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| Obama's win good news for Delhi | | |
Now that Barack Obama has been reelected as the US President it has created a flutter in Islamabad where the establishment fears that once again Washington will follow a muscular foreign policy shift against Pakistan.What actually worries Islamabad is the growing ties between Washington and New Delhi since Obama was elected as the US President for the first time in 2008.Days before the campaigning for the US Pesidential poll ended Pakistan had voiced its favour for the Republican candidate,Mitt Romney. That Islamabad preferred Romney to Obama is the outcome of Pakistan's fears that Washington may again reduce financial aid quantum and link annual aid flow to Islamabad's steps taken against terrorists in case Obama was reelected as President.
Though Washington continued to bank on the Pak support for the US war against terror, Obama had become suspicious of Islamabad's role after the killing of Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad in Pakistan. Obama and his Government officials lost trust in Islamabad on the plea that Pakistan Government knew about Osama's hideout but neither acted against him nor informed Washington about it.Since then the relations between Washington and Islamabad have remained less friendly and cordial than witnessed during the last five decades. The level of mistrust between the two sides went up following the terrorist strike on the world Towers in New York on September 11, 2001.
Since then the level of mistrust between Washington and New Delhi has considerably declined.Hence Obama's victory has the potential of keeping New Delhi not only satisfied but assured of the US support,financial and military, if there was any need for it.
There is one major worry for New Delhi.India continues to be concerned over the future policy Obama will adopt vis-a-vis Iran and Afghanistan. As far as India's active presence in Afghanistan is concerned New Delhi has nothing to fear because hitherto Obama has supported India's role in Kabul.
It is so because New Delhi has been providing financial and technical assistance to Kabul in reviving its economy and trade activities.But the only thing that worries New Delhi is the US commitment on restoring to Afghanistan political process by bringing Talibans to the negotiating table.If New Delhi is worried over this it is understandable because once the Talibans have a say in the Government formation and policy making it would oppose any future role for Delhi in Afghanistan.
Though Obama has received the trust of people in the United States,he has to reframe his policies aimed at reviving the sagging US economy. As a result of difficult economic position Washington had to bank on outsourcing which is not a pleasant news for India.
Secondly,during the next four years Obama's strategy as far as his war against terror will be watched with interest.He had laid the foundation for his war against terror in Afghanistan under the belief that Afghan-Pakistan border belts have been safe sanctuary for terrorists thereby converting these belts as an area for exporting terror to various countries, including the US and India.
However, Obama's strategy in Afghanistan has not succeeded and he is under pressure to pull out of Afghanistan the NATO forces.Will he withdraw the US troops by 2014 or not ?This will be an issue which may be watched with interest the world over.
If India is happy over Obama's reelection it is so because Obama has opposed any third-country mediation on Kashmir and instead favoured settlement of the issue through bilateral talks between India and Pakistan.And If India needs the US support in the light of growing tension between Beijing and New Delhi it can expect it in full measure from Obama.Hence Obama's victory is good news for New Delhi but quite bad tiding for Islamabad. |
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