SECURITY ISSUES IN SOUTH ASIA-US RELATIONS: NEW CONTEXT, NEW BEGINNING

This article examines the security issues in the relationship between the United States and the countries of South Asia, arguing that the end of the Cold War and the 1998 nuclear tests created a "new context" and necessitated a "new beginning." It analyzes the shift in US policy away from the singular focus on the Soviet presence in Afghanistan towards a more complex agenda. The study explores the key security issues that now dominated the relationship, including nuclear non-proliferation and strategic stability between India and Pakistan, counter-terrorism, and the promotion of democracy. The research assesses the significant re-engagement of the US with India, culminating in President Clinton's visit in 2000, which marked the beginning of a strategic partnership. The paper concludes that US-South Asia relations were being fundamentally transformed from the simple, alliance-based logic of the Cold War to a more nuanced and multifaceted set of relationships.

The end of the Cold War and the overt nuclearization of South Asia in 1998 fundamentally reshaped the security relationship between the United States and the region. This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of this "new beginning." The study begins by contrasting the new context with the Cold War era, which was defined by the US alliance with Pakistan and a more distant, often-strained relationship with India. The core of the article is an examination of the key security issues that defined the new agenda. The most pressing issue analyzed is the management of the new nuclear reality. The paper details US diplomatic efforts to prevent an arms race, encourage restraint, and establish confidence-building measures between India and Pakistan. The second major issue is counter-terrorism, which was gaining increasing prominence even before the 9/11 attacks, particularly in the context of Afghanistan and the rise of the Taliban. The paper then charts the course of the historic rapprochement between the United States and India. It analyzes the motivations behind this shift, from shared democratic values to a common, albeit unstated, concern about the rise of China. The findings suggest a fundamental re-prioritization in US policy, with India emerging as a key strategic partner. The paper concludes that the region was no longer a peripheral theater of the Cold War but was becoming a central focus of US foreign and security policy.