US tells India, drop dead

Rediff ^ | March 28, 2005 | Kanchan Gupta

[SaltyJoe]

That makes sense. It's also closer to the land itself (less quarrel over drilling rights). The North Sea and Gulf of Mexico has a lot of deep sea drilling. I suppose there will be deeper explorations off of India soon enough.

[familyop]

I still do not understand as to why the USA is giving F-16s to Pakistan and would like to know. Pakistan terrorists are a threat to the USA and are listed as such. ...can't help but wonder if something else is going to happen there...maybe another sinkhole for the more prickly terrorist groups, as in Iraq?

[sukhoi-30mki]

Yep,nuclear power is pretty high on the agenda & the US has promised to allow sale of civilian technology to India.Hydro-electricity has a lot of potential,but very little has been exploited,in part due to reasons of political correctness.

[Conservative Firster]

Pakistan already has 32 F-16s.

Pakistan Air Force Inventory

System / Quantity/ Role/Description

F-16A/ 21/ Multi-Role Air Superiority fighter

F-16B / 11 /Advanced Trainer and wartime ground-attack fighter

Pakistan had an additional seventy-one F-16s on order, but delivery has been suspended since 1990. Pakistan AF F-16s stored at Davis-Monthan AFB "Boneyard".

[sukhoi-30mki]

Actually,India doesn't need Russia or someone else to tell it that Iran is a threat.It uses much the same logic,why the US considers Saudi Arabia(an equally big sponsor of terror) as an ally.Iran is seen as a big sponsor of terrorism against the US & Israel,but not against India.OTOH,Saudi money is seen as seeping through to a number of extremists in India & the premise gets reversed.

Im not too sure whether India "likes" Iran.For one,Iran's N-programme has Pakistani help & Iran is much close economically and militarily to Beijing.& we have the fact that India is Israel's largest arms buyer.

[KingofQue]

I've posted this time and again. You are da man!!!

[Gengis Khan]

Lets just say the biggest worry for India in the next decade is the issue of "energy security". Hence a country like Iran is so important for India (because of their oil reserves and proximity to India). There is a frenzied rush by India and China for grabbing oil in the region. I understand the US is trying to accomodate India in some sort of energy security arrangement (mostly cooperation in the field of nuclear energy) to distance India from Iran. But I doubt that will be enough. Oil is what the economy runs on.

[familyop]

Iran is also militarily close to Russia, and on more than nuclear technology. Russia has been selling ballistic missile equipment to Iran for some time.

I'm trying to find a map that was posted to the Free Republic site a few days ago. It showed the likely ranges (distances) of Iran's new missiles.

[Allosaurs_r_us]

First of all, let's get one thing strait. From the manner of your posts, you appear to think that I am putting India down for some reason. Nothing could be farther from the truth. India is quickly becoming a major player, not only in the east but in the world. I have personally benefited from Indian intellect as my neuro-surgeon is Indian. He removed 2 of my discs and replaced them with carbon fiber. I have nothing but the utmost respect for his talents.

 

You all say India will not sell oil to China, I hope that you are right. India is already playing both sides as they are manufacturing computers for Russian fighters are they not? They are in the unique position of being privy to both US and Russian technology. I am merely pointing out India's political position in ongoing developments. To think India will not use whatever means to their own benefit, is ridiculous. That includes Iranian oil. It is how the game is played. Iran needs an outlet to the world market. It appears India is going to supply that outlet. Or are you saying any and all oil out of this pipeline will stay in India? B.S.! I have a real problem believing that.

 

India is no victim here. They are in the process of becoming a world power. The title of this thread was "US tells India to drop dead", we are playing the world game just as India is. Don't beat up the US for doing the same thing India does.

[sukhoi-30mki]

Hmm,If im not mistaken,the BM part has been handled by China & North Korea.Not saying Russia has no role,but they have mainly supplied other systems.If you look at Iran's arsenal of new Russian systems,you will see that those are pretty old Mig-29s(poor radar & no active BVR weapons) & T-72 tanks,Kilo class subs.

Nearly all new Iranian & Pakistani BMs are of North Korean origin.

[sukhoi-30mki]

If you are aware of the fineprint of this proposed pipeline,you will notice that it will pass through Pakistan & onto India.Hence Pakistan will get cheap gas along with a tollfee.Do you honestly think China is going to build a pipeline across 3 countries & that too through disputed territory???& do you know how much India's energy consumption will be by 2020???It will be just below the US & China.About Iran needing an outlet,hope you know that China recently delivered a fleet of supertankers to Iran's national oil company.No prices for guessing where the cargo is likely to go.China is also working on deposits much closer to home,including in Indonesia,Turkmenistan & Kazakhistan & these are far more sensible(politically & economically) than a pipeline through 3 nations.

India has built the weapons computer for the variant of the SU-30 fighter which Russia has built SPECIFICALLY for it's airforce & which won't be exported without Indian consent.India also uses weaponry from Israel,France,Italy,Britain among others.Those folks don't have a problem & your fear only holds if India chooses to buy American weaponry.

[sukhoi-30mki]

All the gas won't stay in India.It will be used by Indian industry & consumers!!!

[SaltyJoe]

It's that dinosaur graphic...it's distracting me!

I'm sure India will do what's best for India. I also don't see a problem with India selling oil on the open market. Restricting growth to a growing nation can reduce the region to war. That's one of the reasons why WW2 happened.

I hope that India is encouraged to explore oil off its own coast as much as possible (less likely to have a Spratly Island dispute off India's coast). Perhaps the latest tsunami will reveal such mixed blessings. The offshore changes can also spark new interests in cultural exploration for the ancient subterranean cities revealed.

Using nuclear power should have a neutralizing effect for politics since it reduces the demand for the same limited resources of fossil fuels. If mankind's ingenuity focused as sharply on making nuclear energy efficient, we'd be very far along considering what we've done to an automobile engine from the last century. Dumping used radioactive waste will be a challenge met along with developing the technology to use it. I don't doubt India to harmonize such abilities with responsibilities.

[sukhoi-30mki]

Pakistan & China are building a deepwater port on Iran's border region.That could be the outlet & a far more politically safe one for China.LNG from there could technically be piped to China(Tibet) through Gilgit & Baltistan & the distance is far lesser than it is through India.

[sukhoi-30mki]

A Chinese built supertanker for Iran.

[sukhoi-30mki]

IRAN DELVAR - VERY LARGE CRUDE CARRIER

http://www.ship-technology.com/projects/iran_delvar/

[Gengis Khan]

Talking about Indian made computers on the Su30s, I read somewhere that softwares for the F-22 were built in India. Know anything about that?

[Allosaurs_r_us]

"which won't be exported without Indian consent"

 

That is by far the stupidest thing I have ever heard! As if Russia would ask permission from India to export anything. What planet are you from? How many times do you suppose Russia has promised things and done exactly the opposite?

 

"India also uses weaponry from Israel,France,Italy,Britain among others"

 

Ah yes, until recently, our allies, who now, with the exception of Israel, appear to be turning their backs on the country that liberated them. India should be proud to be affiliated with such up-standing political correct turn-coats. Hell we export to China and import billions from them. Does that mean we will be giving them military aid in a dispute with India?

 

"Those folks don't have a problem & your fear only holds if India chooses to buy American weaponry."

 

That is precisely why the whole thing is suspect. I would hope India would be smarter than that. France and Italy are fast becoming socialists and cowards in my opinion. Align yourself with cowards, that will get you a long way on this forum. If India wants to stay in the technology forefront it will surely continue to buy American. If they don't, well there goes your argument of intellectual superiority.

 

You sure you are on the right forum? I think perhaps you will find the DU much more to your liking, as they spout the same B.S. Including France and Italy in any excuse for condoning behavior is suspect. Neither country has American interests at heart. Actually it is quite to the contrary.

[Righty_McRight]

Isn't the Iran/India pipeline going to be built through Pakistan? You seem scared to death of them getting F-16's, but you have no fear that they might cut off/take over your pipeline?

I'd rather not sell the planes to Pakistan, but we must be getting something in return behind the scenes. Musharraf shooting up some Taliban in Pakistan wouldn't be enough to earn the more advanced versions of the fighter, or the AMRAAM missile.

Like you said, the Apache, or Blackhawks would be more useful to them. What does Pakistan use for CAS now? Do they still use old A-5's?

I'm really not sure if Musharraf will live long enough to receive anything to begin with. We may have to hit Pakistan hard if he gets assassinated, and try to secure those nukes. Warm up the Sukhoi's!

Have you found anymore rumors about the blk 70 that Lockheed is cooking up?

[endthematrix]

Re: Alt invasion tactics
That scenario I'm sure has been run through a computer many times and came up as WW3. For sure I thought Uzbekistan was going to roll in hard. My 2 cents for the F16 sale is that it's a token of our gratitude, right or wrong. Wrong IMO, since it doesn't serve a rational strategy in the region, except a grateful Pakistan. I guess to some, ANY sale is a good sale.