Frankly Speaking ; Hamid Ansari's Candid Remarks On the Us Embarrass the Government Engaged in Forging Close Ties with That Country

Summary

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Vice-President Hamid Ansari is known for his candour. Within months of assuming office, the former diplomat seems to have made it clear that he will not take things lying down. His recent remarks blaming US President George Bush's regime for the mess in Iraq and the rising terrorism have stirred a hornet's nest.

In an address to the Observer Research Foundation on emerging security concerns in West Asia last week, Ansari said, the US's policies of unilateralism, "creative destruction" and pre-emption had faltered. "The US has been mauled by non-state actors in Iraq. Its policies have given an impetus to terrorism. The US is highly unpopular in Muslim and Arab countries," he said. While the remarks were in the context of the situation in West Asia, that this assessment came from the Vice-President of India complicated matters.

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Frankly Speaking ; Hamid Ansari's Candid Remarks On the Us Embarrass the Government Engaged in Forging Close Ties with That Country

Even though the post of vice-president is a ceremonial one, the Constitution still ranks it higher than that of the prime minister. The fact that he is also...

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