America Continues Questionable Foreign Policies

I don't understand the State Department's thinking here. The Times of India is making a good point.

Strange are the ways of the US. Just when India had shed its long-standing opinion of the US being an unreliable arms supplier, given its propensity to impose sanctions at the drop of a hat, Washington has let loose a strange missile.

The Navy was all set to launch sea trials of the first of the three Shivalik-class stealth frigates being built at Mazagon Docks (MDL) when it got a rude shock on learning the new Obama administration had directed American company General Electric (GE) to stop all work on the gas turbine engines which power the warships.

Sources said MDL and Navy are now scrambling to get Italian company Fiat Avio to oversee the "operationalisation'' of the two GE LM-2500 gas turbines of the 4,900-tonne frigate, named INS Shivalik, to ensure its sea trials can begin within a month or two.

GE, on its part, told Indian authorities that the US state department had asked it to freeze all work on the turbines it has supplied till the Obama administration reviewed its military ties with different countries.

I think the review of military ties with different countries is good, but doesn't mean people need to stop working with other governments while we review our policies, indeed the whole "everyone stop what you are doing" approach is the stuff of amateurs. Connectivity is a good thing, and a unilateral disconnection of business activities in the middle of work being done with other countries is not smart power, indeed disruptions send the wrong signals to friends and create friction when and where it is unnecessary.

This is what amateurs do, they interrupt business so they can learn the business, but call it good leadership. I'm not sure if the Obama administration noticed, but GE was at around 35 dollars a share this time last year, and closed today at 10 dollars a share. The entire foreign policy of the Obama administration will almost certainly involve the Indian Ocean, and they need to disrupt these type of engagements with the Indian Oceans largest military and economic power, a democracy and important trading partner, to decide what?? exactly, whether or not we should continue a trend of positive relations?

I noted the Export Law Blog brought up this issue. They are apparently not aware that this same policy also impacts the United Kingdom and Australia. If this is "smart power" in the Obama administration State Department, I'd hate to see what happens when those folks make a stupid mistake. Hillary Clinton should be asked why she is suspending military related economic activity with all of our very important friends countries globally.