U.S./India Security Ties After 11th September
Executive Summary
This paper examines security ties between the US and India in the years after the 9/11 attacks on America. To provide context for those security ties and their development, it first looks at the relationship between India and the US in the years following WW2, when the Cold War caused some tension between the two states. It shows how rifts were caused by various political maneuverings on the part of the US and India, respectively.
Following the establishment of historical context on the matter, the paper turns to an examination of the ways in which US-India security ties have improved since 9/11. It gives several instances that show that these ties have developed and strengthened, particularly during the Bush and Obama Administrations. This section supports the thesis of this paper, which is that since 9/11 security ties between the US and India have improved and grown better.
The next part of the paper provides an antithesis to this argument. Here the suggestion is made that underneath cordial relations, tensions and suspicion remain which undermine any steps towards the true creation of strong security ties between the US and India. The reasons for this suggestion are given and explained. The main reasons for it are geopolitical and cultural.
Finally, the paper concludes with a synthesis of the two argumentsthe thesis and the antithesis. The conclusion shows how both are true and how the ultimate perspective on security ties between the US and India must take into account both perspectives. Yet, in the end, with the help of good diplomatic efforts, it is posited that strong security ties can be maintained between the two countries.
Thesis
9/11 changed the working dynamic in security operations and policy in the relationship between the US and India. Prior to 9/11 the security ties between the US and India were relatively weak, largely in part due to the tensions surrounding the Cold War. After 9/11 and the October attack in Kashmir, security ties became stronger between the two nations (Ahmad). However, in recent years tensions have flared once more, as India also has relationships with Iran and Russia that the US has sought to discourage. In spite of recent security disagreements, it is the thesis of this paper that since 9/11, US-India security ties have been strong and beneficial to both states.
The improvement in US-India security ties came after the 9/11 attacks on America in 2001. A concerted effort on the part of nations around the world to counter terrorism got underway, and the improvement in US-India security relations was a prime aspect of the developments that took place. Part of this improvement had to do with the lack of good security ties between the two states in the past; another part had to do with the fact that India had also been attacked in Kashmir a month after 9/11. Considering that India and Pakistan, its neighbor to the northwest also had a long-standing feud, and that Osama Bin Laden, the alleged mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks, was said to be somewhere hiding out in Pakistan, it made sense for the US and India to renew their relationship and improve their security ties (Javaid, Rashid).
Background
To provide some context, it is helpful to first examine the nature of the security relationship between the US and India prior to 9/11. Beginning in 1947, as the Cold War was getting under way, the US viewed Indias nuclear program with deep distrust (Council on Foreign Relations). Indias declaration of independence in 1947 established a partition between the Muslim-majority region of Pakistan and the Hindu-majority state of India. Tensions...
…suspicions remain, it does not necessarily matter. Good, healthy diplomatic ties can cover over years and decades of suspicion. Security ties can be developed and strengthened so long as the two sides are committed to a common vision.To that end, it can be said that India and the US do share a common vision on the matter of combating terrorism. India and the US have been suffered from terror attacks and understand the gravity of the situation. They may disagree on the matter of Pakistan, but that is a geopolitical issue. One could argue that this geopolitical issue is significant in terms of security ties, because in Indias eyes Pakistan hosts and harbors terrorists, and in the eyes of the US, Pakistan is a strategic partner that provides it with a stronger foothold in the Middle East where its economic rival China seeks to gain more influence. The US cannot afford to break with Pakistan just to make India happy. Besides, doing so would not be helpful for regional peace as it would likely inflame tensions between Pakistan and India all the more. It is better for the US to find ways to pacify Pakistan while simultaneously finding ways to mollify India and help the country to move past its animosity towards Pakistan.
Whether such is too idealistic or outright impossible is beyond the point. When it comes to enhancing security ties, steps can be and have been taken by both the US and India to unite on common ground. Has it been a perfect relationship? No. Is there room for improvement? There is always room for improvement. The Obama Administration especially showed how a helpful and solicitous tone can be set by the White House to help find a way towards common ground on security matters. The US should continue to…
Works Cited
Ahmad, Afroz. "Before and After 9/11: Indo-US Counterterrorism Cooperation." Journalof International & Global Studies 9.2 (2018): 128-138.
Cohen, Stephen and Dhruva Jaishankar. “Indo-U.S. Ties: The Ugly, the Bad and theGood.” Brookings Institute, 2009. https://www.brookings.edu/articles/indo-u-s-ties-the-ugly-the-bad-and-the-good/. Accessed 15 Apr 2021.
Council on Foreign Relations. “US-India Relations.”https://www.cfr.org/timeline/us-india-relations. Accessed 15 Apr 2021.
Javaid, Umbreen, and Muhammad Imran Rashid. "India-US-Pakistan StrategicRelations." Journal of Political Studies 24.1 (2017): 131.
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Thakker, Aman. “US-India Ties Under Modi 2.0: The Good, Bad, and Ugly.” TheDiplomat, 2019. https://thediplomat.com/2019/06/us-india-ties-under-modi-2-0-the-good-bad-and-ugly/. Accessed 15 Apr 2021.
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