Political India: Engaging America

From The Hindu

Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao has concluded her visit to Washington, during which she impressed upon U.S. officials the importance of India’s continued commitment to its developmental work in Afghanistan. Her trip also saw a sharp focus on high-tech trade and the Strategic Dialogue that was initiated last July when Secretary Clinton visited India.

In a brief to U.S. interlocutors earlier this week Ms. Rao drew attention to several key regional issues according to Rahul Chhabra of the Indian Embassy, including her talks with the Foreign Secretary of Pakistan in February. She also touched upon the recent developments in Afghanistan and stressed “that Afghanistan presented the foremost security related challenge in the region,” Mr. Chhabra said. In that context, Ms. Rao emphasised the need “for the international community to stay the present course in Afghanistan for as long as it is necessary.” U.S. officials reportedly conveyed their appreciation of the important developmental work being done by India in Afghanistan.

Further Ms. Rao also co-chaired the 7th meeting of the India-United States High Technology Cooperation Group. Addressing the officials from the U.S. Department of Commerce, she used the platform to push for a favourable review of U.S. export controls applicable to India, to bring them in line with “the changed political realities that contextualise India-U.S. strategic partnership today.”

Two days of deliberations — between the industry representatives of both countries followed by the government-to-government meetings to consider the recommendations of the industry — led to a consolidation of the progress made in the last five years and identified the next steps for further expanding high technology trade. The dialogue particularly focused on the areas of defence and strategic trade, biotechnology, and nanotechnology, with agreement on the need to create new groups on health, IT and civil aviation.

India-U.S. Strategic Dialogue

Ms. Rao also met with a number of senior administration officials to further the India-U.S. Strategic Dialogue, including Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, William Burns, National Security Advisor, James Jones, Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs, Robert Hormats, and Under Secretary of State for Democracy Global Affairs, Maria Otero. Further, she interacted with Congressman Gary Ackerman — who headed up the recent Congressional hearing on Lashkar-e-Taiba — and Senator Joseph Lieberman.

Mr. Chhabra said at these bilateral meetings, the Foreign Secretary had the opportunity to review the progress “on various pillars of India-U.S. Strategic Dialogue agenda including cooperation in defence, nuclear energy, counter-terrorism, agriculture, education, energy, space and cyber-security.”

From The Hindu

Seeking to bring down the temperature in a deepening row involving the United States, Israel and Palestine, Secretary Hillary Clinton said, “We have an absolute commitment to Israel’s security… [and] a close, unshakable bond between the United States and Israel.”

However “that doesn’t mean that we’re going to agree,” she added, in a reference to a March 9 Israeli announcement of further housing construction East Jerusalem, which came even as Vice President Joe Biden was in the region to build momentum for talks with Palestine.

The construction of Israeli dwellings on disputed territories has traditionally been a combustion point for the brittle relationship between Israel and Palestine; early on in his tenure President Obama petitioned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to halt further construction to give peace in the Middle East a chance.

Earlier this month the Vice President and the U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell were in Jerusalem and Ramallah to take forward plans for indirect peace talks, the first in over a year, between Mr. Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

However in what appeared to be a snub to Mr. Biden and Mr. Mitchell the Israeli Interior Ministry announced that permission had been granted for 1,600 new housing units in East Jerusalem. In a strongly worded reaction Mr. Biden said, “I condemn the decision by the government of Israel to advance planning for new housing units in East Jerusalem.”

He said the substance and timing of the announcement was precisely the kind of step that undermined the trust needed right now and “runs counter to the constructive discussions that I’ve had here in Israel.” It was important to build an atmosphere to support negotiations, not complicate them, he added.

A few days later Mr. Netanyahu admitted that that the announcement of the new tenements plan during Mr. Biden’s visit had been “regrettable” and “hurtful,” according to reports – which also suggested that the announcement had even caught Mr. Netanyahu off-guard. The Israeli Prime Minister was also quoted as saying that his government would “examine the chain of events and to ensure procedures” to prevent such an episode from occurring in the future.

However there was no mention of a retraction of the housing construction plan, an omission that clearly angered Secretary Clinton.

On March 12 the State Department reported that she had spoken to Mr. Netanyahu to reiterate the U.S.’s “strong objections” to the announcement in terms of timing and substance; to make clear that the U.S. considered the announcement “a deeply negative signal about Israel’s approach to the bilateral relationship – and counter to the spirit of the Vice President’s trip”; and to reinforce that this action had “undermined trust and confidence in the peace process, and in America’s interests.”

Ms. Clinton’s call apparently did not come without consequences: this week Israeli media quoted Michael Oren, Israel's Ambassador to the U.S, as having told other Israeli officials that U.S.-Israeli relations were at their lowest point since 1975.

On Tuesday Ms. Clinton refuted the claim, saying “Oh, I don’t buy that.” She said that although the U.S. had expressed its dismay and disappointment it was also “committed to achieving the two-state outcome that is the goal.”

In an indication that the ball may lie in Mr. Netanyahu’s court she said, “But I think we’ll see what the next days hold and we’re looking forward to Senator Mitchell returning to the region and beginning the proximity talks.”

From The Hindu

Three people including a pregnant employee of the United States Consulate and husband were gunned down by a suspected drug gang in Ciudad Juarez in Mexico over the weekend.

Lesley Enriquez, 35, and her husband, Arthur Redelfs, 34, were shot as they were driving in a car. Their 7-month old daughter was discovered crying in the back seat; however she was not wounded. The killings occurred in broad daylight as the victims were returning home from a social gathering.

In another incident the husband of a Mexican employee at the Consulate was also killed, officials said, and his two children in the car were wounded. The killings occurred a few minutes apart.

U.S. President Obama was “deeply saddened and outraged” at the events, according to White House officials. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said, “I have spoken with our Ambassador in Mexico and we are working with the Government of Mexico to do everything necessary to protect our people and to ensure that the perpetrators of these horrendous acts are brought to justice.” Mexican President Felipe Calderon said he was indignant and promised a swift investigation, according to reports.

While Mexican security forces gave no information on the likely motive, reports quoted U.S. State Department spokesman Fred Lash as saying the three slain people had attended the same social event before the attacks.

However the killings come in the wake of a surge in drug-related violence that has steadily tightened its grip on Mexico, claiming close to 18,000 lives in the in the past three years.

According to reports the latest round of attacks came even as the U.S. was just authorising government employees at six Mexican consulates to send their families out of the region due to the bloodshed.

President Obama further said the U.S. would “continue to work with Mexican President Felipe Calderon… to break the power of the drug trafficking organizations that operate in Mexico and far too often target and kill the innocent.”

Secretary Clinton echoed the concern about Mexican drug cartels, saying the assaults “underscore the imperative of our continued commitment to work closely with the Government of President Calderón to cripple the influence of trafficking organizations at work in Mexico.

She added that this was a responsibility the two countries should jointly shoulder, “particularly in border communities where strong bonds of history, culture, and common interest bind the Mexican and the American people closely together.”

From The Hindu

Haitian President René Préval on Tuesday underscored, in discussions with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton that the United States must work with Haiti towards elections if the efforts to build it up again after the devastating January 12 earthquake are to succeed.

In a joint statement issued here Ms. Clinton said, “President Préval made the very important point that we must work toward elections to ensure the stability and legitimacy of the Haitian Government”. In a sign that no clear agreement was reached on the time frame or conditions for holding elections Ms. Clinton added that the U.S. would work with the international community to hold elections “as soon as appropriate”.

Haiti has a history of political instability, including dictatorships, coups and revolts and has also suffered the effects of external influence particularly originating from the United States. Since 2004 it has been occupied by the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH).

Touching upon the contribution of the U.S. to ongoing relief efforts Ms. Clinton explained that the U.S. alone had already supplied nearly $700 million in assistance, funds contributed from nearly 50 percent of all households in America. Further the major donors conference in New York on March 31st would also likely raise financial commitments towards funding the reconstruction efforts.

President Préval acknowledged the long-term support his country obtained from the U.S.; however he cautioned: “We must work together to ensure… conditions that will allow the recovery of Haiti. And all of these conditions have to be worked upon – not just the immediate short-term needs but we must also work towards the long term [including] good governance…”

Touching on specific challenged in Haiti at this time Mr. Préval said that in the past “everything had been concentrated and focused on the capital”. He, argued that that was where the political and economic elites of the country lived, and the rest of the country was neglected.

“That’s why so many people came… into Port-au-Prince – in the illusory quest for work that did not exist, and that is why there’s so much shoddy construction, which does not comply with standards, and that’s why there were so many casualties”, Mr. Préval said

Returning to a key concern, Mr. Préval said, “But what we must absolutely avoid is that we have a temporary provisional government that does not enjoy legitimacy”. Haiti must have a government that does have political legitimacy, he added.