President Trump's Visit To India -- News Roundup February 24, 2020

Daily Mail: Donald Trump visits the REAL Taj Mahal (as opposed to his old Atlantic City casino namesake): The Trumps hold hands in front of world famous 'monument of love'

* Donald and Melania Trump capped off their first day in India with a visit to the Taj Mahal
* President Trump called the Taj Mahal 'incredible' while Melania Trump said it was 'beautiful'
* Earlier, President Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi got a raucous welcome when they held a rally at the world's largest cricket stadium
* 'You have done a great honor to the American people. Melania, my family, we will always remember this remarkable hospitality,' President Trump said
* Modi praised the 'new history' being created in U.S.-Indian relations
* Donald Trump hugged Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he arrived in India in a rare display of affection from president
* The Trumps also joined Modi to visit Gandhi's home where Trump tried his hand at a loom similar to that Gandhi used

Donald and Melania Trump stopped by the Taj Mahal Monday evening, capping off their first day in India with a sunset visit to the world's most famous monument to love.

They held hands as they posed for photographers and spent a few minutes staring at the white marble tomb as the sun started to dip below the horizon.

'It’s incredible, truly incredible,' Trump said. 'Really incredible, an incredible place.'

Melania also weighed in: 'Lovely, beautiful,' she said.

Read more ....

President Trump's Visit To India -- News Roundup February 24, 2020

Donald Trump arrived in India with much fanfare. Here are the key moments from his first day -- ABC News Online
Trump’s India visit prioritizes pageantry over policy -- AP
Trump wraps 1st day of India trip after jubilant party, visit to Taj Mahal -- UPI
Massive rally kicks off Trump's first official visit to India -- France 24
Donald Trump struggles to pronounce the name of India's greatest cricketer Sachin Tendulkar as the president pays tribute to 'Soochin Tendolker' during stadium address to 110,000 -- Daily Mail
Praise, cheering crowds for Trump in India love fest -- AFP
'America loves India': Trump and Modi hail India-US ties -- Al Jazeera
Trump hails 'exceptional' Modi at huge India rally -- AFP
Trump lands in India and feels the love -- CNN
Trump receives warm welcome in India, announces $3 billion defense deal -- The Hill
Donald Trump tries his hand at a traditional spinning wheel as he and Melania visit Mahatma Gandhi's ashram during India visit -- Daily Mail
India goes wild for Melania as first lady takes equal billing with Donald Trump and her Be Best campaign gets a shout out from Prime Minister Narendra Modi -- Daily Mail
India: Taj Mahal's tombs cleaned for first time in 300 years for Donald Trump -- DW
Timeline of US presidential visits to India -- Al Jazeera

Seventy Thousand Indian Americans Attend Trump-Modi Rally In Houston

Reuters: 'Howdy, Modi!' - Thousands, plus Trump, rally in Texas for India's leader

HOUSTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared a stage and showered each other with praise on Sunday at a “Howdy, Modi!” rally attended by upward of 50,000 people, a rare mass showing for a foreign leader on American soil.

Trump, calling the gathering a “profoundly historic event,” was greeted with a standing ovation by the Indian-American crowd and his speech was interrupted several times by roars of approval.

The U.S. leader hailed the India-U.S. relationship and the Indian-American community as he reached out to an ethnic group that voted overwhelmingly against him in 2016.

“You uphold our values, you uplift our communities and you are truly proud to be American and we are truly proud to have you as Americans,” Trump the crowd.

Read more ....

Update #1: 'Howdy Modi': thousands of Indian Americans attend Trump rally (The Guardian/AP)
Update #2: "Howdy Modi" Event In Houston: Trump And Indian PM Modi Celebrate U.S.-India Alliance (RCP)
Update #3: At a rally like no other, Trump woos Indian American voters ahead of 2020 (Politico)

WNU Editor: These images are not going to be shown on the main stream media tonight (see below)

“Prime Minister Modi and I have come to Houston to celebrate everything that unites America and India: our ‘shared dreams and bright futures’. I have also come to express my profound gratitude to the nearly 4 million amazing Indian-Americans all across our country.“ pic.twitter.com/0Bgoo4Didq

— Dan Scavino Jr.🇺🇸 (@Scavino45) September 22, 2019

Update #4: I think the estimate of 50,000 is wrong. The stadium's seating capacity is 72,000 (see here), and it does not include the grounds. From what I am seeing, that placed is completely packed, grounds included. There are 70,000 people there if not more.

Update #5: It should put an end to the narrative, but it will not.

70,000 brown-skinned people are standing, applauding and shouting "Trump Trump Trump" in Houston, Texas.
The Indian Prime Minister himself is praising @realDonaldTrump & I think today should be the end of @TheDemocrats "Trump's a white supremacist" narrative, because it's idiotic pic.twitter.com/0focdpinNv

— PlayTheTrumpCard (@PlaysTrumpCard) September 22, 2019

Trump Hints At New Trade War With India

India has long had a field day putting Tariffs on American products. No longer acceptable!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 9, 2019

Zero Hedge: Trump Hints At New Trade War With India

Rarely a week goes by without President Trump trying to open a new front in the trade war (Europe, Japan, South Korea and Mexico have all been threatened with new levies), and this sleepy post-holiday week is no exception.

In a tweet, President Trump hinted at the possibility of new tariffs on Indian imports, saying that the US would no longer stand for India's overly aggressive tariff regime.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: In 2018 the U.S. goods and services trade deficit with India was $24.2 billion, so yes, the U.S. does have leverage.

U.S. Officials Worry That India- Pakistan Tensions Can Re-Escalate

Reuters: U.S. remains concerned about India-Pakistan tensions: official

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States remains concerned about India-Pakistan tensions as the nuclear-armed countries’ militaries remain on alert nearly three weeks after their most dangerous confrontation in decades, a senior U.S. administration official said on Wednesday.

The official also indicated that the Trump administration does not think Pakistan has adequately cracked down on the Islamist extremists who claimed responsibility for a bomb attack on Indian security forces that triggered last month’s crisis.

“If there is an additional terrorist attack without Pakistan having made a sustained sincere effort against these groups, it will be extremely problematic for Pakistan and it would cause a re-escalation in tensions,” the official, who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity.

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WNU Editor: The U.S. is also taking sides .... White House Warns Pakistan: Aggression Against India ‘Not Acceptable” as Nuclear Tensions Flare (CCN).

Will India Buy U.S. Fighter Aircraft After Last Week's 'Dog-Fight' Against Pakistan?

Civil-defense personnel remove wreckage from an Indian air force MiG-21 Bison aircraft after it crashed in Kashmir, August 24, 2015. REUTERS/Danish Ismail

Foreign Policy: India's 'embarrassment' against Pakistan could be a big win for US weapons-makers

* The shortcomings of India's fighter aircraft were put on display in an aerial engagement with Pakistan last week.
* The blemish comes as New Delhi grapples with a long-delayed fighter-replacement program.
* The incident may compel India's leaders to speed that program up — and benefit US defense firms in the process.

The dilapidated state of the Indian Air Force was thrown into sharp relief last week when Pakistan shot down an Indian pilot flying a Russian-made MiG-21 Bison, a fighter jet first flown in 1956.

The pilot ejected safely into Pakistani territory and was captured by the Pakistan Army. Islamabad released the airman a couple days later in an effort to de-escalate a crisis that began when a Pakistan-based militant group killed more than 40 Indian security officers in a Feb. 14 suicide bombing in India-controlled Kashmir.

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WNU Editor: The Russians are also hopeful that India will buy advance aircraft from them .... Magnificent seven: Top-notch Russian aircraft that may land in India’s shopping cart soon (RT).

India Risks U.S. Sanctins For Purchasing Russia's S-400 Surface-To-Air Missile System

Reuters: India risks U.S. sanctions with $5-billion purchase of Russian missiles

The United States has warned India against a planned purchase of S-400 surface-to-air missiles from Russia when President Vladimir Putin’s visits New Delhi this week, saying such an acquisition would attract sanctions under U.S. law.

India’s military wants the missile batteries, both as a deterrent against China and to gain an edge over traditional rival, Pakistan, as they are able to track and shoot down combat aircraft, even stealth planes, at unprecedented ranges.

India and Russia will sign the missile deal, estimated at more than $5 billion, during Putin’s visit for annual summit talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi beginning on Thursday, a Kremlin aide said.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: The deal has been signed, so what is next .... India Signs Deal For Russia S-400 Missile System Amid US Threat: 10 Facts (NDTV).

U.S. Chairman Of The Joint Chiefs Travels To Pakistan And India To Discuss Afghanistan Strategy

Gen. Joseph F. Dunford, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, speaks at a joint press conference with Secretary of Defense James Mattis at the Pentagon on Aug. 28, 2018. (Lisa Ferdinando/DoD)

Military.com: Top US general departs for Pakistan, India to bolster Afghanistan strategy

ATHENS, Greece — Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Marine Corps Gen. Joseph Dunford departed the U.S. on Sunday for a week-long trip focused on shoring up Afghanistan’s new strategy by pressing key neighbors Pakistan and India to do more to help stabilize the country.

Dunford will first visit Pakistan, alongside Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, to meet with Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi. U.S. and Pakistani tensions have escalated over the last year as the Trump administration withheld millions of dollars in military aid over long-standing frustration with Pakistan that it has not taken a more aggressive stand against Taliban and Haqqani network militants who coordinate attacks on Afghanistan from within Pakistan.

Last week, the U.S. confirmed it would hold up an additional $300 million in aid to Pakistan, which Qureshi told Reuters on Sunday would be brought up at the meeting.

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WNU editor:  U.S. General Dunford has an uphill battle with Pakistan. They want money .... Pentagon Clarifies Why The U.S. Is Suspending $300 Million Aid To Pakistan (September 3, 2018). and they also believe that India has no role to play in Afghanistan .... ‘Pakistan differs with US on Indian role in Afghanistan’ (The News).

Is The U.S. And India Building An 'Aircraft Carrier' Alliance?

Image: Wikimedia Commons.

Zachary Keck, National Interest: Are America and India Building an 'Aircraft Carrier' Alliance?

America appears ready to provide a significant boost to India’s future aircraft carrier.

According to Indian media reports, the United States and India have entered the final stages of a negotiation for Washington to equip Delhi’s future aircraft carrier with a state-of-the-art electromagnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS). Ahead of President Donald Trump’s meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi this month, an eleven member U.S. delegation led by Rear Adm. Brian Antonio, the U.S. Navy's Program Executive Officer for aircraft carriers, met with Indian counterparts in western India from October 29–31. The Indian side was led by Vice Admiral DM Deshpande, Controller Warship Production and Acquisition, the Hindustan Times reported.

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WNU Editor:  This is a major shift for India when it comes to buying weapons. India has always bought weapons from Russia to counter Pakistan .... but with China now becoming the number one threat, it looks like India needs better and more advanced weapons.

US Secretary of State Tillerson: U.S. Prefers To Work With New Delhi Over Beijing During The Next Century.

Hindustan Times: Secretary of state Rex Tillerson pitches for greater cooperation between India and US ahead of visit

Tillerson called India and the US “two bookends of stability” on either side of the globe.

US secretary of state Rex Tillerson on Wednesday made a strong pitch for greater cooperation with India to tackle global threats and challenges such as ensuring a “free and open” Indo-Pacific region in the face of a predatory China.

He stressed that while the United States wants to work with India and any other nation to counter terrorism, it still sees Pakistan as a valuable partner and will work with Islamabad and New Delhi to reduce tensions along the country’s eastern border with India and the western border with Afghanistan.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: The Chinese are not happy with these remarks .... After Tillerson’s remarks, Beijing asks US to ‘abandon biased views’ of China (Hindustan Times).

More News On US Secretary of State Tillerson's Remarks That The U.S. Prefers To Work With New Delhi Over Beijing During The Next Century.

US: Tillerson calls for India ties to counter China -- BBC
Tillerson Embraces Closer US Ties With India, Calls Out China -- Voice of America
U.S. wants stronger India economic, defense ties given China's rise -- Nasdaq/Reuters
Rex Tillerson: US, India must protect 'international order' from Chinese threats -- Washington Examiner
Tillerson seeks stronger ties with India, chides China -- Stars and Stripes

U.S. May Shift F-16 Production To India

Lockheed Martin will make F-16s for India if it gets assured orders Pictured: A U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon flies a mission in the skies near Iraq on March 22, 2003 during Operation Iraqi freedom. [Representational Image]Wikimedia Commons

Star-Telegram: Lockheed Martin may shift F-16 production to India

With production winding down after 40 years in Fort Worth, Lockheed Martin is considering a plan to move assembly of future F-16 fighter jets to India — if that country places a big order for the planes.

The defense giant has offered India exclusive rights to produce and export F-16s, said Ken Ross, a spokesman for Lockheed Martin Aeronautics in Fort Worth.

“We are in discussions with the U.S. government, the government of India and our Indian industry partners about this opportunity,” Ross said. “Details about this potential partnership will be determined in conjunction with the respective governments, Lockheed Martin and Indian industry.”

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/news/business/article93910882.html#storylink=cpy

Read more ....

WNU Editor: Such is the sad state of the U.S. manufacturing base today .... it is better to shift these jobs overseas rather than keeping them here. Besides shifting this plant (and jobs) to India, there is another reason why Washington should be concerned .... Will US Transfer Critical Technologies If Lockheed Martin Shifts F-16 Assembly Line To India? (Defense World).

More News On reports That The U.S. May Shift Its F-16 Production To India

Fort Worth F-16 Production Could Move To India -- CBSDFW
Lockheed Martin will shift F-16 fighter jet manufacturing unit to India if it gets assured orders -- IBTimes
Lockheed Martin offers to build F-16s in India -- The Nation
Lockheed Martin sees $15-billion export potential for 'Made in India F-16 Jets -- Economic Times
Why India Should Consider Lockheed Martin's F-16 Offer -- The Diplomat

U.S., Japan, And India To Hold A Major Naval Drill Off The Coast Of Okinawa This Friday

Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) destroyer Kurama (L), which is carrying Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, leads the JMSDF fleet during its fleet review at Sagami Bay, off Yokosuka, south of Tokyo October 18, 2015. REUTERS/TORU HANAI

Reuters: U.S., Japan, India to hold major naval drill in Western Pacific

A fleet of U.S., Japanese and Indian warships will hold a large-scale joint naval exercise over eight days from Friday in the Western Pacific, close to a Japanese island chain, part of which China claims.

As China pushes its territorial claims in the neighboring South China Sea, Tokyo and Washington worry it will look to extend its influence into the Western Pacific, with a growing fleet of submarines and surface vessels to ply distant oceans.

The drill, dubbed Malabar, is an annual event between the U.S. and India, and Japan is joining it this year for the first time since 2007, Japan's Ministry of Defense said in a statement.

Read more ....

Update: Japan, U.S., India to hold major naval drill off Okinawa starting Friday (Japan Times).

WNU editor: This is what I call sending a message to China.

Will India Join The U.S. To Be A 'Counterbalance' To China?

Indian navy personnel after attending the decommissioning ceremony of India's first indigenously designed and built warship, the INS Godavari, at a naval base in Mumbai in December. (Danish Siddiqui/Reuters)

Washington Post: U.S. military wants India to counterbalance China’s rise as a sea power

NEW DELHI — In a recent speech in New Delhi, the outspoken commander of the U.S. Pacific Command, Adm. Harry B. Harris Jr., was nearly poetic when he discussed the growing relationship between India and the United States, saying he was a “bit moonstruck” about the possibilities.

“In the not too distant future, American and Indian Navy vessels steaming together will become a common and welcome sight throughout Indo-Asia-Pacific waters,” he said, “as we work together to maintain freedom of the seas for all nations.”

The comments struck a chord — though, perhaps, not the note Harris wanted. Just a few days later, India’s defense minister, Manohar Parrikar, publicly rebuked him, saying India does not participate in joint patrols.

Growing concern over China and its naval activity in India’s back yard — the vast Indian Ocean — have brought the two once-distant militaries closer than ever before.

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WNU Editor: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is arriving today for a short visit to the United States, to meet President Obama and to address Congress. I am sure China .... after Afghanistan and Pakistan .... is a topic that is going to be brought up.

India Objects To President Obama's Remarks On Nuclear Security

U.S. President Barack Obama talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House during the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington on March 31. PHOTO: REUTERS

Wall Street Journal: Obama’s Nuclear Remarks Upset India

India takes exception to U.S. president’s suggestion it is moving in ‘wrong direction’ on nuclear

U.S. President Barack Obama’s advice to India and Pakistan to cut back their stores of nuclear arsenals has raised some hackles in New Delhi.

Two days after Mr. Obama mentioned India’s nuclear program with Pakistan’s in the same breath as he urged both countries to stop moving in the “wrong direction,” India took exception.

The U.S. leader’s comments reflect a “lack of understanding of India’s defense posture,” said Vikas Swarup, foreign affairs spokesman in a statement late Monday. “Conventionally, India has never initiated military action against any neighbor. We also have a no-first use nuclear weapons policy,” he said.

India’s response was prompted by Mr. Obama’s remarks at the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington last week, which was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with over 50 world leaders. There, the U.S. leader expressed concern about nuclear arsenals expanding in some countries, “especially those with small tactical nuclear weapons that could be at greater risk of theft.”

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WNU Editor: This rebuke from India only comes a few days after President Oabma had rebuked Donald Trump on his understanding of nuclear issues .... Obama: Trump Doesn’t Know Much About Foreign Policy, or the World in General (Slate). Interestingly .... this India/nuclear story was not covered by any major U.S. news organization.

More News On India Objecting To President Obama's Remarks On Nuclear Security

India objects to Obama clubbing India with Pak on nuclear security -- Hindustan Times
'Lack of understanding of our defence posture': India on Barack Obama's comments -- Times of India
India rejects Obama's advice on arsenal cut -- Deccan Herald
White House clarifies Obama stand on ‘nuclear South Asia’ -- Hindustan Times
‘U.S. doesn’t see India as hyphenated with Pak.’ -- The Hindu
India stung over US statement at nuclear summit, but Obama's concern is understandable -- First Post India
Why India's Upset About Obama's Post-Nuclear Security Summit Remarks -- The Diplomat

The Growing U.S. - India Military Alliance Is Raising Concerns In China

Navy Ensign Samson Cohen, from Washington, D.C., finds the range and speed of the Indian Navy Centaur-class aircraft carrier INS Viraat from the bridge wing of the USS Antietam during an exercise last month as part of India’s International Fleet Review 2016 . (Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class David Flewellyn/ Navy)

Washington Post: The U.S. and India are deepening military ties — and China is watching

The U.S. military’s top officer in the Pacific urged Indian officials Wednesday to pursue even closer military ties with the United States — part of a broader effort by the Pentagon to strengthen a relatively new partnership in the region, as China expands its military footprint in ways that alarm its neighbors.

Adm. Harry Harris, commander of U.S. Pacific Command, said that expanded cooperation between the United States and India will not only be critical to Washington’s re-balance toward the Pacific, but “will arguably be the defining partnership for America in the 21st century.” He said he shared a vision with U.S. Ambassador to India Richard Verma that Indian and U.S. naval vessels will soon steam together “as we work together to maintain freedom of the seas for all nations.”

The comments came as India has moved to strengthen partnerships not only with the United States, but with Australia, Japan and other U.S. allies in the region. India also has voiced opposition to some of China’s actions in the East and South China seas, where Beijing has attempted to assert its sovereignty.

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WNU Editor: What will concern China even more is if additional countries like Japan become involved in this alliance.

U.S. And India Considering Conducting Joint Patrols In The South China Sea

A USS Boxer LHD travels at an offshore location in Goa in this file photo. Washington wants its regional allies and other Asian nations to take a more united stance against China over the South China Sea

Reuters: Exclusive: U.S. & India consider joint patrols in South China Sea - U.S. official

The United States and India have held talks about conducting joint naval patrols that a U.S. defense official said could include the disputed South China Sea, a move that would likely anger Beijing, which claims most of the waterway.

Washington wants its regional allies and other Asian nations to take a more united stance against China over the South China Sea, where tensions have spiked in the wake of Beijing's construction of seven man-made islands in the Spratly archipelago.

India and the United States have ramped up military ties in recent years, holding naval exercises in the Indian Ocean that last year involved the Japanese navy.

Read more ....

More News On Reports That The U.S. And India Are Considering Conducting Joint Patrols In The South China Sea

South China Sea dispute: US, India consider joint patrols, says US official -- Sydney morning Herald
Maritime Conflict Widens in South China Sea with Joint US-India Patrols -- Inquisitr
US and India consider joint patrols in South China Sea, US official says -- Times Of India
US & India mull over 'joint patrols' in South China Sea — report -- RT
US-India Patrols in the South China Sea? Maybe Not Just Yet -- The Diplomat

Update: The Indian Defense Ministry is denying this report .... No Indo-US naval patrol in South China Sea, defence ministry says (Times of India).

Why India Will Not Be A 'Strategic Partner' With The U.S.

U.S. Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta meets with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi, June 5, 2012. DOD photo by Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo

India's Cold Shoulder -- Jonathan E. Hillman, L.A. Times

Courting India as hoped-for 'strategic partner,' the U.S. has sold the nation $8 billion in arms over the last 10 years. In return, U.S. goals have been mostly frustrated while nuclear nonproliferation efforts have been undermined.

There's a party in the Asia Pacific, and the United States wants India to be its date. As U.S. foreign policy "pivots" away from the Middle East and Europe and toward Asia, U.S. officials are doing everything they can to cozy up to the nation that Mark Twain once called "the cradle of the human race."

America's courtship — a bipartisan effort — has included the great-power equivalent of sending flowers (civil nuclear technology underGeorge W. Bush), chocolates (more than $8 billion in U.S. arms during the last decade) and love letters (India is the only state deemed a "strategic partner" in the Pentagon's most recent strategy review).

Read more ....

WNU Editor: Two other must read commentaries/analysis on U.S. attempts to work with India as a 'strategic partner' are the following ....

Will India Ever Really Be America's Partner? -- Christopher Clary, Foreign Policy
Why India Snubbed U.S. -- Nitin Gokhale, The Diplomat

U.S. Secretary Of Defense Panetta Calls For A Closer India-U.S. Defense Partnership

U.S. Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta, left center, meets with Indian Defense Minister A.K. Antony, right, in New Delhi, June 6, 2012. Panetta and Antony discussed the stable and well-developed defense relationship between the two countries, and the possibility of India taking a larger role in Afghanistan. DOD photo by Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo

Panetta Calls for Closer India-U.S. Security Partnership -- Voice of America

NEW DELHI - U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, on a visit to India, said both India and the United States will need to overcome deep differences with Pakistan to make South Asia peaceful. The visit underscores the greater U.S. focus on India to promote peace and stability in the Indian Ocean region.

Defense Secretary Panetta said it is important for both the U.S. and India to continue to engage Pakistan in order to further the goal of peace in South Asia. Panetta was speaking Wednesday in New Delhi on the role India can play in the new U.S. defense strategy being developed for the 21st century.

Read more ....

More News On U.S. Calls For A Closer Security Partnership With India

Leon Panetta calls for closer defence ties with India -- BBC
Panetta calls for deep US-India defence ties -- Reuters
India-US discuss regional security, defence purchases -- New York Daily News
Leon Panetta in Delhi, says India 'linchpin' for American strategy in Asia -- Times of India/AFP
Pentagon says India is a global power -- Hindustan Times
In India, Defense Secretary Panetta to urge leaders to take larger role in Afghan war -- Washington Post/AP

My Comment: As to U.S. Sec. of Defense Panetta's calls for closer U.S.-India defense ties ..... it appears that India is not interested.

US Says Its Special Forces Are In India: India Says No

US troops have been involved in training in India

Pentagon Commander Says US Special Forces In India -- BBC

US special forces are present in five South Asian countries, including India, a top Pentagon commander has revealed.

US Pacific Commander Admiral Robert Willard said the teams were deployed to help India with their counter-terrorism co-operation.

The US and India were working together to contain Lashkar-e-Taiba, a Pakistan-based militant group blamed for the 2008 Mumbai attacks, he said.

The US embassy in Delhi clarified that the troops were not stationed in India.

A spokesman told the BBC that there were "no special forces stationed in India", as media reports had suggested.

The embassy and India's ministry of defence said a unit from the US 25th infantry division was in India to hold an exercise with Indian forces.

Read more ....

More News On U.S. Special Forces In India (Or Not)

US says its special forces in India; Delhi says 'no' -- Hindustan Times
US says Special Forces in India, MoD says no -- Indian Express
US special forces not stationed in India: Government -- Deccan Herald
US special forces present in five South Asian countries, including India -- NDTV/Press Trust of India
Counter-terrorism: US special forces stationed in India, reveals Pentagon -- Times of India

My Comment: Who is right? My money is on the U.S. commander.

President Obama Visits India -- News Roundup November 8, 2010

President Obama delivered a speech to India’s parliament on the third and final day of his visit to the country on Monday. Doug Mills/The New York Times

Obama Backs India's Quest For U.N. Permanent Seat -- Yahoo News/Reuters

NEW DELHI (Reuters) – U.S. President Barack Obama endorsed on Monday India's long-held demand for a permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council, a reflection of the Asian country's growing global weight and its challenge to rival China.

India says a seat on the council would reflect the importance of the G20 nation as its trillion dollar economy helps spur global growth and its government exerts more and more influence over issues from Doha trade to climate change talks.

Read more ....

More News On President Obama's Trip To India/Asia

Obama backs India bid for UN Security Council seat -- Yahoo News/AP
Obama backs India on permanent UN Security Council seat -- BBC
Obama Backs India for Seat on Security Council -- New York Times
U.N. Security Council: Obama Supports India -- Time Magazine/AP
Obama backs permanent seat for India on Security Council -- CNN
Barack Obama offers backing to India's bid for UN security council seat -- The Guardian

President Obama outlines larger role for India -- Politico
Obama hails ties with 'world power' India -- Yahoo News/AFP
Obama: US and India can cooperate on nuclear issue -- AP
Obama, Singh Hail Strengthened US-India Relationship -- Voice of America
Obama, Indian Prime Minister to Hold Formal Bilateral Talks -- Voice of America
Speaking in India, Obama says terror safe-havens in Pakistan unacceptable -- L.A. Times
Obama in Mumbai Calls India Market of the Future -- Voice of America
Obama credits Gandhi with helping him to presidency -- AFP
Obama Invokes Gandhi, Whose Ideal Eludes India -- New York Times
The Obamas’ Trip to India -- Wall Street Journal opinion
Pakistan divides U.S. and India -- L.A. Times editorial

In pictures: Obama in India -- BBC

President Obama Visits India -- News Roundup

President Obama and his wife, Michelle, with Usha Thakkar, director of Mani Bhavan, the Gandhi Museum in Mumbai, India. Doug Mills/The New York Times

Bomb-Proof Tunnel With Air Conditioning: Obama's Security Go To Extraordinary Measures For His Tour Of The Gandhi Museum -- The Daily Mail

* American warships to patrol off Mumbai during visit
* Coconuts removed from trees as a precaution
* 250 U.S. business executives with Obama on 'biggest ever trade mission'
* $200million Asia trip cost denied but the President will have huge entourage

President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle arrived in India's commercial hub of Mumbai on Saturday, days after voters punished his Democrats in mid-term elections.

Probably not since the days of the Pharaohs or the more ludicrous Roman Emperors has a head of state travelled in such pomp and expensive grandeur as the President of the United States of America.

While lesser mortals – the Pope, Queen Elizabeth and so on – are usually happy to let their hosts handle most of the security and transport arrangements when they venture beyond their home shores, the United States creates a mini-America on the move to ensure that nothing is left to chance.

Read more ....

More News On President Obama's Visit To India

Obama wraps up Mumbai visit, heads to Delhi -- Yahoo News/AFP
Obama Invokes Gandhi, Whose Ideal Eludes Modern India -- New York Times
Obama calls India creator, not poacher, of US jobs -- Yahoo News/AP
In India, Obama pushes U.S. jobs -- CNN
US President Barack Obama announces $10bn India deals -- BBC
On Day 1 of India visit, Obama showcases trade deals with US firms -- Christian Science Monitor
U.S. Eases Restrictions on Exports to India -- Wall Street Journal
Obama wins India business -- Yahoo News/Reuters
Obama makes it all about business on first day in India -- McClatchy News
Obama in India: 'It is Hard to Overstate the Importance of Asia to Our Economic Future' -- New York Magazine
America and India: The Almost-Special Relationship -- New York Times
$200 million a day? -- The Economist

Air Force One to hit schedules for a six -- Times of India
Five layers of security for Obama's Delhi visit -- Sify News
Coastal security put on highest level of alert -- Times of India
The eagle lands, followed by decoy -- Times of India
English-speaking cops confined for four days in the Taj -- DNAIndia