08 July 2009

Tim Roemer testimony

Obama's ambassador-designate to India had his confirmation hearing in the Senate today. Here's a link to his prepared testimony.

For the most part, Roemer sticks to the familiar line on the bilateral relationship that we've heard U.S. diplomats talk about these past few years with one exception: civil nuclear cooperation is mentioned only in passing, that too only as part of ongoing efforts on clean technologies and renewable energy....

Update #1: According to a PTI report of some of Roemer's answers to questions at his confirmation hearing, spoke of the subcontinent as "an extremely sensitive hotspot for the world and for the region, where we've almost experienced thermonuclear war on several occasions."

Update #2: The SFRC has recommended Roemer's confirmation to the Senate. A vote will be taken next week, following which the new U.S. ambassador is coming to Delhi. The week after that, Secstate Clinton will be in town.

Excerpts:

If confirmed, I look forward to sharing with my Indian counterparts the lessons we learned from 9/11 as India addresses the aftermath of its own terrorist tragedy in Mumbai and as we work together to prevent other attacks from occurring...

While our security relationship is important, our relationship with India goes beyond sharing lessons learned from terrorist attacks and capacity building of law enforcement agencies. As is the case in all of America’s most enduring relationships, the U.S.-India bond is between two democratic societies and two free peoples--not just two governments.

If confirmed, I envision spending my time working to strengthen economic and trade cooperation, helping to expand the frontiers of human knowledge by deepening our science and technology cooperation, and thinking creatively about new education partnerships, clean energy projects and microenterprise initiatives to help women, children and the urban poor...

On Pakistan, we need to continue to support improvement in the overall India-Pakistan relationship, including resumption of a dialogue process that will address issues vital to each country while still ensuring that Pakistan takes concrete steps to address the threat of terrorism. The recently passed Kerry-Lugar legislation should greatly facilitate this process....

The real test of our partnership will be how we work together on the important common global challenges of our era, including addressing the urgent danger posed by climate change... Other global issues include strengthening the global trade and investment system, addressing transnational threats like nuclear weapons proliferation, terrorism and pandemic disease, promoting sustainable economic development to alleviate poverty, and helping other nations become more democratic and open....

We already work together to promote clean technologies, energy efficiency, and renewable energy through the U.S.-India Energy Dialogue and the seven-nation Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate, and the Civil Nuclear Agreement.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Cap&Trade is as much about climate as Iraq was about 911. (Not at all) Real reason is to attempt regain competitive advantage via 'Green Protectionism'. This creates the format for it.(This is what they HOPE a back door to WTO) Plus with Wall Street Crooks aka investment banks, hedge funds and other speculators in on it they will create trillions of $ in profits from common man paying sky high energy prices ,a mess so big that you will sell your self to bail out " toxic green energy derivitives".
Global warming Biggest fraud created by mankind.




Obamas Words “Under my plan of a cap-and-trade system, electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket . . . because I’m capping greenhouse gases, coal power plants, natural gas, you name it . . . Whatever the plants were, whatever the industry was, they would have to retrofit their operations. That will cost money, and they will pass that [cost] on to consumers.’’

http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2009/07/01/no_climate_debate_yes_there_is/

Anonymous said...

U.S. Is Open to Carbon Tariff
"If other countries don't impose a cost on carbon, then we will be at a disadvantage...[and] we would look at considering perhaps duties that would offset that cost," Mr. Chu said.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123733297926563315.html


NOW you see the real reason for this drama? This needs to be killed.

Anonymous said...

Obama: My Plan Makes Electricity Rates Skyrocket
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlTxGHn4sH4

Anonymous said...

To impose tariffs and/or other taxes upon the productive elements of the world based on junk science is the height of arrogance and irresponsibility. Global warming advocates are not trying to save the planet; they are trying to control it and line their pockets.

admin said...

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liberal said...

Problem with India and Pakistan has been that Pakistan treated this country more as a Hindu Nation than a secular one. To complicate matters further, we had actions and discourses of Advani and Modi in compliance with a theocratic state. Lo and behold, the greenhorns among the media tribe also joined Hindutva bandwagon by giving more than deserved space and time to RSS rhetoric against logic. It certainly seemed like a Hindu Muslim problem to the advantage of Pakistan. It was noteworthy to see that Obama evaded India and Israel during his visit to the region. Certainly, his foremost mission seems to be the wooing of beleaguered Muslim states. In the given situation it is now more incumbent upon India to project itself as a fundamentally secular nation so as to nullify the impression of India as a Hindu hegemonic state. But the role of our media has been disgusting.

Yesterday, I was watching a discussion on Times Now about the recent protests in Kashmir. Maroof Raza in the studio was the only one able to corner the separatist leader speaking from the valley. But you can't stop those gibberish mumblings of the main anchor there, deliberately interrupting every serious discussion to keep things boiling for the sake of TRP. I rather treat all these talk shows as harmful for the nation. A few among some serious people are only from NDTV(Hindi). But on the English side, Barkha Dutt seems good at playing roles from Teresa to Jhansi ki Rani; and Vikram behaves like some spoilt brat planted from some city public school straight into the studio having no rustic experience.

So, my contention is that let the governments handle things at macro level, but on the micro level, the media has to play a nationalist role as a secular state rather than searching for rhetoric than logic. The best thing to counter our adversaries would be to have people from minority communities, including Muslims, Sikhs and Christians on discussion panels. By doing so, I am fully confident that our adversaries wouldn't be able to paint the Kashmir problem as Hindu-Muslim conflict thereafter. But, so far I have got the impression that even the educated class in India thinks that only Hindus should be at the helm of the affairs as if India is on its way to become a theocratic state. I don't know why there is such a feeling because this country has always been ruled by the majority of Hindus, even if in complicity with invaders or colonists! Saddam Hussain used to have Tariq Aziz, a Christian as his senior minister and the main interlocutor. Minorities also play a significant role in Muslim states like Egypt etc. and even in Palestine.

Therefore, if people are serious about helping the leaders in both the countries to find some solution, then Indian media would be doing a nationalist job by doing some tweaks as suggested above. Both these nations have paid a huge cost so far and need to solve the problems bilaterally as soon as possible. Its too late already!

Anonymous said...

Global Warming is all about a fraud racket that will make ....Al Gore, his EU friends , Goldman Sachs and GE big beneficiaries tons of money . Like al gore says also "bring about defacto "WORLD GOVERNANCE" as energy affects nearly every thing (Food prices, electricity prices , fuel , industry, building..etc..etc). Loosers will be average people that will pay jacked up prices FOR EVERYTHING because of this scam.