'Biden's promise of returning to 'normalcy' after Trump appears to mean that the same old politicians, who are responsible for the 'endless wars' in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria, are being brought out of the woodwork after four years,' notes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
The United States on Tuesday evacuated nearly 90 Americans from Yemen, while the Britain has withdrawn all diplomatic staff in the country amid a worldwide terror alert linked to electronic intercepts from Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, ordering a major attack since 9/11.
United States President Barack Obama is sending a team of officials led by Richard Holbrooke, his special envoy for Pakistan and Afghanistan, to visit refugee camps housing lakhs of people who have been displaced by the military offensive in Swat and adjoining areas of the North Western Frontier Province. Holbrooke is expected to have a first hand assessment of the situation and then recommend how best the US can accelerate relief measures.
The US president and his advisers in the White House, the State Department and the Pentagon cannot claim that they too were unaware of the shocking facts in the leaked documents, says B Raman
The question really is whether the US can be persuaded to embark on a path of calibrated and stronger sanctions on Pakistan.
When the Indian Embassy in US came to know that over 100 Indian nationals were trapped in Chad -- where rebel groups are engaged in fierce clashes -- it immediately got in touch with the State Department, White House and Pentagon to see if something could be done. "The US response was immediate and positive. They said that they would bring our nationals to the extent they can accommodate," a senior Indian official told PTI.
The US has suffered a spate of cyber-attacks, reportedly from overseas, successfully infiltrating key government systems including the White House and National Weather Service and prompting authorities to shut down the unclassified e-mail system at the State Department.
Militants from the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant claimed that they had executed 1,700 Iraqi Shia air force recruits in Tikrit, posting some gruesome photos online to support their claim.
Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon, who wrapped up three days of intensive discussions with the hierarchy of the new Obama administration at the State Department, White House, and Pentagon, and also met with the leadership in the US Congress, apparently has every reason to be satisfied that the transformed US-India relationship is ready to be launched to the next level of the partnership.
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Camp, said, "We are not saying that the F-16s have only a counter-terrorism use. They are obviously a part of Pakistan's national defence and they always have been, and what we have said very confidently is that the sale of these F-16s is not going to upset the regional balance."
General Bipin Rawat, India's first Chief of Defence Staff who died in a tragic helicopter crash in Tamil Nadu, was an exceptional leader, a valued partner and a strong proponent of US-India defence ties and helped deepen the bilateral strategic partnership, top US officials have said.
The reports were changed by CENTCOM higher ups to adhere to the Obama administration's public line that the US is winning the battle against the terror groups, claim analysts.
In a major move in 2016, the US had designated India a "Major Defence Partner" intending to elevate defence trade and technology sharing to a level commensurate with that of its closest allies and partners.
The Bush administration has earmarked $300 million for Pakistan from nearly $300 billion that the White House is seeking from the Congress for the global war on terror.
US President Joe Biden will address the American people on US troops withdrawal from Afghanistan on Tuesday.
"But the completion by August 31 depends on the Taliban continuing to cooperate and allow access to the airport for those who were transporting out and no disruptions to our operations," US President Joe Biden said.
The US has also urged the two South Asian neighbours to avoid further military action.
Vikram J Singh, the highest-ranking Indian American at the Pentagon is quitting his administration job to head up the national security division at the Center for American Progess -- a Washington, DC progressive think tank with close links to President Obama -- which has at its helm another Indian American, Neera Tanden.
The United States has suspended its military aid to Thailand in the wake of a bloodless coup there, as chief of the US army called his Thai counterpart urging him to return the country to democratic rule.
The lawsuit accuses Trump of "an unconstitutional and unlawful scheme".
India's historical focus on its continental borders has overshadowed its maritime ambitions, but that is changing quickly, notes Ajai Shukla.
The United States has put on hold all its military-to-military engagements with Russia, attributing the move to Russia's intrusion into Ukraine.
The defence ministry is finalising a decision to allow the FGM-148 Javelin missile, built by US companies Lockheed Martin and Raytheon, into a contest to supply the Indian Army with anti-tank guided missiles. This is bad news for Israelis
Pyongyang cited the ongoing military exercise between the US and South Korea as a reason behind the move.
General Mattis has been the most steadfast champion in Trump's cabinet of the US-India defence relationship. If Trump chooses a more pliable successor, the Pentagon's attention could go off India.
US Defence Secretary Llyod Austin described China as a pacing challenge for the United States.
Given the urgency, the Indian Navy is buying 24 MH-60R Seahawks in flyaway condition, and plans to build another 99 in India through the strategic partnership route.
The US president said that there is a lot of "dislike" (between India and Pakistan).
The Pentagon said US military commanders are "conducting prudent planning and preparations" should American support be required during the Winter Olympics.
'We are in close touch with Indian officials at all levels. We are also closely coordinating with our allies, friends, and Quad partners about how we can collectively support India in its hour of need,' a senior Biden administration official told reporters
The Global Hawk can carry out surveillance of a stretch of land or ocean for over 30 hours continuously, physically scanning up to 100,000 sq km each day.
The 2+2 was attended by Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin and their Indian counterparts S Jaishankar and Rajnath Singh respectively.
This was the first major request of arms sale purchase by India after Obama designated New Delhi as a major 'strategic defence partner'.
The US has already imposed sanctions on Turkey for the purchase of a batch of S-400 missile defence systems.
The parade is to take place in November, most likely on Veterans Day (November 11).
India has abstained on yet another resolution involving Ukraine, this time a motion sponsored by Russia at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) that sought to establish a commission to investigate claims by Moscow that the United States and Ukraine are carrying out 'military biological activities' in laboratories in Ukraine in violation of the biological weapons convention.
Now, the NDAA needs to be passed by the Senate before it can be sent to the White House for the US President Donald Trump to sign into law.
Doval will meet US Defence Secretary James Mattis on March 24, Pentagon spokesman Capt Jeff Davis told reporters, adding that they are likely to discuss a wide range of bilateral security issues and those related to the defence relationship.
If push comes to shove, Trump is probably planning to order the US army to clear his path for a second term. What if the armed forces refuse to obey their commander-in-chief?, asks Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
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