Targeting Pakistan
India attaches great importance to the media and invests heavily to mould world opinion in its favour. Since the end of the cold war and emergence of the new world order, the United States remains the sole super power with the ability to effectively influence world politics, labelling countries responsible and irresponsible, thereby determining their future.
In the post cold war era, India has made a marked shift in her foreign policy, aligning herself with the US and her allies. Since media plays significant role in image building of a nation, it has, therefore, taken unprecedented steps in this field and has invested heavily at home and abroad, especially in the US to woo US lawmakers for favourable opinion to elevate her image and discredit countries not falling in line with Indian policy objectives.
Lately, Pakistan has been the favourite target of Indian propaganda, aimed at undermining Pak-US relations.India has hired a number of lobbyists in the US for propaganda purposes. A Washington Post report, quoting filings with the US justice department, has pointed out that former US Ambassador to India Robert D. Blackwill went to work for Barbour Griffith Rogers LLC, which was hired last August by the Indian government for an annual fee of $700,000. The controversial deal will give India access to US nuclear technology. Blackwill has emerged as a strong lobbyist for India and during his stint with the company has written several articles on US-India relations which have appeared in newspapers around the world. Barbour Griffith, according to the Washington Post report, also received $520,000 from the Confederation of Indian Industry last September.
Two powerful lobbying groups for the nuclear deal are the US-India Business Council and the US Indian Political Action Committee. The US-India Business Council, which was formed in 1975 and consists of 180 companies, describes itself as "the principal interlocutor for American industry operating in India." It includes the lobbyists Vickery International and Barbour Griffith; as well as Monsanto, the seeds giant now involved in the US-India agriculture initiative; The Washington-based US Indian Political Action Committee has in turn been organising fund-raising events for US legislators.
Apart from promoting the Indian image, these lobbyists have been specifically targeting Pakistan's nuclear programme, Pakistan's role in the war on terrorism and supply of US military hardware to Pakistan. The deal for supply of F-16s to Pakistan became a major subject of Indian propaganda to prevent the deal getting through Congress.
It is interesting to note that in May 2006, a month before the notification was sent to Congress, former US ambassador to India and a paid Indian lobbyist, Robert Blackwill, speaking the Indian language questioned any US sale of F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan by accusing Pakistan of cross border terrorism. He said that the F-16 models Pakistan was seeking were nuclear-capable and could be used against India.
The Indian lobby unleashed another tirade to sabotage the F-16 deal by arranging publication of an article by the Institute of Science and International Security in the Washington Post on 24 June about the Khushab reactor. This publication came just 4 days before the bill on the F-16s was presented in Congress. The new reactor being built at Khushab was no new revelation and was known to US officials through satellite monitoring since years. It's publication at this stage speaks for itself and exposes the ill intent of lobbyists.
This disinformation had put the F-16 deal in jeopardy but fortunately it survived as US officials recognized the true picture. Frederick Jones, National Security Council spokesman told the NYT on 3 August, "We have consulted with our experts and believe the analysis is wrong. The reactor is expected to be substantially smaller and less capable than reported. Speaking on condition of anonymity, a senior intelligence official said the United States has been tracking the new reactor for years. "This has been looked at for a long time and hasn't generated a lot of hand-wringing," the official said. "It could be a replacement of Pakistan's existing nuclear reactor at Khushab."
The Indian lobbyists have been successful in securing the US-India nuclear deal but have failed to sabotage the US-Pak F-16 deal. Pakistan needs to be wary of Indian designs and must also hire lobbyists in the US to counter Indian propaganda.
India attaches great importance to the media and invests heavily to mould world opinion in its favour. Since the end of the cold war and emergence of the new world order, the United States remains the sole super power with the ability to effectively influence world politics, labelling countries responsible and irresponsible, thereby determining their future.
In the post cold war era, India has made a marked shift in her foreign policy, aligning herself with the US and her allies. Since media plays significant role in image building of a nation, it has, therefore, taken unprecedented steps in this field and has invested heavily at home and abroad, especially in the US to woo US lawmakers for favourable opinion to elevate her image and discredit countries not falling in line with Indian policy objectives.
Lately, Pakistan has been the favourite target of Indian propaganda, aimed at undermining Pak-US relations.India has hired a number of lobbyists in the US for propaganda purposes. A Washington Post report, quoting filings with the US justice department, has pointed out that former US Ambassador to India Robert D. Blackwill went to work for Barbour Griffith Rogers LLC, which was hired last August by the Indian government for an annual fee of $700,000. The controversial deal will give India access to US nuclear technology. Blackwill has emerged as a strong lobbyist for India and during his stint with the company has written several articles on US-India relations which have appeared in newspapers around the world. Barbour Griffith, according to the Washington Post report, also received $520,000 from the Confederation of Indian Industry last September.
Two powerful lobbying groups for the nuclear deal are the US-India Business Council and the US Indian Political Action Committee. The US-India Business Council, which was formed in 1975 and consists of 180 companies, describes itself as "the principal interlocutor for American industry operating in India." It includes the lobbyists Vickery International and Barbour Griffith; as well as Monsanto, the seeds giant now involved in the US-India agriculture initiative; The Washington-based US Indian Political Action Committee has in turn been organising fund-raising events for US legislators.
Apart from promoting the Indian image, these lobbyists have been specifically targeting Pakistan's nuclear programme, Pakistan's role in the war on terrorism and supply of US military hardware to Pakistan. The deal for supply of F-16s to Pakistan became a major subject of Indian propaganda to prevent the deal getting through Congress.
It is interesting to note that in May 2006, a month before the notification was sent to Congress, former US ambassador to India and a paid Indian lobbyist, Robert Blackwill, speaking the Indian language questioned any US sale of F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan by accusing Pakistan of cross border terrorism. He said that the F-16 models Pakistan was seeking were nuclear-capable and could be used against India.
The Indian lobby unleashed another tirade to sabotage the F-16 deal by arranging publication of an article by the Institute of Science and International Security in the Washington Post on 24 June about the Khushab reactor. This publication came just 4 days before the bill on the F-16s was presented in Congress. The new reactor being built at Khushab was no new revelation and was known to US officials through satellite monitoring since years. It's publication at this stage speaks for itself and exposes the ill intent of lobbyists.
This disinformation had put the F-16 deal in jeopardy but fortunately it survived as US officials recognized the true picture. Frederick Jones, National Security Council spokesman told the NYT on 3 August, "We have consulted with our experts and believe the analysis is wrong. The reactor is expected to be substantially smaller and less capable than reported. Speaking on condition of anonymity, a senior intelligence official said the United States has been tracking the new reactor for years. "This has been looked at for a long time and hasn't generated a lot of hand-wringing," the official said. "It could be a replacement of Pakistan's existing nuclear reactor at Khushab."
The Indian lobbyists have been successful in securing the US-India nuclear deal but have failed to sabotage the US-Pak F-16 deal. Pakistan needs to be wary of Indian designs and must also hire lobbyists in the US to counter Indian propaganda.
. Than countering is our right
