New Delhi:
After uproar over new US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel's remarks that India "financed problems" in Afghanistan to create trouble for Pakistan, the US seems to have gone into damage control mode. In a statement, the US Defense Department has stressed that it supports India's "positive role" in Afghanistan.
"The US Defense Department strongly supports the positive role India continues to play in Afghanistan. We continue to support India's bilateral assistance program with Afghanistan, its leadership on private sector investment there, and its leadership promoting regional economic integration and linkages," a statement by Major Cathy Wilkinson, a Defense Department spokesperson, said.
Mr Hagel had made the controversial remarks in a speech in 2011 which was uploaded recently by an online newspaper. "India for some time has always used Afghanistan as a second front, and India has over the years financed problems for Pakistan on that side of the border," he had said.
India has rejected the remarks. In a sharp rebuttal to Mr Hagel, the Indian embassy in Washington DC said on Tuesday night, "Such comments attributed to Senator Hagel, who has been a long-standing friend of India and a prominent votary of close India-US relations, are contrary to the reality of India's unbounded dedication to the welfare of the Afghan people".
Mr Hagel was confirmed as the new US Defense Secretary on Tuesday. The video of his speech was sent by the office of powerful Republican Senator John Cornyn to top leaders of the Indian American community. "In light of our shared interest in the US-India relationship, thought you would want to see this," said the email sent by Mr Cornyn's office with the video.
As Nebraska Senator for two terms from 1997 to 2009, Mr Hagel was a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, frequently travelled to South Asia and voted in favour of the historic India-US civilian nuclear deal.
"The US Defense Department strongly supports the positive role India continues to play in Afghanistan. We continue to support India's bilateral assistance program with Afghanistan, its leadership on private sector investment there, and its leadership promoting regional economic integration and linkages," a statement by Major Cathy Wilkinson, a Defense Department spokesperson, said.
Mr Hagel had made the controversial remarks in a speech in 2011 which was uploaded recently by an online newspaper. "India for some time has always used Afghanistan as a second front, and India has over the years financed problems for Pakistan on that side of the border," he had said.
India has rejected the remarks. In a sharp rebuttal to Mr Hagel, the Indian embassy in Washington DC said on Tuesday night, "Such comments attributed to Senator Hagel, who has been a long-standing friend of India and a prominent votary of close India-US relations, are contrary to the reality of India's unbounded dedication to the welfare of the Afghan people".
Mr Hagel was confirmed as the new US Defense Secretary on Tuesday. The video of his speech was sent by the office of powerful Republican Senator John Cornyn to top leaders of the Indian American community. "In light of our shared interest in the US-India relationship, thought you would want to see this," said the email sent by Mr Cornyn's office with the video.
As Nebraska Senator for two terms from 1997 to 2009, Mr Hagel was a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, frequently travelled to South Asia and voted in favour of the historic India-US civilian nuclear deal.
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