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Pallone raps US for delay in lifting sanctions

Aziz Haniffa
India Abroad Correspondent in Washington

New Jersey Democrat Frank Pallone, India's ally on Capitol Hill, has taken the Bush administration to task for its continuing delay in lifting sanctions against India that was imposed in the wake of the Pokhran nuclear tests in May 1998.

Expressing his concern over the lack of will in lifting the sanctions, the New Jersey lawmaker has fired off a complaint to President George W Bush urging him to look into the matter and take necessary action.

Pallone, founder and former co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans, in his missive stated that top administration officials had promised a gradual lifting of all sanctions against India over a period of six months, but thus far no step such move had been taken.

In his letter, Pallone informed Bush that officials of his administration had promised members of the bipartisan India Caucus as early as May of this year that the remaining sanctions, as well as the 'entities list', would be lifted over a period of six months.

"I would like to take this opportunity to express to you my concerns regarding the lack of progression on lifting US sanctions imposed against India," Pallone wrote.

"I am concerned because the six-month period is well underway and there has been no progress, to my knowledge, in eliminating the remaining sanctions and the entities list."

Pallone has long supported lifting all sanctions against India. Earlier this year, he asked President Bush to stand by his campaign promise to lift all sanctions against India, and to do so immediately after taking office.

At the time, Pallone said that sanctions hurt economic relations between the US and India, as well as political and diplomatic relations between the two nations.

In his letter on Tuesday, Pallone said that the United States could begin to strengthen US-India relations by initiating the lifting of sanctions in time for a critical visit to India scheduled later this month by Gen Henry Shelton, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

During his visit to India, Gen Shelton is scheduled to reopen high-level military dialogue, which was suspended back in 1998 after the Pokhran nuclear explosions.

Pallone wrote that 'in anticipation of his visit to India in July, it is now more important than ever to initiate progress and lift sanctions against India'.

The lawmaker also pointed out that recently, Ted Galen Carpenter, vice-president for defense and foreign policy at the Cato Institute, argued that it would be in the US's favour to immediately lift the sanctions in order to send a strong message of economic cooperation with India and secure a defense partnership with India before other powers like Russia and China try to step in.

"I agree with Carpenter's argument," Pallone said.

"In addition," Pallone noted, "the Center for Strategic and International Studies recently published a report urging a strong relationship between the US and India as a strategy for promoting security in the South Asian region."

In his letter, Pallone told Bush that he should not listen to several voices in his administration that have, in recent weeks according to press reports, opposed eliminating both the sanctions and the entities list.

One of those administration officials, Assistant Secretary of State for Nonproliferation, Robert Einhorn, argued that sanctions should not be lifted until India clarifies its nuclear agenda, the lawmaker said.

"It is unclear to me why this individual in your administration is holding up progress on this issue when other top officials understand that lifting sanctions is the only avenue to ensure security in the South Asian region," Pallone wrote.

He said, "Einhorn's request for a quid pro quo from New Delhi at this time is unnecessary, given the numerous submissions already offered by India."

Pallone encouraged Bush to 'review Einhorn's argument and counteract them with actions to lift the sanctions against India and eliminate the entities list'.

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