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Indo-US joint

training on

Prithvi

ISLAMABAD: Lt. Gen. S.K. Sharma, the General Officer Commanding of the Indian Army's training command has disclosed that a training programme on the handling, deployment and firing drills of Prithvi missile has been held in India with the help and assistance of U.S. Army specialists.

He further said that some US Army officers also underwent training in India, says a report carried by Indian Daily "Tribune".

The US has been asking India to refrain from developing its missile technology publicly. However, in actual fact, the understanding reached between the two countries, which emerges clearly from the above quoted statement of Gen. S.K. Sharma is, that US would assist in the development and deployment of the short range (250 kilometres), nuclear-capable, Pakistan-specific "Prithvi" missile in return for India's refrain from developing the longer range "Agni" (2500 kilometres) and "Surya" (22000 kilometres) missiles. These long range missiles, if developed by India, would have a direct bearing on the strategic US interests in the South Asian region including the Middle East and elsewhere around the world.

This latest disclosure of Indo-US covert collaboration in defence field, while dragging its feet on returning Pakistan's stranded military hardware on one flimsy pretext or the other despite the passage of Brown Amendment has created a situation where a re-appraisal of Pakistan's relations with U.S. has become necessary.

United States has also recently conducted the joint Indo-US Naval exercises off the Indian coast of Kochi. These exercises conducted discreetly and code named "Malabar 96" also reflect the US priorities and dual standard for South East Asia.-APP