Obama speech in Indian Parliament delivers on Pakistan & dual use tech transfer

The US on Monday finally shed its ambivalence and called for all terrorist networks, including Lashkar-e-Tayyeba, must be defeated and asked Pakistan to bring to justice the perpetrators of the Mumbai attack.

When President Barack Obama spoke at the Taj hotel in Mumbai on Saturday, he had disappointed many by not referring to Pakistan or LeT's role in the 26/11 attack.

But in the joint statement issued on Monday at the end of President Obama’s formal engagement, he referred to Lashkar in what could be described as an acknowledgement of the banned group’s activities against India.

“Condemning terrorism in all its forms, the two sides agreed that all terrorist networks, including Lashkar-e-Tayyeba, must be defeated and called for Pakistan to bring to justice the perpetrators of the November 2008 Mumbai attacks,” the statement read.

On the eve of Obama’s visit, Washington had placed a ban on Lashkar and Jaish-e-Mohammad. The two leaders also announced a new homeland security dialogue between the ministry of home affairs and the US department of homeland security and agreed to deepen operational cooperation, counter-terrorism technology transfers and capacity building.

This was aimed to mollify India’s concerns rising from the lack of information sharing by the US visà- vis David Coleman Headley. The two sides also emphasized the importance of close cooperation in combating terrorist financing and in protecting the international financial system.

Fulfiling another long-standing demand, the US also announced to remove three Indian entities from the US department of commerce’s “Entity List” and realignment of India in the US export control regulations. But hard bargaining is expected till transfer of technology can take place.

The three entities — ISRO, DRDO and the public sector, Bharat Dynamics Ltd — faced sanctions even in purchasing the simplest of components from US suppliers after Pokhran II in 1998.

However, the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Indira Gandhi Atomic Research Centre, Indian Rare Earths Ltd and nuclear reactors not under IAEA inspection regime among others will remain on the list requiring additional export licensing procedures.

The technology control regime hampered space research and development mainly on two counts. First, the Missile Technology Controls Regime (MTCR) that predates Pokharan II considers space launch vehicles as potential missiles.

Second, the Wassenaar Arrangement on dual-use technology list prevents technology transfer to any system — satellite, communication or navigation — that could be of potential military use. The United States also announced support for India’s full membership in the four multilateral export control regimes (the Nuclear Suppliers Group, MTCR, Australia Group, and Wassenaar Arrangement) in a phased manner.

However, the US support does not ensure India’s automatic entry into these groups. With regard to the concerns of the US companies over entering India’s nuclear market, the two sides expressed hope for early commencement of commercial cooperation in the civil nuclear energy sector in India.

According to the joint statement, India intends to ratify the convention on supplementary compensation within the coming year and is committed to ensuring a level playing field for the US companies seeking to enter the Indian nuclear energy sector, consistent with India’s national and international legal obligations.

Rise of China too figured in bilateral deliberations as two sides agreed to deepen existing regular strategic consultations on developments in East Asia.