Vajpayee Says U.S. Wasn't Ready for War
Ground Troops Needed for Campaign In Afghanistan, Indian Leader Asserts

By Alan Sipress
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, November 9, 2001; Page A26

Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee expressed concern yesterday about the progress of the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan, saying the United States had not been adequately prepared for the campaign and ground forces would now be needed to achieve success.

Speaking on the eve of his first meeting with President Bush, Vajpayee said in an interview that the military effort seems at times to be "slackening," and raised the prospect that a setback could bolster extremist forces in Pakistan.

But he judged that the government of Pakistan, India's nuclear-armed neighbor and longtime rival, is stable because President Pervez Musharraf has suspended the electoral role of political parties and has firm control of the ruling military.

"The campaign cannot be described as fully satisfactory," said Vajpayee, whose country is the preeminent power in South Asia and has longstanding interests in Afghanistan. "It appears the Taliban are well entrenched, so ground forces will have to be engaged."

Vajpayee said the U.S. military campaign has suffered from a lack of adequate intelligence. He also said the operation has been prolonged because the opposition Northern Alliance, supported by India and several other countries in the region, has not received enough arms or sufficient latitude from Washington to press ground offensives against the Taliban regime.

Predicting the campaign would continue to move slowly, he said, "It appears America was not prepared for this kind of war. Now things are being put in order." But he signaled that the onset of winter in the coming weeks will interfere with operations by the United States and its allies.

Vajpayee also said he has sought out many military experts to explain the U.S. strategy, which has been heavily dependent on airstrikes.

"Sometimes there appears there is a stalemate. The next day there is a huge bombardment," he said.

He added that he did not know whether the Bush administration intends to deploy extensive ground forces. U.S. officials have left open that possibility but given no indication of when and how troops might be used.

Speaking at Blair House, the official presidential guest house, Vajpayee responded to questions after a busy day of meetings on Capitol Hill with House and Senate leaders, members of foreign affairs committees and nearly 100 legislators who belong to the India caucus. He is scheduled to be received by Bush today at the White House before traveling to New York for the opening session of the U.N. General Assembly.

Though he visited the White House during the final months of the Clinton administration, the trip comes at a time of heightened tension in South Asia and a marked warming of ties between India and the United States. But the conflict in Afghanistan has prompted a swift reconciliation between the United States and Pakistan, bringing great anxiety in New Delhi.

The elderly prime minister, who rarely grants interviews, responded slowly and deliberately to questions, offering measured answers separated by long, pensive silences. He sat largely motionless, his eyes downcast and his hands clasped in front of him.

He grew most animated when discussing the activities of Islamic extremists who are trying to wrest control of the disputed territory of Kashmir from India. He urged them to lay down their arms and participate in upcoming elections to the legislature in Jammu and Kashmir state.

Though India has long blamed Pakistan for sponsoring terrorist attacks, Vajpayee said the situation has "gone from bad to worse" since Musharraf took power in Islamabad two years ago in a military coup.

U.S. and other officials have expressed concern in recent weeks about the stability of Musharraf's government, which has become a crucial ally in the anti-Taliban campaign despite widespread disapproval in Pakistan about the American bombardment. Vajpayee's country could face the greatest danger if a more militant regime comes to power in Pakistan, but he voiced reassurance about Musharraf's immediate situation.

"Political parties have no role and the army is under full control," the Indian leader said. "Extremist [elements] are not very active these days. They are awaiting the outcome of the campaign."

Vajpayee, however, warned that militants sympathetic to the Taliban would seek to capitalize on any setback in the Afghan war to move against Musharraf's government.