Panetta to Encourage India for Larger Role in War

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Panetta to Encourage India for Larger Role in War
NEW DELHI June 5, 2012 (AP)

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has arrived in India where he will encourage leaders to take a more active role in Afghanistan.

India has played a somewhat limited role in the war, largely doing economic development and reconstruction.

U.S. defense officials said Panetta will talk with Indian officials about possibly helping to train the Afghan army and police.

The discussions are likely to roil America's already tense relations with Pakistan, which has long had a rocky, distrusting relationship with India.


Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/panetta-encourage-india-larger-role-war-16496285

[Skittles]

1. please, NO

[Sherman A1]

2. Agreed

we need less war and more reconstruction.

[Warren Stupidity]

3. Panetta is a shit stirring troll.

This will enrage Pakistan, intentionally.

[MannyGoldstein]

5. Agreed - cruisin' for a bruisin'

Incredibly stupid.

[Jackpine Radical]

9. Same thoughts as you guys.

Unfortunately, I could see India going along with this insanity, if only to get their troops on both sides of Pakistan.

[MannyGoldstein]

10. Can you imagine how bad it would be

If India and Pakistan obtained nukes? It would be encouraging two nuclear powers to go to war.

Oh wait...

[Jackpine Radical]

19. But really--they only have SMALL nukes.

What's to worry about?

[may3rd]

11. a clueless moron with know knowledge of India/Pak history

What would it be, the 5th war between the states ?
Those two only need a flash point and Afghanistan would easily be a handy trigger

[limpyhobbler]

4. President Obama is doing a good job on this issue.

This is probably just a trial balloon they are floating out there to see what kind of reaction it gets.

I'll be surprised to see Indian troops in Afghanistan.

But hey if they are willing to do it, let them do it. After all our guys could use a break.

[may3rd]

12. The exit strategy no longer goes through Pakistan

Seems things were hammered out under the radar at the NATO Chicago meeting.

[TheCowsCameHome]

6. Yeah, it's getting boring with the wars winding down.

Let's stir up some shit over there.

[no_hypocrisy]

7. It would be setting up India for a proxy war with Pakistan using Afghanistan.

[lunatica]

8. Panetta is a fucking warmonger!

Now we're going around trying to make other countries fight our wars for us just so we can have a foot in the door in order to send our drones in?

What is this? As we draw down our troops we get countries like India to take our place now so we can control the situation?

The really hideous part of this is that some Americans will be perfectly OK with this.

[limpyhobbler]

14. No he isn't!

He just takes orders from the President and the whole team figures this stuff out together.

Panetta is not doing freelance foreign policy.

[lunatica]

17. He isn't meekly "just following orders"

And if you read my thread you'll understand that I'm quite aware that he isn't freelancing. I'm sure he isn't solely responsible for sending drones. And he is a warmonger. Otherwise he'd resign.

[Blue_Tires]

33. I have a suspicion this is more of a

"Persuade India to buy more U.S. war toys" -thing rather than actually trying to deploy the Indian military in battle...

[cosmicone]

13. India will never agree to this anyway

unless preceded by a sustained air campaign against Pakistan by the US that weakens Pakistani military.

Also, India wants a final exit strategy via a disintegration of Pakistan.

The US has always pressured India to not fund the separatist movements in Baluchistan and Sindh

With a sustained air campaign against Pakistan, cutting off Pakistan's aid and curtains on the the way Pakistan was created by the brits, India may indeed help in Afghanistan.

[Comrade Grumpy]

27. I know Cosmicone wants the "disintegration of Pakistan," but...

...does India really? Massive instability on its borders? Loose nukes?

[cosmicone]

30. Balkanization of Pakistan

is India's long term goal laid down by Indira Gandhi in 1970. It began with liberation of Bangladesh (which used to be East Pakistan.) Bangladesh has been peaceful and trouble free since then.

Unfortunately, massive amounts of aid to Pakistan delayed its eventual disintegration. Over 170 billion US dollars have been poured into this terrorist state which is a menace to its neighbors.

Liberation movements exist in Baluchistan and Sindh already and they will eventually succeed.

[sabrina 1]

29. And that is all the more reason to strongly oppose this moronic proposal.

Assuming this is not just your opinion. Starting a war between two nuclear armed countries, do you seriously think that if Pakistan is attacked in all-out war against them by the US, that they will not finally resort to using every available asset they have as they would have a right to do. Or at least we claim WE have the right to do.

Yes, let's cheer on the start of WW111 by all means.

[cosmicone]

32. Pakistan is a lot of hot air.

One sternly worded lecture and demands from Richard Armitage and Musharraf caved in, giving in to every demand without even a mild protest.

Pakistan's nuclear assets are also pumped up by Pakistan and China, the former for local consumption and the latter to prop up a client state against India. The reality is that Pakistan's military strength is laughable. For example, American navy seals could fly all the way across pakistan and kill its most prized asset, Osama bin Laden. Paksitan was clueless until Obama's news conference.

[sabrina 1]

34. Lots of 'opinions' in that comment. Not shared, btw, with those who actually rely on facts

Btw, Musharaff is no longer in a position of power in Pakistan not to mention the fact that he was a puppet of the neo-cons.

Opinions from someone with a clear dislike, maybe even hatred of a particular person or country or culture etc. are taken with that in mind.

Hopefully wiser heads in India will prevail.

Otoh it could all be a PR/Psyops attempt to bring Pakistan back into the fold as far as NOT objecting to having foreign drones invading its sovereign airspace, and to persuade it to continue to cooperate by allowing NATO to use it as a supply route. Not to mention NATO needs to replenish its troops as countries like France, under new leadership, will be removing their troops in accordance with its people's demands.

The American people want out of Afghanistan and we will work hard to make that happen.

[lib2DaBone]

15. By all means.. let's throw gasoline on the fire.....

[closeupready]

16. Stupid.

And by the way, it's not for the US to invite other sovereign states to invade and occupy non-US territory.

[lunatica]

18. So now we know why Bush gave them preferred status and nukes way back when

So they would do our bidding.

[Egalitarian Thug]

20. Cause if there's one thing the Pakistanis love more than Americans bombing

their citizens at random, it's the idea of India joining in on the war next door. What fucking moron made this decision?

[IamK]

21. Leon must be trying to win a Nobel Peace Prize also.... n/t

[Poll_Blind]

22. Great, turn Afghanistan into a proxy war playground between Pakistan and India.

This guy is a joke.

PB

[Exultant Democracy]

23. WTF the last thing we need is for Pakistan to feel like the Indian military is encircling them.

[bemildred]

24. Good Lord what a fool. nt

[wordpix]

25. good idea, widen the war and then we can have WWIII and really show those people!

[dixiegrrrrl]

26. betcha dollars to donuts

we will soon hear that "Al-kada" has suddenly moved into India and needs droning, where we will -once again-
kill the #2 Al-kada guy at an outdoor wedding or funeral.

[closeupready]

28. 27 replies, but I see only 19.

nt

[tawadi]

31. Oh, yeah. Good luck with that

India is too smart for that. And in case nobody noticed they don't like to be pushed around, after hundreds of years of colonization.

[Dr Fate]

35. Centrist FP is WORKING, folks. nt

nt