Tue, Apr 14 12:46 PM
Ranchi, April 14 (IANS) Security personnel will carry out continuous aerial monitoring of all voting booths in the six Lok Sabha constituencies of Jharkhand that will go to the polls Thursday since these areas are considered Maoist strongholds, officials said here Tuesday.
'The first phase of elections will be conducted under air surveillance. Five air force helicopters will be used to keep vigil on the booths,' police spokesperson S.N. Pradhan told IANS.
'Pre-poll monitoring from helicopters has already started,' he added.
The outlawed Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) has called for boycott of the polls and warned people of dire consequences if they cast their votes.
The rebels made their presence felt Saturday by killing five Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel when Congress president Sonia Gandhi was addressing a rally in Khuti district.
Maoists have tried to create panic in the nine districts going to poll Thursday by blasting government buildings, including schools, and setting on fire five offices of different parties and seven campaign vehicles.
'More than 80 percent of the polling booths will be constantly monitored by security forces as they are highly sensitive. But in other booths forces will not be stationed all the time,' said Pradhan.
In all, 85 candidates are in the fray for the six Lok sabha seats. Their fate will be decided by 7,068,696 voters.
To instil confidence among the voters, police and paramilitary forces are conducting regular operations to flush out Maoists.
Official sources said that 25 to 30 operations are being conducted everyday in the state to neutralise the rebels. At some places, security personnel are conducting flag marches.
'The election commission has, for the first time, directed us not to reveal the number of security personnel engaged to ensure peaceful polls. The names of the sensitive and over-sensitive booths can also not be divulged,' said a police official.
During the 2004 Lok Sabha elections, three poll officials were killed in Jharkhand.
Indo Asian News Service
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Tuesday, April 14, 2009
US Congress approves spy plane deal with India
Tue, Apr 14 01:05 PM
New Delhi, April 14 (IANS) The US Congress has approved the sale of eight Boeing P8-I multi-mission spy planes to India, apparently clearing the decks for transfer of a variety of other sophisticated defence systems by the new Obama administration to New Delhi.
A Congressional committee comprising members from both the Senate and House of Representative examined the proposed sale, and cleared it through a notification on April 11. As per the US rules, the notice for the proposed sale was sent to the Congress on March 12 by the US State Department, and the Congress had 30 days to consider and approve or reject it.
According to a report in the coming issue of India Strategic defence magazine, defence sources in Washington and New Delhi have described the clearance as significant as it indicates that the administration of President Barack Obama would continue to build up defence and strategic ties with India, initiated actually by President Bill Clinton although pursued aggressively by President George W Bush.
A top naval official told India Strategic that although the US government had cleared the sale of six Lockheed Martin C 130Js in the past, the sale of Boeing P8-I aircraft actually determined the course of India-US defence ties as of now. 'If the sale had been blocked, then all other equipment that the US companies are trying to sell to India would automatically be off the acquisition list of India.'
In its notice to the Congress, mandatory under US rules for selling weapons to foreign countries, the State Department had said that it had factored in 'political, military, economic, human rights and arms control considerations' before deciding on the $2.1 billion sale of these aircraft.
Because of the change of administration in Washington, the sale had become a test case, particularly as Washington cannot sell military and dual use systems without certain End User stipulations.
Boeing's Vice President and Country Head for Integrated Defence Systems (India) Vivek Lall said that the approval was 'historic' as it clearly signified that 'both the US and Indian governments were leaning forward in cooperation on newer technologies'.
Boeing was offering lifetime support and modernisation of its systems in accordance with bilateral agreements. Lall described the deal as 'unprecedented' as this is the first time that the US is sharing the technology developed for US armed forces with another country at the same time.
It is significant that the Indian Navy will be the first foreign naval force to get this technology after the US Navy, which has paid for the aircraft's development for its global maritime role, and nearly at the same time. Canada, Australia and Italy are the other countries which have expressed interest in the MMA, designated as P8-A for the US Navy.
The aircraft is still under development, and will take off for the skies for the first time later this year. Its delivery to India would begin in about four years.
Notably, India is in a major drive to replace its outdated, Soviet-vintage equipment for the Army, Navy and Air Force with latest and contemporary generation precision strike systems and their supporting infrastructure. Boeing itself is trying to sell heavy lift C 17 Globemaster III transport aircraft, heavy lift Chinook helicopter, Apache combat helicopter, F 18 Super Hornet attack aircraft, Harpoon missiles, and more Boeing P8-I and other Boeing 737-based aircraft.
The big deal though is for the $10-15 billion Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft (M-MRCA) for the Indian Air Force (IAF), in which Boeing has fielded the F 18, and another US military giant, Lockheed Martin, has offered the Indian version of F 16 designated F 16 IN Viper. IAF is looking for 126 aircraft, with an option for an additional 63.
Four other aircraft, European consortium's Eurofighter, Russia's Mig 35, Sweden's Gripen and the French Rafale are in the fray.
Notably, IAF has just commissioned three new Boeing Business Jets (BBJ) for ferrying VVIPs, replacing an earlier set of three older Boeing 737s acquired during the 1980s.
Both the BBJs and P8-I are built on the Boeing 737 platforms, which are being flown in India for some 40 years and are easy to maintain. However, these are new generation aircraft are equipped with totally brand new systems. The BBJ for instance, which is specifically to ferry the president, vice president and prime minister, can also serve as an airborne command and communication centre in a war.
The same is also true of the P8-I, which is designated as a Multi-mission Maritime Aircraft (MMA). But its profile is much wider than the name suggests: it can locate hostile submarines, and can attack them as well as small or large ships near or far from the coast.
Lall said that Boeing is committed to provide continuous technology insertions on all its systems in accordance with agreements with the buyer countries.
Notably, US companies develop technologies, mostly at the initiative of and funding by the US armed forces. But they are allowed to sell them to foreign countries only with the approval of the US Departments of Defence and State.
Gulshan R Luthra
New Delhi, April 14 (IANS) The US Congress has approved the sale of eight Boeing P8-I multi-mission spy planes to India, apparently clearing the decks for transfer of a variety of other sophisticated defence systems by the new Obama administration to New Delhi.
A Congressional committee comprising members from both the Senate and House of Representative examined the proposed sale, and cleared it through a notification on April 11. As per the US rules, the notice for the proposed sale was sent to the Congress on March 12 by the US State Department, and the Congress had 30 days to consider and approve or reject it.
According to a report in the coming issue of India Strategic defence magazine, defence sources in Washington and New Delhi have described the clearance as significant as it indicates that the administration of President Barack Obama would continue to build up defence and strategic ties with India, initiated actually by President Bill Clinton although pursued aggressively by President George W Bush.
A top naval official told India Strategic that although the US government had cleared the sale of six Lockheed Martin C 130Js in the past, the sale of Boeing P8-I aircraft actually determined the course of India-US defence ties as of now. 'If the sale had been blocked, then all other equipment that the US companies are trying to sell to India would automatically be off the acquisition list of India.'
In its notice to the Congress, mandatory under US rules for selling weapons to foreign countries, the State Department had said that it had factored in 'political, military, economic, human rights and arms control considerations' before deciding on the $2.1 billion sale of these aircraft.
Because of the change of administration in Washington, the sale had become a test case, particularly as Washington cannot sell military and dual use systems without certain End User stipulations.
Boeing's Vice President and Country Head for Integrated Defence Systems (India) Vivek Lall said that the approval was 'historic' as it clearly signified that 'both the US and Indian governments were leaning forward in cooperation on newer technologies'.
Boeing was offering lifetime support and modernisation of its systems in accordance with bilateral agreements. Lall described the deal as 'unprecedented' as this is the first time that the US is sharing the technology developed for US armed forces with another country at the same time.
It is significant that the Indian Navy will be the first foreign naval force to get this technology after the US Navy, which has paid for the aircraft's development for its global maritime role, and nearly at the same time. Canada, Australia and Italy are the other countries which have expressed interest in the MMA, designated as P8-A for the US Navy.
The aircraft is still under development, and will take off for the skies for the first time later this year. Its delivery to India would begin in about four years.
Notably, India is in a major drive to replace its outdated, Soviet-vintage equipment for the Army, Navy and Air Force with latest and contemporary generation precision strike systems and their supporting infrastructure. Boeing itself is trying to sell heavy lift C 17 Globemaster III transport aircraft, heavy lift Chinook helicopter, Apache combat helicopter, F 18 Super Hornet attack aircraft, Harpoon missiles, and more Boeing P8-I and other Boeing 737-based aircraft.
The big deal though is for the $10-15 billion Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft (M-MRCA) for the Indian Air Force (IAF), in which Boeing has fielded the F 18, and another US military giant, Lockheed Martin, has offered the Indian version of F 16 designated F 16 IN Viper. IAF is looking for 126 aircraft, with an option for an additional 63.
Four other aircraft, European consortium's Eurofighter, Russia's Mig 35, Sweden's Gripen and the French Rafale are in the fray.
Notably, IAF has just commissioned three new Boeing Business Jets (BBJ) for ferrying VVIPs, replacing an earlier set of three older Boeing 737s acquired during the 1980s.
Both the BBJs and P8-I are built on the Boeing 737 platforms, which are being flown in India for some 40 years and are easy to maintain. However, these are new generation aircraft are equipped with totally brand new systems. The BBJ for instance, which is specifically to ferry the president, vice president and prime minister, can also serve as an airborne command and communication centre in a war.
The same is also true of the P8-I, which is designated as a Multi-mission Maritime Aircraft (MMA). But its profile is much wider than the name suggests: it can locate hostile submarines, and can attack them as well as small or large ships near or far from the coast.
Lall said that Boeing is committed to provide continuous technology insertions on all its systems in accordance with agreements with the buyer countries.
Notably, US companies develop technologies, mostly at the initiative of and funding by the US armed forces. But they are allowed to sell them to foreign countries only with the approval of the US Departments of Defence and State.
Gulshan R Luthra
Women MPs, MLAs too have criminal records
Tue, Apr 14 10:30 AM
New Delhi, April 14 (IANS) Guess what? Kerala, Bihar and Chhattisgarh are the states with the highest percentage of women legislators with criminal records while Assam, Jharkhand and Rajasthan are some of the cleanest, says a study.
On the whole, about 13 percent of women legislators in states and 14 percent of women MPs in the 14th Lok Sabha had criminal records, says the study by PRS Legislative Research based on affidavits filed by candidates with the Election Commission up to 2007.
The study by the independent research initiative suggests that women leaders don't lag behind when it comes to having criminal records or amassing wealth.
A total of 51 women are in the 545-member Lok Sabha while 280 are women among 4,120 legislators across all state assemblies.
The survey shows that 83 percent women legislators have criminal records in Kerala, while the figure is 25 percent for Bihar and Chhattisgarh.
The other states that have women MLAs with criminal records are Madhya Pradesh (22 percent), Karnataka (20 percent), Tamil Nadu (19 percent), Haryana and Orissa (18 percent), Maharashtra and Punjab (17 percent), Uttar Pradesh (13 percent), Andhra Pradesh (eight percent) and West Bengal (six percent).
However, in 11 states, women legislators do not have any kind of criminal record. The states are Assam, Delhi, Goa, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Meghalaya, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tripura and Uttarakhand.
The survey names seven women MPs with criminal charges, and topping the list is Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati who has in the past been booked for cheating, forgery and criminal conspiracy. She is no longer an MP as she is now Uttar Pradesh chief minister.
There are two from Kerala -- the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) P. Satheedevi and C.S. Sujatha -- booked for unlawful assembly and rioting. Also in the list of women MPs 'with criminal charges' based on affidavits filed in 2004 is Suryakanta Patil from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), accused of misusing a charitable institution.
Two Shiv Sena MPs are there too, Narhire Kalpana Ramesh for wrongful restraint and Bhavana Pundlikrao under the Bombay Police Act.
Women and Child Development Minister Renuka Chowdhury appears in the list for obstructing a public servant in discharging his duties.
Anil Bairwal, national coordinator of the Association for Democratic Reforms and National Election Watch, said he is not surprised by the findings.
'It is easy to see that such women are either the wife or a relative of an influential politician. How did they come on top in politics - by depending on men. In such a situation, it is not surprising to find them involved in corruption or criminal cases,' said Bairwal, whose organisations work for improving governance and strengthening democracy.
He said a very small number of women are selected by political parties to fight in elections. 'There is no democratic method involved in selecting them. If more women are selected, I am sure they will focus on issues that would make a difference,' Bairwal told IANS.
The survey also states that many women legislators are richer than their male counterparts. Over 30 percent of women MPs have assets worth more than Rs.1.5 crore. The figure is 14.3 percent for members of legislative assemblies (MLAs).
Similarly, 26 percent of women MPs have assets between Rs.50 lakh and Rs.1.5 crore while the figure is 21 percent for MLAs.
In Himachal Pradesh, most women MLAs' assets have been put at more than Rs.1.5 crore. 'Three of the five women MLAs in Himachal Pradesh have household assets worth more than Rs.1.5 crore.'
New Delhi, April 14 (IANS) Guess what? Kerala, Bihar and Chhattisgarh are the states with the highest percentage of women legislators with criminal records while Assam, Jharkhand and Rajasthan are some of the cleanest, says a study.
On the whole, about 13 percent of women legislators in states and 14 percent of women MPs in the 14th Lok Sabha had criminal records, says the study by PRS Legislative Research based on affidavits filed by candidates with the Election Commission up to 2007.
The study by the independent research initiative suggests that women leaders don't lag behind when it comes to having criminal records or amassing wealth.
A total of 51 women are in the 545-member Lok Sabha while 280 are women among 4,120 legislators across all state assemblies.
The survey shows that 83 percent women legislators have criminal records in Kerala, while the figure is 25 percent for Bihar and Chhattisgarh.
The other states that have women MLAs with criminal records are Madhya Pradesh (22 percent), Karnataka (20 percent), Tamil Nadu (19 percent), Haryana and Orissa (18 percent), Maharashtra and Punjab (17 percent), Uttar Pradesh (13 percent), Andhra Pradesh (eight percent) and West Bengal (six percent).
However, in 11 states, women legislators do not have any kind of criminal record. The states are Assam, Delhi, Goa, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Meghalaya, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tripura and Uttarakhand.
The survey names seven women MPs with criminal charges, and topping the list is Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati who has in the past been booked for cheating, forgery and criminal conspiracy. She is no longer an MP as she is now Uttar Pradesh chief minister.
There are two from Kerala -- the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) P. Satheedevi and C.S. Sujatha -- booked for unlawful assembly and rioting. Also in the list of women MPs 'with criminal charges' based on affidavits filed in 2004 is Suryakanta Patil from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), accused of misusing a charitable institution.
Two Shiv Sena MPs are there too, Narhire Kalpana Ramesh for wrongful restraint and Bhavana Pundlikrao under the Bombay Police Act.
Women and Child Development Minister Renuka Chowdhury appears in the list for obstructing a public servant in discharging his duties.
Anil Bairwal, national coordinator of the Association for Democratic Reforms and National Election Watch, said he is not surprised by the findings.
'It is easy to see that such women are either the wife or a relative of an influential politician. How did they come on top in politics - by depending on men. In such a situation, it is not surprising to find them involved in corruption or criminal cases,' said Bairwal, whose organisations work for improving governance and strengthening democracy.
He said a very small number of women are selected by political parties to fight in elections. 'There is no democratic method involved in selecting them. If more women are selected, I am sure they will focus on issues that would make a difference,' Bairwal told IANS.
The survey also states that many women legislators are richer than their male counterparts. Over 30 percent of women MPs have assets worth more than Rs.1.5 crore. The figure is 14.3 percent for members of legislative assemblies (MLAs).
Similarly, 26 percent of women MPs have assets between Rs.50 lakh and Rs.1.5 crore while the figure is 21 percent for MLAs.
In Himachal Pradesh, most women MLAs' assets have been put at more than Rs.1.5 crore. 'Three of the five women MLAs in Himachal Pradesh have household assets worth more than Rs.1.5 crore.'
Monday, April 13, 2009
Kasab trial to begin from April 15
Tue, Apr 14 11:20 AM
Mumbai, Apr 14 (ANI): The trail of Mohammed Ajmal Kasab, the lone terrorist captured in the Mumbai terror attacks last year, will begin from tomorrow.
The trial will begin at Arthur Road central jail.
On Sunday, Kasab's trial was put on hold by a week, as the construction of the special court in the jail premises was not yet over.
"The construction of court's slab is still on and the work is expected to be completed in six to seven days," special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam said.
Jail authorities were informed by the Public Works Department (PWD) that the construction work, that began last month, would be over soon.
Only then PWD will be able to hand over the court premises to the jail authorities.
A portion of the jail has been segregated for Kasab's cell and the court. The authorities have built a bomb-proof tunnel between Kasab's cell and the court to allow Kasab direct access to the court from the prison.
Earlier TADA court, which conducted the 1993 bomb blast trial, was housed here. (ANI)
Mumbai, Apr 14 (ANI): The trail of Mohammed Ajmal Kasab, the lone terrorist captured in the Mumbai terror attacks last year, will begin from tomorrow.
The trial will begin at Arthur Road central jail.
On Sunday, Kasab's trial was put on hold by a week, as the construction of the special court in the jail premises was not yet over.
"The construction of court's slab is still on and the work is expected to be completed in six to seven days," special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam said.
Jail authorities were informed by the Public Works Department (PWD) that the construction work, that began last month, would be over soon.
Only then PWD will be able to hand over the court premises to the jail authorities.
A portion of the jail has been segregated for Kasab's cell and the court. The authorities have built a bomb-proof tunnel between Kasab's cell and the court to allow Kasab direct access to the court from the prison.
Earlier TADA court, which conducted the 1993 bomb blast trial, was housed here. (ANI)
EC expresses 'strong displeasure' at replies of Lalu, others
Mon, Apr 13 08:33 PM
New Delhi, April 13 (IANS) The Election Commission Monday said the replies filed by Railways Minister Lalu Prasad, his wife and former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi and Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray to the panel's notices on poll code violation were not satisfactory.
'The Election Commission did not find the reply satisfactory and has conveyed its strong displeasure,' Deputy Election Commissioner R. Balakrishnan told reporters here.
On April 9, the poll panel had issued notices to Lalu Prasad and his wife Rabri Devi for poll code violations and asked them to send their replies by April 11.
Lalu Prasad is in the dock for his remarks at an election rally April 6, that had he been the home minister 'he would have run a roller over Varun Gandhi'.
Lalu Prasad's remarks created a furore and the police issued an arrest order against him. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Varun Gandhi is in a jail in Uttar Pradesh for his reported inflammatory speeches in Pilibhit district.
Asked why like in the case of Varun the commission is not issuing an advisory to the RJD not to field Lalu Prasad in the elections, the commission said the gravity of the two statements was different.
Balakrishnan said the commission told Lalu Prasad that 'as a senior leader he should not have used such language'. 'You have to see the gravity of the statement,' Balakrishnan said.
While Varun threatened the 'entire community,' the RJD leader's statement was against a person.
Rabri Devi was served a notice for her alleged derogatory remarks against Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and state Janata Dal-United chief Rajiv Ranjan at Saran.
Balakrishnan said the commission has rejected the contentions made by Thackeray, who at an election rally in Mumbai March 20, had referred to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in a derogatory manner.
He said the poll panel, which directed the Maharashtra chief electoral officer to do the video coverage of the Shiv Sena leader's election campaign, also directed that a track be kept of the case filed against Thackeray in this context.
The Election Commission advised Home Minister P. Chidambaram to avoid making statements that could be misinterpreted.
The commission considered the replies by Chidambaram and Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and told them to avoid statements that could be misinterpreted, Balakrishnan said.
The Election Commission issued a notice to Chidambaram and Gehlot on a complaint by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which accused them of offering poll sops in Rajasthan during a security review meeting last month.
Balakrishnan said the commission has asked Uttar Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) to file a detailed report on the death of Indian Justice Party's (IJP) Lok Sabha candidate Bahadur Sonkar in Uttar Pradesh.
Dalit leader Sonkar, who was contesting against BSP's Dhananjay Singh, a mafia don turned politician, was found hanging near Raja Ka Talab, barely 500 metres from his home in Ahiyapur-Rasheedabad locality, 200 km from Lucknow.
The commission said it has taken steps to create a conducive environment in violence-hit Kandhamal district in Orissa.
The Election Commission said the model code of conduct is a very important mechanism in conducting elections, and it is not a law.
'Model code provision is a unique provision. It is a kind of mechanism. It is not a law,' Balakrishnan said.
When asked about the reasoning behind only expressing displeasure to those who violate the model code of conduct, Balakrishnan said the commission could express only its displeasure and it would be a kind of 'societal pressure' on the violators.
'The commission can express only its displeasure. It is a kind of societal pressure. It is far more important in conducting elections,' he told reporters.
Indo Asian News Service
New Delhi, April 13 (IANS) The Election Commission Monday said the replies filed by Railways Minister Lalu Prasad, his wife and former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi and Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray to the panel's notices on poll code violation were not satisfactory.
'The Election Commission did not find the reply satisfactory and has conveyed its strong displeasure,' Deputy Election Commissioner R. Balakrishnan told reporters here.
On April 9, the poll panel had issued notices to Lalu Prasad and his wife Rabri Devi for poll code violations and asked them to send their replies by April 11.
Lalu Prasad is in the dock for his remarks at an election rally April 6, that had he been the home minister 'he would have run a roller over Varun Gandhi'.
Lalu Prasad's remarks created a furore and the police issued an arrest order against him. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Varun Gandhi is in a jail in Uttar Pradesh for his reported inflammatory speeches in Pilibhit district.
Asked why like in the case of Varun the commission is not issuing an advisory to the RJD not to field Lalu Prasad in the elections, the commission said the gravity of the two statements was different.
Balakrishnan said the commission told Lalu Prasad that 'as a senior leader he should not have used such language'. 'You have to see the gravity of the statement,' Balakrishnan said.
While Varun threatened the 'entire community,' the RJD leader's statement was against a person.
Rabri Devi was served a notice for her alleged derogatory remarks against Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and state Janata Dal-United chief Rajiv Ranjan at Saran.
Balakrishnan said the commission has rejected the contentions made by Thackeray, who at an election rally in Mumbai March 20, had referred to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in a derogatory manner.
He said the poll panel, which directed the Maharashtra chief electoral officer to do the video coverage of the Shiv Sena leader's election campaign, also directed that a track be kept of the case filed against Thackeray in this context.
The Election Commission advised Home Minister P. Chidambaram to avoid making statements that could be misinterpreted.
The commission considered the replies by Chidambaram and Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and told them to avoid statements that could be misinterpreted, Balakrishnan said.
The Election Commission issued a notice to Chidambaram and Gehlot on a complaint by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which accused them of offering poll sops in Rajasthan during a security review meeting last month.
Balakrishnan said the commission has asked Uttar Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) to file a detailed report on the death of Indian Justice Party's (IJP) Lok Sabha candidate Bahadur Sonkar in Uttar Pradesh.
Dalit leader Sonkar, who was contesting against BSP's Dhananjay Singh, a mafia don turned politician, was found hanging near Raja Ka Talab, barely 500 metres from his home in Ahiyapur-Rasheedabad locality, 200 km from Lucknow.
The commission said it has taken steps to create a conducive environment in violence-hit Kandhamal district in Orissa.
The Election Commission said the model code of conduct is a very important mechanism in conducting elections, and it is not a law.
'Model code provision is a unique provision. It is a kind of mechanism. It is not a law,' Balakrishnan said.
When asked about the reasoning behind only expressing displeasure to those who violate the model code of conduct, Balakrishnan said the commission could express only its displeasure and it would be a kind of 'societal pressure' on the violators.
'The commission can express only its displeasure. It is a kind of societal pressure. It is far more important in conducting elections,' he told reporters.
Indo Asian News Service
Ex-soldiers to support BJP
Tue, Apr 14 11:45 AM
Anger among retired soldiers over their unfulfilled longstanding demand for one rank, one pension (OROP) once again took palpable form on Sunday with ex-servicemen from across the nation returning 2,000 medals at a rally held at Jantar Mantar. The medals were returned to President Pratibha Patil by Sunday afternoon.
Though ex-servicemen have held three such mass demonstrations since February, the one organised on Sunday may have, in all likelihood, left the UPA government anxious as soldiers announced their decision to support the BJP during the coming elections. The ex-servicemen hope projecting themselves as a strong vote bank of 25 lakh voters nationwide may help drive home their point this elections.
The defence pensioners in the country are at loggerheads with the government because they want defence personnel of same rank and same length of service to get the pension, irrespective of the date of retirement. The Sixth Pay Commission, however, has created four classes within a class -pre-1996, post-1996 to December 2005, post-January 2006 to September 2008 and post-October 2008.
"Our school of thought demands us to be apolitical, but the government's apathetic attitude towards our needs has forced us to take this stand. This is the last resort.
I have issued an advisory to vote for the BJP today as it has clearly included the 'one rank one pension' issue in its manifesto and their prime ministerial candidate has supported our demand," said Lt. Gen.
Raj Kadyan, chairman Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement (IESM). The inclination to vote BJP to power seemed even more pronounced with Vijay Kumar Malhotra making an appearance at the rally.
Kadyan, however, denied inviting him."Why shouldn't we vote for the BJP? They've promised us action.
If they fail, we'll ensure they get the same treatment that the ex-servicemen will meet out to the congress during the coming elections," said Col SS Rajan, who brought 132 medals from Karnataka to be returned to the President.
HT
Anger among retired soldiers over their unfulfilled longstanding demand for one rank, one pension (OROP) once again took palpable form on Sunday with ex-servicemen from across the nation returning 2,000 medals at a rally held at Jantar Mantar. The medals were returned to President Pratibha Patil by Sunday afternoon.
Though ex-servicemen have held three such mass demonstrations since February, the one organised on Sunday may have, in all likelihood, left the UPA government anxious as soldiers announced their decision to support the BJP during the coming elections. The ex-servicemen hope projecting themselves as a strong vote bank of 25 lakh voters nationwide may help drive home their point this elections.
The defence pensioners in the country are at loggerheads with the government because they want defence personnel of same rank and same length of service to get the pension, irrespective of the date of retirement. The Sixth Pay Commission, however, has created four classes within a class -pre-1996, post-1996 to December 2005, post-January 2006 to September 2008 and post-October 2008.
"Our school of thought demands us to be apolitical, but the government's apathetic attitude towards our needs has forced us to take this stand. This is the last resort.
I have issued an advisory to vote for the BJP today as it has clearly included the 'one rank one pension' issue in its manifesto and their prime ministerial candidate has supported our demand," said Lt. Gen.
Raj Kadyan, chairman Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement (IESM). The inclination to vote BJP to power seemed even more pronounced with Vijay Kumar Malhotra making an appearance at the rally.
Kadyan, however, denied inviting him."Why shouldn't we vote for the BJP? They've promised us action.
If they fail, we'll ensure they get the same treatment that the ex-servicemen will meet out to the congress during the coming elections," said Col SS Rajan, who brought 132 medals from Karnataka to be returned to the President.
HT
LTTE supporter hurls wooden missile at Chidambaram
Mon, Apr 13 11:34 PM
Chennai, April 13 (IANS) An LTTE supporter shouted slogans hailing the banned outfit and hurled a wooden object towards the stage where union Home Minister P. Chidambaram was seated during an election rally in Karaikudi town of Tamil Nadu.
The man, identified by a single name Ramu, Sunday evening caused a flutter when he rushed to the stage when Chidambaram was addressing a meeting. Ramu was immediately whisked away to a police station, according to police officials.
'While the home minister has asked to pardon and release the person, we are being extra careful now,' an official said.
On Monday, Chidambaram appealed for calm in Sri Lanka and prolonging of the truce declared by President Mahinda Rajapakse scheduled to end Wednesday.
'To help arrive at a peaceful political solution and avoid deaths of innocent civilians, both the warring sides (the Sri Lankan regime and the LTTE) should cooperate,' Chidambaram told supporters during election meetings in the vicinity.
The minister also sounded somewhat placatory towards one of the main LTTE apologists - PMK.
'While I do not approve the five-year-old itches of (PMK founder-leader) Dr Ramadoss who switches alliances during every general election, I also know that we may welcome his son (Anbumani Ramadoss) back into the union cabinet after the polls,' Chidambaram added.
Indo Asian News Service
Chennai, April 13 (IANS) An LTTE supporter shouted slogans hailing the banned outfit and hurled a wooden object towards the stage where union Home Minister P. Chidambaram was seated during an election rally in Karaikudi town of Tamil Nadu.
The man, identified by a single name Ramu, Sunday evening caused a flutter when he rushed to the stage when Chidambaram was addressing a meeting. Ramu was immediately whisked away to a police station, according to police officials.
'While the home minister has asked to pardon and release the person, we are being extra careful now,' an official said.
On Monday, Chidambaram appealed for calm in Sri Lanka and prolonging of the truce declared by President Mahinda Rajapakse scheduled to end Wednesday.
'To help arrive at a peaceful political solution and avoid deaths of innocent civilians, both the warring sides (the Sri Lankan regime and the LTTE) should cooperate,' Chidambaram told supporters during election meetings in the vicinity.
The minister also sounded somewhat placatory towards one of the main LTTE apologists - PMK.
'While I do not approve the five-year-old itches of (PMK founder-leader) Dr Ramadoss who switches alliances during every general election, I also know that we may welcome his son (Anbumani Ramadoss) back into the union cabinet after the polls,' Chidambaram added.
Indo Asian News Service
Monday, March 16, 2009
Modi, Pawar hit out at each other in Maharashtra
March 16, 2009 12:42 IST
On a campaign trail in western Maharashtra, Nationalist Congress Party supremo Sharad Pawar [Images] and Bharatiya Janata Party [Images] leader Narendra Modi [Images] derided each other, with the Maharashtra strongman describing the saffron campaigner as the 'frontline leader of communal forces' in the country.
Modi hit back, saying Pawar has been hoodwinked by the Congress on the issue of prime ministership.
The Gujarat chief minister, who launched the BJP-Shiv Sena's poll drive in Pune, said Pawar failed to understand the Congress' strategy to keep him out of the race for the top post.
Referring to the recent statement by Pawar that a Maharashtrian should get an opportunity to become PM, Modi said by making Pratibha Patil [Images] the President, the Congress had employed a 'shrewd ploy' to sideline the NCP president.
The seasoned politician in Pawar, however, failed to gauge the Congress game, Modi added. In a sarcastic vein, he said, "If Pawar had any substance; he should at least see to it that a Maharashtrian becomes the captain of the Indian cricket team."
Continuing his marathon election meetings in neighbouring Ahmednagar district, Pawar branded Modi as the 'frontline leader' of communal forces in the country, who was responsible for destroying the lives of hundreds of people in Gujarat, maligning the image of that state.
"This communal leader has come to Maharashtra (for campaigning) but people of this state would never accept his ideology," Pawar said.
"We love the Gujarat of Mahatma Gandhi [Images] and Sardar Patel," he said, appealing to voters to remove the 'poisonous weed' of communal thoughts from the state.
On a campaign trail in western Maharashtra, Nationalist Congress Party supremo Sharad Pawar [Images] and Bharatiya Janata Party [Images] leader Narendra Modi [Images] derided each other, with the Maharashtra strongman describing the saffron campaigner as the 'frontline leader of communal forces' in the country.
Modi hit back, saying Pawar has been hoodwinked by the Congress on the issue of prime ministership.
The Gujarat chief minister, who launched the BJP-Shiv Sena's poll drive in Pune, said Pawar failed to understand the Congress' strategy to keep him out of the race for the top post.
Referring to the recent statement by Pawar that a Maharashtrian should get an opportunity to become PM, Modi said by making Pratibha Patil [Images] the President, the Congress had employed a 'shrewd ploy' to sideline the NCP president.
The seasoned politician in Pawar, however, failed to gauge the Congress game, Modi added. In a sarcastic vein, he said, "If Pawar had any substance; he should at least see to it that a Maharashtrian becomes the captain of the Indian cricket team."
Continuing his marathon election meetings in neighbouring Ahmednagar district, Pawar branded Modi as the 'frontline leader' of communal forces in the country, who was responsible for destroying the lives of hundreds of people in Gujarat, maligning the image of that state.
"This communal leader has come to Maharashtra (for campaigning) but people of this state would never accept his ideology," Pawar said.
"We love the Gujarat of Mahatma Gandhi [Images] and Sardar Patel," he said, appealing to voters to remove the 'poisonous weed' of communal thoughts from the state.
Rs 50,000 crore missing from govt coffers: Modi
March 16, 2009 10:27 IST
Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi [Images] on Sunday night alleged that a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India had found that Rs 50,000 crore was unaccounted for and 'missing from the central government's coffers'.
"The country wants to know from Prime Minster Manmohan Singh [Images] about this money that has simply vanished," Modi, who launched the election campaign of the Bharatiya Janata Party-Shiv Sena alliance in Maharashtra on Sunday, said.
Training guns on Dr Singh, Modi said the country should know whether the huge sum of "missing money purportedly mentioned in the CAG report was being used for election purposes by the ruling party".
"Daal me kuch kala hai (There is something fishy about this)", he charged. Targeting the prime minister, whom he described as a reputed economist, Modi alleged it was intriguing that the Harshad Mehta stock scam had happened when Singh was the finance minister in the Narsimha Rao government.
"Today, when he is Prime Minister, the Satyam [Get Quote] fiasco has surfaced. Why do such things happen when he is at the helm? Is it the result of his economic policies or something else," Modi told the large gathering.
The BJP leader also accused Singh of backtracking on the building of the national road network infrastructure that was started by Atal Bihari Vajpayee during the National Democratic Alliance's rules.
In a scathing attack on the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance, Modi alleged that it had failed to deliver on all fronts including 'security and development' and had compromised on the fight against terrorism by revoking the Prevention of Terrorism [Images] Act.
"The revocation of POTA led to celebrations in Pakistan and agony in Hindustan," he claimed.
Speaking on the Mumbai terror attacks [Images], Modi alleged it was a pity that ministers were making trips to complain to the United States, about the terror attack on Mumbai.
"Terrorism should be retaliated in the same manner. Instead of the US, India should have entered Pakistan to give a befitting reply," he declared.
Modi said the presence of Taliban [Images] in Karachi posed a direct threat to Mumbai. He also blamed the Congress government for the Naxalite menace. He charged that the failure of India's foreign policy led to the rise of Maoists in Nepal.
Modi also took on the UPA for its failure to control spiraling prices and unemployment and appealed to the people to vote BJP to power.
At the beginning of his speech, Modi, who is in charge of BJP affairs in Maharashtra, congratulated the Shiv Sena [Images] and BJP leaders for keeping the yuti (saffron alliance) intact to fight the elections.
"I am happy that Sena supremo Bal Thackeray's [Images] health has stabilised and we have his blessings," he added. BJP leaders Gopinath Munde and Nitin Gadkari also addressed the gathering.
Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi [Images] on Sunday night alleged that a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India had found that Rs 50,000 crore was unaccounted for and 'missing from the central government's coffers'.
"The country wants to know from Prime Minster Manmohan Singh [Images] about this money that has simply vanished," Modi, who launched the election campaign of the Bharatiya Janata Party-Shiv Sena alliance in Maharashtra on Sunday, said.
Training guns on Dr Singh, Modi said the country should know whether the huge sum of "missing money purportedly mentioned in the CAG report was being used for election purposes by the ruling party".
"Daal me kuch kala hai (There is something fishy about this)", he charged. Targeting the prime minister, whom he described as a reputed economist, Modi alleged it was intriguing that the Harshad Mehta stock scam had happened when Singh was the finance minister in the Narsimha Rao government.
"Today, when he is Prime Minister, the Satyam [Get Quote] fiasco has surfaced. Why do such things happen when he is at the helm? Is it the result of his economic policies or something else," Modi told the large gathering.
The BJP leader also accused Singh of backtracking on the building of the national road network infrastructure that was started by Atal Bihari Vajpayee during the National Democratic Alliance's rules.
In a scathing attack on the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance, Modi alleged that it had failed to deliver on all fronts including 'security and development' and had compromised on the fight against terrorism by revoking the Prevention of Terrorism [Images] Act.
"The revocation of POTA led to celebrations in Pakistan and agony in Hindustan," he claimed.
Speaking on the Mumbai terror attacks [Images], Modi alleged it was a pity that ministers were making trips to complain to the United States, about the terror attack on Mumbai.
"Terrorism should be retaliated in the same manner. Instead of the US, India should have entered Pakistan to give a befitting reply," he declared.
Modi said the presence of Taliban [Images] in Karachi posed a direct threat to Mumbai. He also blamed the Congress government for the Naxalite menace. He charged that the failure of India's foreign policy led to the rise of Maoists in Nepal.
Modi also took on the UPA for its failure to control spiraling prices and unemployment and appealed to the people to vote BJP to power.
At the beginning of his speech, Modi, who is in charge of BJP affairs in Maharashtra, congratulated the Shiv Sena [Images] and BJP leaders for keeping the yuti (saffron alliance) intact to fight the elections.
"I am happy that Sena supremo Bal Thackeray's [Images] health has stabilised and we have his blessings," he added. BJP leaders Gopinath Munde and Nitin Gadkari also addressed the gathering.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
In Swat, Pakistan army faces 1971-like situation - Hamid Mir in Islamabad
February 11, 2009
The Taliban [Images] have become a threat for the Pakistan army [Images] like the Mukti Bahini in then East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) in 1971.
A furious Taliban leadership has decided to send their fighters to Islamabad [Images] as a reaction to the army operations in the Swat valley on the troubled border with Afghanistan. The Taliban have already started painting walls in Islamabad with its threats, compelling the administration in the capital to erase these messages quickly.
Many religious scholars in Islamabad have received messages from the Taliban that they have only two options: They must support the Taliban or leave the capital else they will be considered collaborators of the 'pro-American Zardari government' which they consider not different from the previous Pervez Musharraf [Images] regime.
It is also astonishing that the Taliban in Swat and Bajour have included the names of some religious and jihadi leaders in their hit-lists only because they are not ready to fight against their countrymen.
The Taliban have accused some militant leaders in the tribal areas and some leaders of the Lashkar-e-Tayiba [Images], the Harkat-ul Mujahideen [Images] and the Hizbul Mujahideen of trying to stop youngsters from fight against Pakistani forces. The Taliban have declared all these pro-Pakistan militants as their enemies.
It is learnt that the names of Maulvi Nazir from South Wazirastan, Hafiz Gul Bahadur from North Wazirastan, Lashkar founder Hafiz Mohammad Saeed, Maulana Farooq Kashmiri and Syed Salahudin of the Hizbul Mujahideen have been included on the Taliban hit-list. The Taliban have threatened some Hizbul Mujahideen leaders in Swat and Dir to leave the area soon.
Another Taliban leader in the Mehmand agency, Maulvi Omar Khalid, has threatened Lashkar militants to leave the tribal agency, because they were only interested in fighting foreign troops in Afghanistan or against India. According to Khalid, this meant they do not want an Islamic government in Pakistan.
This complicated situation has forced the Pakistan government to take some extreme steps against the Taliban in Darra Adamkhel and Swat. The Taliban killed Polish engineer Piotr Stannczak as a reaction to a big operation in the area. Some diplomatic sources have revealed that Pakistan was ready to release some arrested Taliban fighters in exchange for the Polish engineer and another kidnapped Chinese engineer, but the US raised some objections and the deal was not finalised.
The Pakistani authorities successfully negotiated the release of kidnapped Pakistani diplomat Tariq Azizudin in 2008 and the release of kidnapped army personnel in 2007 by releasing some Taliban fighters. This time, US pressure complicated the situation.
Though it confronts an East Pakistan-like situation from Darra Ademkhel to the mountains of Swat, the Pakistan army is not ready to surrender despite the fact that India is once again trying to exploit the situation by using threatening language against Islamabad. The Pakistan foreign office is under diplomatic pressure after the Polish engineer's brutal killing to 'do more' for the release of the kidnapped Chinese engineer, an Afghan diplomat, an Iranian diplomat and a UN diplomat kidnapped in Quetta, but the civilian and army leadership have decided not to bow down.
Reliable sources have revealed that kidnapped Chinese engineer Long Xiao is seriously ill in the Taliban's custody in Swat. He was kidnapped last August along with another colleague, Zhang Guo. Both men tried to escape. Long was injured and recaptured by the Taliban, but Zhang escaped. The Taliban want two dozen arrested fighters in exchange for Long, but the Pakistani authorities are not ready to accept this.
Afghanistan's Ambassador [Images] to Pakistan Abdul Khaliq Farahi was kidnapped last year and has still not been found. Some sources allege he was kidnapped over a personal issue at the behest of his in-laws. The Pakistani authorities are conducting a big search operation not only for him, but also for Iranian diplomat Heshmatollah Attarzadeh who was kidnapped from Peshawar last year.
After the army intensified its operations in Swat, half a million people out of the region's estimated 1.5 million population have left the area in the last month.
A top army officer linked with the operation in Swat said the "situation in Swat is much more complicated than East Bengal in 1971 where we were fighting against Indian-sponsored secular insurgents. The local population in East Bengal was fully supporting the insurgents, but the ground reality of Swat is very different. We are fighting the Taliban and they are demanding the enforcement of Islamic law in Swat and all the local political leaders are supporting this demand under public pressure."
North West Frontier Province Chief Minister Ameer Haider Hoti of the Awami National Party, Governor Awais Ghani and the army high command have strongly recommended that the fedaral government enforce long pending Sharia regulation, which will be called Nafaz-e-Adal regulation. Swat district police officer Dilawar Khan Bangash said the Taliban will have no justification to fight the state after the enforcement of Islamic law in Swat.
Swat was a princely state till July 28, 1969. The Islamic state of Swat was established in 1849 by Sayyed Akbar Shah. The state of Swat was kept in abeyance from 1863 to 1926, but Sharia law prevailed through Qazi courts during this period. The courts were restored by the British in 1926. Qazi courts operated till 1969 when Swat finally became part of Pakistan.
Residents of Swat think it was easy to get justice before 1969 through the Qazi courts, but after the imposition of Pakistani law, the poor do not get justice. The Taliban have exploited the delay in justice and instigated the poor to rise against big landlords.
The ANP swept the 2008 election with the slogan of peace and justice and now rules the NWFP in collaboration with the Pakistan People's Party. Reliable sources say the ANP leadership have convinced President Asif Ali Zardari [Images] to promulgate the Sharia regulation in Swat and the promulgation will be announced in a few days.
It is learnt that prominent rebel leader Maulana Sufi Muhammad of the Tehrik-e-Nafaze Shariat Muhammadi has assured the ANP leadership that he will start a long march from Dir to the Swat valley after the imposition of Sharia law. He will appeal to his son-in-law Maulana Fazalullah and other Taliban leaders to lay down their arms. He told ANP leaders that if the Taliban does not surrender its arms, then he will support army operations against them.
The Taliban [Images] have become a threat for the Pakistan army [Images] like the Mukti Bahini in then East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) in 1971.
A furious Taliban leadership has decided to send their fighters to Islamabad [Images] as a reaction to the army operations in the Swat valley on the troubled border with Afghanistan. The Taliban have already started painting walls in Islamabad with its threats, compelling the administration in the capital to erase these messages quickly.
Many religious scholars in Islamabad have received messages from the Taliban that they have only two options: They must support the Taliban or leave the capital else they will be considered collaborators of the 'pro-American Zardari government' which they consider not different from the previous Pervez Musharraf [Images] regime.
It is also astonishing that the Taliban in Swat and Bajour have included the names of some religious and jihadi leaders in their hit-lists only because they are not ready to fight against their countrymen.
The Taliban have accused some militant leaders in the tribal areas and some leaders of the Lashkar-e-Tayiba [Images], the Harkat-ul Mujahideen [Images] and the Hizbul Mujahideen of trying to stop youngsters from fight against Pakistani forces. The Taliban have declared all these pro-Pakistan militants as their enemies.
It is learnt that the names of Maulvi Nazir from South Wazirastan, Hafiz Gul Bahadur from North Wazirastan, Lashkar founder Hafiz Mohammad Saeed, Maulana Farooq Kashmiri and Syed Salahudin of the Hizbul Mujahideen have been included on the Taliban hit-list. The Taliban have threatened some Hizbul Mujahideen leaders in Swat and Dir to leave the area soon.
Another Taliban leader in the Mehmand agency, Maulvi Omar Khalid, has threatened Lashkar militants to leave the tribal agency, because they were only interested in fighting foreign troops in Afghanistan or against India. According to Khalid, this meant they do not want an Islamic government in Pakistan.
This complicated situation has forced the Pakistan government to take some extreme steps against the Taliban in Darra Adamkhel and Swat. The Taliban killed Polish engineer Piotr Stannczak as a reaction to a big operation in the area. Some diplomatic sources have revealed that Pakistan was ready to release some arrested Taliban fighters in exchange for the Polish engineer and another kidnapped Chinese engineer, but the US raised some objections and the deal was not finalised.
The Pakistani authorities successfully negotiated the release of kidnapped Pakistani diplomat Tariq Azizudin in 2008 and the release of kidnapped army personnel in 2007 by releasing some Taliban fighters. This time, US pressure complicated the situation.
Though it confronts an East Pakistan-like situation from Darra Ademkhel to the mountains of Swat, the Pakistan army is not ready to surrender despite the fact that India is once again trying to exploit the situation by using threatening language against Islamabad. The Pakistan foreign office is under diplomatic pressure after the Polish engineer's brutal killing to 'do more' for the release of the kidnapped Chinese engineer, an Afghan diplomat, an Iranian diplomat and a UN diplomat kidnapped in Quetta, but the civilian and army leadership have decided not to bow down.
Reliable sources have revealed that kidnapped Chinese engineer Long Xiao is seriously ill in the Taliban's custody in Swat. He was kidnapped last August along with another colleague, Zhang Guo. Both men tried to escape. Long was injured and recaptured by the Taliban, but Zhang escaped. The Taliban want two dozen arrested fighters in exchange for Long, but the Pakistani authorities are not ready to accept this.
Afghanistan's Ambassador [Images] to Pakistan Abdul Khaliq Farahi was kidnapped last year and has still not been found. Some sources allege he was kidnapped over a personal issue at the behest of his in-laws. The Pakistani authorities are conducting a big search operation not only for him, but also for Iranian diplomat Heshmatollah Attarzadeh who was kidnapped from Peshawar last year.
After the army intensified its operations in Swat, half a million people out of the region's estimated 1.5 million population have left the area in the last month.
A top army officer linked with the operation in Swat said the "situation in Swat is much more complicated than East Bengal in 1971 where we were fighting against Indian-sponsored secular insurgents. The local population in East Bengal was fully supporting the insurgents, but the ground reality of Swat is very different. We are fighting the Taliban and they are demanding the enforcement of Islamic law in Swat and all the local political leaders are supporting this demand under public pressure."
North West Frontier Province Chief Minister Ameer Haider Hoti of the Awami National Party, Governor Awais Ghani and the army high command have strongly recommended that the fedaral government enforce long pending Sharia regulation, which will be called Nafaz-e-Adal regulation. Swat district police officer Dilawar Khan Bangash said the Taliban will have no justification to fight the state after the enforcement of Islamic law in Swat.
Swat was a princely state till July 28, 1969. The Islamic state of Swat was established in 1849 by Sayyed Akbar Shah. The state of Swat was kept in abeyance from 1863 to 1926, but Sharia law prevailed through Qazi courts during this period. The courts were restored by the British in 1926. Qazi courts operated till 1969 when Swat finally became part of Pakistan.
Residents of Swat think it was easy to get justice before 1969 through the Qazi courts, but after the imposition of Pakistani law, the poor do not get justice. The Taliban have exploited the delay in justice and instigated the poor to rise against big landlords.
The ANP swept the 2008 election with the slogan of peace and justice and now rules the NWFP in collaboration with the Pakistan People's Party. Reliable sources say the ANP leadership have convinced President Asif Ali Zardari [Images] to promulgate the Sharia regulation in Swat and the promulgation will be announced in a few days.
It is learnt that prominent rebel leader Maulana Sufi Muhammad of the Tehrik-e-Nafaze Shariat Muhammadi has assured the ANP leadership that he will start a long march from Dir to the Swat valley after the imposition of Sharia law. He will appeal to his son-in-law Maulana Fazalullah and other Taliban leaders to lay down their arms. He told ANP leaders that if the Taliban does not surrender its arms, then he will support army operations against them.
Mumbai police file chargesheet against IM members
The chargesheet against the 21 alleged members of the terror outfit Indian Mujahideen [Images], accused of hatching the conspiracy to execute bomb blasts across the country, was on Tuesday filed by the city police in a special Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act Court in Mumbai [Images].
The Mumbai Crime Branch, in an 1800-page chargesheet, has charged all the 21 accused for hatching the conspiracy to execute bomb blasts in various cities of the country.
The people have been booked under various Sections of the Indian Penal Code, Arms Act, Explosives Act, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Information Technology Act.
The Mumbai Crime Branch had last year arrested five accused, natives of Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh [Images], in connection with the blasts.
The Mumbai Crime Branch, in an 1800-page chargesheet, has charged all the 21 accused for hatching the conspiracy to execute bomb blasts in various cities of the country.
The people have been booked under various Sections of the Indian Penal Code, Arms Act, Explosives Act, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Information Technology Act.
The Mumbai Crime Branch had last year arrested five accused, natives of Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh [Images], in connection with the blasts.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
The man who will prosecute Kasab - The Rediff Interview/Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam
February 06, 2009
He is the lawyer, who will prosecute Ajmal Amir Kasab [Images], the lone surviving terrorist involved in the Mumbai terror attacks [Images], once the chargesheet is filed and the trial commences. He is not some high-flying legal eagle practicing in the Supreme Court. Ujjwal Nikam, special public prosecutor in the case, will try Kasab under Indian law without a battery of lawyers or any senior legal assistant. He says he will fight the case with the help of a police paltan (team) who are through at their job.
Nikam hails from Jalgaon in Maharashtra and continues living there. He is neither computer savvy nor does he flaunt legal knowledge or stuff his talk with legal precedent or landmark judgments.
His mastery lies in coordinating and communicating well with the investigating officer of the case and reading the case papers minutely. When a trial is on, he gets up at 4.30 am to read the case papers.
Nikam is a familiar face for television viewers because he has fought many celebrated cases. The list includes the Bombay blasts case of March 12, 1993, the Gulshan Kumar murder case, the Pramod Mahajan [Images] murder trial, the Gateway of India [Images] blasts case of 2003, the Khairlangi Dalit murder case and the Nadeem extradition case which was fought in London [Images].
His CV states that he has successfully sought life imprisonment for convicts 618 times and the death penalty 33 times. His father was a well-known barrister in Jalgaon; his son is pursuing law in the US.
When he is in Mumbai, Nikam lives in a south Mumbai hotel, but returns to Jalgaon on weekends.
As he gets ready to take on another important case in his 30-year legal career he chatted with rediff.com's Sheela Bhatt about his legal approach to the case.
How do you look at an event like the Mumbai terror attacks?
The terror strikes were shocking and never anticipated. We never thought that foreign terrorists will attack us openly and in such a brazen manner. I think the challenge is not only to the investigating agency but also to the prosecutor.
No doubt, one of the terrorists has been apprehended, but it is a challenge to provide the entire evidence in court about how the conspiracy was hatched, how it progressed and how it ended with the attacks on Mumbai.
Basically, it appears an open and shut case. I personally feel this is a case of a deep-rooted conspiracy.
I have no hesitation to say that this is a proxy war against India. The modality and system that the terrorists have adopted clearly indicates that they have undergone training in handling sophisticated weapons as well as how to plant bombs. It clearly indicates that it is State-sponsored terrorism.
What is being revealed so far during the course of investigation clearly indicates that masters behind the conspiracy have taken a lot of efforts in attacking Mumbai.
How do you see the investigation of the Mumbai police so far?
I have no idea of the details of the investigation because the investigating agency has not filed the chargesheet. But the Mumbai police are quite efficient. They will discharge their functions diligently. The Mumbai attacks case will be the finest investigated police case in the country.
How different is this case from other cases of terrorism you have fought?
If compared to previous cases, the modalities in the operations were different. In this case, these terrorists were fidayeen. They had decided to kill people and get killed themselves. It was surprising that foreign terrorists entered like this and opened war against India.
I find a material difference between earlier terror attacks and this one.
Is it a difficult case to fight in court?
Since the chargesheet is not filed, I can't say much. On the basis of reading newspapers, I can surely say that the prosecution will have a good case. We have footage of the close-circuit cameras, photographs of the terrorists, taped conversations, and their talks abroad have already been intercepted by the intelligence agencies. So the motive behind the attack can be adequately established.
So far as the case against Kasab is concerned we have more than sufficient evidence. We will have a strong case against Kasab.
Anyway, I don't see this as an exceptional case of my life because I have fought many more difficult cases. My attempt in this case is to go to the bottom of the conspiracy.
What about your security?
I have Z-category security. The government is taking care of it. But let me tell you I believe in destiny.
How do you label this case?
I take the attack as proxy war. The manner in which the terrorists were trained in Pakistan, they were provided with Argees hand grenades, which were also used in the 1993 Mumbai blasts.
I understand that the expectations of millions of people rides on bringing the terrorist to justice.
Let us wait and see how the police brings the evidence against Kasab.
I take the attack as an act of war.
He is the lawyer, who will prosecute Ajmal Amir Kasab [Images], the lone surviving terrorist involved in the Mumbai terror attacks [Images], once the chargesheet is filed and the trial commences. He is not some high-flying legal eagle practicing in the Supreme Court. Ujjwal Nikam, special public prosecutor in the case, will try Kasab under Indian law without a battery of lawyers or any senior legal assistant. He says he will fight the case with the help of a police paltan (team) who are through at their job.
Nikam hails from Jalgaon in Maharashtra and continues living there. He is neither computer savvy nor does he flaunt legal knowledge or stuff his talk with legal precedent or landmark judgments.
His mastery lies in coordinating and communicating well with the investigating officer of the case and reading the case papers minutely. When a trial is on, he gets up at 4.30 am to read the case papers.
Nikam is a familiar face for television viewers because he has fought many celebrated cases. The list includes the Bombay blasts case of March 12, 1993, the Gulshan Kumar murder case, the Pramod Mahajan [Images] murder trial, the Gateway of India [Images] blasts case of 2003, the Khairlangi Dalit murder case and the Nadeem extradition case which was fought in London [Images].
His CV states that he has successfully sought life imprisonment for convicts 618 times and the death penalty 33 times. His father was a well-known barrister in Jalgaon; his son is pursuing law in the US.
When he is in Mumbai, Nikam lives in a south Mumbai hotel, but returns to Jalgaon on weekends.
As he gets ready to take on another important case in his 30-year legal career he chatted with rediff.com's Sheela Bhatt about his legal approach to the case.
How do you look at an event like the Mumbai terror attacks?
The terror strikes were shocking and never anticipated. We never thought that foreign terrorists will attack us openly and in such a brazen manner. I think the challenge is not only to the investigating agency but also to the prosecutor.
No doubt, one of the terrorists has been apprehended, but it is a challenge to provide the entire evidence in court about how the conspiracy was hatched, how it progressed and how it ended with the attacks on Mumbai.
Basically, it appears an open and shut case. I personally feel this is a case of a deep-rooted conspiracy.
I have no hesitation to say that this is a proxy war against India. The modality and system that the terrorists have adopted clearly indicates that they have undergone training in handling sophisticated weapons as well as how to plant bombs. It clearly indicates that it is State-sponsored terrorism.
What is being revealed so far during the course of investigation clearly indicates that masters behind the conspiracy have taken a lot of efforts in attacking Mumbai.
How do you see the investigation of the Mumbai police so far?
I have no idea of the details of the investigation because the investigating agency has not filed the chargesheet. But the Mumbai police are quite efficient. They will discharge their functions diligently. The Mumbai attacks case will be the finest investigated police case in the country.
How different is this case from other cases of terrorism you have fought?
If compared to previous cases, the modalities in the operations were different. In this case, these terrorists were fidayeen. They had decided to kill people and get killed themselves. It was surprising that foreign terrorists entered like this and opened war against India.
I find a material difference between earlier terror attacks and this one.
Is it a difficult case to fight in court?
Since the chargesheet is not filed, I can't say much. On the basis of reading newspapers, I can surely say that the prosecution will have a good case. We have footage of the close-circuit cameras, photographs of the terrorists, taped conversations, and their talks abroad have already been intercepted by the intelligence agencies. So the motive behind the attack can be adequately established.
So far as the case against Kasab is concerned we have more than sufficient evidence. We will have a strong case against Kasab.
Anyway, I don't see this as an exceptional case of my life because I have fought many more difficult cases. My attempt in this case is to go to the bottom of the conspiracy.
What about your security?
I have Z-category security. The government is taking care of it. But let me tell you I believe in destiny.
How do you label this case?
I take the attack as proxy war. The manner in which the terrorists were trained in Pakistan, they were provided with Argees hand grenades, which were also used in the 1993 Mumbai blasts.
I understand that the expectations of millions of people rides on bringing the terrorist to justice.
Let us wait and see how the police brings the evidence against Kasab.
I take the attack as an act of war.
How the LeT plans to kill Kasab - Vicky Nanjappa
February 11, 2009 01:19 IST
Chota Shakeel, a close associate of Dawood Ibrahim [Images], has been given the responsibility of killing Mohammad Ajmal Amir Kasab [Images], the lone terrorist arrested during the terror attack on Mumbai [Images], according to Intelligence Bureau sources.
Earlier in the day, Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime), Rakesh Maria [Images] had told the media, "We have received intelligence inputs stating that Kasab's life may be under threat from the underworld".
IB sources have revealed that the Lashkar-e-Tayiba [Images] has asked Shakeel, a close associate of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, to kill Kasab. Shakeel is currently hiding in Pakistan, said IB officials, under the patronage of the Inter Services Intelligence and the LeT.
The IB learnt of the LeT's plans concerning Kasab after it intercepted a telephone call from across the border. The call, made by a Lashkar operative, indicated that Kasab's murder was being planned by the LeT in Pakistan.
The IB also learnt that the contract for Kasab's murder had been handed over to Dawood Ibrahim's gang, which continues to operate in Mumbai, on the instructions of the underworld don, who is also hiding in Pakistan.
Police officials believe that Shakeel will use the local module of his gang in Mumbai to gain access to Kasab, who has been kept in an undisclosed location.
Kasab, who hails from Faridkot in Pakistan, is the most vital proof that India possesses about the terror attack originating from its neighboring country. His death would be an irreparable setback for India's fight against terror.
The IB has now advised the Mumbai police to beef up Kasab's security arrangements and monitor him round the clock.
Chota Shakeel, a close associate of Dawood Ibrahim [Images], has been given the responsibility of killing Mohammad Ajmal Amir Kasab [Images], the lone terrorist arrested during the terror attack on Mumbai [Images], according to Intelligence Bureau sources.
Earlier in the day, Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime), Rakesh Maria [Images] had told the media, "We have received intelligence inputs stating that Kasab's life may be under threat from the underworld".
IB sources have revealed that the Lashkar-e-Tayiba [Images] has asked Shakeel, a close associate of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, to kill Kasab. Shakeel is currently hiding in Pakistan, said IB officials, under the patronage of the Inter Services Intelligence and the LeT.
The IB learnt of the LeT's plans concerning Kasab after it intercepted a telephone call from across the border. The call, made by a Lashkar operative, indicated that Kasab's murder was being planned by the LeT in Pakistan.
The IB also learnt that the contract for Kasab's murder had been handed over to Dawood Ibrahim's gang, which continues to operate in Mumbai, on the instructions of the underworld don, who is also hiding in Pakistan.
Police officials believe that Shakeel will use the local module of his gang in Mumbai to gain access to Kasab, who has been kept in an undisclosed location.
Kasab, who hails from Faridkot in Pakistan, is the most vital proof that India possesses about the terror attack originating from its neighboring country. His death would be an irreparable setback for India's fight against terror.
The IB has now advised the Mumbai police to beef up Kasab's security arrangements and monitor him round the clock.
Pakistan registers case against Kasab, 13 others
February 11, 2009 19:53 IST
Pakistani authorities on Wednesday registered a case against Ajmal Amir Iman Kasab [Images], the lone terrorist captured alive during the Mumbai [Images] attacks, and 13 others in connection with the terror strikes.
The case was registered on the basis of the probe conducted by the Federal Investigation Agency and the decision made by the Defence Committee of the Cabinet during its meeting on Monday, TV channels quoted unidentified sources as saying.
The case was registered under the Anti-Terrorism Act, Geo News channel reported. It quoted sources as saying that the case was registered at the Dockyard police station in Karachi.
Geo News also said that the three persons, who were arrested earlier in Karachi, were among the others named in the case. Nine more persons had been identified but were yet to be taken into custody, the channel reported.
Legal experts said that Pakistan will need the cooperation of Indian authorities to proceed with the case and bring it to court. Pakistani authorities might also need to seek access to Indian witnesses to proceed with the case, they said.
During its meeting on Monday, the Defence Committee of the Cabinet decided to register a case and conduct further investigations to bring the perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks to justice, according to Pakistan laws.
The meeting, which was chaired by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani [Images], said it would be "exceedingly difficult to complete the investigation and proceed with the case without substantial evidence" from India.
It also decided to send further queries to Indian authorities. Pakistan detained or placed under surveillance some 124 members of the Lashker-e-Taiyba and its front organisation Jamaat-ud-Dawah in the wake of the Mumbai attacks.
The LeT and Jamaat founder Hafiz Mohammed Saeed, LeT operations commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi and communications expert Zarar Shah are among those detained.
Pakistani authorities on Wednesday registered a case against Ajmal Amir Iman Kasab [Images], the lone terrorist captured alive during the Mumbai [Images] attacks, and 13 others in connection with the terror strikes.
The case was registered on the basis of the probe conducted by the Federal Investigation Agency and the decision made by the Defence Committee of the Cabinet during its meeting on Monday, TV channels quoted unidentified sources as saying.
The case was registered under the Anti-Terrorism Act, Geo News channel reported. It quoted sources as saying that the case was registered at the Dockyard police station in Karachi.
Geo News also said that the three persons, who were arrested earlier in Karachi, were among the others named in the case. Nine more persons had been identified but were yet to be taken into custody, the channel reported.
Legal experts said that Pakistan will need the cooperation of Indian authorities to proceed with the case and bring it to court. Pakistani authorities might also need to seek access to Indian witnesses to proceed with the case, they said.
During its meeting on Monday, the Defence Committee of the Cabinet decided to register a case and conduct further investigations to bring the perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks to justice, according to Pakistan laws.
The meeting, which was chaired by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani [Images], said it would be "exceedingly difficult to complete the investigation and proceed with the case without substantial evidence" from India.
It also decided to send further queries to Indian authorities. Pakistan detained or placed under surveillance some 124 members of the Lashker-e-Taiyba and its front organisation Jamaat-ud-Dawah in the wake of the Mumbai attacks.
The LeT and Jamaat founder Hafiz Mohammed Saeed, LeT operations commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi and communications expert Zarar Shah are among those detained.
Pakistan registers case against Kasab, 13 others
February 11, 2009 19:53 IST
Pakistani authorities on Wednesday registered a case against Ajmal Amir Iman Kasab [Images], the lone terrorist captured alive during the Mumbai [Images] attacks, and 13 others in connection with the terror strikes.
The case was registered on the basis of the probe conducted by the Federal Investigation Agency and the decision made by the Defence Committee of the Cabinet during its meeting on Monday, TV channels quoted unidentified sources as saying.
The case was registered under the Anti-Terrorism Act, Geo News channel reported. It quoted sources as saying that the case was registered at the Dockyard police station in Karachi.
Geo News also said that the three persons, who were arrested earlier in Karachi, were among the others named in the case. Nine more persons had been identified but were yet to be taken into custody, the channel reported.
Legal experts said that Pakistan will need the cooperation of Indian authorities to proceed with the case and bring it to court. Pakistani authorities might also need to seek access to Indian witnesses to proceed with the case, they said.
During its meeting on Monday, the Defence Committee of the Cabinet decided to register a case and conduct further investigations to bring the perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks to justice, according to Pakistan laws.
The meeting, which was chaired by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani [Images], said it would be "exceedingly difficult to complete the investigation and proceed with the case without substantial evidence" from India.
It also decided to send further queries to Indian authorities. Pakistan detained or placed under surveillance some 124 members of the Lashker-e-Taiyba and its front organisation Jamaat-ud-Dawah in the wake of the Mumbai attacks.
The LeT and Jamaat founder Hafiz Mohammed Saeed, LeT operations commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi and communications expert Zarar Shah are among those detained.
Pakistani authorities on Wednesday registered a case against Ajmal Amir Iman Kasab [Images], the lone terrorist captured alive during the Mumbai [Images] attacks, and 13 others in connection with the terror strikes.
The case was registered on the basis of the probe conducted by the Federal Investigation Agency and the decision made by the Defence Committee of the Cabinet during its meeting on Monday, TV channels quoted unidentified sources as saying.
The case was registered under the Anti-Terrorism Act, Geo News channel reported. It quoted sources as saying that the case was registered at the Dockyard police station in Karachi.
Geo News also said that the three persons, who were arrested earlier in Karachi, were among the others named in the case. Nine more persons had been identified but were yet to be taken into custody, the channel reported.
Legal experts said that Pakistan will need the cooperation of Indian authorities to proceed with the case and bring it to court. Pakistani authorities might also need to seek access to Indian witnesses to proceed with the case, they said.
During its meeting on Monday, the Defence Committee of the Cabinet decided to register a case and conduct further investigations to bring the perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks to justice, according to Pakistan laws.
The meeting, which was chaired by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani [Images], said it would be "exceedingly difficult to complete the investigation and proceed with the case without substantial evidence" from India.
It also decided to send further queries to Indian authorities. Pakistan detained or placed under surveillance some 124 members of the Lashker-e-Taiyba and its front organisation Jamaat-ud-Dawah in the wake of the Mumbai attacks.
The LeT and Jamaat founder Hafiz Mohammed Saeed, LeT operations commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi and communications expert Zarar Shah are among those detained.
'Attacks on India likely to continue' - Suman Guha Mozumder in New York
February 11, 2009 08:24 IST
A Rand Corporation study on the November 26 terrorist attacks on Mumbai [Images] has concluded that India will remain a target of Pakistan-based terrorism for the foreseeable future because of the inability of New Delhi [Images] and the international community to compel Islamabad [Images] to dismantle the terrorist infrastructure in that country.
Titled 'Lessons of Mumbai', the report posts the possibility of an escalating terrorist campaign in the region and the rise of a 'strategic terrorist culture'.
Citing Pakistan's 'inherent incapacities' to dismantle its terrorist infrastructure and the expanding participation of Indians in Islamist violence, Angel Rabasa of the Rand Corporation, lead author of the report, said all of these coalesced into a grim prospect for the subcontinent.
Asked to elaborate on the doomsday scenario, Rabasa said, "There is an infrastructure of terrorist groups in Pakistan that have been targeting India at least for the past 15 years. and there seems to be very little indication so far that the government of Pakistan is able or willing to dismantle the terrorist infrastructure."
"There are some limitations as far as India and the international community is concerned with regard to the Pakistani policy and to the presence of these terrorist groups in Pakistan. As long as these terrorist groups are in place, they will target India. There are two basic premises: one, that these attacks are likely to continue as long as this terrorist infrastructure continues to be present in Pakistan and two, that there has been an unwillingness or inability on the part of the Pakistani authorities to shut down these infrastructures."
The root cause of the problem, Rabasa says, is that there are different power centres in Pakistan, and the civilian government is incapable of controlling the army and the Inter Services Intelligence. "It is conceivable that even the Pakistani military establishment may not have control over elements in the ISI that continue to support these terrorist groups. We do not see Pakistan as a unified actor in dealing with terrorist groups � there are multiple power centres. It is very hard to engage Pakistan to a reasonable degree."
All of this coupled with the nuclear deterrent, Rabasa argues in the study, limits India's options. "There is always a risk of escalation to nuclear level," Rabasa says, arguing why India cannot safely consider an armed response. "It seems to me that the Pakistani nuclear doctrine does not preclude the first use of nuclear weapons. Asif Ali Zardari [Images] has walked back from that at some points, but then he does not control the nuclear weapons of Pakistan. The ultimate decision makers, I guess, are the military in Pakistan. This is the constraint for conventional action as far as India is concerned."
Further, Rabasa argues, terrorist groups in Pakistan have diversified their infrastructure, "and so it is very difficult to disable these groups by a military strike on their facilities. You can always use military means, but the question is whether it would achieve the objective, mainly dismantling the terrorist infrastructure in that country."
Asked about India's use of massive international diplomacy and whether it could form an effective strategy, Rabasa said the point worth keeping in mind is that as far as the US is concerned, Pakistan has become the epicentre of global terrorism.
"Al Qaeda [Images] has established itself in the tribal areas of Pakistan and there are also other terrorist groups. Even the United Kingdom has suffered terrorist attacks that had links to Pakistan. Terrorists finding sanctuaries in Pakistan is an international problem and therefore, there is a major international interest in securing Pakistani cooperation in dismantling these terrorist infrastructures."
Rabasa pointed out that if the US was to succeed in its offensive against the Taliban [Images] and Al Qaeda in Afghanistan, it had to start by eliminating terrorist sanctuaries. "The US is constrained by the fact that it relies on Pakistan for logistical support for its operations in Afghanistan. Therefore, to be able to find ways to persuade sectors in Pakistan that tolerate these terrorist groups, the US needs to find ways to review its reliance for logistical support on Pakistan," Rabasa said, arguing that as long as the US was reliant on Pakistan support, it would lack full freedom to move against terrorist infrastructures in the region.
The comprehensive study points the finger directly at the Lashkar-e-Tayiba [Images] for the Mumbai attacks, but stops short of arguing that there was some level of complicity by the ISI. "We know that LeT has historically had links with ISI -- in fact, the LeT was established with the support of the ISI," Rabasa pointed out.
"But we do not have enough information to make the judgment as to whether ISI, or elements within the ISI, were involved in the terror attack or had knowledge of this specific operation. The LeT has been allowed to operate very openly in Pakistan, but we do not have enough evidence to suggest that there was complicity between the ISI and LeT."
A Rand Corporation study on the November 26 terrorist attacks on Mumbai [Images] has concluded that India will remain a target of Pakistan-based terrorism for the foreseeable future because of the inability of New Delhi [Images] and the international community to compel Islamabad [Images] to dismantle the terrorist infrastructure in that country.
Titled 'Lessons of Mumbai', the report posts the possibility of an escalating terrorist campaign in the region and the rise of a 'strategic terrorist culture'.
Citing Pakistan's 'inherent incapacities' to dismantle its terrorist infrastructure and the expanding participation of Indians in Islamist violence, Angel Rabasa of the Rand Corporation, lead author of the report, said all of these coalesced into a grim prospect for the subcontinent.
Asked to elaborate on the doomsday scenario, Rabasa said, "There is an infrastructure of terrorist groups in Pakistan that have been targeting India at least for the past 15 years. and there seems to be very little indication so far that the government of Pakistan is able or willing to dismantle the terrorist infrastructure."
"There are some limitations as far as India and the international community is concerned with regard to the Pakistani policy and to the presence of these terrorist groups in Pakistan. As long as these terrorist groups are in place, they will target India. There are two basic premises: one, that these attacks are likely to continue as long as this terrorist infrastructure continues to be present in Pakistan and two, that there has been an unwillingness or inability on the part of the Pakistani authorities to shut down these infrastructures."
The root cause of the problem, Rabasa says, is that there are different power centres in Pakistan, and the civilian government is incapable of controlling the army and the Inter Services Intelligence. "It is conceivable that even the Pakistani military establishment may not have control over elements in the ISI that continue to support these terrorist groups. We do not see Pakistan as a unified actor in dealing with terrorist groups � there are multiple power centres. It is very hard to engage Pakistan to a reasonable degree."
All of this coupled with the nuclear deterrent, Rabasa argues in the study, limits India's options. "There is always a risk of escalation to nuclear level," Rabasa says, arguing why India cannot safely consider an armed response. "It seems to me that the Pakistani nuclear doctrine does not preclude the first use of nuclear weapons. Asif Ali Zardari [Images] has walked back from that at some points, but then he does not control the nuclear weapons of Pakistan. The ultimate decision makers, I guess, are the military in Pakistan. This is the constraint for conventional action as far as India is concerned."
Further, Rabasa argues, terrorist groups in Pakistan have diversified their infrastructure, "and so it is very difficult to disable these groups by a military strike on their facilities. You can always use military means, but the question is whether it would achieve the objective, mainly dismantling the terrorist infrastructure in that country."
Asked about India's use of massive international diplomacy and whether it could form an effective strategy, Rabasa said the point worth keeping in mind is that as far as the US is concerned, Pakistan has become the epicentre of global terrorism.
"Al Qaeda [Images] has established itself in the tribal areas of Pakistan and there are also other terrorist groups. Even the United Kingdom has suffered terrorist attacks that had links to Pakistan. Terrorists finding sanctuaries in Pakistan is an international problem and therefore, there is a major international interest in securing Pakistani cooperation in dismantling these terrorist infrastructures."
Rabasa pointed out that if the US was to succeed in its offensive against the Taliban [Images] and Al Qaeda in Afghanistan, it had to start by eliminating terrorist sanctuaries. "The US is constrained by the fact that it relies on Pakistan for logistical support for its operations in Afghanistan. Therefore, to be able to find ways to persuade sectors in Pakistan that tolerate these terrorist groups, the US needs to find ways to review its reliance for logistical support on Pakistan," Rabasa said, arguing that as long as the US was reliant on Pakistan support, it would lack full freedom to move against terrorist infrastructures in the region.
The comprehensive study points the finger directly at the Lashkar-e-Tayiba [Images] for the Mumbai attacks, but stops short of arguing that there was some level of complicity by the ISI. "We know that LeT has historically had links with ISI -- in fact, the LeT was established with the support of the ISI," Rabasa pointed out.
"But we do not have enough information to make the judgment as to whether ISI, or elements within the ISI, were involved in the terror attack or had knowledge of this specific operation. The LeT has been allowed to operate very openly in Pakistan, but we do not have enough evidence to suggest that there was complicity between the ISI and LeT."
Part of 26/11 conspiracy planned here, admits Pak
February 12, 2009 14:02 IST
Last Updated: February 12, 2009 15:15 IST
After a spate of flip-flops, Pakistan on Thursday finally admitted that 'some part of the conspiracy' behind the Mumbai terror attacks [Images] was planned in the country and six persons have been arrested in this connection.
Pakistan's response to India's dossier on the November 26 Mumbai strikes was handed over to India's High Commissioner Satyabrata Pal with a list of 30 questions.
Islamabad [Images] also sought further information about Mumbai attackers including their finger prints and DNA samples.
"Some part of the conspiracy related to the Mumbai attacks was planned in Pakistan," Interior Ministry chief Rehman Malik said, an admission that comes after a series of conflicting statements from Pakistani leadership.
Malik said nine persons have been named in an FIR registered on Thursday in connection with the Mumbai attacks and six persons have been arrested.
Malik, who met Pal earlier in the day, said that some of those involved in Mumbai attacks were Lashkar-e-Tayiba [Images] operatives and the arrests were based on the preliminary investigations.
Pakistan has been under intense international pressure mobilised by India to crack down on the LeT and its frontal outfit Jamaat-Ud Dawah, which have been blamed for the Mumbai carnage that left 183 people dead.
"Actual investigation will start now as probe starts only after filing of FIR," he said.
Hamad Ameen Sadiq, who facilitated money transfer for the attacks, has been arrested along with another Pakistani national Javed Iqbal, who acquired the VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) connections from Spain, Malik told a press conference.
On Ajmal Amir Kasab [Images], Malik said his statement has to be recorded in Pakistani court, suggesting that Islamabad would like to seek the custody of 22-year-old Kasab, the lone surviving attacker nabbed during Mumbai attacks.
Malik said the investigators had traced the shop from where the engine for the boat used by the attackers was purchased and arrested the owner of the shop.
Last Updated: February 12, 2009 15:15 IST
After a spate of flip-flops, Pakistan on Thursday finally admitted that 'some part of the conspiracy' behind the Mumbai terror attacks [Images] was planned in the country and six persons have been arrested in this connection.
Pakistan's response to India's dossier on the November 26 Mumbai strikes was handed over to India's High Commissioner Satyabrata Pal with a list of 30 questions.
Islamabad [Images] also sought further information about Mumbai attackers including their finger prints and DNA samples.
"Some part of the conspiracy related to the Mumbai attacks was planned in Pakistan," Interior Ministry chief Rehman Malik said, an admission that comes after a series of conflicting statements from Pakistani leadership.
Malik said nine persons have been named in an FIR registered on Thursday in connection with the Mumbai attacks and six persons have been arrested.
Malik, who met Pal earlier in the day, said that some of those involved in Mumbai attacks were Lashkar-e-Tayiba [Images] operatives and the arrests were based on the preliminary investigations.
Pakistan has been under intense international pressure mobilised by India to crack down on the LeT and its frontal outfit Jamaat-Ud Dawah, which have been blamed for the Mumbai carnage that left 183 people dead.
"Actual investigation will start now as probe starts only after filing of FIR," he said.
Hamad Ameen Sadiq, who facilitated money transfer for the attacks, has been arrested along with another Pakistani national Javed Iqbal, who acquired the VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) connections from Spain, Malik told a press conference.
On Ajmal Amir Kasab [Images], Malik said his statement has to be recorded in Pakistani court, suggesting that Islamabad would like to seek the custody of 22-year-old Kasab, the lone surviving attacker nabbed during Mumbai attacks.
Malik said the investigators had traced the shop from where the engine for the boat used by the attackers was purchased and arrested the owner of the shop.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Pak had asked China to negotiate with India post 26/11
January 22, 2009 14:33 IST
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Thursday said that Pakistan had given a 'blank cheque' to China, authorising it to negotiate with India on its behalf to deal with the aftermath of the Mumbai terrorist attacks.
Speaking at a reception at the Chinese embassy in Islamabad on Wednesday night, Qureshi said he had told Chinese special envoy He Yafei to "go to Delhi and you have a blank cheque from us".
The minister said he had told the envoy that Pakistan would endorse whatever China, an all-weather friend of Pakistan, would tell India.
The Chinese envoy visited Pakistan on December 29 and during his meetings with the country's leaders, had indicated that Beijing [Images] would remain engaged with Islamabad to promote peace and stability in the region.
Soon after Yafei's visit, Pakistan made two proposals for defusing tension in the region. It asked India to 'de-activate' forward airbases and relocate troops to peace-time positions.
The Chinese envoy traveled to New Delhi on January 5 and urged India to resume its dialogue with Pakistan.
Qureshi also said that Pakistan regarded its ties with China as the cornerstone of its foreign policy.
"We have complete trust, mutual understanding and convergence of views on bilateral, regional and international issues," he said.
The bilateral relations, "which have withstood regional and global changes, would flourish in the days ahead," Qureshi said.
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Thursday said that Pakistan had given a 'blank cheque' to China, authorising it to negotiate with India on its behalf to deal with the aftermath of the Mumbai terrorist attacks.
Speaking at a reception at the Chinese embassy in Islamabad on Wednesday night, Qureshi said he had told Chinese special envoy He Yafei to "go to Delhi and you have a blank cheque from us".
The minister said he had told the envoy that Pakistan would endorse whatever China, an all-weather friend of Pakistan, would tell India.
The Chinese envoy visited Pakistan on December 29 and during his meetings with the country's leaders, had indicated that Beijing [Images] would remain engaged with Islamabad to promote peace and stability in the region.
Soon after Yafei's visit, Pakistan made two proposals for defusing tension in the region. It asked India to 'de-activate' forward airbases and relocate troops to peace-time positions.
The Chinese envoy traveled to New Delhi on January 5 and urged India to resume its dialogue with Pakistan.
Qureshi also said that Pakistan regarded its ties with China as the cornerstone of its foreign policy.
"We have complete trust, mutual understanding and convergence of views on bilateral, regional and international issues," he said.
The bilateral relations, "which have withstood regional and global changes, would flourish in the days ahead," Qureshi said.
Pakistan indirectly supported 26/11 attackers, says Navy chief
The Mumbai [Images] carnage could not have been carried out without indirect support from 'professional organisations' in Pakistan, Navy chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta said in Mumbai on Thursday.
"Of course there is indirect support.....some professional organisations could be involved," he said when asked if the terrorists had received assistance from Pakistani state agencies.
"How do you learn to do what you are doing? How do you get the infrastructure you need for this kind of thing," the admiral asked.
"Those are all issues where some professional organisations could be involved," he said after commissioning the navy's first helicopter base, INS Shikra, in the city.
Even if the terrorists who participated in the attacks were non-state actors, as claimed by Pakistan, they were still the responsibility of that state, he said.
"Pakistanis have been saying...that there is no state agency that is involved. These are non-state actors who have got the job done. Whatever that be, the fact of the matter remains that non-state actors emanating from a state become the responsibility of the state," he said.
Mehta also said that there had been no additional deployment of forces by the Navy in the western sector following the terror strikes.
"The level of alertness is always high and our forces are always ready," he said, adding there were ships on duty on the western seafront of the country but no orders increasing the state of alert had been given.
Following the terror attacks, there were multiple organisational issues being discussed in order to improve co-ordination among the country's various security agencies, Mehta said.
Image: Admiral Sureesh Mehta (centre) after commissioning the navy's first helicopter base INS Shikra in Mumbai.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
US moves to suspend Guantanamo Bay war crime trials- The Rediff News Bureau
January 21, 2009 14:11 IST
United States President Barack Obama's [Images] administration has filed a motion for suspending the Guantanamo Bay war crimes trial for 120 days, reports The Independent, UK.
The motion, made at the instance of Obama and US Defense Secretary Robert Gates, is expected to be considered early on Wednesday local time by the military judge hearing into the case against five men charged in 9/11 terror attacks and against Omar Khadr, a Canadian who is accused of killing an American soldier in Afghanistan in 2002, the newspaper reports.
The 120-day suspension was being sought to enable the administration to complete a review of the system in place for prosecuting the suspected terrorists.
In the suspension motion, military prosecutor Clay Trivett has said a suspension was necessary in all pending cases since the review underway may result in major changes in the system.
In his motion, Trivett wrote, 'The interests of justice served by granting the requested continuance outweigh the interests of both the public and the accused in a prompt trial,' adding that the motion was being written at the direction of the president and the defence secretary.
Closing down Guantanamo Bay, where the US holds around 245 men, was high on the agenda of the new president, but relatives of the victims of 9/11, who were also at the base to observe the hearings, have opposed any delay in the trials.
On Tuesday, just before Obama's swearing-in, a military judge adjourned the war crimes court and noted that the future of the court was in doubt.
War crimes are pending against 21 men, and if the motion goes through judges will be required to suspend the other cases as well.
The war crimes trial was created by former president George Bush [Images] and US Congress in 2006.
United States President Barack Obama's [Images] administration has filed a motion for suspending the Guantanamo Bay war crimes trial for 120 days, reports The Independent, UK.
The motion, made at the instance of Obama and US Defense Secretary Robert Gates, is expected to be considered early on Wednesday local time by the military judge hearing into the case against five men charged in 9/11 terror attacks and against Omar Khadr, a Canadian who is accused of killing an American soldier in Afghanistan in 2002, the newspaper reports.
The 120-day suspension was being sought to enable the administration to complete a review of the system in place for prosecuting the suspected terrorists.
In the suspension motion, military prosecutor Clay Trivett has said a suspension was necessary in all pending cases since the review underway may result in major changes in the system.
In his motion, Trivett wrote, 'The interests of justice served by granting the requested continuance outweigh the interests of both the public and the accused in a prompt trial,' adding that the motion was being written at the direction of the president and the defence secretary.
Closing down Guantanamo Bay, where the US holds around 245 men, was high on the agenda of the new president, but relatives of the victims of 9/11, who were also at the base to observe the hearings, have opposed any delay in the trials.
On Tuesday, just before Obama's swearing-in, a military judge adjourned the war crimes court and noted that the future of the court was in doubt.
War crimes are pending against 21 men, and if the motion goes through judges will be required to suspend the other cases as well.
The war crimes trial was created by former president George Bush [Images] and US Congress in 2006.
Barack Obama, the new Ronald Reagan - Paul Maidment, Forbes
January 21, 2009
At his inauguration in 1981, Ronald Reagan said "In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem."
The wheel has turned. Barack Obama assumes office with the U.S. government having more direct control over business and the economy than at any time since Reagan started his far-reaching crusade to shrink the federal government.
In that sense, the advent of Obama marks an end to the Reagan era.In reality, it will mark a new phase. Ever since it became clear that the financial system was going to require substantial government intervention, it has been fashionable to say that America has privatized reward but socialised risk.
Jack Bogle, the founder and former CEO of mutual fund giant The Vanguard Group, told Forbes recently that what America now has is "not free enterprise, it is fettered enterprise."
What most Americans believe their government should give them, however, is enterprise that is fettered only to the greater degree necessary to stop it from running wild. Though more Americans now work in government than manufacturing, hardly any of them--and certainly no one who remembers or experienced the shortages and hardships of the Soviet era that Reagan was instrumental in ending--seriously proposes that the US should be a centrally planned economy.
Nor do many Americans see much merit in the government owing and operating what Lenin once called the "commanding heights of the economy"--energy, iron and steel, transport, utilities and communications. They have stood in enough lines at the post office.
Like Reagan ("it's not my intention to do away with government"), Americans on the whole don't believe in zero government. There are many areas in which government is seen as having a natural role as the provider of a public good--defense, education and transportation being three of the most obvious.
Reagan talked about making government work; working with Americans not over them; standing by their side not riding on their back. The Reagan promise was a government that provides opportunity, not smothers it.
Similarly, what Americans want from their government in regard to business is that it keeps it honest. They want the federal government to be the referee, not a player.
There are all sorts of lesson about prudential regulation to be drawn from the current financial crisis; there were failures of government policy and administration, as well as failures of the market. Fragmented agencies need to be brought together, better assessments of risk taken; special interests curtailed, perhaps even a financial equivalent to the Food and Drug Administration to vet the more exotic new products that Wall Street's financial engineers produce.
But government's proper roll was well defined before the crisis. There were laws against predatory lending on the books that were just not enforced. There were dubious financial practices that the Securities and Exchange Commission did not have the staff--or perhaps the will--to investigate. There were asleep-at-the-switch corporate directors who did not hold up their fiduciary responsibilities.
These are the modern-day equivalent of adulterating food or fixing the scales in the market to defraud the shopper. Americans expect government to have weights and measures inspectors. But they don't want the government to run the produce stall.
Economically, the Obama presidency will be judged on how well it delivers jobs and prosperity. The new president has said his reforms will be measured "by the jobs we create, by the energy we save, by whether America is more competitive in the world."
He has acknowledged that it will be private enterprise that will have to deliver most of that. Government has a role to play in making that happen, through such measures as diverse as a hefty stimulus package to kick-start growth to creating public-private business incubators that can grow sustainable new businesses nationwide for the longer-term.
Government has neither the resources, creativity or drive to do it alone. Few Americans expect it to. They fundamentally believe in the extraordinary dynamism and creativity of a capitalist system that prizes and encourages people who, in Abraham Lincoln's words, try to improve their lot in life--and thereby the lot of us all.
Here are some words that could come out of the mouth of President Obama on inauguration day: "This administration's objective will be a healthy, vigorous, growing economy that provides equal opportunities for all Americans, with no barriers born of bigotry or discrimination. Putting America back to work means putting all Americans back to work ...
All must share in the productive work of this "new beginning," and all must share in the bounty of a revived economy. With the idealism and fair play, which are the core of our system and our strength, we can have a strong and prosperous America, at peace with itself and the world."
They were said by Ronald Reagan on inauguration day 1981.
At his inauguration in 1981, Ronald Reagan said "In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem."
The wheel has turned. Barack Obama assumes office with the U.S. government having more direct control over business and the economy than at any time since Reagan started his far-reaching crusade to shrink the federal government.
In that sense, the advent of Obama marks an end to the Reagan era.In reality, it will mark a new phase. Ever since it became clear that the financial system was going to require substantial government intervention, it has been fashionable to say that America has privatized reward but socialised risk.
Jack Bogle, the founder and former CEO of mutual fund giant The Vanguard Group, told Forbes recently that what America now has is "not free enterprise, it is fettered enterprise."
What most Americans believe their government should give them, however, is enterprise that is fettered only to the greater degree necessary to stop it from running wild. Though more Americans now work in government than manufacturing, hardly any of them--and certainly no one who remembers or experienced the shortages and hardships of the Soviet era that Reagan was instrumental in ending--seriously proposes that the US should be a centrally planned economy.
Nor do many Americans see much merit in the government owing and operating what Lenin once called the "commanding heights of the economy"--energy, iron and steel, transport, utilities and communications. They have stood in enough lines at the post office.
Like Reagan ("it's not my intention to do away with government"), Americans on the whole don't believe in zero government. There are many areas in which government is seen as having a natural role as the provider of a public good--defense, education and transportation being three of the most obvious.
Reagan talked about making government work; working with Americans not over them; standing by their side not riding on their back. The Reagan promise was a government that provides opportunity, not smothers it.
Similarly, what Americans want from their government in regard to business is that it keeps it honest. They want the federal government to be the referee, not a player.
There are all sorts of lesson about prudential regulation to be drawn from the current financial crisis; there were failures of government policy and administration, as well as failures of the market. Fragmented agencies need to be brought together, better assessments of risk taken; special interests curtailed, perhaps even a financial equivalent to the Food and Drug Administration to vet the more exotic new products that Wall Street's financial engineers produce.
But government's proper roll was well defined before the crisis. There were laws against predatory lending on the books that were just not enforced. There were dubious financial practices that the Securities and Exchange Commission did not have the staff--or perhaps the will--to investigate. There were asleep-at-the-switch corporate directors who did not hold up their fiduciary responsibilities.
These are the modern-day equivalent of adulterating food or fixing the scales in the market to defraud the shopper. Americans expect government to have weights and measures inspectors. But they don't want the government to run the produce stall.
Economically, the Obama presidency will be judged on how well it delivers jobs and prosperity. The new president has said his reforms will be measured "by the jobs we create, by the energy we save, by whether America is more competitive in the world."
He has acknowledged that it will be private enterprise that will have to deliver most of that. Government has a role to play in making that happen, through such measures as diverse as a hefty stimulus package to kick-start growth to creating public-private business incubators that can grow sustainable new businesses nationwide for the longer-term.
Government has neither the resources, creativity or drive to do it alone. Few Americans expect it to. They fundamentally believe in the extraordinary dynamism and creativity of a capitalist system that prizes and encourages people who, in Abraham Lincoln's words, try to improve their lot in life--and thereby the lot of us all.
Here are some words that could come out of the mouth of President Obama on inauguration day: "This administration's objective will be a healthy, vigorous, growing economy that provides equal opportunities for all Americans, with no barriers born of bigotry or discrimination. Putting America back to work means putting all Americans back to work ...
All must share in the productive work of this "new beginning," and all must share in the bounty of a revived economy. With the idealism and fair play, which are the core of our system and our strength, we can have a strong and prosperous America, at peace with itself and the world."
They were said by Ronald Reagan on inauguration day 1981.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
British kite-flying on Kashmir - Colonel Anil Athale (retired)
January 20, 2009
By a coincidence, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband was in India during the annual kite-flying festival and he did indeed do some of his own on the issue of Jammu and Kashmir [Images]. He proffered unsolicited advice that in order to deal with terrorism India must 'solve' the Kashmir problem. It is easy to dismiss this as utterances of a new entrant to foreign office. But that would be a huge mistake. In all possibility, Miliband was testing waters to see the reactions in India on behalf of the incoming Barack Obama [Images] administration in the United States.
Obama is on record as having said that he will accord priority to solving the Kashmir issue and there were plenty of 'leaks' to the effect that former US President Bill Clinton [Images] may be appointed special envoy for Kashmir. The American logic is unassailable, from their point of view. With the war in Afghanistan going badly for NATO and it allies and further danger of the whole of Pakistan's northwest falling to the Taliban [Images], America needs Pakistani support more than ever. As a quid pro quo Pakistan is demanding that in order to make the anti-Taliban fight a success, it needs to show some gains -- obviously at the cost of India. As far as Pakistan is concerned; a 'solution' to the Kashmir problem at the minimum means that India must surrender the Kashmir valley and Doda-Kistwar area to Pakistan. This is the so-called 'Chenab solution' that has been bandied about for the last 60 years.
It is interesting that every time India is subjected to a terror strike, international pressure mounts on us to solve the Kashmir problem. The world is oblivious to the fact that today in the light of peaceful polls (with over 60 percent voting) in Kashmir, the greatest support to and agitation for 'Kashmir', is being conducted in Lahore [Images] and other parts of Pakistan, while Kashmir is largely peaceful.
But it is futile to blame the world for our follies, specially that pernicious breed called 'pseudo-liberals'. We began on the wrong foot when we meekly accepted the typical Western formulation of equating 'Muslim Pakistan' and 'Hindu India'. Even 60 years after the event we fail to hammer the point that India is a 'secular' State with more Muslims citizens than Pakistan. We also failed to tell the world that while Pakistan where Hindus and Sikhs accounted for close to 12-14 percent of the population in 1947, today it is less than 2 percent. While in India the population of Muslims has grown from 12 percent in 1947 to close to 18 percent now.
Even in the case of Kashmir, the Pandit community that numbered close to 200,000 has been hounded out. India has failed to bring this immense tragedy to the world's notice for the fear of backlash against Indian Muslims. Fair enough, but how does that square up with the media support to Kashmir separatism? Let us make no mistake, the Kashmiris in the valley have masked their demand for secession as movement for 'freedom'. We have also been guilty of ignoring the rest of the state and focussing excessively on the urban areas of the valley. It is the Indian media that has lionised petty valley politicians with a support base of less than a few thousand, into leaders who loftily claim the intent to do good to the whole subcontinent.
In my frequent visits to Kashmir, I have often posed a question to Kashmiris. What is his definition of 'aazadi'? Does it mean freedom of religion, speech, movement or economic activity? And which of these freedoms were not available to him in India? There was really no coherent answer. The constant theme was that 'Kashmir was separate from both India and Pakistan'. Having been studying the Kashmir issue for over two decades now, I pointed out that Kashmir was linked to India ethnically, historically and economically. Kashmir was always a part of the Indian subcontinent, never separate. The growth of the separatist sentiment is the legacy of last 60 years when the indulgent media legitimised the issue of the creation of a 'unique' Kashmiri identity.
How do we deal with this likely storm to be unleashed by the new regime in the US? There ought to be a two-pronged approach -- one, we must show readiness to deal with disgruntled elements in Kashmir strictly within the bounds of our Constitution. Secession is out and that must be told clearly. Two, as for Pakistan, it is time that we tell that country that it has no locus standi as far as Kashmir is concerned. Till such time as we do not take a clear-cut stand on the issue, we keep alive the hope of Lahore-based jihadis and invite terror attacks.
Barack Hussein Obama, who claims the Abraham Lincoln legacy, needs to be reminded that above all Lincoln fought a bloody civil war to keep the union together. Why does he wish to deny that to India?
Colonel Athale is the Chhattrapati Shivaji Fellow at the United Services Institute, New Delhi [Images], working on a project on internal security. He is also coordinator of the Pune-based think tank Inpad.
By a coincidence, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband was in India during the annual kite-flying festival and he did indeed do some of his own on the issue of Jammu and Kashmir [Images]. He proffered unsolicited advice that in order to deal with terrorism India must 'solve' the Kashmir problem. It is easy to dismiss this as utterances of a new entrant to foreign office. But that would be a huge mistake. In all possibility, Miliband was testing waters to see the reactions in India on behalf of the incoming Barack Obama [Images] administration in the United States.
Obama is on record as having said that he will accord priority to solving the Kashmir issue and there were plenty of 'leaks' to the effect that former US President Bill Clinton [Images] may be appointed special envoy for Kashmir. The American logic is unassailable, from their point of view. With the war in Afghanistan going badly for NATO and it allies and further danger of the whole of Pakistan's northwest falling to the Taliban [Images], America needs Pakistani support more than ever. As a quid pro quo Pakistan is demanding that in order to make the anti-Taliban fight a success, it needs to show some gains -- obviously at the cost of India. As far as Pakistan is concerned; a 'solution' to the Kashmir problem at the minimum means that India must surrender the Kashmir valley and Doda-Kistwar area to Pakistan. This is the so-called 'Chenab solution' that has been bandied about for the last 60 years.
It is interesting that every time India is subjected to a terror strike, international pressure mounts on us to solve the Kashmir problem. The world is oblivious to the fact that today in the light of peaceful polls (with over 60 percent voting) in Kashmir, the greatest support to and agitation for 'Kashmir', is being conducted in Lahore [Images] and other parts of Pakistan, while Kashmir is largely peaceful.
But it is futile to blame the world for our follies, specially that pernicious breed called 'pseudo-liberals'. We began on the wrong foot when we meekly accepted the typical Western formulation of equating 'Muslim Pakistan' and 'Hindu India'. Even 60 years after the event we fail to hammer the point that India is a 'secular' State with more Muslims citizens than Pakistan. We also failed to tell the world that while Pakistan where Hindus and Sikhs accounted for close to 12-14 percent of the population in 1947, today it is less than 2 percent. While in India the population of Muslims has grown from 12 percent in 1947 to close to 18 percent now.
Even in the case of Kashmir, the Pandit community that numbered close to 200,000 has been hounded out. India has failed to bring this immense tragedy to the world's notice for the fear of backlash against Indian Muslims. Fair enough, but how does that square up with the media support to Kashmir separatism? Let us make no mistake, the Kashmiris in the valley have masked their demand for secession as movement for 'freedom'. We have also been guilty of ignoring the rest of the state and focussing excessively on the urban areas of the valley. It is the Indian media that has lionised petty valley politicians with a support base of less than a few thousand, into leaders who loftily claim the intent to do good to the whole subcontinent.
In my frequent visits to Kashmir, I have often posed a question to Kashmiris. What is his definition of 'aazadi'? Does it mean freedom of religion, speech, movement or economic activity? And which of these freedoms were not available to him in India? There was really no coherent answer. The constant theme was that 'Kashmir was separate from both India and Pakistan'. Having been studying the Kashmir issue for over two decades now, I pointed out that Kashmir was linked to India ethnically, historically and economically. Kashmir was always a part of the Indian subcontinent, never separate. The growth of the separatist sentiment is the legacy of last 60 years when the indulgent media legitimised the issue of the creation of a 'unique' Kashmiri identity.
How do we deal with this likely storm to be unleashed by the new regime in the US? There ought to be a two-pronged approach -- one, we must show readiness to deal with disgruntled elements in Kashmir strictly within the bounds of our Constitution. Secession is out and that must be told clearly. Two, as for Pakistan, it is time that we tell that country that it has no locus standi as far as Kashmir is concerned. Till such time as we do not take a clear-cut stand on the issue, we keep alive the hope of Lahore-based jihadis and invite terror attacks.
Barack Hussein Obama, who claims the Abraham Lincoln legacy, needs to be reminded that above all Lincoln fought a bloody civil war to keep the union together. Why does he wish to deny that to India?
Colonel Athale is the Chhattrapati Shivaji Fellow at the United Services Institute, New Delhi [Images], working on a project on internal security. He is also coordinator of the Pune-based think tank Inpad.
Former UP CM Kalyan Singh leaves BJP
January 20, 2009 14:26 IST
Former Uttar Pradesh [Images] chief minister Kalyan Singh on Tuesday announced that he has resigned from the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Singh is reportedly unhappy with the party top brass for sidelining him. His resignation comes in the wake of rumours that he might join the Samajwadi Party, after he met SP supremo Mulayam Singh a few days ago.
Former Uttar Pradesh [Images] chief minister Kalyan Singh on Tuesday announced that he has resigned from the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Singh is reportedly unhappy with the party top brass for sidelining him. His resignation comes in the wake of rumours that he might join the Samajwadi Party, after he met SP supremo Mulayam Singh a few days ago.
Monday, January 19, 2009
What Team Obama will do on Day One - Lalit K Jha in Washington, DC
January 19, 2009 13:39 IST
Soon after Barack Obama is sworn in as the 44th President of the United States, a small team of key aides will move into the White House to give a jump start to the administration's agenda.
Vans will take about 20 senior officials of the incoming Obama Administration to the White House even before the inauguration ceeremony ends on Tuesday afternoon.
On Wednesday, the first full working day of the new President, Obama has convened meetings for his top two challenges - the economy and foreign policy, specially the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Obama will meet his key economic advisors and top economic officials to give a final shape to the mega economic stimulus package so that the process of recovery and reinvestment of American economy begins at the earliest. Obama believes this is very important to generate confidence among the investors, people and the business class.
The same day, Obama will meet his key military commanders to discuss the options available in Afghanistan and Iraq. A key aide told a news channel on Sunday that Obama will ask his commanders to come up with a plan to withdraw troops from Iraq within 16 months. He will seek a new plan from them so that the war in Afghanistan is won and it does not become a haven for terrorists again.
The Middle East will also be on the priorities list.
'Well, I think that the events around the world demand that he act quickly, and I think you'll see him act quickly,' David Axelrod, senior advisor to Obama told CNN in an interview. 'The president- elect has said repeatedly that he intends to engage early and aggressively with diplomacy all over the world and using the men and women, the professionals who are in place, who are great, and, where appropriate, special envoys,' he said.
Media reports said Team Obama has prepared a series of executive orders for Obama to sign so that the administration kicks off running soon thereafter.
These orders are expected to vary from routine ones regarding the continuity of the government to one on Guantanamo Bay, closing it down.
Soon after Barack Obama is sworn in as the 44th President of the United States, a small team of key aides will move into the White House to give a jump start to the administration's agenda.
Vans will take about 20 senior officials of the incoming Obama Administration to the White House even before the inauguration ceeremony ends on Tuesday afternoon.
On Wednesday, the first full working day of the new President, Obama has convened meetings for his top two challenges - the economy and foreign policy, specially the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Obama will meet his key economic advisors and top economic officials to give a final shape to the mega economic stimulus package so that the process of recovery and reinvestment of American economy begins at the earliest. Obama believes this is very important to generate confidence among the investors, people and the business class.
The same day, Obama will meet his key military commanders to discuss the options available in Afghanistan and Iraq. A key aide told a news channel on Sunday that Obama will ask his commanders to come up with a plan to withdraw troops from Iraq within 16 months. He will seek a new plan from them so that the war in Afghanistan is won and it does not become a haven for terrorists again.
The Middle East will also be on the priorities list.
'Well, I think that the events around the world demand that he act quickly, and I think you'll see him act quickly,' David Axelrod, senior advisor to Obama told CNN in an interview. 'The president- elect has said repeatedly that he intends to engage early and aggressively with diplomacy all over the world and using the men and women, the professionals who are in place, who are great, and, where appropriate, special envoys,' he said.
Media reports said Team Obama has prepared a series of executive orders for Obama to sign so that the administration kicks off running soon thereafter.
These orders are expected to vary from routine ones regarding the continuity of the government to one on Guantanamo Bay, closing it down.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
JK vigilance chief appointed NIA head
January 15, 2009 13:49 IST
Radha Vinod Raju, Special Director General of Police in Jammu and Kashmir [Images], was today appointed as Director General of the newly established National Investigation Agency (NIA).
A 1975-batch IPS officer, 59-year-old Raju, who heads the vigilance department in the militancy-hit state, will be the head of the NIA till January 21, 2010, an official spokesperson said.
He was selected for the coveted post considering his wide knowledge and experiences in investigating high-profile cases, including assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
Union Home Minister P Chidambaram [Images] recommended Raju's name which was signed by Appointments Committee of Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah [Images] has issued orders relieving Raju so as to enable his deputation to the Centre. He was to retire on July 31, this year.
Raju, who has served in various capacities in CBI and returned to his parent cadre after being promoted as Additional Director in the investigating agency, also had a stint in the vigilance department.
Serving as head of the Vigilance Bureau in Jammu and Kashmir earlier, Raju streamlined the department which was in shackles due to the ongoing militancy.
The government had also sought views on it from various investigating and intelligence agencies, including the CBI, Intelligence Bureau and newly constituted National Technical Research Organisation.
Radha Vinod Raju, Special Director General of Police in Jammu and Kashmir [Images], was today appointed as Director General of the newly established National Investigation Agency (NIA).
A 1975-batch IPS officer, 59-year-old Raju, who heads the vigilance department in the militancy-hit state, will be the head of the NIA till January 21, 2010, an official spokesperson said.
He was selected for the coveted post considering his wide knowledge and experiences in investigating high-profile cases, including assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
Union Home Minister P Chidambaram [Images] recommended Raju's name which was signed by Appointments Committee of Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah [Images] has issued orders relieving Raju so as to enable his deputation to the Centre. He was to retire on July 31, this year.
Raju, who has served in various capacities in CBI and returned to his parent cadre after being promoted as Additional Director in the investigating agency, also had a stint in the vigilance department.
Serving as head of the Vigilance Bureau in Jammu and Kashmir earlier, Raju streamlined the department which was in shackles due to the ongoing militancy.
The government had also sought views on it from various investigating and intelligence agencies, including the CBI, Intelligence Bureau and newly constituted National Technical Research Organisation.
NIA will not investigate Mumbai attacks
January 15, 2009 15:15 IST
Last Updated: January 15, 2009 15:20 IST
The National Investigation Agency, set up in the wake of Mumbai terror attacks, will have members handpicked by its first chief Radha Vinod Raju, who was appointed on Thursday.
"He has been requested to join immediately and quickly begin recruitment," Home Minister P Chidambaram [Images], who recommended Raju, said.
Chidambaram said Raju will handpick his core group. Asked how long it would take for the NIA to be functional, he said, "We will now recruit identified officers who have got a good track record in investigation."
Raju has been tasked with recruiting people and putting the infrastructure and logistics in place so that the NIA can take up cases for investigation should a situation arise.
He said the NIA did not have any case to investigate right now. On the Mumbai attacks case, he said: "The Mumbai investigation is well on track. It has made considerable progress. There is no need for transferring it to NIA."
Chidambaram said Raju had vast experience in the Central Bureau of Investigation. A 1975-batch Indian Police Service officer, Raju will head the NIA till January 31, 2010, a home ministry order said.
Raju is now a special director general of police in Jammu and Kashmir
Last Updated: January 15, 2009 15:20 IST
The National Investigation Agency, set up in the wake of Mumbai terror attacks, will have members handpicked by its first chief Radha Vinod Raju, who was appointed on Thursday.
"He has been requested to join immediately and quickly begin recruitment," Home Minister P Chidambaram [Images], who recommended Raju, said.
Chidambaram said Raju will handpick his core group. Asked how long it would take for the NIA to be functional, he said, "We will now recruit identified officers who have got a good track record in investigation."
Raju has been tasked with recruiting people and putting the infrastructure and logistics in place so that the NIA can take up cases for investigation should a situation arise.
He said the NIA did not have any case to investigate right now. On the Mumbai attacks case, he said: "The Mumbai investigation is well on track. It has made considerable progress. There is no need for transferring it to NIA."
Chidambaram said Raju had vast experience in the Central Bureau of Investigation. A 1975-batch Indian Police Service officer, Raju will head the NIA till January 31, 2010, a home ministry order said.
Raju is now a special director general of police in Jammu and Kashmir
Brickbats made me richer, says Mayawati
January 15, 2009 13:33 IST
Last Updated: January 15, 2009 15:37 IST
Visibly peeved at widespread criticism about her partymen's indulgence in blatant extortion to prepare gift packets for her birthday today, Uttar Pradesh [Images] chief minister Mayawati [Images] sought to claim that far from causing any harm to her, the tirade had made her richer.
"Thanks to the venomous campaign launched by the Opposition to defame me and my party by terming the party fund-raising on my birthday as extortion , I have received double the amount of what was gifted to me on January 15 last year," Mayawati declared at an unusually low-key celebration at her official residence Thursday.
She claimed, "My partymen and supporters were provoked by the false and baseless allegations leveled by the entire opposition but because I do not allow them to indulge in cheap and dirty mudslinging , they got down to doubling their contributions on my birthday."
Draped in a bright pink 'zari 'shalvar-kurta' and a brown-check long coat with a fresh hairdo and a stylish gold � ruby - diamond set in place of her usual strings of multiple dazzling solitaires , she was flanked on the dais by her party's Brahmin mascot and state advisory council chief Satish Chandra Misra and chief secretary Atul Kumar Gupta.
Unlike the past , there was neither a cake-cutting ritual nor the usual scramble by sycophant politicians , bureaucrats and top cops to offer a piece to the birthday girl. Other than the 25-minute-long speech read out from a written text, the brief 35-minute programme included launch of a large number of development schemes , release of the 1500- page fourth part of her autobiography followed by a vote of thanks by chief secretary Atul Kumar Gupta.
As if to make it loud and clear to all and sundry that this was a clear deviation from the past, she also rolled out a long list of development projects as well as a number of schemes for the economic upliftment and well being of the poor. As many as 33 granite plaques were unveiled for the new roads and bridges to be built in different parts of the state.
Making no bones about raising funds for the party, Mayawati said, "It is no secret that my birthday as well as that of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) founder Kanshi Ram is traditionally observed as fund-raising day for the party simply because ours is not a party like others who get their millions from industrialists and big business houses."
In the same vein she went about reiterating her clarification on the alleged extortion bid by her party MLA Shekhar Tiwari that culminated on the brutal murder of PWD executive engineer Manoj Kumar Gupta in Auraiya earlier last month.
"The entire exercise of associating Gupta's murder with some kind of extortion by my party leader was a pack of lies, unleashed by the opposition with the sole intent of defaming me and my party," she said.
As if to giving herself a clean-shit, she went on to add, "And let me tell you that the investigation carried out so far had made it amply evident that the incident did not have anything even remotely connected to my birthday."
With a view to substantiating her argument, Mayawati sought to point out, "We have taken the severest action against each of the culprits involved in the murder; even the victim's family was so convinced with it that they had withdrawn their earlier request for a CBI probe into the matter."
She said, "Gupta's family had met me only two days ago and expressed their satisfaction with the investigation."
Terming the opposition tirade against her as a blessing in disguise, she quipped, "I must express my gratitude to SP, BJP as well as the Congress for staging such melodrama against me that incited my supporters to make huge contributions on my birthday to the extent that the overall receipts had doubled in comparison to last year, the on-going recession notwithstanding."
And added a sarcastic note , "I wish the opposition continues with such protests and demonstrations in the future years too on my birthday � that will only make me richer."
While proclaiming, "All the collection would come in handy for use by her party at the next Lok Sabha elections", Mayawati cleverly avoided any mention of the amount she had received in the form of her "double" birthday hamper."
"Whenever the opposition has resorted to playing dirty politics against me, our party has only gained in the bargain", she claimed.
She said, "Take the case of the murderous attack on me by Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav [Images] and his goons on June 2, 1996 - Mulayam had planned to get be killed, but it only resulted in his own political death as he was unseated from the chief minister's chair within the next 24 hours of that attack."
Last Updated: January 15, 2009 15:37 IST
Visibly peeved at widespread criticism about her partymen's indulgence in blatant extortion to prepare gift packets for her birthday today, Uttar Pradesh [Images] chief minister Mayawati [Images] sought to claim that far from causing any harm to her, the tirade had made her richer.
"Thanks to the venomous campaign launched by the Opposition to defame me and my party by terming the party fund-raising on my birthday as extortion , I have received double the amount of what was gifted to me on January 15 last year," Mayawati declared at an unusually low-key celebration at her official residence Thursday.
She claimed, "My partymen and supporters were provoked by the false and baseless allegations leveled by the entire opposition but because I do not allow them to indulge in cheap and dirty mudslinging , they got down to doubling their contributions on my birthday."
Draped in a bright pink 'zari 'shalvar-kurta' and a brown-check long coat with a fresh hairdo and a stylish gold � ruby - diamond set in place of her usual strings of multiple dazzling solitaires , she was flanked on the dais by her party's Brahmin mascot and state advisory council chief Satish Chandra Misra and chief secretary Atul Kumar Gupta.
Unlike the past , there was neither a cake-cutting ritual nor the usual scramble by sycophant politicians , bureaucrats and top cops to offer a piece to the birthday girl. Other than the 25-minute-long speech read out from a written text, the brief 35-minute programme included launch of a large number of development schemes , release of the 1500- page fourth part of her autobiography followed by a vote of thanks by chief secretary Atul Kumar Gupta.
As if to make it loud and clear to all and sundry that this was a clear deviation from the past, she also rolled out a long list of development projects as well as a number of schemes for the economic upliftment and well being of the poor. As many as 33 granite plaques were unveiled for the new roads and bridges to be built in different parts of the state.
Making no bones about raising funds for the party, Mayawati said, "It is no secret that my birthday as well as that of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) founder Kanshi Ram is traditionally observed as fund-raising day for the party simply because ours is not a party like others who get their millions from industrialists and big business houses."
In the same vein she went about reiterating her clarification on the alleged extortion bid by her party MLA Shekhar Tiwari that culminated on the brutal murder of PWD executive engineer Manoj Kumar Gupta in Auraiya earlier last month.
"The entire exercise of associating Gupta's murder with some kind of extortion by my party leader was a pack of lies, unleashed by the opposition with the sole intent of defaming me and my party," she said.
As if to giving herself a clean-shit, she went on to add, "And let me tell you that the investigation carried out so far had made it amply evident that the incident did not have anything even remotely connected to my birthday."
With a view to substantiating her argument, Mayawati sought to point out, "We have taken the severest action against each of the culprits involved in the murder; even the victim's family was so convinced with it that they had withdrawn their earlier request for a CBI probe into the matter."
She said, "Gupta's family had met me only two days ago and expressed their satisfaction with the investigation."
Terming the opposition tirade against her as a blessing in disguise, she quipped, "I must express my gratitude to SP, BJP as well as the Congress for staging such melodrama against me that incited my supporters to make huge contributions on my birthday to the extent that the overall receipts had doubled in comparison to last year, the on-going recession notwithstanding."
And added a sarcastic note , "I wish the opposition continues with such protests and demonstrations in the future years too on my birthday � that will only make me richer."
While proclaiming, "All the collection would come in handy for use by her party at the next Lok Sabha elections", Mayawati cleverly avoided any mention of the amount she had received in the form of her "double" birthday hamper."
"Whenever the opposition has resorted to playing dirty politics against me, our party has only gained in the bargain", she claimed.
She said, "Take the case of the murderous attack on me by Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav [Images] and his goons on June 2, 1996 - Mulayam had planned to get be killed, but it only resulted in his own political death as he was unseated from the chief minister's chair within the next 24 hours of that attack."
Mumbai attack was a test on India's patience: Army
January 15, 2009 14:43 IST
The terror attacks on Mumbai was a test of India's patience and the Army is ready to face any challenge posed by terrorism, Army chief General Deepak Kapoor said today.
"The attack on Mumbai [Images] was a test of our patience...the only and biggest challenge before us is terrorism and we are ready to face this challenge," Kapoor said at the 61st Army Day parade in New Delhi [Images].
Stating that all options to tackle the terror menace were open, he said India wanted to resolve its issues through peaceful means.
"However, to ensure the security of its people and territory, we can use all possible available options," Kapoor said.
He said the army was always ready and capable of carrying out whatever task it is assigned by the government.
Mentioning the global economic meltdown as the second biggest challenge faced by the world, he said the government didn't want the financial proposals of armed forces to be impacted by recession and asked his officers to ensure full value for money spent on the armed forces.
"We want our officers to ensure that the money in armed forces is wisely in view of the economic meltdown," Kapoor said.
He said all neighbours of India were facing challenges, which could pose threat to the security of the country. "We have to remain vigilant against these threats if we have to progress and prosper," the army chief said.
Mentioning the various internal security threats faced by the country, the army chief said, "There are various elements in the country which still want to disintegrate the nation and the biggest threat comes from the insurgencies in Jammu and Kashmir [Images], Northeast and Naxalism."
He said all organisations of the government were working against these threats. Talking about the achievements of the army in containing the insurgencies in the country, Kapoor said, "Elections in J&K could be held peacefully because of the security shield provided by the Army and we have also eliminated the capabilities of militants to carry out sensational strikes in the state."
"In Assam, we have been able to establish peace and marginalised ULFA there. In Manipur, the Assam Rifles and Army have managed to bring down the violence levels and in Nagaland, we have cut down the violence between the two factions of the NSCN," he added.
On Naxalism, he said though the army was not directly involved in operations against the Naxals, it was helping other forces by providing them training and other logistic support. He said during natural calamities such as the massive floods in Bihar, the army had played a big role in providing relief and succour to the affected people and saved many lives there.
The terror attacks on Mumbai was a test of India's patience and the Army is ready to face any challenge posed by terrorism, Army chief General Deepak Kapoor said today.
"The attack on Mumbai [Images] was a test of our patience...the only and biggest challenge before us is terrorism and we are ready to face this challenge," Kapoor said at the 61st Army Day parade in New Delhi [Images].
Stating that all options to tackle the terror menace were open, he said India wanted to resolve its issues through peaceful means.
"However, to ensure the security of its people and territory, we can use all possible available options," Kapoor said.
He said the army was always ready and capable of carrying out whatever task it is assigned by the government.
Mentioning the global economic meltdown as the second biggest challenge faced by the world, he said the government didn't want the financial proposals of armed forces to be impacted by recession and asked his officers to ensure full value for money spent on the armed forces.
"We want our officers to ensure that the money in armed forces is wisely in view of the economic meltdown," Kapoor said.
He said all neighbours of India were facing challenges, which could pose threat to the security of the country. "We have to remain vigilant against these threats if we have to progress and prosper," the army chief said.
Mentioning the various internal security threats faced by the country, the army chief said, "There are various elements in the country which still want to disintegrate the nation and the biggest threat comes from the insurgencies in Jammu and Kashmir [Images], Northeast and Naxalism."
He said all organisations of the government were working against these threats. Talking about the achievements of the army in containing the insurgencies in the country, Kapoor said, "Elections in J&K could be held peacefully because of the security shield provided by the Army and we have also eliminated the capabilities of militants to carry out sensational strikes in the state."
"In Assam, we have been able to establish peace and marginalised ULFA there. In Manipur, the Assam Rifles and Army have managed to bring down the violence levels and in Nagaland, we have cut down the violence between the two factions of the NSCN," he added.
On Naxalism, he said though the army was not directly involved in operations against the Naxals, it was helping other forces by providing them training and other logistic support. He said during natural calamities such as the massive floods in Bihar, the army had played a big role in providing relief and succour to the affected people and saved many lives there.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Pak to respond to Indian dossier in a week
January 15, 2009 11:48 IST
Pakistan will formally respond within a week to India's dossier on the Mumbai attacks by describing the information provided in it as "scanty and insufficient" and by renewing its offer for a joint probe into the terrorist strike, a media report said today.
"The Pakistani response is almost prepared after prolonged consultations here among the Foreign Office, interior ministry and other security agencies and it is being given a finishing touch," a senior official who did not want to be named told the pro-establishment The Nation daily.
The response will be handed over to India in a week after it is approved by the President and Prime Minister, he said.
The dossier had been thoroughly examined and the Pakistani response could be summarised by saying that "the Indians would be told to extend concrete evidence to Islamabad and not information", the official said.
The response will also describe "the so-called Indian evidence as scanty and insufficient," the daily said.
Pakistan would repeat its offer for a joint probe into the Mumbai [Images] attacks with "a plea that it was the only workable solution" to the standoff between the two countries, he said.
The official declined to share details of the Pakistani response but said that it described the "Indian information (as) not something that could be produced as admissible before the court as a piece of evidence".
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, in his address to parliament on Tuesday, had said material provided by India constituted information and not evidence.
Pakistan will formally respond within a week to India's dossier on the Mumbai attacks by describing the information provided in it as "scanty and insufficient" and by renewing its offer for a joint probe into the terrorist strike, a media report said today.
"The Pakistani response is almost prepared after prolonged consultations here among the Foreign Office, interior ministry and other security agencies and it is being given a finishing touch," a senior official who did not want to be named told the pro-establishment The Nation daily.
The response will be handed over to India in a week after it is approved by the President and Prime Minister, he said.
The dossier had been thoroughly examined and the Pakistani response could be summarised by saying that "the Indians would be told to extend concrete evidence to Islamabad and not information", the official said.
The response will also describe "the so-called Indian evidence as scanty and insufficient," the daily said.
Pakistan would repeat its offer for a joint probe into the Mumbai [Images] attacks with "a plea that it was the only workable solution" to the standoff between the two countries, he said.
The official declined to share details of the Pakistani response but said that it described the "Indian information (as) not something that could be produced as admissible before the court as a piece of evidence".
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, in his address to parliament on Tuesday, had said material provided by India constituted information and not evidence.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
'Unless you sacrifice, you can't fight terror'
December 12, 2008
Colonel R Hariharan [Images] is a specialist on South Asia military intelligence. He served as the head of intelligence for the Indian Peace Keeping Force in Sri Lanka [Images] between 1987 and 1990.
He is associated with the South Asia Analysis Group and the Chennai Centre for China Studies.
Colonel Hariharan spoke to rediff.com's Shobha Warrier about what needs to be done to avoid terror attacks like the one in Mumbai terror attacks.
Media reports say that the Indian intelligence agencies had prior information about the Mumbai terror attacks [Images]. After every terror attack, we hear reports that intelligence agencies had prior information about it. Where is it going wrong then? Do you call this an intelligence failure?
I have no hesitation in saying that it was intelligence failure that led to the attacks. Today's terrorists are more tech savvy than the establishment.
Intelligence failure is not only the failure of intelligence agencies. They have to process the information and make an assessment.
There are more than 12 agencies like the Customs, the Enforcement Directorate etc which collect intelligence information, and this excludes the state police.
Firstly, the quality of intelligence collected has to be validated. No agency shares the information with everybody because they want to score brownie points.
What we need is a central control room where intelligence information is shared and immediate action is taken. We don't have a culture of centralised control rooms. I know the Intelligence Bureau has enough intelligent officers, but they don't process intelligence information properly because they are in a hurry to push it so that the responsibility does not fall on them.
How important is processing the information?
It is the most important part of intelligence gathering. You may say, a terror strike is coming from the coast. But from where? Which coast? From whom? When? These questions are never answered. In military intelligence, we don't accept this kind of nonsense.
The Americans failed in processing the information before the 9/11 attacks. We told them a year earlier that Islamic militant guys are being trained in flying. We had told Australia [Images] that they are being trained in Australian flying schools. They passed it on to the Americans but nobody took action because they had too much information.
We have to have management in our information systems. Technology is rudimentary in India. We are a lazy nation as far as the governing system is concerned. So, why blame the intelligence agencies alone? You should blame the government, the various departments and ourselves.
Do you think the current attacks will ring alarm bells and something concrete will happen?
I am not an optimist. I expect some more strikes to come. Will just changing the Union home minister solve the problem?
I am not seeing any action now. There will be more strikes. Something like what is happening in Bangkok has to happen in India too. Everything has to be stopped to make the government act. People have to take to the streets. Only that works.
The ordinary people of India feel that after the 9/11 attacks, the US could stop any further attack while in India, every month, there is a terror strike...
Are we prepared to sacrifice some of our fundamental rights? That is the bottom line. The US has sacrificed part of their fundamental rights. US laws are very stringent. We didn't want POTA which guarantees witness protection.
Where should the overhaul start?
It has to be there everywhere; from the grass-roots to the middle level to the structural level.
Three things are important. At the state level, they must read and process the information themselves. The central agencies and state agencies should share information all the time. Today, they don't do that. The culture of sharing of information should come. In Assam, I have seen only army guys in the meetings; the state guys won't even turn up. Some sort of commitment has to come within the states.
Two, the country must learn to sacrifice some rights to fight terror. While fighting terror, you cannot have the same freedom. Unless you sacrifice, you can't fight terror.
Three, our laws will not hold today's times. You catch two out of 15 terrorists, but you cannot prosecute them. Human rights fellows will make a noise; courts will give them bail even if they are murderers. That is why so many Maoists are not being prosecuted. So, you require a special law.
The coast of India is controlled by many departments, and do you feel it is high time the coast comes under one agency, say the Coast Guard?
There are 12 agencies involved in the coastal security of India. In this country, nobody will give up power. Port security is under the ministry of shipping! What does it know of security?
In the US, when a ship comes to the sea, it comes under the Coast Guard. It is responsible for the coast. Here, it is not. The land is under police, the coastal police have become a big joke. The policemen do not know how to swim. They don't have a sea orientation. Why should you have the same policemen doing the coastal job? You require marine police who should look after coastal and port security.
The Coast Guard has got huge deficiencies like the armed forces. They must make up the deficiency right now. Marine security must come under central authority and the Coast Guard is the best arm. It comes under the navy both in the US and here.
Create internal security separately as a ministry. The time has come.
There is a kind of fear and insecurity in the mind of the people of India.
It can happen in Chennai too. Are you sure it will not happen in the other coasts? In Maharashtra, it will change now just like it changed in Gujarat. Gujarat has a dynamic chief minister and he knows his job. He wanted a law which is similar to what Mumbai is having, but he is not being allowed based on party politics. The Centre also won't bring the law and he also won't be allowed to have a law, and he is asked to control terrorism. What are we afraid of?
When you were gathering intelligence as a military intelligence officer, what were the difficulties you faced?
The major problem is of access to other intelligence agencies. There is no sharing of information. That is the biggest hurdle.
In Sri Lanka, that was what happened. The Research and Analysis Wing was involved in training the LTTE [Images] (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) but it is so compartmentalised that when we went in, the guy from R&AW who was helping us did not have the figures because it was under some other department. So, we must take some hard decisions on sharing information.
Every month there is a terror strike. Will Indians have to learn to live with terror attacks?
Do you know such attacks are happening regularly in the north-east? This is the 8th terror attack this year. I am sure it will continue.
Unless we must have a transparent policy that will guide the structural framework.
Unless the media acts conscientiously. You give more prominence to Arundhati Roy for defending a guy who attacked our Parliament.
Unless the structural mechanism involves states and becomes federal in character.
Unless decision making is done by experts and not politicians.
Unless you make up the deficiencies of all the counter-terror mechanisms with modern technology.
Unless policy making, intelligence and execution work in tandem.
There are politicians in the US and the UK too, but they could manage to stop terror attacks.
Because they are Americans, and we are Indians, I am sorry to say. We have no commitment. Did people react the same way when the Mumbai local trains were attacked? They did not because the rich and VIPs were not involved. Because five star hotels were not involved. Only poor guys, who travelled by train suffered. Did you see the same candles then?
Colonel R Hariharan [Images] is a specialist on South Asia military intelligence. He served as the head of intelligence for the Indian Peace Keeping Force in Sri Lanka [Images] between 1987 and 1990.
He is associated with the South Asia Analysis Group and the Chennai Centre for China Studies.
Colonel Hariharan spoke to rediff.com's Shobha Warrier about what needs to be done to avoid terror attacks like the one in Mumbai terror attacks.
Media reports say that the Indian intelligence agencies had prior information about the Mumbai terror attacks [Images]. After every terror attack, we hear reports that intelligence agencies had prior information about it. Where is it going wrong then? Do you call this an intelligence failure?
I have no hesitation in saying that it was intelligence failure that led to the attacks. Today's terrorists are more tech savvy than the establishment.
Intelligence failure is not only the failure of intelligence agencies. They have to process the information and make an assessment.
There are more than 12 agencies like the Customs, the Enforcement Directorate etc which collect intelligence information, and this excludes the state police.
Firstly, the quality of intelligence collected has to be validated. No agency shares the information with everybody because they want to score brownie points.
What we need is a central control room where intelligence information is shared and immediate action is taken. We don't have a culture of centralised control rooms. I know the Intelligence Bureau has enough intelligent officers, but they don't process intelligence information properly because they are in a hurry to push it so that the responsibility does not fall on them.
How important is processing the information?
It is the most important part of intelligence gathering. You may say, a terror strike is coming from the coast. But from where? Which coast? From whom? When? These questions are never answered. In military intelligence, we don't accept this kind of nonsense.
The Americans failed in processing the information before the 9/11 attacks. We told them a year earlier that Islamic militant guys are being trained in flying. We had told Australia [Images] that they are being trained in Australian flying schools. They passed it on to the Americans but nobody took action because they had too much information.
We have to have management in our information systems. Technology is rudimentary in India. We are a lazy nation as far as the governing system is concerned. So, why blame the intelligence agencies alone? You should blame the government, the various departments and ourselves.
Do you think the current attacks will ring alarm bells and something concrete will happen?
I am not an optimist. I expect some more strikes to come. Will just changing the Union home minister solve the problem?
I am not seeing any action now. There will be more strikes. Something like what is happening in Bangkok has to happen in India too. Everything has to be stopped to make the government act. People have to take to the streets. Only that works.
The ordinary people of India feel that after the 9/11 attacks, the US could stop any further attack while in India, every month, there is a terror strike...
Are we prepared to sacrifice some of our fundamental rights? That is the bottom line. The US has sacrificed part of their fundamental rights. US laws are very stringent. We didn't want POTA which guarantees witness protection.
Where should the overhaul start?
It has to be there everywhere; from the grass-roots to the middle level to the structural level.
Three things are important. At the state level, they must read and process the information themselves. The central agencies and state agencies should share information all the time. Today, they don't do that. The culture of sharing of information should come. In Assam, I have seen only army guys in the meetings; the state guys won't even turn up. Some sort of commitment has to come within the states.
Two, the country must learn to sacrifice some rights to fight terror. While fighting terror, you cannot have the same freedom. Unless you sacrifice, you can't fight terror.
Three, our laws will not hold today's times. You catch two out of 15 terrorists, but you cannot prosecute them. Human rights fellows will make a noise; courts will give them bail even if they are murderers. That is why so many Maoists are not being prosecuted. So, you require a special law.
The coast of India is controlled by many departments, and do you feel it is high time the coast comes under one agency, say the Coast Guard?
There are 12 agencies involved in the coastal security of India. In this country, nobody will give up power. Port security is under the ministry of shipping! What does it know of security?
In the US, when a ship comes to the sea, it comes under the Coast Guard. It is responsible for the coast. Here, it is not. The land is under police, the coastal police have become a big joke. The policemen do not know how to swim. They don't have a sea orientation. Why should you have the same policemen doing the coastal job? You require marine police who should look after coastal and port security.
The Coast Guard has got huge deficiencies like the armed forces. They must make up the deficiency right now. Marine security must come under central authority and the Coast Guard is the best arm. It comes under the navy both in the US and here.
Create internal security separately as a ministry. The time has come.
There is a kind of fear and insecurity in the mind of the people of India.
It can happen in Chennai too. Are you sure it will not happen in the other coasts? In Maharashtra, it will change now just like it changed in Gujarat. Gujarat has a dynamic chief minister and he knows his job. He wanted a law which is similar to what Mumbai is having, but he is not being allowed based on party politics. The Centre also won't bring the law and he also won't be allowed to have a law, and he is asked to control terrorism. What are we afraid of?
When you were gathering intelligence as a military intelligence officer, what were the difficulties you faced?
The major problem is of access to other intelligence agencies. There is no sharing of information. That is the biggest hurdle.
In Sri Lanka, that was what happened. The Research and Analysis Wing was involved in training the LTTE [Images] (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) but it is so compartmentalised that when we went in, the guy from R&AW who was helping us did not have the figures because it was under some other department. So, we must take some hard decisions on sharing information.
Every month there is a terror strike. Will Indians have to learn to live with terror attacks?
Do you know such attacks are happening regularly in the north-east? This is the 8th terror attack this year. I am sure it will continue.
Unless we must have a transparent policy that will guide the structural framework.
Unless the media acts conscientiously. You give more prominence to Arundhati Roy for defending a guy who attacked our Parliament.
Unless the structural mechanism involves states and becomes federal in character.
Unless decision making is done by experts and not politicians.
Unless you make up the deficiencies of all the counter-terror mechanisms with modern technology.
Unless policy making, intelligence and execution work in tandem.
There are politicians in the US and the UK too, but they could manage to stop terror attacks.
Because they are Americans, and we are Indians, I am sorry to say. We have no commitment. Did people react the same way when the Mumbai local trains were attacked? They did not because the rich and VIPs were not involved. Because five star hotels were not involved. Only poor guys, who travelled by train suffered. Did you see the same candles then?
Odds not in favour of India-Pak war, says expert
January 12, 2009
Stephen P Cohen, Senior Fellow, Foreign Policy and head of the South Asia Program at the prestigious Washington, DC-based think-tank, the Brookings Institution, visited India last month to attend the pan-Indian Institute of Technology 2008, the fifth annual global IIT alumni conference in Chennai.
While there, the author of books on the armies of India and Pakistan, and noted authority on the security policies of both countries, caught up with the developing situation in the wake of the 26/11 terrorist attacks on Mumbai.
Cohen spoke to rediff India Abroad's Suman Guha Mozumder:
What is your reading of the government of India's response to the 26/11 terror attacks? Will India be able to get Pakistan to cooperate in prosecuting those involved?
While I was in India I sensed anger, frustration, and a bit of fear -- the Mumbai attacks affected Indians pretty much the same way as 9/11 affected Americans. This, of course, was part of the objective of the terrorists -- to strike terror and fear.
However, the official Indian response has been suitably cautious. Despite some very bad police work, bad intelligence and also the revelation that the Indian security apparatus was not prepared for this kind of event, the government's response has been prudent.
There were unwise statements by some ministers, but we know that in crisis such as this, there will be a very high degree of misinformation and people say things that they may want to take back after the fact. The ground truth is that the Indian government understands that retaliatory escalation may make people feel good, which is not an inconsiderable factor in a democracy, but the problem cannot be addressed by India alone, and any military escalation puts India back where it was in 2001-2002, facing a prepared, competent, nuclear-armed rival.
This is an intolerable situation for any Indian government, but as Kishore Mahbubani (Dean, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, Singapore, and former Singaporea ambassador to the United Nations) said during one of our sessions, India needs to think about what kind of Pakistan it wants as a neighbour 20 years from now. So far, it is fundamentally undecided as to whether it wants to befriend Pakistan, co-opt it, see it destroyed, or ignore it.
'India is wise to pursue a diplomatic strategy'
External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee's repeated statement that India is keeping all options open is widely interpreted to mean that India has not ruled out war. With Pakistan moving its troops to the eastern frontier and India presumably being under domestic pressure to act firmly against Islamabad, do you see the situation deteriorating into a war in the near future?
Right now the odds are not in favour of a fourth war, or even a fifth crisis, but these things can change very quickly. In the book I recently co-authored with P R Chari and Pervaiz I Cheema, (Four Crises and a Peace Process: American Engagement in South Asia), we observed that every major India-Pakistan crisis featured one or more serious intelligence errors, one or more strategic miscalculations by either India or Pakistan or the United States, or all three.
India is wise to pursue a diplomatic strategy, and especially to talk to China, Saudi Arabia, the US and other countries, all of which have an interest in a stable and peaceful Pakistan and are concerned about terrorist movements based in that country.
India's task was somewhat easier since nationals from 22 countries were killed in Mumbai, and even the United Nations has responded. Pakistanis dismiss any approach from India out of hand, but they cannot ignore the combined weight of these and other countries and international institutions. So I don't see a war, but there is a slow-growing crisis, and I would not rule out 'war by other means' in the future, and of course, another terrorist attack could precipitate a serious conflict as happened in 2001-2002.
Senator John McCain said the other day that 'The Indians are on the verge of some kind of attack on Pakistan.' How seriously one should take such comments?
I have no idea where he got his information, but it is in India's interest to make it appear that such an attack may be imminent, precisely to get the US and other countries to put more pressure on Pakistan. This is the pattern that India followed in the Kargil and during the 2001-2002 crisis, but of course it is a tactic that Pakistan has also used in the past.
'Pakistanis will not, and cannot, respond to Indian demands'
You have recently said that 'We are in a period of touch-and-go.' Could you elaborate?
Yes, another terrorist attack and evidence that it originated in Pakistan -- or, conceivably, an incident in Pakistan that seemed to originate in India -- could tip the two countries into some kind of escalation. There is also the possibility that an intelligence mistake, or even another hoax, could lead one or the other country to move; it must also be remembered that in the earlier crisis there were examples of subordinate officers exceeding their authority and nearly triggering a larger crisis. We cite several such examples in Four Crises and a Peace Process.
I am reassured by the fact that the only people who really want escalation, and who would benefit from another India-Pakistan crisis or a war, are the radical Islamists who hate the governments now in power in Islamabad and New Delhi. All parties must resist the temptation to strike out, as only the radicals would benefit, but they must also think strategically as to how the present flammable stalemate can be transformed into a more normal relationship that would benefit both countries.
Short of war, what option does New Delhi have to get Islamabad to dismantle the terrorist structures within that country and hand over the named terrorists to India?
The situation now resembles, in many ways, the 1990 crisis, when there were weak governments in both India and Pakistan, and it was difficult for either side to back down. India's best strategy would be to get other countries to front for it. Pakistanis will not, and cannot, respond to 'Indian demands', just as India cannot and will not respond to Pakistani ones. There have to be intermediaries, but not just an American operation, and China is probably the most important country in this regard.
However, this will all mean nothing if Indians still have no serious vision about the kind of Pakistan they would like to see 20 years from now: a smouldering nuclear ruin, ten mini-States at war with each other, or a prosperous and peaceful trading power with which India can cooperate in stabilising the entire Indian Ocean region. This should be a matter of debate in India -- there is, for the first time, a genuine elected government, so how can it be strengthened against those in Pakistan who are the irreconcilables regarding India?
'Pakistan has tremendous leverage over the US and the West'
Do you think India's diplomatic efforts aimed at getting the international community to put pressure on Islamabad will work?
'Work' has to be seen in terms of years and decades, not days and weeks. India has some tremendous assets vis a vis Pakistan, notably the possibility of economic cooperation, movement on outstanding issues, and even its enormous cultural power. But Indians seem paralyzed as to Pakistan, and most either demonize it or pretend it does not exist.
In what way, if at all, can the US help resolve the crisis? If Pakistan is a US ally in the war against terror, it has to be a partner on both on its western and eastern sides, right?
My answer is "yes, but" and the "but" is very important. Pakistan has tremendous leverage over the US and the West, and even China, because while it has either tolerated or encouraged extremist groups, it has also cooperated with other states in managing them. It also controls much of the access to Afghanistan, and while there is talk now of other routes for resupplying US and NATO forces there, this will take some time to develop, and Iran is the easiest route into that country, as India has discovered.
'Pakistan has become America's biggest foreign policy problem'
Experts say the civilian government in Pakistan has little control over the military or the ISI, and that it is helpless to act against terrorists, many of whom are said to have been patronized/created by the ISI. Do you subscribe to this view?
I have no doubt whatsoever that this act was not sanctioned by any member of the Pakistan government, nor did they know about it beforehand -- but I also have no doubt that they do not control all events that take place in Pakistan. This is the 'sovereignty' issue, as Bob (Cohen's Brookings colleague Robert) Kagan has called it -- what do you do when a government is unable to exercise control over actions that take place on its territory and which affect other States?
Clearly Pakistan is culpable as a State, but there is no question that the Zardari government wants to cooperate with India and other States -- it just does not have the power to do so.
With all this in the balance, what do you see as the future of Indo-Pak relations, and what is the future of Pakistan as a nation state?
I'm tempted to say read my book -- in this case, The Idea of Pakistan, which was entirely about the prospect of a failed Pakistan and the implications for other States. As I wrote, Pakistan has not failed comprehensively, but it has failed in every sector, and the indicators are all blinking red.
If Pakistan were an obscure country this would be unfortunate, but it is on the bleeding edge of the Islamic civil war, it has nuclear weapons, and it has allowed its territory to be used to destabilise most of its neighbours.
Pakistan has become America's biggest foreign policy problem, as I predicted, but unless India is willing to think strategically and long-term, it will continue to be India's major problem as well.
Stephen P Cohen, Senior Fellow, Foreign Policy and head of the South Asia Program at the prestigious Washington, DC-based think-tank, the Brookings Institution, visited India last month to attend the pan-Indian Institute of Technology 2008, the fifth annual global IIT alumni conference in Chennai.
While there, the author of books on the armies of India and Pakistan, and noted authority on the security policies of both countries, caught up with the developing situation in the wake of the 26/11 terrorist attacks on Mumbai.
Cohen spoke to rediff India Abroad's Suman Guha Mozumder:
What is your reading of the government of India's response to the 26/11 terror attacks? Will India be able to get Pakistan to cooperate in prosecuting those involved?
While I was in India I sensed anger, frustration, and a bit of fear -- the Mumbai attacks affected Indians pretty much the same way as 9/11 affected Americans. This, of course, was part of the objective of the terrorists -- to strike terror and fear.
However, the official Indian response has been suitably cautious. Despite some very bad police work, bad intelligence and also the revelation that the Indian security apparatus was not prepared for this kind of event, the government's response has been prudent.
There were unwise statements by some ministers, but we know that in crisis such as this, there will be a very high degree of misinformation and people say things that they may want to take back after the fact. The ground truth is that the Indian government understands that retaliatory escalation may make people feel good, which is not an inconsiderable factor in a democracy, but the problem cannot be addressed by India alone, and any military escalation puts India back where it was in 2001-2002, facing a prepared, competent, nuclear-armed rival.
This is an intolerable situation for any Indian government, but as Kishore Mahbubani (Dean, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, Singapore, and former Singaporea ambassador to the United Nations) said during one of our sessions, India needs to think about what kind of Pakistan it wants as a neighbour 20 years from now. So far, it is fundamentally undecided as to whether it wants to befriend Pakistan, co-opt it, see it destroyed, or ignore it.
'India is wise to pursue a diplomatic strategy'
External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee's repeated statement that India is keeping all options open is widely interpreted to mean that India has not ruled out war. With Pakistan moving its troops to the eastern frontier and India presumably being under domestic pressure to act firmly against Islamabad, do you see the situation deteriorating into a war in the near future?
Right now the odds are not in favour of a fourth war, or even a fifth crisis, but these things can change very quickly. In the book I recently co-authored with P R Chari and Pervaiz I Cheema, (Four Crises and a Peace Process: American Engagement in South Asia), we observed that every major India-Pakistan crisis featured one or more serious intelligence errors, one or more strategic miscalculations by either India or Pakistan or the United States, or all three.
India is wise to pursue a diplomatic strategy, and especially to talk to China, Saudi Arabia, the US and other countries, all of which have an interest in a stable and peaceful Pakistan and are concerned about terrorist movements based in that country.
India's task was somewhat easier since nationals from 22 countries were killed in Mumbai, and even the United Nations has responded. Pakistanis dismiss any approach from India out of hand, but they cannot ignore the combined weight of these and other countries and international institutions. So I don't see a war, but there is a slow-growing crisis, and I would not rule out 'war by other means' in the future, and of course, another terrorist attack could precipitate a serious conflict as happened in 2001-2002.
Senator John McCain said the other day that 'The Indians are on the verge of some kind of attack on Pakistan.' How seriously one should take such comments?
I have no idea where he got his information, but it is in India's interest to make it appear that such an attack may be imminent, precisely to get the US and other countries to put more pressure on Pakistan. This is the pattern that India followed in the Kargil and during the 2001-2002 crisis, but of course it is a tactic that Pakistan has also used in the past.
'Pakistanis will not, and cannot, respond to Indian demands'
You have recently said that 'We are in a period of touch-and-go.' Could you elaborate?
Yes, another terrorist attack and evidence that it originated in Pakistan -- or, conceivably, an incident in Pakistan that seemed to originate in India -- could tip the two countries into some kind of escalation. There is also the possibility that an intelligence mistake, or even another hoax, could lead one or the other country to move; it must also be remembered that in the earlier crisis there were examples of subordinate officers exceeding their authority and nearly triggering a larger crisis. We cite several such examples in Four Crises and a Peace Process.
I am reassured by the fact that the only people who really want escalation, and who would benefit from another India-Pakistan crisis or a war, are the radical Islamists who hate the governments now in power in Islamabad and New Delhi. All parties must resist the temptation to strike out, as only the radicals would benefit, but they must also think strategically as to how the present flammable stalemate can be transformed into a more normal relationship that would benefit both countries.
Short of war, what option does New Delhi have to get Islamabad to dismantle the terrorist structures within that country and hand over the named terrorists to India?
The situation now resembles, in many ways, the 1990 crisis, when there were weak governments in both India and Pakistan, and it was difficult for either side to back down. India's best strategy would be to get other countries to front for it. Pakistanis will not, and cannot, respond to 'Indian demands', just as India cannot and will not respond to Pakistani ones. There have to be intermediaries, but not just an American operation, and China is probably the most important country in this regard.
However, this will all mean nothing if Indians still have no serious vision about the kind of Pakistan they would like to see 20 years from now: a smouldering nuclear ruin, ten mini-States at war with each other, or a prosperous and peaceful trading power with which India can cooperate in stabilising the entire Indian Ocean region. This should be a matter of debate in India -- there is, for the first time, a genuine elected government, so how can it be strengthened against those in Pakistan who are the irreconcilables regarding India?
'Pakistan has tremendous leverage over the US and the West'
Do you think India's diplomatic efforts aimed at getting the international community to put pressure on Islamabad will work?
'Work' has to be seen in terms of years and decades, not days and weeks. India has some tremendous assets vis a vis Pakistan, notably the possibility of economic cooperation, movement on outstanding issues, and even its enormous cultural power. But Indians seem paralyzed as to Pakistan, and most either demonize it or pretend it does not exist.
In what way, if at all, can the US help resolve the crisis? If Pakistan is a US ally in the war against terror, it has to be a partner on both on its western and eastern sides, right?
My answer is "yes, but" and the "but" is very important. Pakistan has tremendous leverage over the US and the West, and even China, because while it has either tolerated or encouraged extremist groups, it has also cooperated with other states in managing them. It also controls much of the access to Afghanistan, and while there is talk now of other routes for resupplying US and NATO forces there, this will take some time to develop, and Iran is the easiest route into that country, as India has discovered.
'Pakistan has become America's biggest foreign policy problem'
Experts say the civilian government in Pakistan has little control over the military or the ISI, and that it is helpless to act against terrorists, many of whom are said to have been patronized/created by the ISI. Do you subscribe to this view?
I have no doubt whatsoever that this act was not sanctioned by any member of the Pakistan government, nor did they know about it beforehand -- but I also have no doubt that they do not control all events that take place in Pakistan. This is the 'sovereignty' issue, as Bob (Cohen's Brookings colleague Robert) Kagan has called it -- what do you do when a government is unable to exercise control over actions that take place on its territory and which affect other States?
Clearly Pakistan is culpable as a State, but there is no question that the Zardari government wants to cooperate with India and other States -- it just does not have the power to do so.
With all this in the balance, what do you see as the future of Indo-Pak relations, and what is the future of Pakistan as a nation state?
I'm tempted to say read my book -- in this case, The Idea of Pakistan, which was entirely about the prospect of a failed Pakistan and the implications for other States. As I wrote, Pakistan has not failed comprehensively, but it has failed in every sector, and the indicators are all blinking red.
If Pakistan were an obscure country this would be unfortunate, but it is on the bleeding edge of the Islamic civil war, it has nuclear weapons, and it has allowed its territory to be used to destabilise most of its neighbours.
Pakistan has become America's biggest foreign policy problem, as I predicted, but unless India is willing to think strategically and long-term, it will continue to be India's major problem as well.
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