Asia Times Letters

With India voting for the US-backed resolution at the International Atomic Energy Agency [IAEA] meeting to refer Iran to the United Nations Security Council [India bends under US pressure, Sep 27] it marks a new beginning in the foreign policy of the fourth-largest economy of the world [purchasing power parity]. It is of considerable importance that major non-NATO allies like Pakistan, as well as major developing countries such as China, Brazil and Russia, abstained from the vote. In publicly released statements, officials from these countries have made clear their apprehensions on some of the points of the resolution. As a traditional non-aligned, pro-Iran country, India had all the reasons to follow their lead. However, in a brave departure from an erstwhile moribund policy, India has declared that by its own independent inquiry, it feels that Iran needs to do more to comply by the IAEA's regulations. The leftists in India are naturally unhappy about this, but the fact is that Manmohan Singh's India has finally accepted that it has more to gain by siding with the US [than] by being against it. It is unique among developing countries to make that shift in recent times. Long may it continue.

: 27 Sep 2005 17:55 |  Comments (0) |  Report a problem