The US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta made a slip by clubbing India and China, describing them as emerging "threats", but the Pentagon quickly moved to correct the impression, saying Washington strongly values close ties with New Delhi. In a statement, while addressing workers Thursday at a submarine plant in Connecticut about emerging challenges facing the US beyond the Iraq and Afghan wars.

Mr. Panetta went on nonchalantly to say `There are still threats out there. We face threats from Iran; we face threats from North Korea; we face threats from cyber.’ On the concern for rising powers, he said without hesitation, `We face the threats from rising powers -- China, India, others -- that we have to always be aware of and try to make sure that we always have sufficient force protection out there in the Pacific to make sure they know we're never going anywhere.’

The defense secretary's comments came at an awkward moment just when President Barack Obama met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the two leaders agreed to boost ties not only bilaterally but at multilateral level also. Now the two countries have to exercise further, before moving ahead, as the thoughts of the heads and the body differs. But a little embarrassed Pentagon retorted showing friendly implications to the text quoted by the defense, which is still on the US Defense department website which continues to say the reference to `threats from rising powers -- China, India, others’ sans any explanation.

Pentagon spokesman Captain John Kirby quickly sought to correct the impression, saying Panetta believed that relationships with both China and India were absolutely vital. What do these super powers contradictive impulses suggest!!!  Alarming!!