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U.S. Offers Equipment to Help India Quell Kashmiri Resistance
NEW DELHI, Nov. 25 (News Agencies) - The United States has offered India sensors, unmanned aerial vehicles and other technical equipment to quell Kashmir's long struggle for independence and combat the infiltration of fighters from Pakistan into Kashmir, the
Hindu daily newspaper reported Sunday.
The purported offer was made when Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee visited Washington earlier this month to discuss the U.S.-led war on Afghanistan, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported.
"If India is satisfied with the equipment, it would have the option of buying them in larger quantities to strengthen its surveillance," said the report.
If confirmed, the offer would be the first shipment of U.S. aid to India to counter the independence movement in Kashmir, where up to 70,000 people have been killed in the last 12 years.
Indian security officials claim fighters periodically cross over from Pakistan into Indian-held Kashmir, where they lend support to the Kashmiri struggle.
New Delhi and Washington have been collaborating for the last two years on the broad issue of what they describe as "counter-terrorism."
In September, U.S. President, George W. Bush partially lifted sanctions against India and Pakistan, which were imposed in May 1998 after the two countries carried out tit-for-tat nuclear weapons tests.
But the U.S. has continued a longstanding ban on exports to India of certain strategic equipment.
On Wednesday, U.S. ambassador to India Robert D. Blackwill said that Washington and New Delhi were on the brink of forging stronger ties based on major defense interests and friendship.
He added that restrictions on the sale of military supplies to India will likely be lifted following Bush's summit with Vajpayee on Nov. 9.
"The two leaders had a very successful meeting in Washington, which is likely to enhance Indo-U. S. cooperation, whether it relates to intelligence sharing or arms sales," said Blackwill. He added, "The new Indo-U. S. relationship is built on common democratic values and overlapping national interests."
He said the United States was looking at striking a long-term defense cooperation deal with India as the country was likely to emerge as a key security power in Asia.
"We now anticipate a conclusive acceleration in defense cooperation," said Blackwill. "It will include arms sales, joint army exercises and military-to-military cooperation that happens between very good friends."
India was among the first countries to back the U.S. campaign against Afghanistan, but is sensitive to Washington's alliance with its arch-rival, Pakistan.
Blackwill sought to soothe those concerns when asked about Pakistan's support for those fighting Indian rule in Kashmir, whom India describes as separatists and terrorists.
"A terrorist is a terrorist. They are not freedom fighters. No country will be permitted to provide sanctuaries to terrorists," he said.
The ambassador also said that Washington would order financial institutions to freeze the assets of several Islamic groups in Kashmir.
"You should expect to see other terrorist groups from Kashmir on that list," Blackwill said.
The U.S. has already put some Muslim groups, such as Harakat ul-Mujahidin and Jaish-e-Mohammad, on its list of organizations whose assets have been ordered frozen as part of what it terms as its "war on terrorism".
It has been reported that another group, Lashkar-e-Taiba, will soon be added to the list.
"The international war against terrorism will not end till India is rid of terrorism. India and the United States are together in this battle," Blackwill added.
Since the U.S.-led coalition began its military strikes on Afghanistan, there has been a string of high-level visits by U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Colin Powell and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, to India.
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