush and Vajpayee Administrations have done in detail to advance thedemocratic values and geopolitical interests that so bond the United States and India. In this regard, I amentirely under the influence of Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill who systematically stresses the differencebetween talk, and action. So here follows US-India actions.
Afghanistan
Advancing stability in Afghanistan even as our two nations continue to work on helping Afghans establishdemocratic institutions and practices, India and America are committed to encouraging a stable, free andpeaceful Afghanistan -- one with a representative central government that can provide physical and economicsecurity for its people. We want an Afghanistan that has good relations with all its neighbors and with theinternational community -- and one that will never again export terrorism.
While we place emphasis on economic reconstruction and help build national institutions such as the AfghanNational Army, the US and India agree that the hunt for the remaining Al Qaeda and Taliban elements mustcontinue vigorously until they are brought to justice.
Iraq
In the context of numerous US-India high level exchanges in recent months, the Government of India stoutlybelieves that Iraq should fully comply with UN Security Council Resolution 1441, which orders Iraq to give upits Weapons of Mass Destruction. India earnestly hopes that Iraq will disarm peacefully. The BushAdministration steadfastly agrees with both these crucial propositions advanced by India.
Law Enforcement
As you know, the Portuguese Judicial Police on September 18 arrested in Lisbon Abu Salem Ansari, a notoriousmember of the Dawood Ibrahim narcoterrorist organization. Salem is wanted in India for his involvement in theBombay bomb blasts in 1993 that resulted in the deaths of hundreds of people. In possession of his falseidentity documents, the Government of Portugal thereafter formally charged and detained Abu Salem. For morethan 12 months leading up to this arrest, American law enforcement agencies, including the US Federal Bureauof Investigation, have closely cooperated with the Indian Central Bureau of Investigation and Interpol totrack and ultimately capture Abu Salem.
After his arrest, the Government of India asked the Portuguese to deport him to India in order to facecriminal charges here.Because of the prior involvement of the Bush Administration in assisting India to trackdown Salem and the muscular relationship between our respective law enforcement agencies, the Indian CBIrequested American assistance to intercede with the Portuguese to obtain custody of Abu Salem. The top of theBush Administration immediately concurred and acted within hours. American representatives facilitated severalmeetings between high-ranking CBI officials, the American Ambassador to Portugal, and Portuguese officials inLisbon. Although Salem remains in Portuguese custody, the United States is working with CBI and the Portugueseto obtain a favorable conclusion in this matter on behalf of the Government and people of India.
Transforming US-India Relations: Developing Capacities for Operating as Partners
Defense Policy
Defense cooperation between Indian and American armed forces builds military capacities on both sides forcombined operations. In May, US Air Force Airman first class Mitul Patel from 353rd Special Operations Groupseized the opportunity to deploy from the American airbase in Kadena, Okinawa to Air Force Station Agra totake part in the largest-ever airborne joint exercise between the United States and India. This 23-year oldGujarat-born American crew chief was responsible for launching MC-130s to fly with the Indian Air Force.During the exercise he witnessed an elite brigade of Indian paratroopers jumping with US Special Forces in the"Balance Iroquois 02-01."
In June and July 2002, the Indian Navy Ships Sukanya and Sharda conducted escort patrols for American shipsthrough the Malacca Straits in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Knowing what they would be up against ifthey had to deal with the Indian Navy, the pirates sensibly stayed away. The US Army 1st Battalion, 501stParachute Infantry Regiment welcomed 80 soldiers from India's 50th Independent Parachute Brigade to conduct"Geronimo Thrust" in September, the first-ever live fire exercise between American and Indianparatroopers. The jawans flew to Alaska in an Indian Air Force IL-76. This marked the first time that anIndian Air Force combat aircraft has landed on US soil.
With American warships now routinely refueling in Chennai and Mumbai, we saw in September and October thelargest-ever US-India naval exercise, called "Malabar." Over 1,500 American and Indian navalpersonnel participated during this four-day event, which featured flying operations, anti-submarine warfareexercises, and replenishment at sea.
In October 2002, again in Agra, an air transport exercise named "Cope India-02" developed a baselinefor future interoperability that will lead to a fighter aircraft exchange. USAF personnel, on board Indianaircraft, observed the drop of Indian paratroopers and heavy equipment. Both air forces learned each other'sformation flying techniques. The Indians marked the difference in the way the Americans drop cargo withdrag-parachutes and prepare drop zones. By the end of the exercise, Indian paratroops dropped from US C-130Hercules transporters.
In addition to all of this, in the past six months: