Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06NEWDELHI7584
2006-11-03 15:01:00
SECRET
Embassy New Delhi
Cable title:  

INDIAN NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR VIEWS DELAY IN

Tags:  PREL PGOV PARM TSPL ETTC ENRG KNNP IN 
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S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 007584 

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E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/25/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV PARM TSPL ETTC ENRG KNNP IN
SUBJECT: INDIAN NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR VIEWS DELAY IN
CIVIL-NUCLEAR LEGISLATION AS PART OF DEMOCRATIC PROCESS

Classified By: Ambassador David C. Mulford for Reasons 1.4 (B, D)

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 007584

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/25/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV PARM TSPL ETTC ENRG KNNP IN
SUBJECT: INDIAN NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR VIEWS DELAY IN
CIVIL-NUCLEAR LEGISLATION AS PART OF DEMOCRATIC PROCESS

Classified By: Ambassador David C. Mulford for Reasons 1.4 (B, D)


1. (S) Summary: Ambassador met with National Security
Advisor M.K. Narayanan on November 3rd to discuss the status
of the US-India Civil Nuclear Cooperation Initiative as well
as terrorism and Indo-Pakistan relations (Septel). Narayanan
downplayed concern about Indian public reaction if the
legislation is not passed this year. He said the Prime
Minister understands US democratic processes and views the
agreement as a long-term goal. As long as both India and the
US maintain a positive public message -- that the deal is
part of an ongoing process of expanding US-India relations
and enjoys bipartisan support -- it will not have a negative
effect on the Congress-led government or the Prime Minister's
ability to manage the US-India bilateral relationship. End
Summary.


2. (S) National Security Advisor Narayanan echoed Foreign
Secretary Saran's comments that it would be prudent to

SIPDIS
consider how we deal together with the situation if the
Civilian Nuclear Cooperation legislation does not pass this
year. He said we might have needed an "exit strategy" if the
Senate had voted against the bill or it had been rejected
outright by the US Congress -- because then there would have
been a strong negative reaction in India. Since the US
intention is still to pass the bill when a new Congress
convenes and bipartisan support exists, there will be limited
political damage in India from some delay, providing that it
is packaged carefully. He said criticism of the deal from
members of parliament had diminished greatly since the Prime
Minister's August statement in Parliament. He warned,
however, that if the US Congress drags out the deliberations
for many more months, the public will criticize the Prime
Minister for wasting his time when there are many other
initiatives he has to focus on.


3. (S) Narayanan said further that both India and the US
should accentuate the positive about the agreement -- the
good news is it has not been rejected, the bad news is it
hasn't been voted on. The best option is to treat the bill
as an initiative that has not had enough time to be
completed. Narayanan's aid, Venkatesh Verma, who directs the
NSA's office, related suggestions for a coordinated public
message between India and the US. He said we should reflect
that this is an ongoing process, that there is bipartisan
support for the bill, and the bill will be picked up by the
new Congress. He cautioned against spreading the impression
that the next Congress could be against it, saying instead
that we should highlight that it still has bipartisan
support. If the delay is seen as a purely a procedural
issue, the Indian government will be able to handle it.
Narayanan added that we should not allow those in India with
an anti-American slant to capitalize on the issue by focusing
on the negative. Ambassador reiterated that there is strong
support for India in the US Congress, and that the
legislation will continue to attract bipartisan support.


4. (S) Comment: Faced with the possibility of Senate
inaction, the Indian government appears to be casting the
civilian nuclear issue as a long-term agenda, rather than a
short-term failure. This strategy mirrors a common element
of the UPA's domestic governing style -- setting out
large-scale initiatives but taking time to implement them.
Because the Indian public largely sees the agreement as a
harbinger of American support for India, US intention --

NEW DELHI 00007584 002 OF 002


which the public largely gauges through the level of support
and the kinds of conditions placed on the bill -- will be
more important than whether it takes a few more months to
pass the bill through Congress. Nonetheless, we will need a
strategy to keep the Indian public focused on positive
aspects of our relationship.
MULFORD