'India must not allow US warships berthing facility'

New Delhi, Apr 20: NDA convenor and former Defence Minister GeorgeFernandes today said that the Indian government should not accept theUnited States' demand for berthing facilities for its nuclear warships.

''The request should not be accepted. Don't they (the US) haveenough seaface themselves. Why should they need to come into our sea.The government should not say yes to it or be soft towards to it (thedeamnd),'' Mr Fernandes told reporters when asked about his reaction tothe statement of US Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Michael G. Mullenin this regard here earlier this week.

Asked whether there was any such demand during his tenure as thedefence minister , Mr Fernandes said that there was no such requestmade at that time by the US.

The US Navy has sought berthing and access facilities at Indian ports to counter growing clout of Chinese navy in the region.

Mullen had expressed happiness over the 'very supportive' responseto his concept of a 'thousand ship navy' collaboration betweenseafaring nations.

Pointing out the threat posed by the naval wing of Sri Lanka'sTamil Tigers, Mullen expressed concern at the growing clout of theChinese navy, and maintained that the global war against terror and theAl Qaeda could continue for 'decades'.

He had said that the issue of berthing and access at Indian portsdid figure in the discussions with Indian Navy chief Admiral SureeshMehta. The leadership of the Indian Navy seems very supportive, hereplied, when asked how the concept of the 'thousand ship navy' hemooted two years ago was received. He said that it was up to India todetermine how many ships they want to commit.

Mullen stated that it was about a global partnership that works atthe regional and larger level. To that end, there was no formalisedcommand and control structure. It's about working together when theneed arises.

The US had first made the proposal some three years back and NewDelhi is yet to officially respond to this. Presently, US Navy vesselsare granted berthing and access facilities as the need arises. The USwould like the arrangement to be institutionalised.

The concept, in fact, had already been put into practice in thewake of the killer Indian Ocean tsunami and last year's evacuation offoreign nationals from Lebanon in the midst of the month-long armedconflict between Israel and the Hezbollah. The ability of large numbersof ships from different nations to quickly come together in times ofcrisis shows that the concept can work, Mullen had contended.

UNI

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