INDIA QUIETLY POSITIVE TOWARD A.Q. KHAN SANCTIONS

UNCLAS NEW DELHI 000117 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KNNP MNUC GM PREL PARM EFIN IN SUBJECT: INDIA QUIETLY POSITIVE TOWARD A.Q. KHAN SANCTIONS REF: SECSTATE 02508 ¶1. (SBU) Ministry of External Affairs Joint Secretary (Americas) Gaitri Kumar told PolCouns January 16 that while India's policy was not to comment officially about the nonproliferation sanctions applied to the A.Q. Khan proliferation network January 12, India nevertheless viewed them as positive. Kumar shared that public comments by Indian officials in support of the sanctions might undermine Pakistan's willingness to cooperate with the U.S. in their application, as well as complicate India's delicate diplomacy with Pakistan in the aftermath of the Mumbai terrorist attacks in November of last year. ¶2. (SBU) Local media likewise viewed the sanctions through the lens of India's post-Mumbai tensions with Pakistan. The Indian Express judged them to be "a strong diplomatic signal to Pakistan." The paper drew lessons from Pakistan's lackluster investigation of the Khan network and Khan's short-lived house arrest to justify India's skepticism toward Pakistan's promises to credibly investigate and forcefully prosecute the perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks. WHITE