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Clinton trip preparations pick up slowly

Amberish K Diwanji in New Delhi

The preparations for the visit of United States President Bill Clinton are picking up slowly. While a "pre-advance team" from the US was in New Delhi on Thursday, Foreign Secretary Lalit Mansingh is due to visit the US on February 8 and 9.

The pre-advance team was in New Delhi to discuss the modalities of protocol and security besides the arrangements for the media. Security for the US president is among the highest in the world, believed second only to the security of the Pope.

The US security team is still deciding on where the president will stay. One option for any visiting head of state is Rashtrapati Bhavan (residence of the President of India), but at Rashtrapati Bhavan, security will come under the Indian agencies. Hence, the US might prefer housing Clinton in a private hotel with them in charge of his security.

The second concern is over the huge delegation expected to accompany the US president. While it is not known how many business leaders will be part of the entourage, the Indians are already gearing up for the huge media onslaught that will surely accompany the visit.

Around 350 media personnel from different countries are expected to arrive in India to cover Clinton's visit. Besides, from India the number of journalists and camera crews seeking the special passes that will be needed to cover the Clinton visit could number anywhere from 100 to 150.

These huge numbers pose special problems. For instance, finding a hall large enough to accommodate all the media people for the joint press conference that will be addressed by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Clinton.

Both India and the US will also issue a joint declaration. While the specific statement will only be decided prior to the visit, one issue that will figure extremely high on the agenda will be the fight against terrorism.

"There is no doubt that the fight against global terrorism will be one of the most important topics for discussion between the two countries," sources in the ministry of external affairs said.

Interestingly, the first Indo-US joint working group on fighting terrorism will take place in Washington DC on February 7 and 8. While the US side will be led by Michael Sheehan, chief coordinator on counter-terrorism, the Indian side will be represented by Alok Prasad, joint secretary (Americas) in the MEA, Dinkar Srivastav, joint secretary (United Nations) in the MEA, and Rakesh Hooja, joint secretary (internal security) in the home ministry.

While Lalit Mansingh's visit is not linked to the joint working group's meeting, he is calling on Karl Inderfurth, assistant secretary of state, to hammer out details of the forthcoming visit.

Another question still hanging fire is whether the US president will visit or even stopover at Islamabad on his visit to India and Bangladesh.

India has made known its sentiments on the matter that a visit to Pakistan at this juncture will only strengthen the anti-democracy forces in that country.

"Now the feeling is that the US president will most probably refuse to even have a stopover in Islamabad this time. The US has made some very strong remarks against the support to terrorism by Pakistan, thus hardening its stand," the sources said.

However, the sources added that should Pakistan make a concession to the US - take a stronger line against terrorism or give a specific date for the return of democracy - then even if the US president skips Pakistan this time, he might make a brief halt another time later in the year.

"If only to send a positive signal to Pakistan, Clinton can always make a brief halt at Islamabad some other time, say during a visit to the Middle East or Central Asia," the sources said.

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