This is a good analysis indeed.
Islahonline
From: kaleem Kawaja
Sent: Sunday, April 16, 2006 2:58 PM
Subject: MuslimAgenda :: India Needs Iran ______________________________________________ THE GROUP HAS KEPT IT IS ABOUT INDIA AND IRAN - INDIA NEEDS IRAN By: Kaleem Kawaja In the last couple of months the US State Department including Undersecretary Nicholas Burns and Secretary Condoleezza Rice, have put enormous pressure on the UPA Government in New Delhi to support the Bush Administration's aggressive attempts to isolate Iran in the international arena. Indeed that was one of the major objectives of President Bush on his recent visit to India. Several US Congressmen have openly asked India to cut off its very long standing beneficial relationship with Iran For the Bush Administration it is the second initiative after Iraq to interject themselves forcefully as masters in the oil rich middle-east. Their objectives are twofold; control the abundant oil and gas supplies, and annihilate the opposition in middle-east to their close ally Israel. It appears that in the garb of "strategic US-India alliance" and providing civilian nuclear power technology to India that the Bush Administration is touting, their objective is to make maximum economic and political gains for themselves while cutting off India from one of its most important neighours. For India, in addition to the ethical priority of not betraying a very long standing friend and neighour that Iran is, what can not be overlooked is how much India needs Iran in the future. For decades now Iran has supplied much of India's oil and gas needs - a vital need of the country's industrial infrastructure. India is woefully short of oil and gas resources and its energy hungry industrial base is mushrooming. For decades now Indian companies have had a large number of lucrative contracts in Iran that earn much business and foreign exchange for India. Furthermore a large number of Indians workers are employed in Iran. Of course for US it is a win-win proposal. With the slump that the US nuclear power industry is in, US manufacturers of reactors, steam generators and other major power generation equipment for nuclear power plants, have not had any significant business for more than a decade. Hence selling this equipment to India fulfills a big economic need for US. The supply of nuclear power plants to India is as much an economic need for US as it is an energy need for India. Taking a cue from China, India should drive a hard bargain with US. We should purchase nuclear power plants from US but not pay the heavy price of isolating the nation from Iran that US policymaker hawks are demanding. For India developing and maintaining influence with important neighours in Asia is a very important long term strategic need. Again China is a good example. Over the last decade China has considerably strengthened its ties with all countries that are neighours of both China and India, e.g. Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, while India's ties with them have suffered. Finally the policy wongs in New Delhi should understand that US respects nations that demonstrate that they have a backbone and have self respect. Russia and China are two bright examples in this regard. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- All views expressed herein belong to the individuals concerned and do not in any way reflect the official views of Hidayahnet unless sanctioned or approved otherwise. If your mailbox clogged with mails from Hidayahnet, you may wish to get a daily digest of emails by logging-on to http://www.yahoogroups.com to change your mail delivery settings or email the moderators at [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the title "change to daily digest". -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Recommended sites: Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia : http://www.abim.org.my Jamaah Islah Malaysia : http://www.jim.org.my Radio Islam Kuliyyah : http://www.kuliyyah.com Palestinkini Info : http://www.palestinkini.info Partai Keadilan Sejahtera : http://pk-sejahtera.org Fiqh Siber : http://al-ahkam.net/ The Muslim Brotherhood : http://ikhwanweb.com YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS
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