India, the United States' New Ally in Asia

The years 1998 to 2004 of Vajpayee’s government saw a turning point in India-U.S. relations. Although the first major decision this government made – the 1998 nuclear testing – brought on immediate sanctions from the United States, the warming detectible afterward has not waned. In January 2004, the two countries launched a joint initiative baptized Next Step in the Strategic Partnership (NSSP), a development to which Ambassador Blackwill - a close advisor to George W. Bush whose team in Washington he later joined - made a significant contribution (...)