-Caveat Lector- Russia leases nuclear bombers to India http://www.guardian.co.uk/india/story/0,12559,878155,00.html £1.9bn arms deal to give India power of mass destruction across Pakistan and China
Luke Harding in New Delhi Monday January 20, 2003 The Guardian India last night signed a £1.9bn deal with Russia to lease four long- range nuclear bombers and two nuclear-capable submarines, in a move which campaigners say will dramatically escalate the arms race on the subcontinent. On a visit to Moscow, India's defence minister, George Fernandes, said the agreement - which will also see Russia throw in an ageing aircraft carrier, the Admiral Gorshkov, for free - will be finalised by the end of March. "We have agreed that all efforts will be made to complete the three contracts," Mr Fernandes said. India and Russia will also pump more money into a joint programme to develop a new long-range nuclear- capable cruise missile, the BrahMos, he revealed. The massive deal will dramatically improve New Delhi's ability to deliver its nuclear warheads. It follows months of simmering tension between India and its arch-rival Pakistan, the world's newest declared nuclear powers. The two countries almost went to war in June last year, and for 10 months deployed a million troops along their shared border. India is believed to have more nuclear bombs - between 60 and 150, compared with Pakistan's 20-60. It also has a much larger conventional army. But defence experts believe that Pakistan, which secretly acquired much of its missile technology from China and North Korea in the 1990s, has better means of getting them to their targets, and this is an edge which New Delhi wants to eliminate. Last night anti-nuclear campaigners in India said they were dismayed by the nuclear deal with Russia. "I think it is terrible," said Praful Bidwai, of the Coalition for Nuclear Disarmament and Peace (CNDP). "We are just going into a vortex that steps up the nuclear and missile arms race. They are actually moving towards a high level of readiness to use nuclear weapons. You are not talking about deterrence." Under the package, India will lease four Tu22 M3 long-range aircraft - capable of dropping nuclear bombs on China - as well as two Akula class submarines, which are nuclear-propelled and can deliver nuclear warheads. India's existing submarine fleet is not nuclear capable. Indian officials say that in the event of a nuclear attack by Pakistan, the new Russian subs, which can hide underwater for months at a time, would be able to launch a devastating response. India has also agreed to pay about £370m to refit the Admiral Gorshkov, a decrepit aircraft carrier which was completely gutted by fire in the early 90s. The purchase has caused much raising of eyebrows in the Indian press, and follows an exposé two years ago of massive official corruption in India's defence industry. Mr Fernandes was forced to resign in the wake of the scandal. He later got his job back. The defence minister put the finishing touches to his procurement spree after spending six days in Russia, where he met his counterpart Sergei Ivanov. The comparative speed with which India and Russia have wrapped up their agreement is in stark contrast to Britain's attempts to sell 66 Hawk jet trainer aircraft to the Indian air force. Tony Blair and other ministers have so far failed to convince the Indians to sign the billion-pound deal, despite more than 15 years of negotiations. Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2003 Forwarded for your information. The text and intent of the article have to stand on their own merits. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, this material is distributed without charge or profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this type of information for non-profit research and educational purposes only. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe simply because it has been handed down for many genera- tions. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumoured by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is written in Holy Scriptures. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of teachers, elders or wise men. Believe only after careful observation and analysis, when you find that it agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all. Then accept it and live up to it." The Buddha on Belief, from the Kalama SutRussia leases nuclear bombers to India £1.9bn arms deal to give India power of mass destruction across Pakistan and China Luke Harding in New Delhi Monday January 20, 2003 The Guardian India last night signed a £1.9bn deal with Russia to lease four long- range nuclear bombers and two nuclear-capable submarines, in a move which campaigners say will dramatically escalate the arms race on the subcontinent. On a visit to Moscow, India's defence minister, George Fernandes, said the agreement - which will also see Russia throw in an ageing aircraft carrier, the Admiral Gorshkov, for free - will be finalised by the end of March. "We have agreed that all efforts will be made to complete the three contracts," Mr Fernandes said. India and Russia will also pump more money into a joint programme to develop a new long-range nuclear- capable cruise missile, the BrahMos, he revealed. The massive deal will dramatically improve New Delhi's ability to deliver its nuclear warheads. It follows months of simmering tension between India and its arch-rival Pakistan, the world's newest declared nuclear powers. The two countries almost went to war in June last year, and for 10 months deployed a million troops along their shared border. India is believed to have more nuclear bombs - between 60 and 150, compared with Pakistan's 20-60. It also has a much larger conventional army. But defence experts believe that Pakistan, which secretly acquired much of its missile technology from China and North Korea in the 1990s, has better means of getting them to their targets, and this is an edge which New Delhi wants to eliminate. Last night anti-nuclear campaigners in India said they were dismayed by the nuclear deal with Russia. "I think it is terrible," said Praful Bidwai, of the Coalition for Nuclear Disarmament and Peace (CNDP). "We are just going into a vortex that steps up the nuclear and missile arms race. They are actually moving towards a high level of readiness to use nuclear weapons. You are not talking about deterrence." Under the package, India will lease four Tu22 M3 long-range aircraft - capable of dropping nuclear bombs on China - as well as two Akula class submarines, which are nuclear-propelled and can deliver nuclear warheads. India's existing submarine fleet is not nuclear capable. Indian officials say that in the event of a nuclear attack by Pakistan, the new Russian subs, which can hide underwater for months at a time, would be able to launch a devastating response. India has also agreed to pay about £370m to refit the Admiral Gorshkov, a decrepit aircraft carrier which was completely gutted by fire in the early 90s. The purchase has caused much raising of eyebrows in the Indian press, and follows an exposé two years ago of massive official corruption in India's defence industry. Mr Fernandes was forced to resign in the wake of the scandal. He later got his job back. The defence minister put the finishing touches to his procurement spree after spending six days in Russia, where he met his counterpart Sergei Ivanov. The comparative speed with which India and Russia have wrapped up their agreement is in stark contrast to Britain's attempts to sell 66 Hawk jet trainer aircraft to the Indian air force. Tony Blair and other ministers have so far failed to convince the Indians to sign the billion-pound deal, despite more than 15 years of negotiations. Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2003 <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/";>www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'—with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds—is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. 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