Posted on 02/28/2005 1:36:19 AM PST by CarrotAndStick
Here's an interesting article:
COLD WAR GAMES
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© Naval War College Press
Vice Admiral Swaraj Prakash (Retd.), NCC Class of 1965
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I graduated from the Naval Command Course (NCC) at the U.S. Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island, in 1965. On my return to India, I reported at Naval Headquarters New Delhi for an appointment at sea. As a matter of protocol and having undergone training abroad, I was required to call on the Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) to apprise him of my assessment of the NCC course. I briefly narrated the curriculum, concluding that it was a wholesome course promoting understanding amongst the international naval community. After carefully listening, the Chief shot a straight question back at me: "Do you believe this training in the USA is of any value to the Indian Navy or a prop to your personal career?" I was taken aback a bit, but collecting my wits, I replied that such an exposure as in the NCC should help one to contribute to the interests of the Navy in the long run, and that my career was only a side issue. He gave an enigmatic smile. To date I have not been able to figure out whether the Chief thought that I believed in what I said.
It was exactly six years after the NCC experience, in 1971, that I had the privilege of commanding the only aircraft carrier of the Indian Navy, INS Vikrant. The tension between India and Pakistan was building up. The USA/Soviet Union cold war was at its height, with the famous U.S. tilt against India. A good deal is on record as to how the nuclear carrier task force led by USS Enterprise (the 'Big E') was sailed from the Far East to create a presence in the Bay of Bengal to influence the outcome of the Indo-Pakistani conflict. INS Vikrant Task Force, comprising the carrier and three anti-aircraft/anti-submarine frigates, was deployed in the Bay of Bengal with a directive to establish a Zone of Command to ensure that there was no outside interference from the sea with the advancing Indian Army in the erstwhile East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). In the execution of its aim the Indian Task Force had in a short time captured about forty foreign and Pakistani ships attempting to break the blockade to reach East Pakistan ports, carrying reinforcements and supplies for the beleaguered Pakistani Army. By 12 December 1971, the fighting on land had entered the final phase in favour of the Indian Army.
INS Vikrant was on patrol north of Andaman Islands blocking the approaches to Chittagong when, on December 15th, late in the evening, the BBC announced the entry of the 'Big-E' task force in the Bay of Bengal. The broadcast added that the U.S. task force was to make for Chittagong to evacuate the stranded American citizens. This was a bolt from the blue. I conjured up a situation of a direct confrontation. I waited for instructions from the Naval Headquarters but none arrived. It was later at night that I decided to proceed south anyway, to intercept the 'Big-E' before she could enter the war zone. It was near midnight when the Midshipman on Watch approached me on the bridge and sought permission to ask a question. I nodded, and he said, "Sir, what would you do when you sight the Big-E?" This question was no doubt uppermost on my mind, but without any hesitation I replied, "You do not have to worry, young man. America is a friendly country, so I would wish the captain of the 'Big E' a good morning and ask him what I could do for him." The midshipman was not convinced and added, "What if the 'Big-E' opened fire against us?" I replied, "I have been educated in the Naval War College, and I understand the American psychology well. If the 'Big-E' attacks us, Abraham Lincoln would be turning in his grave."
Throughout that night INS Vikrant continued her sortie south, and our air recce covered an area to a depth of 500 miles. There was no sign of the U.S. task force, so in the absence of any instruction from the Naval Headquarters I turned back north to rejoin my patrol area. As the day dawned, BBC broadcast amplified its earlier report: that having entered the Bay of Bengal from the Malacca Straits, the U.S. task force had proceeded west instead of going north to Chittagong. On reflection I felt that my reactions in the warlike situation proved the value of my tenure at the NCC. As a postscript to this anecdote, soon after the victory of the Indian Armed Forces, one of the foreign celebrities that visited India was the renowned naval leader Admiral S.G. Gorshkov, Chief of the Soviet Navy. During his visit to Bombay he came onboard INS Vikrant. I had known the Admiral well earlier during my tenure in Moscow as the Indian Naval Attaché. The Admiral congratulated me and asked, "Were you worried about a battle against the American carrier?" He answered himself: "Well, you had no reason to be worried, as I had a Soviet nuclear submarine trailing the American task force all the way into the Indian Ocean."
I thought to myself, it is not easy to convert a cold war into a hot war. Cold war is brinkmanship and only posturing. When the chips are down, you do not play cat and mouse games but come prepared to hit hard to vanquish your adversary.
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How, may I ask, was America "well justified" to act the way it did then? And what was special about the circumstances?
Remember Bangladesh, which won independence due to India's intervention is a far moderate country than Pakistan, which is now a Jehadi hellhole.
The independence of Bangladesh was good. The dissolution of West Pakistan would be better.
We had a whole world to save. I'm sorry we didn't do exactly what India wanted us to do at that exact moment. Too bad, eh? Remember, you're either with us or you're against us. When global communism or global jihad is the threat, there's really no other way. Not choosing is choosing.
The US under Nixon made a mistake tilting towards pakiland.
I think the point is that things like India backing Bangladesh or Israel bombing Iraq's reactor may be illegal, immoral and fattening even if they benefit the whole world. Bad people are very good at putting you in the position of having to take the first shot and taking a propaganda beating. That's why foreign policy handlers should not learn their morality from old "B" westerns. (Instead see how Judge Bean (Paul Newman) handled Bad Bob in the movie. The bad guys don't deserve a chance.)
Be sure to genuflect to Kissinger when China and US go to war.
Whatever you think is right, the fact remains India did more than fine with the Soviets, and Pakistan collapsed siding the US. And about your opinion on India being on the wrong side, how conviniently you've forgotten America's tacit strategy in siding and going kissy-kissy with the Chinese back in the '70s(remember Kissinger?).
And look now, with all that US aid to China, which directly resulted in China's rise as a major power America is now having a China problem cooking up right next to its @ss!(forgive me for lack of better words).Why, did you forget that forced naval plane incident around '00?
Same with aid to the Pakistanis who in turn aided the Jehadis and who directly caused 9-11.
So, who was on the wrong side now?
Anyway, things are going just fine between America and India, and the alliance will be an insurance against any future Chinese threat, as long as it continues to grow.
And this happened only under Bush. Thank him for saving the world.
The left always blames the Machiavellian choices America and its allies have been forced to make on some moral inferiority on our part. They always forget the forces with which we have been dealing -- and how hard they have been to defeat.
India just chose the wrong path, as expedient as it may have been. We've forgiven, but we sure haven't forgotten.
Yes, I know about the blowback issue and 9/11. Don't blame Kissinger for that. Monica Lewinsky probably had more to do with that than he did. While India was trying to deal with its own problems, we've had a world of issues to handle.
Maybe India will get its act together and work with the west to support global democracy. Or maybe not. Meanwhile, don't complain to me about a single thing we did during the Cold War. India chose wrong, and the consequences hurt.
Both sides made mistakes during the cold war. It is an overstatement to say that only India showed a lack of judgement.
What you are talking is plane old B*LLSH*T!
Take a hike! We dont owe you any apologies for siding with the Soviets. We did what was necessary for our security. To me "Henry Alfred Kissinger" was/is a war criminal. As simple as that! It was he who had given Gen Yahya Khan the tacit approval of carrying out the sub-continents worst genocide. He is responsible for siding with a tyrant and has his hands soaked in blood of 20 Million Bengalis.
As a fellow Bengali I find it appalling that Henry Kissinger, a Jew, could side with a General who could carry out one of history's worst genocides.
Sorry but...... I wasn't India that chose the worng path of allowing Gen Yahya Khan to kill another 20 million more Bengalis. Whatever we did under those circumstances was perfectly alright to me. Big deal if America didn't like it. They couldn't stop us anyway.
And once again its WE who forgive you. You dont forgive US!
Finally, the delusional anti-Nixon rantings of leftist blow-hards have been thoroughly debunked.
Yes, perhaps the United States could have done more to ensure that the fundamental human rights of the persecuted Bengalis were protected, but that doesn't negate the extraordinary efforts made by our our State Department, at the time.
Nor does it mean that that Nixon administration was cozying up to the brutal Pakistani regime of Mr. Khan.
I hope these revelations will be digested by Chistopher Hitchens, before he finally issues an apology to former Sec'y of State Kissinger.
Winning the Coldwar using China & Islamic fundamentalism(as seen in Afghanistan in the 80s) has created many a new headache for the US.
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