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Inida Ministry of Information & Broadcasting / via Getty Images
Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, left, attends a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the Prime Minister's office in New Delhi on Tuesday.
NEW DELHI -- Defense Secretary Leon Panetta will encourage India to take a more active role in Afghanistan as international forces draw down after a decade of war, U.S. officials said on Tuesday as the Pentagon chief arrived in New Delhi for two days of talks.
"Secretary Panetta underscored the link India plays between East and West Asia and how the United States views India as a net provider of security from the Indian Ocean to Afghanistan and beyond," military newspaper Stars and Stripes quoted acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs George Little as saying.
Other officials, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity, acknowledged that this shift could inflame tensions between India and Pakistan given the longstanding rivalry between the countries, but insisted that both countries had an interest in working with the international community to ensure stability in their northern neighbor.
"There is a risk that the tensions and historical mistrust between India and Pakistan could lead them to view their respective roles in Afghanistan as being in conflict," one official said. "This is not predestined. This does not have to be the case."
For years, India has focused on economic aid in Afghanistan, with an investment of about $2 billion, defense officials told Stars and Stripes on Tuesday.
Pool / Reuters
U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta is shown in Hanoi on Monday, before arriving in India.
But while The Pentagon welcomes more economic help, and, "doesn't necessarily envision a role of the Indian military in Afghanistan," the Indian military police could provide training for Afghan forces as they move forward, a senior defense official told the newspaper on background.
Pakistan wields considerable influence over neighboring Afghanistan, while India is already one of its biggest bilateral donors, having pledged about $2 billion since the 2001 U.S. led-invasion for projects from the construction of highways to the building of the Afghan parliament.
But in October, India and Afghanistan signed a wide-ranging agreement to deepen ties, including to help train Afghan security forces, a deal that angered Pakistan.
Earlier: Vietnam opens new sites for US MIA hunt
"India and Pakistan share an interest, the same interest that we have, of peace and stability in Afghanistan," the official said. "That makes Pakistan more peaceful and stable and it makes India a lot more stable."
Their remarks came as Panetta flew to India as part of his week-long Asia tour to explain a new U.S. military strategy to allies and partners in the region. The strategy calls for a shift in U.S. focus to the Asia-Pacific region.
Panetta announced on Saturday during a speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue, a security conference in Singapore, that the U.S. military would rebalance its military assets so that by the year 2020 60 percent of U.S. warships would be in the region, versus 50 percent now.
The officials said the United States views India as a logical partner to work with on security and stability issues in the Indian Ocean region and that India was singled out for its importance in the new strategy.
Suspicion
Panetta is expected to elaborate on that theme during his meetings with senior defense and political leaders, as well as in a speech at a think tank on Wednesday.
India has a long history of involvement in the country and its activities have often been viewed suspiciously by Pakistan, which is concerned about being diplomatically encircled by its longtime enemy.
India has trained Afghan army and police over the past decade, but on a relatively small scale, the U.S. officials said. It has also increasingly helped Afghanistan with its economic reconstruction, the officials said.
"As we look to the future development of peace and stability in Afghanistan ... we know that the regional actors, Afghanistan's neighbors and extended neighbors like India will play a greater role," one official said.
"That's historically been the case in Afghanistan and that's going to be the case again. And we welcome that."
The official said the United States would like to see "all of the neighbors, including Pakistan and India, harmonize their approaches because they do share an interest in peace and stability in Afghanistan."
The two sides will also discuss their military cooperation, including weapons and training needs.
"We believe that it's very important, again, to help India modernize its capabilities and develop its military capabilities so it can be a net provider of security in the region and internationally," the official said.
The United States is keen to get a bigger slice of India's defense acquisitions, and is negotiating to sell it about a dozen Apache helicopters along with other weapons.
Reuters and msnbc.com staff contributed to this report.
Vietnam has given U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta the personal letters of a soldier who was killed in the Vietnam war in 1969. Msnbc.com's Dara Brown reports.
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Follow us on Twitter: @msnbc_world
Leave a Comment:
That's the most rational idea I've heard yet, coming out of the Afghanistan conflict!
Yep, China just announced recently it is also "seeking" an active role in Afghanistan.
It might be hard for the Chinese to retrieve the minerals below the poppy fields.
It will be interesting to see what actually happens after the "dust" settles.
India is playing a constructive role in Afghanistan already.
India has suffered heavily due to US involvement in Afghanistan starting in the 80s. The US created Taliban and Osama and Pakistan during those times. Taliban and Pakistan diverted all the terrorism to India (kashmir in particular) after the US left Afghanistan. While India was suffering from that terrorism the US kept helping Pakistan with billions of dollars in aid - both civil and military. Thus US is directly responsible for the terrorist casualties in India over last 2 decades.
Now that Pakistan is refusing to help, suddenly India becomes an important country to help out?? That's quite shameless on part of US.
I guess we will never be happy until we get EVERY country involved in fighting our worthless war in Afghanistan, we are pathetic.
Yeah, good luck with that, Mr. Panetta. The Indian people stay out of pointless wars. They're not as dumb as you look.
Pakistan is the crossroads for all the world's terrorists. All the major Islamic terrorists caught worldwide have either come from, or passed through, Pakistan. A multitude of terror groups are based in Pakistan, including: Lakshar, Taliban, AlQueda, and Haqqani. India has suffered for decades at the hands of Pakistani supported Islamic terrorists, especially in Kashmir. Why would India send its soldiers to Afghanistan? American soldiers are being attacked by Haqqani and Taliban terrorists, based in Pakistan. You have to get to the ROOT of the evil----it is Pakistan. (And why are we Americans sending billions of dollars a year to Pakistan, which is a state sponsor of terror?)
It is too early to wake up! 11 years is too small a time period for very smart people!
You see in Afghanistan mission was "accomplished" in 2001 and in Iraq in 2003.
So there are no roles for others to play!
In Afghanistan, Pakis are the "trusted", "strategic" and "valued" allies.
Saudis, oil companies, their lobbyists should focus on children and women being killed in Syria and dangerous levels of WMDs in Iran.
Even they are piling chemical weapons!!!
As oil prices are less than $200, Iranian oil supplies should be cut!
If am missing any good terms Clintons, Bushes, Romneys can correct me!
Looks too me like everyone is picking sides
Enough of this pointless war! We have wasted enough money and lives. Pull out now!
We are leaving idiot. I don't support any war unless it helps our nation survive but shut up we are leaving. We made the mess you can't just cut and run. Now wonder why our own country men hate each other. A nation of complain and repeat. Tell me good sir what have you done for your nation beside take advantage of it ? Do you buy foreign products? Yes you do. Then you are part of the problem! End of story. You give them more power buy not voting out the idiots that put us their . Stop complaining and vote out the right wing nuts that are hurting our country.
another seed
of conflict between India
& Pakistan.
The best thing is that Pakistan should focus on middle east, Africa, south America
& the Muslim world, ,so the American companies will do allot of jobs in
these countries only focusing & pushing India to support Asia security is
not a just idea, India should be a part of the processes & the one of the
part not the vital part , because Asia doesn't mean only INDIA , so US should
take a lead role helps those who in need, if we have more friends than we will
do more business, & more business mean more stability to the economy &
jobs, we need to see every thing through American middle class glasses &
eyes. we need more focus on our Nation building rather spend on these regional
politics, America is America & will be remain America. so no worries .
Not enough to understand!
Or else who will bother about Syria and Iran?
Hey, I have an idea, lets urge Israel to take a role in Afghanistan. They can secure the countryt for thier TAPI gas pipeline to India.
sorry mistake the above post should be disregarded instead of USA , mistakenly typed Pakistan sorry folks thanks lolololol
another seedof conflict between India& Pakistan.
The best thing is that USA should focus on middle east, Africa, south America
& the Muslim world, ,so the American companies will do allot of jobs in
these countries only focusing & pushing India to support Asia security is
not a just idea, India should be a part of the processes & the one of the
part not the vital part , because Asia doesn't mean only INDIA , so US should
take a lead role helps those who in need, if we have more friends than we will
do more business, & more business mean more stability to the economy &
jobs, we need to see every thing through American middle class glasses &
eyes. we need more focus on our Nation building rather spend on these regional
politics, America is America & will be remain America. so no worries .
If we follow what you mention then it will be more and more mess.
You can try your great ideas in some Muslim nation for a start.
It's not only Pakistan that will be angered by this, China too!! I doubt they will approve of India doing anything outside their borders. The US will make things worse trying to have other countries take part in this pointless war. If only Panetta knew something about India-China-Pakistan affairs, then he wouldn't have made such a request.
Panetta already knows about South Asian affairs, and engaging India as a partner is part of the strategic realignment to the Pacific. China's commercial investments in Afghanistan copper has been protected by US military. Although China and Pakistan have established relationships because China wants to have access to deepwater ports built in Pakistan, there is an arms race going on, and the goal is a balance of power and development.
Part of the reason, Panetta is encouraging more participation by India is because China and Pakistan are allies and both are defacto enemies of India. It is not like this is lost on Panetta at a time when the US is concerned about Chinese expansionism and we are also having issues with Pakistan supporting the Muslims terrorists. What better way to put the Pakis and the Chinese on notice that there is a price to be paid. There is nothing the Chinese and Pakistan can do about India except whine and complain, neither is prepared to go to war with India. But it may have the effect of getting Pakistan's attention at the bargaining table that it is better to have the US as a friend than an enemy.
Involve Russia too!
Russia had agreed to give a base for NATO forces. Use it too.
Dump Pakistan first and then Saudi Arabia. Both are responsible for 80 percent of world problems including economic mess.
hahaha so it was pakistan bankers who disaded to rob the world and not jp morgan and other usa bankers
20 Nukes on Afganistan
20 Nukes on Iran
20 nukes on North Korea
5 nukes on any country we have a problem with
All launched to land and detonate at the same moment
I even one fly from any susped country flies out and is headed towards us Fire 300 nukes on them too
If you are still around after the dust settles see how much the additude changed
There are more where they come from so go ahead and F#*k with us.
STAND YOUR GROUND AMERICA Stand your ground
So your theory is to set off 60 nukes? How does killing everyone on earth with the bombing, radiatioactive fallouit and nuclear winter solveanything? Let me guess. You cut your hand and instead of a band-aid you would chop it off?
Fran,
Just what exactly do you think the other countries with nuclear weapons are going to be doing? Do you think Russia, China and Pakistan are just going to wait for impact?
As fragile as the U.S. is, one or two nuclear devices would cripple us.
We are already crippled...
What a genius!!! You finally came up with the solution.. wait, what happens when the Russians return the gift with 1000 nukes, smarty pants???
If people like Fran are in power, especially in countries with nuclear capability, we are doomed.
I totally agree setting nukes off is a bad idea.
Got some attention did it?
The way I see it. If the terrorist had them they would have used them already. If they are able to gain access they definitly will use them.
In the mean time they have all the time and desire to one by one or as many as they can kill each and every last person in the world who they have a problem with. The terrorist really like to die for their cause as well. Life for the terrorist means nothing.
It's all about terrorist Ideals and being offended seeking revenge. They won't help you. They won't let you live if they can do anything about it.
Terrorist are mentally unstable and capable( willing )to destroy every one and everything that has value to anyone other than themself. There purpose is to die and take as many with them.
So I apologize for my previous sarcasted post of stating to nuke countrys and nations where terrorist are the biggest problem as being a solution. It really was naughty of me and wrong. ME BAD
You all know this is the 21st. Century
We live in a Nuclear Age
Thermo Nuclear Weapons will destroy nations.
Look back in time a little and I can see that once there were many Great Nations and they are no more to be found. Sure the land is there. People still live in these regions. But no one today has evidence and proof what really happened because 3,000 years or more ago the records and memory has all been lost.
So what? What do I mean? Today as part of the present and being the twenty first century we sure do have our challenges as a race of humans. What do we give for the upcoming 22nd. Century? and the 23rd. 24th. so on. If mankind is still alive. If mankind can survive.
Me! Me I care. I care about myself, I care for you as brothers and sisters and children too. I care about the husbands and the wives. But the year 9595 there ain't goin to me no husbands , ain't gonna be no wives, ain't gonna be no mankind if mankind can survive.
One thing for sure. We have terrorist today. TODAY for the good of all mankind. They must be stopped. Otherwise no one will survive.
There are some who think if the world was destroyed and everything on it dead. The cockroaches would survive. Terrorist must be part cockroach then. Nothing is indespensible. So we can live amonst the cockroaches and Terrorist or allow them to overcome us in time and die by their handy work.
I have no solution. I see no one here at least has none either. So as a release I get crazy once in a while. It keeps me from going insane.
Fran,
Through all your gin soaked poor spelling, punctuation, and grammar you say you care about your brothers, sisters, and the children. But also that Thermonuclear weapons will destroy nations, yes...yes they can but if done then more than 1, 2, 3, 4 nations get destroyed. All that radioactivity from over 300 nukes would contaminate the milk supply for chilren the world over, the crops around the world would be contaminated. Okay go ahead use you bombs then your hipocrasy would die like your predictions of 9595, the self fulfilling one. We make what we want of this earth and I sincerly hope you have nothing to do with its history, not even a footnote please.
I agree with dannyboy.
Keep away from wars at least for two decades. Build economy along with military power.
Find substitutes for oil.
I really think this would Pakistan happy. To have their biggest enemy on both sides of their country. Yep, that will make willing allies out of them. Who in the State Department thought of this? Probably the same person who thought the Stimulus (funds for Friends) Bill would create 6 million jobs.
Get India in there,Avoid China at all cost's,they already took over that mine with all the precious metals,that Japan has to beg for.
That's right, build India up. They'll soon have all the Call center business (if not already) and monpolize all the 7/11's in your town. Then next thing you know, all the labels in your neighbourhood Walmart would be MADE IN SLUMS OF MUMBAI
Nah I still get Philipinos, and Taiwanese on the phone as well as the ole trusty East Indians on the call center circuit. Talked to guy obviously from India and got him all turned around till he didnt know which way was up....haha he starrted yelling at me "You....You....You...You mother fusher!!" LMAO. I didnt even troll him not really, I just bombarded him with questions about the product he was calling about, questions that ultimately he didnt have answers for.
TNRebel-4016842, Russell-1925152, TF-1561528, please have faith and trust in at least one thing, one person or one country to hold on to…Good Luck
Be careful India. USA could be doing some double game here. Afghanistan (and its surrounding places) where all the desert culture killers and "kill and conquer" people came to India (Hindustan) and killed 1000s of Hindus and converted and raped 1000s of women. Now see what has happened to Afghanistan - It is a backward nation. This is called Karma, GOD (generates, operates , destroys), Wheel of Time, Lord - whatever name you give.
So what USA is now proposing to India -is sowing a new seed in that part of the Muslim world by Hindu India. I say - don't do anything, India should remain neutral or stay cool. Let USA fight its wars (India obviously benefited from 9/11, because a powerful nation is now behind Muslim terrorists) and they will go back or retreat. Let Afghans suffer their karma for its recent past misdeeds (Taliban) and the distant past misdeeds (invading other countries and forcing Islam on Hindu India).
If the CIA is allowed to keep doing what they are doing, We will be hearing about someone named abdul or ammed from Jackoffistan getting killed about once a month for decades.
OMG, that is one of the stupidest ideas to come out of this administration yet (want to leave room for more and stupider ideas). Why?
1. India is Hindu and Muslims hate Hindus like they hate Jews and Christians
2. India has enough trouble with the Muslims that live within its borders because, unlike Pakistan, which kicked out virtually all its Hindus, India thought they might be able to live with them
3. India and Pakistan are virtually at war already over Kashmir.
4. Pakistan has threatened to nuke India and India would have to retaliate
5. Being as Indians are mostly Hindu, they would be seen as yet another un-Islamic occupying force.
6. Oh, there are many more. Obama was so ignorant and still is about the world. Or else, like his two daddies, he's firmly on the side of the Muslims. (He did bow to the king of Saudi Arabia, who funded the madrassas Obama attended)
Actually Rachel, not sure you quite grasp the reality. At the time of the partition of British India in the late 1940s, much friction existed between Hindus and Muslims in India. Allowing Muslims on Indian territory to freely move to the newly created Islamic state of Pakistan/East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), and likewise Hindus on Pakistani territory to relocate to India, resulted at the time in one of the largest mass movements of humanity in history. The irony now, some 65 years later on, is that there are more Muslims in India than there are in Pakistan. Peacefully co-existing by and large, I might add.
Nobody got 'kicked' out from anywhere girl...
Actually, Aussie know-it-all, I do grasp the reality. Many, many of my Desi friends had their families kicked out of what is now Pakistan and their property seized. It was the inability of the Muslims, once the Mughul ruling class of all of undivided India, that caused the problem.
Isn't it ironic, you twit, that Muslims peacefully coexist (except for occasional things like the Mumbai Massacre) in India but THERE ARE VIRTUALLY NO HINDUS IN PAKISTAN??????????
You're probably one of the Muzzies in Australia raping white girls on the beach. (everyone else, google Muslim rape Australia.)
Now you're being totally ridiculous, hardly worth the effort for this simple reply.
Oh wow! This is like listening in to an argument which is getting so nasty that you are getting embarrassed for them! For the US to mention India's name now, shows just how mean and nasty and serious this dispute over delivery of equipment has become. The sad part is that the money that Pakistan is trying to extort would just go into private bank accounts.
Most Americans know very little about the history of that region of the world. Half of them still don't get why Jews, Muslims, Hindus, etc., don't celebrate Christmas! This is a country of freakin' Jethros.
This statement demonstrates that even the official who was speaking knows very little about the history of the region:
The only thing that's "harmonized" between India and Pakistan is the fact that they both have nukes pointed at each other. It's only "mutual" in the sense of mutual annihilation.
It reminds me of the time I was standing next to Under Secretary of State for Global Affairs Tim Wirth during a speech by Vice President Gore in Denver. I'd worked for both of their campaigns, was a minor officer of the state Democratic Party, and was on a first-name basis with the former senator from Colorado. Here's the entire conversation, word for word:
Me: Tim, what do you think of Mainland China threatening to stop the (first-ever free) Presidential election in Taiwan?
Under Secretary of State for Global Affairs Tim Wirth: Well, I can't really say right now; I'll have to read up on it.
/smh....
Let's see, Pakistan & Iran already share what is undisputedly the second most contested boarder region in the world (N. Korea/S. Korea is #1). Iran & Pakistan have distrusted each other ever since partition by the former British Empire. Now the "Administration" wants to have India take a major presence in Afganistan effectively allowing India to surround Pakistan. Do they really think the Pakistanis and their even closer ally the Chinese will allow this? Puuuuleeeese! When will the amateurs in the US State Department get a freaking clue!
Mike, the Pakis and the Chinese can dislike it all they want. There is not a damn thing they can do about it except whine and complain.
Yep, wait till you see al the MADE IN SLUMS OF MUMBAI labels in your neighbourhood Walmart
O yes - take an ally, and tell them to takeover another country. What a crock of @!$%#. Why don't everyone take care of their OWN country...AMerica?
Just get all US troops out of Afghaniranistan and let India blow it to hell with one of their nukes. Game over for the Iranian terrorists and Pakistani Taliban. Then let Pakistan and Iran fight it out while Iran tries to figure out what happened.
I hope India is smarter than letting the US talk them into a bigger role in Afghanistan.
which India we want to support against Asian Giants
fallowing is some eye opening facts about India .
India
has been bragging about being a political superpower and a military might. A
brief look will abundantly expose the facade of the Indian
economy; which will collapse at the first signs of uncertainty or
instability.
increased to around $221 billion.
around $145 billion, while imports were around $217 billion; a deficit of
$72 billion in a single year.
$117.3 billion in 2009/10, down from $118.7 billion in 2008/09. In 2010
the deficit has mushroomed beyond reasonable levels. Reuters survey in
April forecast the gap would widen to $132.70 billion in 2010/11 and
$154.50 billion in 2011/12
the world. The UKs biggest recipient of British aid is Bharat.
The UK donates 500
million Pound Sterling to Bharat every year. Many other
countries also give foreign aid to Bharat. Bhart‘s biggest donor is Japan.
1.5% of World trade as of 2007. Bharat’s trade imbalance with the US
for 2010 is -7,980.5 million or around 8 billion USD.
India is one of the biggest debtor nations on the planet with public and
private debt estimated between $250 billion to $3 Trillion.
for 27.6% of the GDP and employs 17% of the total workforce. Rest of the
workforce is largely dedicated to the agriculture sector. According to a
2008 World Bank report, 75.6% Indians live on less than $2 per day. It
suffers from higher rates of malnutrition than Sub-Saharan Africa. Over
70% of its population is either illiterate or educated below the primary
level. Indian tourist industry is 1/6 of Las Vegas. Recently, Standard & Poor’s
announced, India
risks a downgrade from BBB-minus rating to the lowest investment-grade
rating. Clearly, Indians are hardly in a financial shape to even
contemplate on waging a war.
accounts for over 55% of its GDP. Bangalore
is called the Silicon Valley of India. A large number of Information
Technology companies are located in the city. It is the largest
contributor of India’s
$33 billion IT exports (2007), .
The Statesman. A Gill. Dec. 30th, 2008. It is at $50 billion (2010)
in 2010 but an exponential growth faces Anti-Outsourcing laws in the US and Europe.
years!
live in the countryside, where abject poverty is widespread. 34.7 % of the
Indian population lives with an income below $ 1 a day and 79.9 % below $
2 a day. According to the India’s
planning commission report 26.1 % of the population live below the poverty
line. [World Bank's poverty line of $1 a day, but the Indian poverty line
of Rs 360 a month, or 30 cents a day]
This looks strangely like the uric-acid-in-bacon spam.
THIS CANNOT HAPPEN ! ! !
If India sends people to Afghanistan.... who will work the counter at 7-11...?...?
Antidote to Pakistan. Let's see if they continue to treat us as "suckers" while playing friends with china.
Just let India nuke Pakistan and Afghanistan and we can call it even!
It is a little bit late for Panetta to be doing this. Ever since Mustafa Barack hussein Obama announced when "we" would be pulling out, Iran, Pakistan, India, the Taliban and, to an extent China have been jockeying for power. India wants influence in Afghanistan to counter Pakistan. Iran wants influence to further it's goals. China wants Afghan minerals. Even Afghanistan has (been forced) to start looking for new allies. That's why the Taliban know they have won. That's why Afghanistan is now working with Iran in Western Afghanistan. That's why Afghanistan has been accepting money from India. All the players mentioned above know full well that Afghanistan is about (and other countries) to fall very same way Vietnam did.
Hey Time boy-
The tallis have not won @!$%# cept a some missiles.
I'm surprised that any American is complaining about this after what Pakistan has done to our country over the past decade. It's common knowledge that the Pakis have been playing both sides for years and have been supporting militants crossing the border and killing our troops in Afghanistan. Engaging India as a counterbalance should have been done a long time ago.
One of the biggest mistakes of the Afghan conflict was allowing Pakistan to use the India excuse to interfere in Afghanistan. India has never had a strong presence in Afghanistan, not even close to Paki interference in the country. The truth is that Pakistan is afraid of a resurgent Afghanistan that can lay claim to large swaths of Pakistan, primarily the tribal regions, and re-energize the Pashtunistan question. It has nothing to do with India encircling them and it won't even after this news. This announcement is simply a huge slap in Pakistan's face which they brought upon themselves. I honestly love Obama on foreign policy.
Btw, some of you are way out of your element commenting on geopolitical strategy vis-a-vis China. You really think China's going to sacrifice its relationship with the U.S. for the Pakis? Not gonna happen.
Just curious as to how many American IT, engineering, accounting and call center jobs this little arrangement is going to cost American workers. Nothing is ever free!
Ask Obammy and the dems. They screwed the labor unions, run off US manufactoring , kill jobs and do their best to turn us into a welfare state.
Great - India and Paki's in Afghanistan. Two turds in the punch bowl.
YOU are a re-turd..... get it?