Tara Kartha
Following the visit of US Secretary of Defence James Mattis, the media has been agog with analysis of the visit. By and large, strategists are at one in agreeing that the visit signifies a deeper India-US engagement in Afghanistan, particularly following the rolling out of the Trump administration’s Afghan strategy and India’s own quietly announced "strategy" as outlined in the joint statements of the Second Partnership Council meeting held in New Delhi recently.
While everyone agreed that India is expected to step up to the plate with a larger role, there is some hesitation in actually enunciating exactly in which areas India can "do more" as demanded by the US president, and more importantly, what more India can do to advance its own interests. An ideal India-US effort would be one that would marry both these lines of activities as far as possible, into specific areas on the ground.
Some of the plans for expansion of Indian development activities – which is after all the main plank of Indian presence in Afghanistan – is already outlined in the joint statement at the end of the meeting of the Partnership Council. For one, the air cargo corridor is to be expanded to other cities besides Kabul. This is a vital development and extends trade opportunities for Afghans from various provinces across the country.
http://www.firstpost.com/india/india-should-provide-non-lethal-logistical-help-for-us-troops-in-afghanistan-since-washington-cannot-rely-on-pakistan-4095125.html
