UPA-1 had supported missile defence cooperation with US

NEW DELHI: Did the first UPA government commit to Indo-US cooperation in missile defence within months of coming to power in 2004?

Extract of a cable sent on January 28, 2005 by then US ambassador David Mulford show that the first national security adviser of the first UPA government, J N Dixit, had supported Indo-US cooperation in missile defence.

Writing about a proposed briefing on PAC-2 missile defence system, slated for February 22, 2005, the US ambassador said there was "great deal of interest within the Indian government" about the briefing. He said several senior government officials were "hopeful that this will be the beginning of a broader MD relationship with the US". He pointed out that the newly appointed NSA M K Narayanan, who was appointed after Dixit died, "unlike his predecessor Mani Dixit, has not yet pronounced himself in favour of the US-India MD relationship".

Though there has been support for Indo-US cooperation in missile defence from some quarters, its strategic implications, especially in altering the Sino-Indian relations have been among the key reasons why India never ultimately ended up having a bilateral tie-up with US in creating a missile defence for India. tnn