US Army Chief to visit Siachen base camp

New Delhi, Oct 15 : Visiting US Army chief General George W Casey will be treated to an exclusive tour of Siachen Glacier base camp near Leh by the Indian Army during his three-day-long stay in the country beginning on Thursday.

That apart, Indian defence establishment will hold a lengthy discussion with General Casey on the emerging security scenario in South Asia, particularly in the wake of heightened tension on the Pak-Afghan border.

The US Army's chief of staff will arrive in New Delhi to hold talks with the top brass of the Indian defence forces to further enhance the growing military relations between New Delhi and Washington, Defence Ministry sources in New Delhi said on Wednesday.

Besides meeting and discussing issues of mutual interest with Defence Minister A K Antony, General Casey would hold talks with his counterpart, Army chief General Deepak Kapoor, when he would be given a presentation on the South Asia security scenario.

"India will discuss the current security challenges in South Asia with the US General," a Defence Ministry source said without divulging specifics of the talks and issues that may crop up.

"But, yes, he will be taken on a tour of the world's highest battlefield Siachen's base camp on Friday," the source confirmed.

Siachen has been a bone of contention between India and Pakistan since the mid 1980s when India sent its troops to the 72-km-long Glacier to pre-empt a Pakistani move to send Japanese trekkers to the snowy heights ranging from 18,000 feet to 22,000 feet.

The US Army Chief of Staff will also visit the National Defence College here to deliver a lecture on "Landpower in 21st Century" and also visit Agra, before returning home.

He is also expected to visit a few more military bases outside Delhi during his visit that would end on 18th October, sources said.

ANI