|
 U.S. Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes said India's
involvement could focus on intelligence on the flow of money and
militants to the radical Islamist group active in Syria and Iraq
rather than deploying troops on the ground.
"When you look at our broader counter-terrorism cooperation and how
we're tracking the flow of fighters and terrorist financing, there I
do think we want to find space for cooperation," he told reporters.
The comments came hours after Obama and Prime Minister Narendra Modi
together watched a dazzling parade of India's military might and
cultural diversity, capturing the two countries' determination to
put decades of brittle relations behind them and forge a robust
strategic partnership.It rained on the Republic Day parade through
the heart of New Delhi, but excitement nevertheless ran high over
Obama's visit, which began on Sunday with a clutch of deals to
unlock billions of dollars in nuclear trade and deepen defense ties.
Most significant was an agreement on issues that, despite a
groundbreaking 2006 pact, had stopped U.S. companies from setting up
nuclear reactors in India and had become one of the major irritants
in bilateral relations.
 "Mobama breaks N-deadlock," ran the front-page headline of the Mail
Today newspaper, which carried a photograph of Modi and Obama
hugging each other warmly.
The bonhomie was a remarkable spectacle given that, until a year
ago, Modi had been banned from visiting the United States after
deadly Hindu-Muslim riots in 2002 in a state he governed.
Obama was the first U.S. president to attend India's Republic Day
parade, a show of military prowess that was long associated with the
anti-Americanism of the Cold War.
He and Modi sat behind a rain-spotted screen as the parade unfolded
along Rajpath, an elegant lawn-bordered boulevard dating from the
British colonial era that connects the presidential palace to India
Gate.
Helicopters showered petals on the crowds, and then tanks, missiles,
stiffly saluting soldiers, brass bands and dancers filed past the
guests.
Security was tight across the city, where tens of thousands of
police and paramilitary personnel were deployed on street corners
and rooftops.
Obama's presence at the parade - at Modi's personal invitation -
marks the latest upturn in a roller-coaster relationship that a year
ago was scarred by protectionism and a fiery diplomatic spat.
COUNTERWEIGHT TO CHINA
The United States views India as a vast market and potential
counterweight in Asia to a more assertive China, but has frequently
been frustrated with the slow pace of New Delhi's economic reforms
and unwillingness to side with Washington in international affairs.
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Elected last May, Modi has injected a new vitality into the economy
and foreign relations and, to Washington's delight, has begun
pushing back against China across Asia.
"The larger goal that the United States should be pursuing here is
to convince India to join a coalition of democracies to balance
China's rise," former U.S. ambassador to Beijing Jon Huntsman and
the South Asia Center's acting director, Bharath Gopalaswamy, wrote
in a joint opinion piece for Reuters.
India, with the world's third-largest population of Muslims, has not
openly engaged so far in international efforts to combat the spread
of Islamic State. Indian Muslims have largely shunned radical
causes, and police say only four Indians are known to have joined
the group.
Analysts say that, under Modi, India appears more willing to engage
on issues beyond its borders, including security in the South China
Sea and Islamist militancy.
Modi and Obama on Sunday committed to close consultation on global
crises, including in Iraq and Syria.
"The leaders agreed to exchange information on individuals returning
from these conflict zones and to continue to cooperate in protecting
and responding to the needs of civilians caught up in these
conflicts," they said in a joint statement.
They also agreed to a 10-year framework for defense ties and struck
deals on cooperation that included joint production of drone
aircraft and equipment for Lockheed Martin Corp's C-130 military
transport plane.
Other deals ranged from an Obama-Modi hotline - India's first at a
leadership level - to financing initiatives aimed at helping India
use renewable energy to lower carbon intensity.
(Writing by John Chalmers; Editing by Mike Collett-White)
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