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In a clear signal that nonproliferation will be a top priority in the Bush Administration's agenda in its relations with India, Bombay-born Ashley Tellis, considered one of America's foremost strategic experts, has been appointed as senior policy adviser to US Ambassador to New Delhi Prof Robert Blackwill.
Tellis, who has been a senior policy analyst at Rand Corporation -considered the Pentagon's own think tank - since 1994, resigned his job last week and is already in New Delhi to be by Blackwill's side.
Tellis, who has been personally anointed by the White House as a Schedule C political appointee, thus becomes the first Indian American to hold such a high level foreign policy oriented position, and at age 40, is among the youngest in a job that is certain to boost his burgeoning career as a nuclear expert.
Senior Administration officials said that Blackwill had read some of Tellis's recent articles and his just published book by Rand titled, 'India's Emerging Nuclear Posture', and been so impressed by his scholarship that he had insisted on Tellis being appointed his chief adviser.
The sources said Blackwill believes 'whether we like it or not, the nuclear issue is going to be an issue that we are going to have to deal with, if for no other reason, but to get it off the table'.
"The problem is, it cannot go away without us sacrificing other questions," the sources said. "Since India is in a sense an exception, the question is how do you make it an exception without announcing to other proliferators that the door is open for them to do what they want. So managing that is going to take a lot of finesse," they explained.
Consequently, according to the sources, the new envoy had argued that 'he needs someone who basically knows the nuclear issue in and out and in a sense could help him understand what makes the Indians tick on the question'.
Blackwill, who did not know Tellis - except by reputation - met him for the first time after President George W Bush nominated him to be the new ambassador to India, and since then plugged away at convincing Tellis to accept the New Delhi assignment.
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