The US has refrained from criticizing India for its Agni V intercontinental ballistic missile test, and has instead praised New Delhi for its "solid nonproliferation record".
WASHINGTON: Refraining from criticizing India for its Agni V intercontinental ballistic missile test, and instead praising New Delhi for its ''solid nonproliferation record,'' the Obama administration on Wednesday called on ''all nuclear-capable states to exercise restraint regarding nuclear capabilities.''
Administration officials repeated the same formulations on Thursday following the successful test, rejecting repeated attempts by some journalists to extract some criticism for what they perceived as India's transgression. ''We urged all nuclear-capable states to exercise restraint regarding their nuclear and missile capabilities,'' State Department spokesman Mark Toner said, referring to his statement a day earlier, and repeated that India is ''playing a significant role internationally on the issue (of non-proliferation).''
On Wednesday, the US State Department essayed a mild and guarded reaction when asked if Washington has discussed with India the test, which came just days after North Korea was pilloried for a similar effort. Drawing a clear distinction between India and other countries, State Department spokesman Mark Toner said the United States has a ''very strong strategic and security partnership with India, so we obviously have routine discussions about a wide range of topics, including their defense requirements,'' although he was ''not aware that we've specifically raised this issue with them.''
Pressed by a journalist on whether Washington had any specific concerns on the test as a destabilizing factor in the region, Toner reiterated that ''we always caution all nuclear-capable states to exercise restraint,'' rather than singling out India.
On Thursday, reporters broached the subject again, going as far as to implying that perhaps the administration had not really weighed in on the subject. ''I'll let my comments stand...I think I've said what I've wanted to say,'' Toner said stonily, suggesting that the whole issue had been considered at length in the administration before the muted reaction that appeared to recognize India' security compulsions in the region arising from missile technology exchanges between China, Pakistan and North Korea.
The remarks and the broader reaction in Washington were a far cry from the Clinton-era response in the 1990s when India's missile tests were routinely criticized and its nuclear tests in 1998 brought in its wake international opprobrium and sanctions. Significantly, Toner not only invoked the ''very strong strategic and security partnership with India'' but also endorsed its non-proliferation record in fending off questions that were implicitly critical.
Some of the media appeared to recognize and acknowledge the nuances of the new developments. ''India missile test has few critics, unlike NKorea,'' read the headline to a widely-distributed AP story, which said the test caused barely a ripple -- even in China -- just days after North Korea was globally vilified for a failed rocket launch. Many headlines emphasized that India had tested a nuclear-capable that could reach China.
Administration officials repeated the same formulations on Thursday following the successful test, rejecting repeated attempts by some journalists to extract some criticism for what they perceived as India's transgression. ''We urged all nuclear-capable states to exercise restraint regarding their nuclear and missile capabilities,'' State Department spokesman Mark Toner said, referring to his statement a day earlier, and repeated that India is ''playing a significant role internationally on the issue (of non-proliferation).''
On Wednesday, the US State Department essayed a mild and guarded reaction when asked if Washington has discussed with India the test, which came just days after North Korea was pilloried for a similar effort. Drawing a clear distinction between India and other countries, State Department spokesman Mark Toner said the United States has a ''very strong strategic and security partnership with India, so we obviously have routine discussions about a wide range of topics, including their defense requirements,'' although he was ''not aware that we've specifically raised this issue with them.''
Pressed by a journalist on whether Washington had any specific concerns on the test as a destabilizing factor in the region, Toner reiterated that ''we always caution all nuclear-capable states to exercise restraint,'' rather than singling out India.
On Thursday, reporters broached the subject again, going as far as to implying that perhaps the administration had not really weighed in on the subject. ''I'll let my comments stand...I think I've said what I've wanted to say,'' Toner said stonily, suggesting that the whole issue had been considered at length in the administration before the muted reaction that appeared to recognize India' security compulsions in the region arising from missile technology exchanges between China, Pakistan and North Korea.
The remarks and the broader reaction in Washington were a far cry from the Clinton-era response in the 1990s when India's missile tests were routinely criticized and its nuclear tests in 1998 brought in its wake international opprobrium and sanctions. Significantly, Toner not only invoked the ''very strong strategic and security partnership with India'' but also endorsed its non-proliferation record in fending off questions that were implicitly critical.
Some of the media appeared to recognize and acknowledge the nuances of the new developments. ''India missile test has few critics, unlike NKorea,'' read the headline to a widely-distributed AP story, which said the test caused barely a ripple -- even in China -- just days after North Korea was globally vilified for a failed rocket launch. Many headlines emphasized that India had tested a nuclear-capable that could reach China.