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US-Pak weapons deal won`t hit peace bid: Fernandes
New Delhi, June 19: India today said the United States` reported move to sell sophisticated weapons like upgraded F-16 fighter planes to Pakistan would neither affect growing ties between New Delhi and Washington nor derail Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee`s peace initiative with Islamabad.
New Delhi, June 19: India today said the United States' reported move to sell sophisticated weapons like upgraded F-16 fighter planes to Pakistan would neither affect growing ties between New Delhi and Washington nor derail Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's peace initiative with Islamabad.
"This is not the first time the US is giving weapons to Pakistan. It has been doing so for the past 50 years and we should not be unduly concerned over this as Indian forces are currently well equipped to deal with any situation", Fernandes told newsmen after releasing a book 'Intelligence, A Security
Weapon' by former intelligence bureau chief D C Pathak.
He said India too had been inducting highly sophisticated weapon systems in recent years to give the armed forces a cutting edge in the region.
"We have been getting arms even from the US and why should we be unduly concerned even if US goes ahead and sells arms to Pakistan?" Fernandes said adding such sales would not affect the growing strategic partnership between New Delhi and Washington.
On the timing of the proposed sales of American weapons to Pakistan as New Delhi and Islamabad were preparing the ground for resuming dialogue, the defence minister strongly opposed linking these talks to other issues.
Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's initiative is laudable and no amount of pressure from any quarter in any shape should be allowed to derail these efforts, Fernandes said.
On reported remarks on Kargil by President Pervez Musharraf, Fernandes said the Pakistani leader had claimed to have been misquoted. "India should not be concerned if somebody chose to talk like that".
He said New Delhi had chosen to take the path of negotiations vis-a-vis Islamabad and "we should stick to this course".
Turning to China, Fernandes was forthcoming when asked to comment on Chinese foreign ministry statement in connection with Prime Minister's upcoming visit to Beijing that the two countries should forget the legacy of colonialism and strive for a permanent settlement of the boundary dispute.
Fernandes said "Colonialism in the region finished long ago. Why should we go on with it?"
Speaking at the book release function where minister of state for home I D Swami, retired and serving intelligence top brass were present, the defence minister made a strong call for an end to "turf war between the country's leading intelligence agencies".
He said this was the essence of the Group of Ministers' recommendation on the high-level task group's report on intelligence set-up revamp in the country and this had to be brought about.
He said without coordination among these agencies, major problems like the menace of terrorism, recent spurt in suicide attacks could not be overcome.
Quoting extracts from the book, Fernandes said top intelligence brass should stick to time tested principles of living and operating in anonymity.
He said such an anonymity, rather than being high-profile, gave these officers to perform with an extra yard and success.
In an apparent reference to the controversy over alleged intelligence failure to track Kargil intrusion, the defence minister said the practice of tracing setbacks in major incidents to intelligence failure was a bogey and time had come to generate better awareness on national security issues.
Bureau Report
He said India too had been inducting highly sophisticated weapon systems in recent years to give the armed forces a cutting edge in the region.
"We have been getting arms even from the US and why should we be unduly concerned even if US goes ahead and sells arms to Pakistan?" Fernandes said adding such sales would not affect the growing strategic partnership between New Delhi and Washington.
On the timing of the proposed sales of American weapons to Pakistan as New Delhi and Islamabad were preparing the ground for resuming dialogue, the defence minister strongly opposed linking these talks to other issues.
Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's initiative is laudable and no amount of pressure from any quarter in any shape should be allowed to derail these efforts, Fernandes said.
On reported remarks on Kargil by President Pervez Musharraf, Fernandes said the Pakistani leader had claimed to have been misquoted. "India should not be concerned if somebody chose to talk like that".
He said New Delhi had chosen to take the path of negotiations vis-a-vis Islamabad and "we should stick to this course".
Turning to China, Fernandes was forthcoming when asked to comment on Chinese foreign ministry statement in connection with Prime Minister's upcoming visit to Beijing that the two countries should forget the legacy of colonialism and strive for a permanent settlement of the boundary dispute.
Fernandes said "Colonialism in the region finished long ago. Why should we go on with it?"
Speaking at the book release function where minister of state for home I D Swami, retired and serving intelligence top brass were present, the defence minister made a strong call for an end to "turf war between the country's leading intelligence agencies".
He said this was the essence of the Group of Ministers' recommendation on the high-level task group's report on intelligence set-up revamp in the country and this had to be brought about.
He said without coordination among these agencies, major problems like the menace of terrorism, recent spurt in suicide attacks could not be overcome.
Quoting extracts from the book, Fernandes said top intelligence brass should stick to time tested principles of living and operating in anonymity.
He said such an anonymity, rather than being high-profile, gave these officers to perform with an extra yard and success.
In an apparent reference to the controversy over alleged intelligence failure to track Kargil intrusion, the defence minister said the practice of tracing setbacks in major incidents to intelligence failure was a bogey and time had come to generate better awareness on national security issues.
Bureau Report