US plays down Iran ship visits to India

[Judi Lynn]

US plays down Iran ship visits to India

Reuters
Posted online: Tuesday, April 04, 2006 at 0930 hours IST


Washington, April 4: The United States on Monday confirmed that two Iranian navy ships had visited Indian ports last month, but played down the contact, as the Bush administration struggles to win Congressional approval for a landmark Indo-US civilian nuclear energy deal.

President George W Bush is pushing for changes in US law and international regulations to allow nuclear technology sales for civilian energy purposes banned for 30 years because India developed and tested nuclear weapons and refuses to sign the nuclear non-proliferation Treaty.
(snip)

State Department deputy spokesman Adam Ereli said the ships visits were a "limited type of event, and doesn't suggest Indian training or Indian contribution to an Iranian military capabilities."

Defense News reported last week that while Bush was in New Delhi last month to sign the nuclear energy deal, two Iranian warships were in Kochi, headquarters of the Indian Navy's Southern Command.
(snip/...)

http://www.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=65446

[Cooley Hurd]

1. They were picking up MANGOES, perhaps?

...or did we get them all in the trade for nuclear technology?:crazy:

[leftchick]

2. This is such a fucking joke!

no one can make a bigger jackass out of himself than bush**....

<snip>

Quoting an Indian navy spokesman, it said Indian naval instructors briefed nearly 220 Iranian sailors on the Indian Navy's training approach and course details.

Ereli said such reports were "overwritten."

"Our understanding is that ... there were ship visits by two ships with naval cadets from Iran into Indian ports. They were not training programs. They were ship visits with naval cadets," he told a news briefing.

Ereli said Iranian navy ships visit a number of countries with whom the United States has close relations and "I don't think that one undercuts the other."

Nor should the visits mar India's "firm commitment to non-proliferation" or its "strong record as a responsible international actor," he insisted.

uuuuh, okie dokie then....:rofl:

[Warren Stupidity]

3. The rest of the world is slowly building relationships

that are outside of our zone of control and independent of our Imperial Hegemony. BRIC is real, and the reality is that our arrogance and delusional idiocy are going to be our downfall. The only question is how bad that fall is going to be and how many innocents are going to die as a result.

[lovuian]

4. India is NOT our ALLY this is something Republicans can't

get through their heads... I have no doubt they would give Iran a Nuke to play with...

[Warren Stupidity]

6. India is not our ally but why would they give Iran a nuke?

I don't see what benefit such an act on India's part would have for India.

[fujiyama]

7. Why the hell would they give Iran a nuke?

I haven't seen any evidence to suggest that India has recklessly proliferated its nuclear technology.

And India would be extremely stupid to jeapordize their relationship with the US at this point.

[cliss]

5. India doesn't need the US.....

nearly as much as the US needs India. Washington just loves to make it look like the opposite, though. I've read a little about Indian politics, especially before Manmohan Singh with Indira Gandhi. The leaders have been staunchly determined to do things their way, and not run out and pander, just to make a buck or sell their grandmother for $5.00 which Bush would do in an instant.

It seems like they would rather let their own people starve, than cave to what they saw as weakness.

The U.S. on the other hand, works beautifully with weakness. The US hands out "aid" or loans and then reels in the fishing pole and they're caught. The one trait the US doesn't know how to deal with, is strength. Exactly what India is demonstrating today.

Even the Wall Street Journal was complaining. In the editorial section, they complained that they want to bring the WSJ to India, to bring "democracy" and knowledge of business for God's Sake!!! The Indian government slapped some stipulations on the WSJ (like they couldn't advertise, and they had to have an Indian partner) which was impossible to do. So they scrapped their plans, but they certainly bitched about it.