Indian defense yearbook dwells on threat to Indian energy security
PLA Daily 2004-02-09
NEW DELHI, Feb. 8 (Xinhuanet) -- The latest Indian Defense Yearbook said that another possible war by the United States in West Asia could spark off a new wave of "uncontrollable anti-Americanism" in the Arab and Muslim world, give a boost to terrorism and seriously affect petroleum supplies to India.
One more attack by the United States would be treated as a confrontation between Washington and the Muslim world and could give a fillip to 'jihadi' (holy war) terrorism, the yearbook, released by Indian Defense Minister George Fernandes at the just concluded Defexpo-2004, the Press Trust of India reported Sunday.
Such a US-led war would have an adverse impact on the supply ofcrude oil worldwide and India in particular, said the yearbook, edited by Lt. Gen. R.K. Jasbir Singh who once headed army's 15 Corps based in India-controlled Jammu and Kashmir.
Referring to a "five-pronged" strategy adopted by the Indian government to meet any crisis in oil supply, the yearbook also pointed out that India had planned to cushion any adverse impact of fluctuations in crude supply by creating a strategic reserve of15 million tons that could last 45 days.
"In the eventuality of a war, contingent arrangements, involving purchase of crude oil and petroleum products from countries not in the war zone, would be made on the basis of commercial judgment," the yearbook said.
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