America's Strategic Opportunity with India: The New U.S.-India Partnership
www.foreignaffairs.org/20071101faessay86609/r-nicholas-burns/america-s-strategic-opportunity-with-india.html
By R. Nicholas Burns, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs
Reviewed by: Amb. (ret) Michael W. Cotter (Assoc. Publisher, American Diplomacy)

The State Department chose the November-December 2007 issue of the “journal of record,” Foreign Affairs, for a definitive statement by Under Secretary of State R. Nicholas Burns of U.S. policy toward India and its rationale. The statement offers a straightforward, and not surprisingly, very optimistic perspective on the bilateral relationship and its global importance. In line with the U.S. Administration's policy priorities, the article highlights the common challenges and opportunities facing the two countries: terrorism and organized crime, on the one hand; and trade, market-based economics, and promotion of democracy, on the other. It identifies the common interests of these two “large multiethnic, multi-religious democracies,” summarizes the differences that kept them apart during the Cold War, and outlines the steps since President Bush took office in 2001 to overcome those differences and forge today's close, productive relationship.

The article highlights early a key, but usually downplayed, rationale for the new relationship, calling it: “…a unique opportunity with real promise for the global balance of power.” In this context, a good bit of the article explains and defends the decision to establish full civil nuclear cooperation with India in spite of its non-adherence to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT). A second key rationale for the move is described by Under Secretary Burns as securing South Asia. Clearly the Administration is hedging its bet on Pakistan, and sees India as another partner in the struggle against al Qaeda. The Under Secretary emphasizes U.S. interest in improving relations between India and Pakistan and mentions recent positive developments in that relationship, but he does not indicate any concrete actions the United States has taken or could take to improve Indo-Pakistani relations further.

While readers may find much to question in Under Secretary Burns' article, it remains for now the definitive statement of the U.S. perspective on a relationship that will only become more important in the future.