Obama wants to work closely with India: Inderfurth

Lalit K Jha

Washington, Apr 28 (PTI) As President Barack Obama
completes his first 100 days in office this week, his top aide
Tuesday said the recent actions by the US indicates that it
wants to work closely with India as a partner in addressing
the "increasingly dire" situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Karl F Inderfurth, a Democrat and South Asian expert,
said there are "encouraging signs" to show that Obama
Administration is keen to build on the foundation laid by his
precedessors Bill Clinton and George W Bush and take the
Indo-US relationship to the next level.

"The meeting between Obama and the Indian Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh on the sidelines of the London G-20
Summit early this month was an important one," Inderfurth, who
served as Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs
during Bill Clinton's regime, told PTI in an interview.

"It (the meeting) demonstrated that the United States
fully recognises the role India plays on the world economic
scene," he said.

The former diplomat, who was a foreign policy adviser
on South Asia to Obama during his campaign, said the meetings
Richard Holbrooke, US Special Envoy for Afghanistan and
Pakistan, has had with Indian officials indicates "that the US
wants to work closely with India as a partner in addressing
what is an increasingly dire situation in Afghanistan and
Pakistan."

Inderfurth said the April 2 meeting between Obama and
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was an "indication that there is
going to be close cooperation between United States and India
to address the global crisis".

As Afghanistan-Pakistan is getting the highest
attention in the Obama Administration, Inderfurth said clearly
the visits by Holbrooke to New Delhi has underscored the
important role that India has with respect to assisting and
addressing the situations in these countries.

"I think this has been a very important signal during
the first 100 days, as well as the fact that the first
overseas trip by the new CIA Director Leon Panetta was to New
Delhi," Inderfurth said.

India being the first overseas destination of Panetta
as CIA Director underscores the importance of United States
strengthening counter-terrorism cooperation with India, he
said.

"Mumbai was a great tragedy, but was also a reminder
that the United States and India have to work even more
closely to address the terrorist threats that our countries
have in the world today," he said.

"So, I think Obama meeting Prime Minister Singh, the
meetings Ambassador (Holbrooke) has had with Indian officials
on the situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan and the visit by
CIA Director Panetta to strengthen counterterrorism
cooperation are the three signals in the first 100 days,"
Inderfurth said.

"These things are important to show that the US under
President Obama is going to have a very strong tie with India
and be build on the foundations laid by President Clinton and
then by President Bush," the former diplomat said.

Encouraged by these steps, Inderfurth said there have
been other steps taken by Obama, which almost certainly have
been well received and welcomed in India.

"I am talking here President Obama's decision to close
down Guantanamo detention facility, his leadership now on
issues like climate change and nuclear threat reduction," he
said.
"I think these broader issues that President Obama has
addressed will be well received in New Delhi as well. It's the
positive American leadership and a desire to join with other
countries in the world.

"So it is a new direction and a new tone of American
leadership. I think that would certainly be very positive in
New Delhi," he said. PTI LKJ
SAK