How it is unnerving for India

Syed Nooruzzaman

Jim Mattis The US under President Donald Trump seems to be worried about how to ensure that the world remains America-driven in the 21st century as well. With a view to achieving this objective, it has come out with a new security strategy which lays greater stress on meeting the emerging threat to its global dominance from China and Russia.
The US campaign against terrorism will go on but its greater focus will now be on doing all it can to face great power competition
There is a clear hint that Washington fears that it may soon lose the position it enjoys today as the sole surviving super power influencing the course of affairs in the world more than any other country. China along with Russia may replace the US as the dominant power
even before China becomes a super power if no effective measures are taken to prevent it. US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis outlined the new US strategy a few days back clearly but in a more sober language than it was described by President Trump last December when he talked of rising threats from emboldened China and Russia. According to what Mattis has pointed out, the US will not only spend liberally on its otherwise well-oiled military machine to take on any power on earth with ease but also take care of its allies' interests more forcefully to win their confidence afresh.
Mattis remarked during his recent address at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced Studies, "Working by, with and through allies who carry their equitable share allows us to amass the greatest possible strength". It has not been stated clearly

China and Russia appear to have been working on a strategy to keep the US entangled in the fight against terrorism so that ultimately it gets weakened and tired. It seems the realisation has dawned on the US that it cannot afford to continue with America's old strategic policy. But will this not embolden terrorists based in Pakistan, Afghanistan and elsewhere? It's definitely an unnerving development for India!

whether the US will focus on looking for new allies as well as building fresh bridges of understanding with old ones like the members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and those in West Asia such as Saudi Arabia. But the Trump administration's latest moves provide enough proof that it has made up its mind to look for new allies and dump some old ones like Pakistan in view of the emerging global scenario.
If the US appears to have lost interest in Pakistan it is giving hints of having abandoned the idea of allowing Iran to get off the hook following the nuclear deal signed with Teheran. That seemed to be the reason why it was quick to express its solidarity with those behind the recent antigovernment demonstrations in Iran,
asserting that the regime in Teheran deserved no sympathy because of its destabilizing policies like support to terrorists in West Asia.
The Trump administration has threatened to pull out of the 2015 nuclear deal, signed by Iran, Russia, China, France, Britain, Germany and the European Union, besides the US, to cap Teheran's nuclear programme, alleging that Iran's conduct has not been in accordance with the spirit of the significant accord. Though Russia has rejected the US charge, President Trump has declared that the US may not lift all sanctions imposed on Iran.

The US threat is basically linked to the Iranian role in the Syrian war theatre where Teheran is backing the discredited Bashar Assad regime whereas the US allies like Saudi Arabia are with the forces fighting to bring about regime change in Syria. Iran also openly provides all kinds of aid to the Lebanese extremist group called Hezbollah and other such outfits considered terrorists by the US and its allies.

China, as part of its "String of Pearls" policy, has succeeded in surrounding India by increasing its presence in almost every country in South Asia, a disturbing development for New Delhi.

In the ongoing fighting for domination in West Asia involving countries like Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Iran, the US obviously has to be on the side of Riyadh and against Teheran with a view to instilling confidence in its allies that the balance of power will never be allowed to tilt in favour of Iran. Though Iran is getting considerable support from Russia and China in different ways to safeguard its interests and those of its allies like the regimes in Syria, Iraq, Qatar and Lebanon, Teheran has been endeavouring to acquire the nuclear weapon manufacturing capability to become invincible as is the case with Israel.

But such a denouement will be very upsetting for the Saudi Arabian camp, comprising mainly Sunni Arab nations.
The US has to take all the measures required to force Iran to give up its nuclear ambitions to maintain the status quo in West Asia so that its allies do not feel that they have been let down by Washington.
Killing the nuclear deal with Iran, as President Trump has threatened, will neither be in the long-term interest of the US and its allies nor in the interest of Teheran. The US, in that situation, will be left with only two options: one, to destroy the Iranian nuclear facilities with the use of military might, though a quite complicated task under the prevailing circumstances; two, to cripple the Iranian economy by imposing more sanctions. Both options are pregnant with devastating consequences and, therefore, not advisable. The ideal option is to achieve the objective of capping the Iranian nuclear programme by making the nuclear deal with Teheran survive.

The US may try to use India to halt the Chinese march towards gaining a super power status in the coming few years. Since Washington has abandoned Pakistan as its ally in the war on terrorism , when Islamabad has virtually become a Chinese colony, the super power's tilt towards India appears unavoidable.

Any step to escalate tensions between the US and Iran will push Teheran further towards Russia and China and add to India's difficulties in maintaining friendly relations with the Persian Gulf nation. Since the Trump administration is showing greater interest in strengthening India-US friendly ties, primarily owing to Washington's strategic compulsions, India will become suspect in the eyes of Iran, though New Delhi needs Teheran for protecting its interests in Afghanistan and Central Asian republics. India will have to play its card with utmost caution to prevent itself from getting sucked into the new US scheme of things for the world.
The US may try to use India to halt the Chinese march towards gaining a super power status in the coming few years. Since Washington has abandoned Pakistan as its ally in the war on terrorism, when Islamabad has virtually become a Chinese colony, the super power's tilt towards India appears unavoidable. Of course, any drive to corner China suits India as it recently went through a very embarrassing experience during the Doklam crisis owing to Beijing's arrogant behaviour.
China, as part of its "String of Pearls" policy, has succeeded in surrounding India by increasing its presence in almost every country in South Asia, a disturbing development for New Delhi.
However, all this cannot justify India allowing itself to be used by the US for furthering Washington's interests even in a discreet manner. Maintaining cordial relations with China, irrespective of its disturbing designs, fits in very well with India's long-term interests.
In any case, the US worries vis-a-vis China and Russia are likely to increase in the days to come owing to the growing clout of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation as it is driven by the two American challengers.
China and Russia appear to have been working on a strategy to keep the US entangled in the fight against terrorism so that ultimately it gets weakened and tired. It seems the realisation has dawned on the US that it cannot afford to continue with America's old strategic policy. But will this not embolden terrorists based in Pakistan, Afghanistan and elsewhere? It's definitely an unnerving development for India!



		EDITOR'S MAIL FROM THE EDITOR Economic Scene Farmers' community Rural India Tribal Community Education Need to focus on Higher Education Frontiers of science PNB Scam Law and order Growing inequality Job creation Sakala Syndrome Environment Sports management The Power of Yoga Art of living US STRATEGY DATELINE BEIJING SIGNS OF THE TIMES Issue:Mar' 2018 Subscribe Now	US STRATEGY How it is unnerving for India Syed Nooruzzaman Jim Mattis The US under President Donald Trump seems to be worried about how to ensure that the world remains America-driven in the 21st century as well. With a view to achieving this objective, it has come out with a new security strategy which lays greater stress on meeting the emerging threat to its global dominance from China and Russia. The US campaign against terrorism will go on but its greater focus will now be on doing all it can to face great power competition There is a clear hint that Washington fears that it may soon lose the position it enjoys today as the sole surviving super power influencing the course of affairs in the world more than any other country. China along with Russia may replace the US as the dominant power even before China becomes a super power if no effective measures are taken to prevent it. US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis outlined the new US strategy a few days back clearly but in a more sober language than it was described by President Trump last December when he talked of rising threats from emboldened China and Russia. According to what Mattis has pointed out, the US will not only spend liberally on its otherwise well-oiled military machine to take on any power on earth with ease but also take care of its allies' interests more forcefully to win their confidence afresh. Mattis remarked during his recent address at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced Studies, "Working by, with and through allies who carry their equitable share allows us to amass the greatest possible strength". It has not been stated clearly China and Russia appear to have been working on a strategy to keep the US entangled in the fight against terrorism so that ultimately it gets weakened and tired. It seems the realisation has dawned on the US that it cannot afford to continue with America's old strategic policy. But will this not embolden terrorists based in Pakistan, Afghanistan and elsewhere? It's definitely an unnerving development for India! whether the US will focus on looking for new allies as well as building fresh bridges of understanding with old ones like the members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and those in West Asia such as Saudi Arabia. But the Trump administration's latest moves provide enough proof that it has made up its mind to look for new allies and dump some old ones like Pakistan in view of the emerging global scenario. If the US appears to have lost interest in Pakistan it is giving hints of having abandoned the idea of allowing Iran to get off the hook following the nuclear deal signed with Teheran. That seemed to be the reason why it was quick to express its solidarity with those behind the recent antigovernment demonstrations in Iran, asserting that the regime in Teheran deserved no sympathy because of its destabilizing policies like support to terrorists in West Asia. The Trump administration has threatened to pull out of the 2015 nuclear deal, signed by Iran, Russia, China, France, Britain, Germany and the European Union, besides the US, to cap Teheran's nuclear programme, alleging that Iran's conduct has not been in accordance with the spirit of the significant accord. Though Russia has rejected the US charge, President Trump has declared that the US may not lift all sanctions imposed on Iran. The US threat is basically linked to the Iranian role in the Syrian war theatre where Teheran is backing the discredited Bashar Assad regime whereas the US allies like Saudi Arabia are with the forces fighting to bring about regime change in Syria. Iran also openly provides all kinds of aid to the Lebanese extremist group called Hezbollah and other such outfits considered terrorists by the US and its allies. China, as part of its "String of Pearls" policy, has succeeded in surrounding India by increasing its presence in almost every country in South Asia, a disturbing development for New Delhi. In the ongoing fighting for domination in West Asia involving countries like Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Iran, the US obviously has to be on the side of Riyadh and against Teheran with a view to instilling confidence in its allies that the balance of power will never be allowed to tilt in favour of Iran. Though Iran is getting considerable support from Russia and China in different ways to safeguard its interests and those of its allies like the regimes in Syria, Iraq, Qatar and Lebanon, Teheran has been endeavouring to acquire the nuclear weapon manufacturing capability to become invincible as is the case with Israel. Any step to escalate tensions between the US and Iran will push Teheran further towards Russia and China and add to India's difficulties in maintaining friendly relations with the Persian Gulf nation. But such a denouement will be very upsetting for the Saudi Arabian camp, comprising mainly Sunni Arab nations. The US has to take all the measures required to force Iran to give up its nuclear ambitions to maintain the status quo in West Asia so that its allies do not feel that they have been let down by Washington. Killing the nuclear deal with Iran, as President Trump has threatened, will neither be in the long-term interest of the US and its allies nor in the interest of Teheran. The US, in that situation, will be left with only two options: one, to destroy the Iranian nuclear facilities with the use of military might, though a quite complicated task under the prevailing circumstances; two, to cripple the Iranian economy by imposing more sanctions. Both options are pregnant with devastating consequences and, therefore, not advisable. The ideal option is to achieve the objective of capping the Iranian nuclear programme by making the nuclear deal with Teheran survive. The US may try to use India to halt the Chinese march towards gaining a super power status in the coming few years. Since Washington has abandoned Pakistan as its ally in the war on terrorism , when Islamabad has virtually become a Chinese colony, the super power's tilt towards India appears unavoidable. Any step to escalate tensions between the US and Iran will push Teheran further towards Russia and China and add to India's difficulties in maintaining friendly relations with the Persian Gulf nation. Since the Trump administration is showing greater interest in strengthening India-US friendly ties, primarily owing to Washington's strategic compulsions, India will become suspect in the eyes of Iran, though New Delhi needs Teheran for protecting its interests in Afghanistan and Central Asian republics. India will have to play its card with utmost caution to prevent itself from getting sucked into the new US scheme of things for the world. The US may try to use India to halt the Chinese march towards gaining a super power status in the coming few years. Since Washington has abandoned Pakistan as its ally in the war on terrorism, when Islamabad has virtually become a Chinese colony, the super power's tilt towards India appears unavoidable. Of course, any drive to corner China suits India as it recently went through a very embarrassing experience during the Doklam crisis owing to Beijing's arrogant behaviour. China, as part of its "String of Pearls" policy, has succeeded in surrounding India by increasing its presence in almost every country in South Asia, a disturbing development for New Delhi. However, all this cannot justify India allowing itself to be used by the US for furthering Washington's interests even in a discreet manner. Maintaining cordial relations with China, irrespective of its disturbing designs, fits in very well with India's long-term interests. In any case, the US worries vis-a-vis China and Russia are likely to increase in the days to come owing to the growing clout of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation as it is driven by the two American challengers. China and Russia appear to have been working on a strategy to keep the US entangled in the fight against terrorism so that ultimately it gets weakened and tired. It seems the realisation has dawned on the US that it cannot afford to continue with America's old strategic policy. But will this not embolden terrorists based in Pakistan, Afghanistan and elsewhere? It's definitely an unnerving development for India!