Page 385 - SSB Interview: The Complete Guide, Second Edition

unable to ink the nuclear agreement with New Delhi insisting that it
would do so only after President Bush signs it into a law, an occasion

when it expects certain misgivings to be cleared.

4 October 2008: White House announces that President Bush will sign

the legislation on the Indo-US nuclear deal into a law on 8 October.

8 October 2008: President Bush signs legislation to enact the landmark
US-India civilian nuclear agreement.

10 October 2008: The 123 Agreement between India and US is finally
operationalised between the two countries after the deal is signed by

External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and his counterpart
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in Washington DC.

HAMAS & HEZBOLLAH – ISRAEL,

PALESTINE, LEBANON

Hamas and Hezbollah are two terrorist organisations fighting Israel on two
different fronts. Hamas is engaging Israel in the Gaza Strip, whereas
Hezbollah is engaging them in Lebanon. The kidnapping of one Israeli

soldier by Hamas and two Israeli soldiers by Hezbollah triggered the fresh
West Asia crisis. The Israelis have responded with their full might to include
air, tanks and ground offensive. Indians trapped in Lebanon were evacuated

by sea and air routes under Operation Sukoon. 4 Sikh, an Indian Army
Battalion, is also stationed as part of the United Nations Interim Force in
Lebanon (UNIFIL).

Hamas has been active in Palestine since 1985 along with other terrorist
groups against Israel. It has a social wing also which has been helping the
Palestinians in their education, health and routine problems. Hamas has

contested the Palestinian elections successfully and has won the majority on
its own. This has given a blow to other terrorist groups like PLO, Fatah, etc.,
who fought the Israelis for the last 53 years. This also surprised the world as

a known terrorist organisation won the elections. This resulted in Israel,