NEW DELHI: Veteran US Diplomat and Pakistan expert Robin L Raphel, whose is currently being probed on espionage charges by American security agencies, encouraged creation of separatist Hurriyat Conference in Kashmir and often forced Delhi to hold dialogue with Islamabad even when bilateral ties were low, according to Indian officials who worked with her during the past two decades.

Raphel (67), remained Americas advisor on Pakistan, even after she left US State Department's South Asia Department's South Asia Department in June 1997 and also her retirement. However, it was during the turbulent nineties when insurgency was at it's height in Jammu and Kashmir that Raphel made headlines here as a India baiter.

Government officials, who dealt with Raphel in 1990s and also in past decade but did not wish to named, told ET that she was responsible for creation of Hurriyat Conference in Kashmir in 1993 whereby making them as a stakeholders even as India has always maintained that it was bilateral issue between Delhi and Islamabad.
Indian government officials no doubt are elated in private about the action against Raphel. "This is an interesting development. She has been extremely close to Pakistan. Her links in Kashmir runs deep," remarked a senior Indian official who did not wish to be named.

Another former Indian official who dealt with Raphel in 1990s and also during the decade of 2000, alleged that she was close to all separatist groups in Kashmir. "She went on to question the instrument of succession of J & kwith India and had stated that insurgency in the state was self sustaining. She was also close to Ghulam Mohammed Fai in US, an ISI conduit from Kashmir," the official recalled.

Raphel, former officials said, is known to maintain close links with Yasin Malik, leader of the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front. Besides, she is close to Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, the most prominent face of Hurriyat Conference. A former official, who was testimony to one such incident told ET that in 2005 Raphel accompanied then US Deputy Chief of Mission in Delhi for a meeting with the Indian government and tried to cajole the government to talk to Mirwaiz. The role of that US Deputy Chief of Mission in this episode also finds a mention in Wikileaks. The Modi government made it clear that it does not consider Hurriyat Conference as a stakeholder after Pakistani High Commissioner met the leaders ahead of the Foreign Secretary level talks.

Earlier when relations between Delhi and Islamabad had touched a low following the attack on Parliament in 2001 and both sides had lowered level of diplomatic engagement, it was Raphel who tried to force India to talk to the Pervez Musharraf government, another official recalled. T "She would go that extra mile for Pakistan often sidestepping our concerns," the official said, adding Raphel remained State Department's Pakistan adviser even after she retired from the State Department.

Few also took notice that Raphel was in Delhi in 2012 at the invitation of then US envoy to Nancy Powell. The former US ambassador, who herself made an unceremonious exit from Delhi this year, introduced Raphel as a personal friend of hers to the some of the officials in Delhi. In fact Powell had fixed meetings of Raphel in Delhi, an official well versed with the developments informed ET.

It was her characterization of Kashmir as "disputed territory", a first in the annals of U.S. diplomacy, made her quick friends in Pakistan. She in fact contributed in internationalising Kashmir issue, much to India's discomfiture. Her stance on Kashmir made her the bane of the Indian establishment that did not favour any interference of outside powers in a domestic matter.Kashmir was raised on the agenda in Bhutto's first state visit to Washington in April 1995.

Kashmir would remain a key topic of regional and bilateral discussions with both India and Pakistan throughout President Bill Clinton's two terms in office. Raphel was also close to Bill Clinton who pulled her out from post of Counsellor she was holding in the US Embassy in Delhi to make her Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia, a former diplomat recalled. She remained one of the most senior adverse of State Department on South Asia and Pakistan and was working with the State Department on renewable contracts. ..

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After the collapse of USSR, India's relationship with the US, in quite a few fields, had blossomed and were being nurtured.

India clung to the Nehruvian socialism but it was the vision of Prime Minister Narashimha Rao that the shackles of socialism started being shown the door including the Nehruvian philosophy of Non Alignment.

While non Alignment was not discarded, Narashima Rao with great vision balanced the foreign equation by Looking East, befriending Israel openly and yet ensuring that the Arab nations were not displeased. He gave, a greater meaning to the US India relationship in a subdued way so as to not upset the apple cart in India drenched with Nehru's idea of the world.

Rao also loosened the stranglehold of socialism and the 'Licence Raj' by liberalisation and globalisation and that brought foreign capital into India, even if in a modest way.

Practical manifestation of US India Friendship and non hyphenation of India and Pakistan was set in motion by Clinton after the Kargil War. The Bush Administration gave it a real robust meaning to the Indo US strategic partnership with closer defence cooperation and getting the 'Nuclear deal' through the Congress, prompting a gushing PM of India to say - Mr Bush Indian love you!

Sadly, under Obama, the US India relationship has floundered and possibly has became a footnote in many ways.

The natural affinity and identification of Indian psyche with the US and democracy seems to have blurred thanks to the lacklustre attitude of the last Indian Govt under Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi and the esoteric dabbling of the Obama Administration mindset; almost as unproductive as Nehru's high faluting morality that had no strategic meaning excepting isolating India from the global realities.

Yet, the worm turned through the triumphant visit of the new PM Modi to the US that has raised hope that the US India relationship would once again be on even keel and be more stronger.

India and the US have common strategic concerns. To that extent, Modi's visit to Japan indicates a commitment to the US Asia Pivot plan, though it is still to fructify in concrete terms. And the Obama Administrations pussyfooting and vacillations bring no hope.

Worthy of note is that India on it own terms is facing China. It is no longer kowtowing to the Chinese demands. The latest being the brush off of China's protest to India for developing the infrastructure along the Line of Actual Control and going ahead in equipping and training the Vietnamese Armed Forces and exploiting in South China Sea that is of Vietnam, even if it is disingenuously claimed by China with its conjured nine dashes line.

There is no doubt that India or the neighbouring nations of China cannot solely contest China solely on its own even though India is capable of holding China and stopping it in its track. Such is the might and such is the resolve of new India under Modi.Yet, it is in interest of the US to assist those who can help the US to keep her own and their strategic interest going and healthy.

However, the moot point is that the US has to build confidence that it means business.

None can complain that the US has to balance her interests by engaging all countries that affect her national interests as she cannot complain about the same of others.

However, one cannot be double faced. It ruins the confidence of the actuality of intent.

No country will forgive any other extending the hand of friendship and working behind the back to encourage its chaos.

Raphael and Nancy Powell symbolises that duplicity as can be gleaned from the article.

US strategic interest should be of prime concern to the US, which still clings to the status as the leading power. In today's change geopolitical and geostrategic environment, it is amply clear that it cannot do it alone as before, as was evidently proved during the Iraq War II.

Therefore, US cannot afford to lose friends and well wishers.

If the US thwarts India, then Russia maybe willing to step into the void since it is already beleaguered and is desperately trying to find its place in the sun.

That would surely not be in the best interests of the US.