The agreement on civil nuclear cooperation that presently exists between the United States and India was the only accord possible because it remains the only framework that protects the core national security interests of both sides.
Missile defenses have come to reflect both an example of, and a means toward, the steady improvement in U.S.-Indian ties occurring in recent years. A deepening bilateral relationship has become part of New Delhi's larger solution to increasing India's capacity to defeat those threats requiring active defenses in the future.
China’s investments in Sudan and Burma have come under harsh criticism of late. Energy-hungry China will need to be convinced that bad governance in places like Burma or Sudan fosters instability that is bad for Chinese investment before it will rein in its rogue client states.
Haqqani argues that it is clearly in India’s interest to help Pakistan gain sufficient confidence as a nation to overcome the need for conflict or regional rivalry for nation building. Simultaneously, it is important for Pakistani civil society to acknowledge that normal relations with India are the key to normalization of politics and policy in Pakistan as well.
Pakistan’s fourth military ruler, General Pervez Musharraf, often makes statements that make eminent sense. Haqqani argues that he is, however, unwilling or unable to translate these rational sounding pronouncements into policy.
Haqqani recommends that an American-brokered accord between Pakistan and Afghanistan to end the latent dispute over the Durand Line, coupled with international guarantees to end Pakistan’s meddling in Afghanistan, might be the basis for durable peace and friendship between the two Muslim states.
Ashley J. Tellis explains the strategic logic of a U.S.-India bilateral relationship, and provides an overview of the U.S.-India nuclear agreement, including India’s civilian-military nuclear separation plan.
The Bush administration's particular approach towards the India civil nuclear agreement was ill-considered, in essence giving India, or attempting to give it, everything, and throwing out all the rules in return for too little.