US concerned over India-Iran military relations

Washington, May 4: India's growing military relationship with Iran is apparently causing unease in the US, more so among its lawmakers some of whom have written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh urging suspension of India's''strategic partnership'' with Tehran until the latter halts its alleged pursuit of nuclear weapons and its support for terrorism.

The Congressmen's concern figured at the State Department's daily press briefing yesterday and its Spokesman Tom Casey said, ''We have not seen this letter and I'm not sure whether the Indians have had a chance to look at it and react to it.'' He, however, said, ''In terms of what we say and while what we have discussed with our Indian counterparts, I know that we have raised Congressional concern about their cooperation with Iran and we continue to encourage the Indians to use what influence they have with the Iranians to press them to comply with UN Security Council Resolutions and to behave responsibly in a wide variety of areas.'' The issue also came up during Indian Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon's discussions here early this week with US Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns.

Spokesman Casey said the US had had some fairly strong views on this subject but left it to the Indian Government to describe its relationship with the Iranians. ''But certainly this is an issue that we continue to discuss with them in our official contacts as well,'' he said.

Mr Menon, at his press conference on May 1, before his departure for New Delhi, had said he was not sure from ''where these stories (about India-Iran) are coming from because nothing that India does with Iran is in any way in contravention of either of the UN Security Council resolutions, and much of what we do is what is normal between states and is done with Iran by several other states.'' The US lawmakers' demand was contained in the letters they had sent to Prime Minister Singh. One letter was dispatched before the arrival here of Foreign Secretary Menon for discussion on the 123 agreement, a prerequisite for the implementation of the US-India civilian nuclear deal, and another letter followed his meetings with Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice and other American officials.

The first letter, signed by four Democratic and four Republican senators, did not make any direct reference to the nuclear deal, currently under discussions.

The second letter, however, said, ''We must stress that the subject of India's strengthening relationship with Iran will inevitably be a factor'' when Congress votes on the final language of the nuclear agreement.'' It said, ''it is difficult for us to fathom why India, a democracy engaged in its own struggle against terrorism, would want to enhance security cooperation with a repressive government widely regarded as the world's most active state sponsor of terrorism.'' Meanwhile, the Washington Post, quoting unnamed ''Congressional aides'' said, ''anger has been building in Congress over the perception that India stepped up contacts with Iran this year, just weeks after the initial bill was approved by Congress.''

UNI