U.S. does not view India in relation to Pakistan.

• Author: Book, Elizabeth G.
• Position: Washington Pulse

The Bush administration rejects the "hyphenated view" of India and Pakistan, despite an imminent threat of a war between the two countries.

"India's relations with Pakistan are important ... but those relations are seen as but a part of a very broad strategic canvas in which India plays a key, multifaceted role, sharing multiple, large interests with the United States."

"We think of India in its own right, as a fellow democracy, a strategically significant power," said Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Douglas J. Feith at a recent U.S.-India Defense Industry Seminar in Washington, DC.

The United States is working closely with Pakistan in the war on terrorism, Feith emphasized. "Pakistan has contributed invaluably to Operation Enduring Freedom -- and the U.S.-Pakistani relationship has warmed greatly as a result," he said. "We view President Musharraf as a man who is trying to accomplish something strategic and historic for Pakistan."

The Bush Administration came into office with a conviction that U.S. interests require a strong relationship with India, said Feith. "As the U.S.-India...