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| Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia |
| India Enters "The Great Game" |
| 2006-04-26 |
| Editors Note: The Great Game is a term, usually attributed to Arthur Conolly, used to describe the rivalry and strategic conflict between the British Empire and the Tsarist Russian Empire for supremacy in Central Asia. The term was later popularized by British novelist Rudyard Kipling in his work, Kim. In Russia the same rivalry and strategic conflict was known as the Tournament of Shadows (ÒóðÃèðû òåÃåé). The classic Great Game period is generally regarded as running from approximately 1813 to the Anglo-Russian Convention of 1907. India is to open its first overseas military base this year in the impoverished central Asian country of Tajikistan - a testament to its emerging status on the world stage. The Indian air force will station up to two squadrons of MiG-29s at the refurbished former Soviet airbase of Farkhor more than 60 miles from the Tajik capital of Dushanbe, Jane's Defence Weekly said, citing defence officials. A control tower is already in place, Indian media reported. The Indian army had a military hospital there from 1997 to 2001, where it treated Northern Alliance guerrillas fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan. The 12 Russian built MiG-29s will be staffed by about 40 personnel and use two aircraft hangars, Jane's said. The base's third hangar will be used by the Tajik air force which is also being trained by the Indians. Tajik officials would not comment on the reports. Igor Sattorov, spokesman for the Tajik foreign ministry, said: "I can neither deny nor confirm this information. Let's be cautious about this." India will become the fourth economic power to compete for influence in central Asia. Russia has a military base in Tajikistan and one in neighbouring Kyrgyzstan. The US also has a base in Kyrgyzstan and Germany has a base at Termez, in southern Uzbekistan, both of which are used to assist operations in Afghanistan. India has stepped up its activity in central Asia, eager to gain access to its gas supplies. Manmohan Singh, the Indian prime minister, is expected to meet with Uzbekistan's president, Islam Karimov, during a visit to the capital, Tashkent, which began yesterday. Mr Karimov has become an international pariah since his troops shot dead hundreds of protesters in the southern town of Andijan a year ago, and Mr Singh's critics will seize upon the visit as an unprincipled play for oil. India currently needs 1.9m barrels of oil a day, but this is forecast to rise to 4m by 2010. Additional: TASHKENT - Uzbekistan, its eyes set on Asia as its relations sour with the West, agreed on Wednesday to open up its oil and gas sector to India and invited one of the worldÂ’s biggest energy consumers to invest in new fields. Speaking after talks with visiting Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Uzbek President Islam Karimov said his Central Asian state, increasingly criticised in the West over human rights, was ready for a closer energy dialogue with Delhi. “UzbekistanÂ’s vast oil and gas reserves are attractive to India which needs resources to ensure its energy security,” Karimov said, standing beside Singh in the capital Tashkent. During the visit, Uzbekistan and India signed three framework agreements specifying IndiaÂ’s role in UzbekistanÂ’s energy and minerals sector. Karimov said he was ready to offer India new exploration sites under a production-sharing agreement, but gave no details. |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #4 MAO-ISM in its most basic or purest form is NOT inconsistent with the tenets or ideals of alleged Fascism, i.e. [Ultra] Rightism-based Socialism. The glitch for the Indians, etal. is the contemporary Maoism is Chinese-centric. and as modified by Mao's adoption of Marxism-Stalinism and Chinese-centric Sovietization. What it comes to is that INDIA, PAKISTAN, and the other nations of CENASIA, EAST ASIA, and SOUTH-SE ASIA ARE VIEWED UNDER MAO-ISM AS FUTURE CHINESE TERRITORIES. As with CLINTONISM is alleged SOCIALIST/PRE-/PSEUDO-COMMUNIST AMERIKA, FASCISM = DE-REGULATED or COMPETITIVE COMMUNISM-SOCIALISM. Among other precepts, the GWOT for the US and anti-American Lefts > KIND OF LEFTSOCIALISM or DEGREE OF LEFTSOCIALISM. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2006-04-26 21:45 |
| #3 I'm happy to see India take responsibility for their neighborhood. I'd be happier if Japan/South Korea/Taiwan took responsibility for their neighborhood. The US could support them of course, but the blood and treasure should come from those whos real interests and survival is on the line. |
| Posted by: rjschwarz 2006-04-26 17:59 |
| #2 To counter Chinese moves in the Indian Ocean, India is building up its Andaman Islands Base. A squadron of Su-30 NKIs is earmarked for there along with air to air IL78 refuellers. On the other side of the Indian ocean, India is leasing a base from Madagascar. So far, only ELINT is planned but aircraft and naval assets may be based there in future. |
| Posted by: john 2006-04-26 15:24 |
| #1 India is stepping up to counter Chinese moves into the Stans. Russia is a dying power Puty's blind hatred to the US is driving him to empower China with technology and weapons that will inevitably be directed to either his Russia/Siberia or the Stans which with India/US alliance moving into the Stans that Siberia must be looking mighty good. |
| Posted by: C-Low 2006-04-26 10:48 |