By: Hari Sud
February 15, 2005

Colin Powell, the popular Secretary of State of the first Bush Administration never missed an opportunity to take a swipe at India. Only recently, after the Tsunami disaster in South and East Asia, he visited a number of Embassies to sign the condolence book, but he missed the Indian Embassy. He probably had good reasons for missing it, but it also could be interpreted as a departing diplomatic snub to India. He has dealt similar snubs to India in the past four years.

Condoleezza Rice, the pro-active National Security Advisor, has been behind the scenes cementing Indo – US strategic ties. Where Powell has always been Pro Pakistan, Condi advised President Bush for further strengthen the Indo-US ties. It was Condi in the Whitehouse, who advised President Bush to meet with the visiting India’s Foreign Minister, Jaswant Singh in 2001. She was signaling a change. Then the 9/11 happened and Colin Powell took over with his well-formed pro Pakistani views. Later, she became instrumental in granting India access to high technology under Next Step Strategic Partnership (NSSP). Alas! The State Department Mandarins did not see eye to eye with the Whitehouse, hence they have put roadblocks in its implementation.

Powell in return granted Pakistan the Non NATO membership, huge amount of military and economic aid and helped Pakistan to internationalize the Kashmir issue, under the pretext of South Asian nuclear flash point. He also misled the world by telling them, in 2002, that nuclear war in South Asia is imminent and the world should rush to prevent it. This gave Pakistani diplomacy an edge to harp about Kashmir in world forums. Outside South Asia, he in 2003 misled the world by making the wildest accusations of Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq. His articulation of this threat at the UN gave US the necessary resolution to invade Iraq. He with his excellent verbose and style is very good in misleading.

Colin Powell – the Proud Descendant of Buffalo Soldier

Colin Powell, a son of a Jamaican immigrant grew up in Bronx, New York during the WWII. He identified himself with the descendant of Buffalo soldiers. The latter were recruited from the black population in the East to man the US frontier in the West after the American Civil War. Colin Powell in his youth years in fifties, took full advantage of changing US attitude on black soldiers & officers and enrolled himself in the University and ROTC (Reserve Officers Training Course). The US Army command structure at that time was still white and Colin was determined to make a breakthrough. To overcome this, he developed a keen sense of diplomacy and sweet talk. Two tours of Vietnam as a junior officer brought him to better staff position back in USA. His sweet and very polished manners always stood him well during the Nixon Era. In staff position he cultivated politicians like Casper Weinberger and Frank Carlucci. He retuned to Reagan White House as a senior advisor later as National Security Advisor. He punctuated his staff assignments at Whitehouse with assignments in Army’s command and control. This further earned him a senior White House Position, which further cemented his ties with Republican power block. They rewarded him with the command of European Theatre Command. All in all, Powell is a politically smart person who lacked overall battlefield experience (except as a junior officer in Vietnam), but he made up his drawbacks with political skills. During the presidency of Bush (Sr.) he became the Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff. His political ambitions were the presidency of USA, but he decided to settle for the Secretary of State position.

Condi Rice and President Bush

Condi had a similar beginning. But, as opposed to military career of his predecessor, Condi is an academician. She has a Stanford doctorate and has been the Senior Fellow of the Institute of Foreign Studies at Stanford. In Bush (Sr.) Administration she worked on German Unification and collapse of Soviet Union. In short she comes to the international scene roughly from the same mould as Henry Kissinger did. She is known to dump old thoughts & views and prefers fresh looks at all issues. In this regard, she is the direct opposite of her predecessor.

Together, President Bush and Condi Rice in her previous capacity as National Security Advisor, considered India as a natural strategic partner. They both were aware of Srobe Talbot and Jaswant Singh’s prior discussions in 1999-2000, and wished to move forward in India – US relations. This subject took a back seat after 9/11. At that time the diplomatic slate of South Asia was handed over to Colin Powell. The latter did a number on India. He authored the doctrine that “in order to catch a devil (Osma Bin Laden), USA has to get in bed with another devil (Pakistan)”. This policy has not paid any dividends as Osma is still out of reach in a cave in Afghan – Pakistan border and Pakistani scientists have been peddling nuclear technology right under Colin Powell’s nose until 2004.

Condi Rice and US State Department

Condi’s first stint in the State Department was as an intern in 1977. Today she has returned as the boss. The State Department is a collection of various interests from successive previous administrations, dating back 25 to 30 years. Carter era emphasis on human rights still exists in the State Department. There is a full-scale department, which collects, collates and funds human right activists world over. Later presidents after Carter de-emphasized this aspect. Still this department exists. Then there is a department which overlords over the export and licensing of sensitive technologies to the world. This department is an overlord over the independent Commerce Department, which does the same. Unfortunately, It prevents legal export of the sensitive technologies. Illegally, Pakistani and Chinese have grabbed whatever they needed in last 20 years. Hence this department is also an overgrown gorilla, which needs to be tamed. Arms Control, Nuclear Proliferation arm of the State Department has proven worthless as Iran is close to having the nuclear weapons and North Korea already has it. As of recent news, Egypt has been working on it for the past 20 years. Then, a whole lot of Assistant Secretaries for regional affairs function within the confines of the State Department. They are supposed to be desk jockeys instead they have been bossing the ambassadors.

Hence, there is too much dead wood in the State Department, which has past its usefulness and has to be removed.

Matters Which Could be dealt with in Next Four Years

Without making suggestions on US foreign policy in Middle East and elsewhere, let me dwell on the South Asian Affairs only.

At the moment, China is building its economic, political and military muscle in the area. They already have a client state in Pakistan, Myanmar and the Asian Tiger states. There is only India, which can put an end to the Chinese dream of dominating the Indian Ocean region and its trade and sea-lanes. US need to cultivate India quickly. A few of the irritating developments in Asia are to be dealt with before China’s ambitions can be curtailed. There are:

1. Pakistani nuclear threat is to be neutralized and its scientists who are spreading the technology are to be prosecuted in an international court of law. This will prevent India /Pakistan from becoming a nuclear flash point.

2. Instead of US retaining large forces in Indian Ocean at Diego Garcia, India has to be built up to police this area. Unrestricted flow of technology is key to this venture.

3. A large capital inflow in form of FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) is to be sent to India in next 20 years to buildup its economy and its military strength.

4. Nit picking State Department Officials in Washington are to be transferred or retired. This will allow business of state conducted with lesser or no prior political baggage (like Cold War).

Happy Tidings Ms. Rice

The whole world awaits your new home coming to the State Department. The latter is overdue for overhaul. Now is the time to undertake it. You have the academic background and international experience to give it a fresh start. Whatever you do today will be remembered in next twenty years. The right beginning today will prevent disastrous policies, which future administrations may stumble into. Please do the needful.

Hari Sud