Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09NEWDELHI876
2009-05-01 12:50:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy New Delhi
Cable title:
DELHI SAYS U.S. PRESSURE RESPONSIBLE FOR
how-toVZCZCXYZ0002 OO RUEHWEB DE RUEHNE #0876 1211250 ZNR UUUUU ZZH (CCY AD5D9DCE WSC4196) O 011250Z MAY 09 FM AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6409 INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 7618 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 6305 RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 3366 RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 1706 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 6315 RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC RUEIDN/DNI WASHINGTON DC RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 7953 RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
UNCLAS NEW DELHI 000876
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
C O R R E C T E D COPY CAPTION
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER PK IN
SUBJECT: DELHI SAYS U.S. PRESSURE RESPONSIBLE FOR
PAKISTAN'S ALLEGED TROOP DRAWDOWN
UNCLAS NEW DELHI 000876
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
C O R R E C T E D COPY CAPTION
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER PK IN
SUBJECT: DELHI SAYS U.S. PRESSURE RESPONSIBLE FOR
PAKISTAN'S ALLEGED TROOP DRAWDOWN
1. (U) Indian press began reporting on 30 April that Pakistan
was moving 6,000 troops from its border with India to fight
the Taliban in the west. The reports are based on an April
29 New York Times article citing an unnamed Pakistani
official. One report also cited satellite images that it
claimed confirmed the troop movement. Although Pakistan has
not confirmed such action -- and according to one source,
Islamabad denied the movement -- the Indian press and Post
contacts are attributing the move to "intense U.S. pressure"
and interpreting it as "Pakistan's way of demonstrating to
Washington its seriousness to take on the Taliban."
--------------
Indians Play Down Significance of the Possible Troop Reduction
--------------
2. (SBU) The External Affairs Ministry has not yet issued a
statement and M.E.A. officials were unable to confirm whether
the movement had taken place. An M.E.A. Pakistan desk
officer downplayed the significance of the alleged drawdown.
While supporting troop redeployments from east to west would
certainly help Pakistan take on terrorism, he said, it does
not necessarily mean much for tensions along the Indo-Pak
border, where the 6,000 troops constitute less than 10
percent of Pakistan's deployed forces. He also commented
that the Indian Government had not noticed a large buildup on
the Indo-Pak border in the last five months after the Mumbai
terrorist attacks; the minor changes there were due to normal
military exercises and there was no reason why Islamabad
would not want to make this move.
3. (SBU) Indo-Pak expert and former Indian High Commissioner
to Pakistan, Ambassador G. Parthasarthy, did not believe the
Indian government would necessarily view such a reduction as
a goodwill gesture by Pakistan and would be unlikely to offer
praise. The troop movement, which he claimed to have "some
confirmation" about, is being seen as Pakistan's response to
American pressure and a return to pre-26/11 positions.
Offering a parallel analysis, Indranil Banerjie, Director of
an Indian think tank focusing on South Asian conflict
studies, said "6,000 troops are a drop in the ocean,"
indicating it would not be interpreted by India as a
confidence-building measure. A more significant confidence
building measure would be a reduction in cross-border
infiltration, according to Banerjie.
BURLEIGH
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
C O R R E C T E D COPY CAPTION
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER PK IN
SUBJECT: DELHI SAYS U.S. PRESSURE RESPONSIBLE FOR
PAKISTAN'S ALLEGED TROOP DRAWDOWN
1. (U) Indian press began reporting on 30 April that Pakistan
was moving 6,000 troops from its border with India to fight
the Taliban in the west. The reports are based on an April
29 New York Times article citing an unnamed Pakistani
official. One report also cited satellite images that it
claimed confirmed the troop movement. Although Pakistan has
not confirmed such action -- and according to one source,
Islamabad denied the movement -- the Indian press and Post
contacts are attributing the move to "intense U.S. pressure"
and interpreting it as "Pakistan's way of demonstrating to
Washington its seriousness to take on the Taliban."
--------------
Indians Play Down Significance of the Possible Troop Reduction
--------------
2. (SBU) The External Affairs Ministry has not yet issued a
statement and M.E.A. officials were unable to confirm whether
the movement had taken place. An M.E.A. Pakistan desk
officer downplayed the significance of the alleged drawdown.
While supporting troop redeployments from east to west would
certainly help Pakistan take on terrorism, he said, it does
not necessarily mean much for tensions along the Indo-Pak
border, where the 6,000 troops constitute less than 10
percent of Pakistan's deployed forces. He also commented
that the Indian Government had not noticed a large buildup on
the Indo-Pak border in the last five months after the Mumbai
terrorist attacks; the minor changes there were due to normal
military exercises and there was no reason why Islamabad
would not want to make this move.
3. (SBU) Indo-Pak expert and former Indian High Commissioner
to Pakistan, Ambassador G. Parthasarthy, did not believe the
Indian government would necessarily view such a reduction as
a goodwill gesture by Pakistan and would be unlikely to offer
praise. The troop movement, which he claimed to have "some
confirmation" about, is being seen as Pakistan's response to
American pressure and a return to pre-26/11 positions.
Offering a parallel analysis, Indranil Banerjie, Director of
an Indian think tank focusing on South Asian conflict
studies, said "6,000 troops are a drop in the ocean,"
indicating it would not be interpreted by India as a
confidence-building measure. A more significant confidence
building measure would be a reduction in cross-border
infiltration, according to Banerjie.
BURLEIGH