AL-SADR NATION:

India has China in its range (Siddharth Srivastava, 4/14/07, Asia Times)

Even as India celebrates the successful test-firing on Thursday of its home-grown Agni-III intermediate-range ballistic missile - capable of delivering a 1.5-tonne nuclear or conventional payload over much of Asia - officials admit that the test had the tacit approval of the United States.

The US is striving to build India as a strategic counterweight to China, along with Japan and Australia. [...]

India, of course, has traditional rival Pakistan already covered via its Agni-I (700-800km range) and Agni-II (2,000km-plus range) missiles that are now being inducted into the armed forces. As per the agreed norms, New Delhi informed Islamabad about Agni-III prior to the test.

Never underestimate how handy it is to have allies more willing than you to use nukes.

Posted by Orrin Judd at April 13, 2007 11:52 AM