Afghanistan - News and Discussion

[Guest]

<b>US for smaller India role in Kabul- Pakistan pressure to prune consulate footprint in Afghanistan</b><!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->New Delhi, May 26: The US administration is nudging India to scale down its presence in Afghanistan — including pruning or closing down its consulates — in line with Islamabad’s demands, sources said.

<b>This stand goes against US policy of the past eight years, when Washington wanted India to send troops to Afghanistan.</b>

<b>The US is now hunting new allies to “stabilise” Pakistan and Afghanistan, such as China, Saudi Arabia and Iran that have leverage with Islamabad, as President Obama’s Afpak policy takes off. </b>

Delhi’s role in the rebuilding of Afghanistan, including infrastructure projects and integrated development projects, has not gone down well with Pakistan, which sees India’s strategic interest in its presence.

Islamabad, which is the epicentre of America’s fight against terror in the region, is pressuring Washington to prevail upon New Delhi to reduce its presence in Afghanistan.

The matter was hinted at in talks with India when Richard Holbrooke, the US administration’s special representative for Pakistan and Afghanistan, was in Delhi recently. The sources said the <b>US would like India to prune or shut down consulates in Herat and Jalalabad.</b>

<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->