US embassy cable - 05NEWDELHI33

C O N F I D E N T I A L NEW DELHI 000033 
 
SIPDIS 
 
ALSO FOR TF-2 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/09/2015 
TAGS: PREL, EAID, MASS, CE, IN, Tsunami Relief 
SUBJECT: SARAN EXPRESSES APPRECIATION FOR TSUNAMI 
COLLABORATION, SEES NEW PHASE OF CORE GROUP EFFORT 
 
 
Classified By: Ambassador David Mulford,  Reasons 1.4 (B,D). 
 
1. (C) In a January 3 meeting with the Ambassador, Foreign 
Secretary Saran expressed satisfaction at the US-India 
 
SIPDIS 
partnership in responding to the December 26 Bay of Bengal 
tsunami, and offered his understanding that the core group -- 
 
SIPDIS 
having effectively triggered a robust response from the UN 
and others in the international community -- would now move 
into a different phase with fewer daily teleconferences. 
 
2. (C) Providing some context for his January 1 phone call to 
Undersecretary Grossman, Saran explained that India was 
surprised by press reports of comments attributed to the US 
Ambassador in Colombo referring to the imminent arrival in 
Sri Lanka of a very large US Marine contingent.  He raised 
this at the political level only because it was not 
consistent with information shared in core group channels. 
"We are not saying this is our backyard so you need to stay 
out," Saran elaborated.  However, given the large number of 
Indian forces already in Sri Lanka (which he put at 1,200, 
plus multiple ships and aircraft), it is important for New 
Delhi to be aware of US military planning.  In this context, 
Saran welcomed the US military briefing that DAO provided 
earlier that day to the Indian armed forces. 
 
3. (C) Contrary to reports appearing in the Sri Lankan press 
(now repeated in Indian media) Saran did not convey any sense 
of unease about the US military presence in India's 
neighborhood.  To the contrary, he expressed great 
appreciation for India's involvement in the tsunami core 
group and the recognition that implied of the GOI's 
contribution to reconstruction and recovery in Sri Lanka and 
the Maldives.  He added that the daily teleconference was "an 
extremely useful exercise."  He was gracious in acknowledging 
the United States' early statement of sympathy and support 
for the Indian victims of the tsunami. 
 
4. (C) The Ambassador flagged the US military interest in 
developing further channels of US-India information sharing 
in the Bay of Bengal region.  Saran agreed this would be 
useful, noted that Indian Ambassadors in the region have been 
instructed to reach out to US counterparts, and indicated 
that the Indian defense attache in Bangkok had been tasked to 
"look into coordination with the USJTF" at Utapao.  With 
USAID efforts now turning to the question of long term 
reconstruction, the Ambassador suggested that this too would 
be a mutually beneficial area of US-India information 
sharing.  Saran did not respond specifically, but did note 
the GOI expectation that the UN will play an increasingly 
prominent role as the focus turns from Tsunami relief to 
long-term reconstruction in the Bay of Bengal region. 
 
5. (C) Septel covers Saran's concerns regarding the potential 
for upcoming Codel visits to disrupt ongoing relief efforts 
in tsunami-affected regions of southern India. 
MULFORD