Mohan:
THE UNITED States demanded ''concrete actions'' by India and Pakistan to demonstrate their commitment to nuclear and missile non-proliferation if President Clinton is to visit New Delhi and Islamabad later this year.
I firmly believe that US is in the process of extracting some tangible concrete actions by India and Pakistan to make Clinton's visit to South Asia to be an exercise in utility as against futility. Futile visit to South Asia is not going to enhance the image of US or Clinton. US intelligence was lulled into inaction by the India's distractive missile testing and subsequent nuclear testing.
Already Clinton is suffering from the pang of having made so many late night calls to the Pakistani chief to stop the nuclear test in vain.
<<said, ''these actions should include signing and ratifying the CTBT without conditions, refraining from missile tests and agreeing not to weaponise or deploy missile systems, halting the production of fissile material and participating constructively in negotiations towards a fissile material cut-off treaty.''>>
From India's point of view these demands, however justified from US point of view, are a tall order. National defense compulsions are going to take precedence, when it comes to weaponisation, missile systems etc. I was told that India has placed orders for more nuclear submarines with Russia. There is a pattern to India's behavior , in that India's security in the new world order is a top priority domestic policy. No change in the Govt will diminish these defense pursuits.
these are serious statements that we've made and we know that
they are taken seriously in the capitals and we fully believe that both New Delhi and Islamabad are considering and are looking at this. But we'll need to see hopefully some positive steps and concrete actions.''
A lot of hopes. Time only will tell. Pakistanis are going to make statements word for word (remember blast for blast) what India says,when it comes to CTBT, NPT etc.
Coming to Clinton's visit To China:
It is my understanding that the initial reception with the dancing girls and the military salute were not broadcast to the chinese on TV. The debate however was broadcast to the chinese public on the TV. Is that true? I suspect that US demanded that the debate is broadcast and the Chinese gave in. If so, that itself is a palpable change in Chinese Govt.
I was also told that some Chinese citizens, as opposed to dissidents, were not too thrilled to hear a foreigner, meaning Clinton, to lecture them on human rights.
JPR
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