SECY-STATE NOMINEE HILLARY CLINTON ON SOUTH ASIA EXTREMISM

November 21,Guwahati
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The president-elect,USA is likely to nominate in afew hours from now, his one time democratic rival- a would-have -been Merkel or,a Meir or, a Thatcher- if not Ms Gandhi, Hillary Rodham Clinton with a condition that her ex prez. makes his highly lucrative speeches transparent and more accountable.The secy- state nominee is clearly for putting down extremism in South Asia.Her president had stressed upon international cooperation, more US-UN collaboration and change.Her approaches have to be qualified by the broader policy statement of the next prez.

Hillary Clinton who visited India and is well aware of the need for reinforcing Indo-US relation,while keeping reurgent Russia,particularly,post- Osettia 2008,in her active security-orineted mind and taming the emerging China with economic trade off and economic ties. He electoral thrust on' security and opportunity' would be reflected in her approach to win South Asia on her terms.

Her prez.husband Clinton in his interveiw in PTV in March 2000 had patronized Pakistan, and she herself gave generous white house hospitality to late Benazir on her home coming to Pakistan in person, despite the adverse restrictions from security advisors.She would address to Pak-Afghan border, in conformity with the dictate of new Prez.

In her voting record,she had voted for,in October 2002 for sending troops to Iraq, and now, she would take action for US troop -withdrawal from Iraq by 2010, as stated by the new prez.She had once considered Barack Obama's proposition for the US to negotiate with mullahs in Iran as untenable.That hardline stance may undergo paradigm-shift.

Modern diplomacy- Barack Obama style could be less than the hawkish model of the republican predecessor or, could be much softer.The new administration may try to overlook Assam and the NE region,unlike her planned Indo-Pak dialogue on Kashmir or, undreamt of limited US bombing of the tribal areas harbouring al Qaeda.Exit from Afghanistan may be a matter of deep concern for the USA after three years or,so,once troop re-inforcement has been made in a political vacuum that leaves virtually no space to the Talibans.Assam is important,yet the new dispensation would address it within Indian strategy.