Doug has explained what he was getting at ( > No, but the U.S. doesn't go on
military >dates with just everyone, does it? Doing maneuvers together
suggests some degree of
> cooperation. How much and why?) and I have already replied.
> maneuvers in Agra supposedly involve an Indian special forces commando
unit, the >Para Brigade, and a lot of attack helicopters. India has
publicly said it would model >such an action on what the US and >Britain
have
>been doing in Afghanistan.
I am not aware of any such public statement by the Indian government, but I may have missed it.
>military analysts have been quoted in the newspapers suggesting that India
might lack >some of the high-tech accoutrements necessary for such a
mission. So on the surface, >it looks as if the US might be actively
>facilitating India's ability to do such things.
> You are right that it might be small compared to the other factors in the
> narrative and maybe means nothing and the scheduling is coincidental.
> But on the face of it, it does seem to stick out a little from the
> narrative of a pure Pakistan tilt.
I have said the following things: US policy was pro Pakistan during the COLD WAR years. The importance of Pakistan to the US has declined with the disappearance of the Soviet Union and Indo-US relationship has improved. 90% of the leadership and 70% of the cadre of Taliban/AQ are hiding in Pakistan. I wasn't sure if the US would able to pursue its campaign inside Pakistan. I haven't proposed a narrative of a pure Pakistan tilt. I would urge Michael Pollack to take a look at my recent posts on the subject.
Ulhas