India is US Afghan worry

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Actress Salma Hayek boards a motorboat at a hotel during the 68th Venice Film Festival on Saturday. — AFP

“What is India doing in Afghanistan?” That is the subject of one of the cables from the US embassy here, obtained by WikiLeaks, regarding India’s engagement with yet another neighbour. The cable, dated February 3, 2010, reveals US concern if either India or Pakistan decide to step up their military assistance to Afghani-stan.
The US embassy here has expressed “serious reservations and deep longer-term concerns regarding increased training in the military assistance areas by either India or Pakistan”, the cable notes, adding, “This provides a sensitive area of potential conflict rather than cooperation and introduces a ‘hedging mechanism’ in the longer term.”
“India also appears intent on increasing its so-far limited military assistance to Afghan-istan,” it says, adding, “India currently provides a variety of training to the Afghan National Army personnel in various Indian Army training venues, including staff college (sic).” It notes that MEA officials told US embassy officials that the numbers undergoing training are expected to rise.
The cable says: “Our overall strategy on Indian engagement in Afghanistan should encourage greater coordination and mutual transparency to avoid incompatible approaches between Indian assistance/training and that provided by the USG and other international partners.” That the US would be carefully watching any increase in India-Afghanistan ties is also evident: “The GoI will likely continue to provide significant assistance to Afghanistan in the short and medium terms, and may even try to increase its bilateral ties — particular (sic) on the security side — as the international community begins to draw down its presence.”