Poor guy, just can't get no respect. Looks like the Prez of India put him in his place. This wouldn't have happened to a real President.
What a loser.
----------------------------
Indian president
rebukes Clinton
By Bill Sammon
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
NEW DELHI — President Clinton yesterday
failed to persuade India to give up nuclear weapons
and he drew a remarkable rebuke from his hosts.
He was told he could not mediate India's dispute
with Pakistan over Kashmir, where at lease 35 Sikhs
were massacred Monday.
Mr. Clinton's description of Kashmir, made in
February, as "perhaps the most dangerous place in
the world" was ridiculed to his face by Indian
President Kocheril Raman Narayanan.
"These alarmist descriptions will only encourage
those who want to break the peace and indulge in
terrorism and violence," Mr. Narayanan said in his
toast at a state dinner in honor of Mr. Clinton.
Mr. Clinton, who was facing Mr. Narayanan
across a table, then stood and made his own toast,
making no reference to the Indian president's rebuke.
Earlier in the day, Indian Prime Minister Atal
Behari Vajpayee also disputed Mr. Clinton's
description of the dangers in South Asia.
"I'm sure after visiting this part of the world, the
president will come to the conclusion that the
situation is not so bad as it is made out to be," Mr.
Vajpayee said during a joint news conference with
Mr. Clinton. "There is no threat of any war."
While Indian officials were downplaying South
Asia's dangers, Clinton administration officials were
whispering that the president might have faced a
"terrorist" attack if he had gone ahead with a
scheduled visit to a village in Bangladesh Monday.
Officials said yesterday that Saudi exile Osama
bin Laden might have been considering a strike
against Mr. Clinton or his entourage during the
20-mile helicopter ride over dense rain forest that the
president would have taken to reach the village of
Joypura. The president canceled the visit after
intelligence officials received what National Security
Adviser Samuel R. Berger described as "specific"
information that Mr. Clinton would have been
imperiled.
Yesterday, Mr. Clinton failed to achieve the
major goal of his trip to India — convincing the
world's most populous democracy to forgo nuclear
weapons. The president said he emphasized to Mr.
Vajpayee during a private meeting "that at a time
when most nations, including the United States and
Russia, are making real progress in moving away
from nuclear weapons, the world needs India to lead
in the same manner."
But the president fell short on each of the specific
objectives he laid out — persuading India to ban the
production of fissile materials, tighten export controls,
and embrace the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban
Treaty.
"President Clinton and I had a frank discussion on
the issues of disarmament and nonproliferation of
weapons of mass destruction," Mr. Vajpayee said.
"I've explained to President Clinton the reasons that
compel us to maintain a minimum nuclear deterrent."
Mr. Clinton's argument that India should ratify the
nuclear test ban treaty was undermined by the U.S.
Senate's refusal to ratify the accord last year.
India shocked the world by conducting nuclear
tests in May 1998, prompting Pakistan to
immediately follow suit. Yesterday, Mr. Vajpayee
"reiterated our firm commitment not to conduct
further nuclear explosive tests, not to engage in a
nuclear arms race, and not to be the first to use
nuclear weapons against any country."
Mr. Clinton also tried to find a bright spot in his
talks with Mr. Vajpayee.
"I felt today that there was a possibility that we
could reach more common ground on the issues of
testing, on the production of fissile material, on
export controls and on restraint, generally," said the
president, who will renew his plea during a speech
today to India's parliament.
But Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright
said Mr. Clinton made no secret of his displeasure
during his talks with Mr. Vajpayee.
"The United States is a country that tells it like it
is," Mrs. Albright told reporters. "When we have
problems with our friends, we let them know. And
that is what the president did here."
Mr. Clinton also "has not been asked to mediate
the dispute between India and Pakistan," Mrs.
Albright said. The president has made no secret of
his desire to broker negotiations over Kashmir, just
as he has in the Middle East and Northern Ireland
conflicts.
"Problems between countries of the region should
be resolved peacefully by the concerned parties
themselves," Mr. Vajpayee demurred. "India remains
committed to resolving its differences with its
neighbors through peaceful bilateral dialogue and in
an atmosphere free from the thought of force and
violence."
But violence was precisely what tore through the
Himalayan region of Kashmir just hours before Mr.
Vajpayee spoke. A band of suspected terrorists shot
and killed 36 Sikhs in a remote village in the disputed
territory.
The violence continued yesterday when militants
shot and wounded an Indian soldier in Kashmir.
Mr. Clinton condemned the "brutal attack" on the
Sikhs, declaring: "There should be less violence in
Kashmir, not more."
Mrs. Albright added: "The Kashmir problem has
gone on a long time, and the events overnight were
very difficult, and clearly exacerbate the situation."
Mr. Clinton also said yesterday that he and
Presidents Reagan and Bush had neglected
America's relationship with India over the last 20
years.
"It has been 22 years since a United States
president has visited this country," Mr. Clinton said.
"It is close to half your history since becoming
independent. That is far too long and this day is,
therefore, long overdue."
He added: "We have neglected this relationship
for more than two decades. It is too important to
ever fall into disrepair again."
But that is exactly what might happen if progress
is not made on the nuclear "problem," Mrs. Albright
warned.
"The nonproliferation issue is very important," she
said. "It's difficult for the relationship in the long run if
we are not able to resolve it."
Mr. Clinton took time out from his schedule
yesterday to meet privately with the widow of a man
killed in the hijacking of an Indian airliner in
December. The president expressed his condolences
during a 25-minute meeting with the woman and her
in-laws at the hotel where Mr. Clinton is staying.
Also yesterday, the White House announced that
Mr. Clinton will visit Oman this weekend and pay a
call on Sultan Qaboos bin Said. The visit will come at
the tail end of Mr. Clinton's weeklong tour of South
Asia and just before the president stops in
Switzerland to meet with the president of Syria.
What a loser.
----------------------------
Indian president
rebukes Clinton
By Bill Sammon
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
NEW DELHI — President Clinton yesterday
failed to persuade India to give up nuclear weapons
and he drew a remarkable rebuke from his hosts.
He was told he could not mediate India's dispute
with Pakistan over Kashmir, where at lease 35 Sikhs
were massacred Monday.
Mr. Clinton's description of Kashmir, made in
February, as "perhaps the most dangerous place in
the world" was ridiculed to his face by Indian
President Kocheril Raman Narayanan.
"These alarmist descriptions will only encourage
those who want to break the peace and indulge in
terrorism and violence," Mr. Narayanan said in his
toast at a state dinner in honor of Mr. Clinton.
Mr. Clinton, who was facing Mr. Narayanan
across a table, then stood and made his own toast,
making no reference to the Indian president's rebuke.
Earlier in the day, Indian Prime Minister Atal
Behari Vajpayee also disputed Mr. Clinton's
description of the dangers in South Asia.
"I'm sure after visiting this part of the world, the
president will come to the conclusion that the
situation is not so bad as it is made out to be," Mr.
Vajpayee said during a joint news conference with
Mr. Clinton. "There is no threat of any war."
While Indian officials were downplaying South
Asia's dangers, Clinton administration officials were
whispering that the president might have faced a
"terrorist" attack if he had gone ahead with a
scheduled visit to a village in Bangladesh Monday.
Officials said yesterday that Saudi exile Osama
bin Laden might have been considering a strike
against Mr. Clinton or his entourage during the
20-mile helicopter ride over dense rain forest that the
president would have taken to reach the village of
Joypura. The president canceled the visit after
intelligence officials received what National Security
Adviser Samuel R. Berger described as "specific"
information that Mr. Clinton would have been
imperiled.
Yesterday, Mr. Clinton failed to achieve the
major goal of his trip to India — convincing the
world's most populous democracy to forgo nuclear
weapons. The president said he emphasized to Mr.
Vajpayee during a private meeting "that at a time
when most nations, including the United States and
Russia, are making real progress in moving away
from nuclear weapons, the world needs India to lead
in the same manner."
But the president fell short on each of the specific
objectives he laid out — persuading India to ban the
production of fissile materials, tighten export controls,
and embrace the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban
Treaty.
"President Clinton and I had a frank discussion on
the issues of disarmament and nonproliferation of
weapons of mass destruction," Mr. Vajpayee said.
"I've explained to President Clinton the reasons that
compel us to maintain a minimum nuclear deterrent."
Mr. Clinton's argument that India should ratify the
nuclear test ban treaty was undermined by the U.S.
Senate's refusal to ratify the accord last year.
India shocked the world by conducting nuclear
tests in May 1998, prompting Pakistan to
immediately follow suit. Yesterday, Mr. Vajpayee
"reiterated our firm commitment not to conduct
further nuclear explosive tests, not to engage in a
nuclear arms race, and not to be the first to use
nuclear weapons against any country."
Mr. Clinton also tried to find a bright spot in his
talks with Mr. Vajpayee.
"I felt today that there was a possibility that we
could reach more common ground on the issues of
testing, on the production of fissile material, on
export controls and on restraint, generally," said the
president, who will renew his plea during a speech
today to India's parliament.
But Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright
said Mr. Clinton made no secret of his displeasure
during his talks with Mr. Vajpayee.
"The United States is a country that tells it like it
is," Mrs. Albright told reporters. "When we have
problems with our friends, we let them know. And
that is what the president did here."
Mr. Clinton also "has not been asked to mediate
the dispute between India and Pakistan," Mrs.
Albright said. The president has made no secret of
his desire to broker negotiations over Kashmir, just
as he has in the Middle East and Northern Ireland
conflicts.
"Problems between countries of the region should
be resolved peacefully by the concerned parties
themselves," Mr. Vajpayee demurred. "India remains
committed to resolving its differences with its
neighbors through peaceful bilateral dialogue and in
an atmosphere free from the thought of force and
violence."
But violence was precisely what tore through the
Himalayan region of Kashmir just hours before Mr.
Vajpayee spoke. A band of suspected terrorists shot
and killed 36 Sikhs in a remote village in the disputed
territory.
The violence continued yesterday when militants
shot and wounded an Indian soldier in Kashmir.
Mr. Clinton condemned the "brutal attack" on the
Sikhs, declaring: "There should be less violence in
Kashmir, not more."
Mrs. Albright added: "The Kashmir problem has
gone on a long time, and the events overnight were
very difficult, and clearly exacerbate the situation."
Mr. Clinton also said yesterday that he and
Presidents Reagan and Bush had neglected
America's relationship with India over the last 20
years.
"It has been 22 years since a United States
president has visited this country," Mr. Clinton said.
"It is close to half your history since becoming
independent. That is far too long and this day is,
therefore, long overdue."
He added: "We have neglected this relationship
for more than two decades. It is too important to
ever fall into disrepair again."
But that is exactly what might happen if progress
is not made on the nuclear "problem," Mrs. Albright
warned.
"The nonproliferation issue is very important," she
said. "It's difficult for the relationship in the long run if
we are not able to resolve it."
Mr. Clinton took time out from his schedule
yesterday to meet privately with the widow of a man
killed in the hijacking of an Indian airliner in
December. The president expressed his condolences
during a 25-minute meeting with the woman and her
in-laws at the hotel where Mr. Clinton is staying.
Also yesterday, the White House announced that
Mr. Clinton will visit Oman this weekend and pay a
call on Sultan Qaboos bin Said. The visit will come at
the tail end of Mr. Clinton's weeklong tour of South
Asia and just before the president stops in
Switzerland to meet with the president of Syria.
, Art