Engaging India

I read Strobe Talbot's Engaging India on the way home from the L.A. Triathlon. I've liked each of the several books by Talbott I've read, especially The Master of the Game, but this book is a disappointment. It's interesting that it has sunk without a trace in D.C. Talbott's account of his dealings with India after the 1998 nuclear tests is fun to read, but the State Department's hand wringing is hard to take, even 6 years later. What a mess, and Talbott's little tete-a-tetes with Jaswant Singh are an unsatisfying substitute for a coherent foreign policy. I was surprised by the reports that Feith's policy group at DoD has 1,500 people. (This was reported in connection with the investigation of disclosures to Israel.) 1,500 people! But if Talbott's book is a fair reflection of State's level of effectiveness and focus, you can't blame DoD for getting into the game.