Why Europe fears David Petraeus

Ahmed Rashid

For weeks there has been a spectre haunting European corridors of power. That spectre is David Petraeus. Since he stepped in last month as head of combined US and Nato forces in Afghanistan, many European governments have feared the US general would try and extend the time and scope of the military surge to give US forces a better chance of winning over the Pashtun population in the south and delivering a knock-out blow to the Taliban.

That is exactly what he is signalling in his first media interviews since taking over — and precisely what most European countries do not believe is possible.

In discussions with European generals, diplomats and officials — each involved in their government's Afghan policy — a common fear emerges: That US President Barack Obama will not be able to refuse demands from Petraeus to extend the surge well beyond July 2011; that the general will continue to push for a continuation of military strategy; and that he will decline any suggestion of opening negotiations with the Taliban — something that many Europeans are very keen on.

Every European government faces pressure to withdraw or reduce troop numbers, whether because of defence cuts, recession, public anger or parliamentary opposition. Similar factors are also turning many in the US Congress, particularly Democrats, against the war. The latest NBC and Wall Street Journal poll found that seven in 10 Americans did not believe the war would end successfully.

But no government says it wants to cut and run. Everyone realises there is too much at stake, not just in Afghanistan but also for the region and Nato credibility. An overhasty withdrawal could lead to a Taliban takeover and leave in the dirt tens of thousands of Afghans who have supported western forces. What Europe wants is a negotiated endgame and regional settlement — and that must include talking to the Taliban.

European officials are coming to the consensus that they would like the Nato summit and Obama's Afghan policy review — both at the end of the year — to reach a position where negotiating with the Taliban is the political strategy around which military strategy is determined.

Troop withdrawals, which Obama says will start next July, would then take place according to the pace of talks between the US, the Taliban and the Afghan government; not on the basis of hard-to-gauge battlefield success. Europe also wants the US to press Afghanistan's neighbours not to interfere in its affairs.

Petraeus wants to convince Washington, Nato and Europe to do just the opposite, determining withdrawals on the basis of the military, not the political, situation.

Optimistic assessment

In his interviews, he casts doubt on whether he would advise Obama to stick to the July deadline. "The president didn't send me over here to seek a graceful exit," he told The New York Times on Monday. He told NBC that he saw "areas of progress" and that "we've got to link those together, extend them".

Many Afghans and Europeans, however, see problems increasing. The war has escalated in the north and west; there are fresh contradictions between the US and Afghan President Hamid Karzai over governance; and fears that September's parliamentary elections could become a debacle akin to the 2009 presidential poll.

Moreover, following Pakistan's devastating floods and infrastructure breakdown, any expectations Petraeus might have had that the country's army would deal with the Afghan Taliban leaders and their Pakistani bases must be dashed. The danger is that the Pakistani Taliban will use the floods to seize territory.

Even rare good news is beset by doubt. The Afghan army, for example, is at full strength of 134,000 men three months ahead of schedule after a US injection of money and training but how effective it will be is unclear.

European officials fear that saying no to Petraeus — whose strategy turned round US fortunes in Iraq and who co-wrote the counterinsurgency manual that forms the blueprint for today's war — would be difficult for a US president who has already sacked two commanders in Afghanistan.

Moreover, Obama faces a raft of domestic and foreign policy problems — not least the fear that the Democrats will lose out in November's midterm elections. Robert Gates, his respected defence secretary, is considering stepping down after next July's planned troop withdrawal. It is a difficult time for the president to disagree publicly with his senior general.

Last winter, in the nine Cabinet meetings Obama held to discuss the policy review that led to the surge, there was a preoccupation with the military equation. Europeans fear he will be persuaded to spend this December's review, too, discussing the surge rather than grappling with a political strategy: talking to the Taliban; testing the waters for a meaningful power-sharing agreement between the Taliban and Karzai; and creating an effective regional agreement.

Things are still far from that. So the spectre of Petraeus continues to haunt Europe's corridors of power.

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Taliban

Kabul

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Afghanistan

Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba

Hindu ‘saffron terror’ risk to India national security

India is the architect of terrorism and has always used terrorism as an instrument to browbeat its neighbors. It is still using this weapon against Pakistan to serve its ends but pretends to be innocent as a lamb and sobs in front of the world that it is the victim of terrorism. It is the typical case of a wolf standing upstream accusing a lamb drinking water from downstream that it is muddying the water and makes it a pretext to eat up the lamb.
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India’s home minister warned on Wednesday that Hindu extremists posed an increasing risk to national security, dubbing the threat as “saffron terror”. The colour saffron is associated with Hindu nationalism in India, and some right-wing groups have been linked to militant attacks in the north and west of the country.
However, most major recent attacks, including those in Mumbai in 2008 during which 166 people died, have been blamed on Islamists.
“We have recently uncovered a new phenomenon of ‘saffron terror’ and I ask you to be vigilant,” P. Chidambaram told an annual meeting of police chiefs in New Delhi.
Hardline regional parties like the Shiv Sena, which is based in Mumbai, vow to defend Hindu rights in India, but deny they are behind any violent militant activity.
Chidambaram also warned that the government faced a lengthy battle to defeat India’s worsening Maoist insurgency in eastern and central states.
Maoist attacks have risen with scores of police and soldiers killed in ambushes since Chidambaram launched a nationwide security offensive last year.
“The people of India understand that the conflict will be a long-drawn one, that patience is the key, that mistakes will be made and that the security forces need material and moral support,” he said.
India has almost doubled its homeland security budget to 405 billion rupees (nine billion dollars) since 2008-2009, he added.
The Maoist rebels say they fight against federal and state authorities on behalf of landless tribal groups and poor farmers who have been left behind by economic development.

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Terrorism

Jammu and Kashmir

Communist Party of India (Maoist)

RAW involved the custodial killings of the Kashmiri people

Hundreds of unidentified graves with more than 3000 bodies were discovered in the Indian held Kashmir. Sources have accused Indian RAW of the custodial killings of the Kashmir people through brutal methods.
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By Sajjad Shaukat

Although the human rights violations in the Indian-held Kashmir has been continuing by the Indian security forces since the partition, yet the same practice has intensified in wake of the current phase of Kashmir struggle which began on August 12, 2008 when Indian forces killed Hurriyat Conference leader Sheikh Abdul Aziz along with five other persons who were protesting against the government decision to allot 800 kanal of Kashmiri land to a Hindu shrine.

However, seeing no progress for the resolution of Kashmir issue, in 2008, Kashmiri once again renewed their peaceful protests. In a dangerous pattern more than 300 persons mostly teenagers, were killed since January this year in disproportionate use of force mainly by the Indian police and paramilitary troops. Indiscriminate firing by the Indian security forces have become a routine matter, while quelling the peaceful protests.
According to a recent report on Human Rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir by Indian Army and its paramilitary forces, there have been deaths of 93,274 innocent Kashmiri from 1989 to June 30, 2010. Besides this alarming figure of open killings by its security forces, there have been 6,969 custodial killings, 117,345 arrests, destruction, and razing of 105,861 houses and other physical structures in the use of the community as a whole. The brutal security forces have orphaned over 107, 351 children, widowed 22,728 women and gang raped 9,920 women. In June 2010 only, there have been 33 deaths including four children besides, torturing and injuring 572 people. The brutal Indian security forces molested eight women during the month of July. This brief account indeed, is the reality of Indian achievements on which they are trumpeting for their success in the Kashmir through counter insurgency operations.
Over the two decades of violence in Jammu and Kashmir, Human Rights Watch has   documented numerous failures to ensure protection of human rights. It has called for the repeal of laws such as the Jammu and Kashmir Disturbed Areas Act, the Armed Forces (Jammu and Kashmir) Special Powers Act, and the Public Safety Act. These laws provide the armed forces with extraordinary powers to search, detain, and use lethal force, leading to numerous human rights violations. They also provide immunity for security forces. Prosecutions of security force personnel, even where the facts are well established, are rare.
While in its various reports, Amnesty International has also pointed out grave human rights violations in the Indian occupied Kashmir by indicating: “The Indian government’s disregard for human rights in Jammu and Kashmir means in practice that people reportedly died in custody in Jammu and Kashmir and that the whereabouts of the “disappeared” persons continue to be unknown…government forces continue to commit serious violations of humanitarian law…the Muslim majority population in the Kashmir Valley suffers from the repressive tactics of the security forces. Under the Jammu and Kashmir Disturbed Areas Act, and the Armed Forces (Jammu and Kashmir) Special Powers Act, security forces personnel have extraordinary powers including authority to shoot suspected lawbreakers, and to destroy structures suspected of harboring militants or arms.”
Kashmir Quarterly has reported, “Indian Forces killed a number of citizens, torched mosques, shops and houses in various parts of the valley. As a result, there were demonstrations in many cities. Troops desecrated the central Srinagar mosque and tortured worshippers whom they found inside.”
It is notable that there has been a routine failure of justice in Jammu and Kashmir. In the recent past, hundreds of unidentified graves with more than 3000 bodies were discovered in the Indian-held Kashmir. Sources have accused Indian RAW of the custodial killings of the Kashmiri people through brutal methods. In this context, even the European Parliament has passed a resolution, condemning New Delhi for human rights violations.

It seems that non-condemnation of these Indian acts of massive human rights violations by the so-called civilized international community has further encouraged India to step-up its brutalities on the armless Kashmiri masses. Indian authorities are not willing to talk with Kashmiri people on political grounds. India perhaps reached to a conclusion that only bullet is the right way of dealing with Kashmiris, demanding their right of self-determination. Surprisingly, Indian successive governments are trying to ignore the dynamics of the Kashmiris’ movement for the freedom from the Indian rule. This indeed is the continuation of their resistance against the Dogra Rule, started in early part of the 20th century.
Nevertheless, human rights abuses have been a part of a campaign by the Indian army against Muslim Kashmiris. The abuse is manifested in the following types of violations: burning the houses, torture, disappearances, rape, molestation of Muslim women and killing of persons through fake encounter.
On the one hand, India claims that Kashmir uprising has slowed down and the situation is returning towards normalisation, while on the other, Kashmir movement has intensified in the recent weeks.

In this connection, on July 10 this year, a rigid curfew was imposed in most of Indian-held Kashmir (IHK), while shops and businesses were closed and public transport was off the roads after the All Parties Hurriyat Conference declared a strike. During strike, none of the nearly 60 newspapers published from Srinagar for four days.

The clampdown in IHK has come after street protests and clashes, surged in the controlled territories, and more than 30 people have died over the past six weeks in shootings by the police and paramilitary soldiers. Despite curfew-like restrictions, arrests and detentions, Kashmir movement continues unabated.

It is mentionable that owing to the new strategic alliances, India has become a partner of the major powers like the US, Russia, UK, Germany and France. These major countries have their political and economic stakes in India. That is why, they are silence over Indian human rights violations in the controlled Kashmir.

Besides, there is a big question mark on the role of the United Nations Organization (UNO) in connection with the Indian held Kashmir�the only International Organization, mandated to redress the oppressed people of the world. The organization has badly failed to implement its responsibilities and its own resolutions towards a rightful solution of the issue.

There is a need of awakening the international conscious. Closing of the eyes and ears by the international community on the massive human rights violations in Kashmir by Indian security forces would not end the issue. Rather the seething protest against Indian human rights violation would endanger the world peace

There can be no lasting political settlement in Kashmir unless human rights abuses that have fueled the insurgency are addressed. However, there has been no policy change in the repressive activities of Indian security forces. Indian security forces continued human rights violations in Kashmir unabated.

Sajjad Shaukat writes on international affairs and is author of the book: US vs Islamic Militants, Invisible Balance of Power: Dangerous Shift in International Relations. Email: sajjad_logic@yahoo.com

Tags:

Terrorism

Jammu and Kashmir

Invader Indian army use Israel like tactics against Kashmiris.

 Indian terrorism rising in Held Kashmir with recent killing of kashmiri youth and uncontrollabe civilian protest by Kashmiris against Indian occupation, the Invader Indian army came up with proposal to use Israel like tactics against Kashmiris.
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By Asif Haroon Raja

During the military standoff after 26/11 Mumbai incident, former Indian Army Chief Gen Dalip Kapoor had kept the temperature high through his bellicose statements. Throughout his tenure he suffered from Pakistan phobia and remained fearful of terrorism emanating from Pakistan. In order to make Pakistan scared of India, in November last he roared that there was distinct possibility of limited war against Pakistan under a nuclear overhang.
He then went a step further by stating that India had developed the capability to wage war against China and Pakistan at a time and in his view Pakistan was a run through since its military power could be dismantled within 96 hours. He said that five-year old Cold Start war doctrine had been updated and forces were practicing it for the last one year.
Don Quixotic, a fabled character, must have squirmed in his grave out of envy that someone in India had gone ahead of him in daydreaming. A trend has set in among Indian politicians to join Bollywood. I reckon, Kapoor either wanted to earn an extension in service through his silly outbursts or was practicing for fanciful war movies as a post retirement job not realizing that he was severely handicapped because of being hard of hearing.
The new Indian Army chief Gen VK Singh is no less muddle headed than his predecessor. He has continued with old policy of Pakistan bashing and taking cover behind lies and deception to hide India’s terrorism against Pakistan. Singh complained on 30 June that terror infrastructure in Pakistan remain intact; militancy in occupied Kashmir is supported by Pak Army; there are 34 active and 8 holding terror training camps; there are 500-600 terrorists still active in J&K, 50% home-based and the rest foreigners; Hizbul Mujahideen is being revived; infiltration attempts continue; Pak Army is indulging in ceasefire violations.
I am sure he must not be ignorant about India’s vilest role in former East Pakistan and about hundreds of training centres and camps run by RAW in Afghanistan since 2004 where Indian Army instructors and commandoes are employed to impart training to Chechens, Uzbeks, Tajiks, Afghans, Arabs and dissidents from Balochistan and FATA. Weapons and explosives in huge quantity tucked under road construction material for BRO project had been regularly pumped in from India for onward dispatch to rebels in Pakistan. Services of Indian Muslims and religious scholars were hired to run Madrassas and brainwash the Muslim terrorists. RAW has now planted seeds of separatism in Balochistan and has also entrenched itself in urban and rural Sindh where it funds certain nationalist and ethnic parties. Biggest ever covert operations against Pakistan from Afghan soil have not ceased.
Gen Singh’s outbursts were in the wake of explosive situation in Indian Held Kashmir (IHK) because of teenagers led protest marches and stone pelting. Despite adoption of draconian measures against unarmed boys in teens and young men, the situation is getting from bad to worse. Having effectively sealed the Line of Control (LoC) with the help of series of fortified posts, heavy fencing, mining and installation of Israeli supplied electronic gadgets, duly backed up by troops deployed in layers in depth; it is not possible even for a sparrow to go across unnoticed. Indian military could fence the LoC because of deceptive peace treaty and not otherwise.
Gen Kapoor and other senior Indian Army officers had on several occasions admitted in 2005-07 that infiltration had almost ceased. Therefore instead of acknowledging that recent flare up in IHK is indigenous as has been the case with armed freedom struggle, India is again blaming Pakistan unconvincingly. Regarding allegation of ceasefire violations, all provocative acts were initiated by Indian Army deliberately to heat up the LoC so as to show to the world that Pakistan was resorting to high-handed tactics despite its so-called peace overtures. Indian soldiers sitting in hardened bunkers along the LoC are otherwise nervy. They are in the habit of pooping off ammunition at night out of fear or to scare away illusionary infiltrators.
In the wake of fresh bout of protests in IHK, Gen VK Singh on 11 July stated that militarily Indian Army has firmly controlled the internal situation in Kashmir and that there was now a need for political set up to build on military gains through political handling. In his view failure to build on gains made by Army was the main reason that insurgency could not be decisively crushed. It amounted to confessing Indian Army’s failures in IHK. His claim that Indian Army had brought the situation under control was not based on facts. Till 2004, armed resistance in IHK was in full swing. Gen Musharraf helped India in breaking the momentum of movement by banning all Jihadi outfits engaged in supporting Kashmir Jihad, allowing India to effectively seal LoC, dividing the APHC and isolating hardliner Syed Geelani and taking stringent measures to curb infiltration. Singh should understand that but for these measures Indian Army could not have controlled the situation in IHK through use of force.
Having digested the success story of Pak Army in Swat and South Waziristan with a pinch of salt, Gen Singh put up a false front by asserting that Indian Army is no less dynamic and has performed equally well in Kashmir. Situation on ground is contrary to his claims. There cannot be a bigger insult for a professional Army to fight guerilla war against 600 freedom fighters devoid of any external support and sanctuaries. Despite employing more than 700,000 troops since 1989 and adopting extreme brutal measures, the labyrinth Indian war machine has miserably failed to extinguish the smoldering flame of liberty, assiduously kept aflame by the people of Kashmir. Application of draconian laws and all sorts of savage measures have utterly failed to break the will and resolve of Kashmiris. The two-decade old freedom struggle in Kashmir has not withered even after martyrdom of more than 100,000 Kashmiris, thousands maimed for life and thousands of women dishonored at the hands of Indian troops.
The puppet regime of Omar Abdullah and Indian military in Kashmir are helpless. Abdullah has become a nervous wreck after a shoe was thrown at him on 15 August. He has asked for additional troops not realizing that IHK is the most militarized region in the world where troop density is unprecedented. Indian military is so over cautious that it has not pulled out even one regiment from the valley.
An odd clash with Mujahideen panics them; not knowing how to deal with this kind of situation they cool their nerves by blaming Pakistan. To cover up its failure and its brutalities, India accuses Pakistan of abetting insurgency in Kashmir. In doing so, it conveniently overlooks its own track record.
Pakistan only provides political, diplomatic and moral support to the Kashmiris. The entire burden of freedom movement is being sustained and borne by the Kashmiri Mujahideen and they have stood the test of time. Excessive brutalities by Indian security forces have not lessened the resolve of the freedom fighters bent upon breaking the shackles of bondage. The Mujahideen do not fear death and enter the Death Valley with the sole aim of embracing martyrdom; a phenomenon that has boggled the Indians.
Unarmed youngsters have now taken over the baton. With stones in their small fists they face loaded guns and hurl stones when fired upon. Every voice raised, every stone pelted is responded with shower of bullets. Trigger-happy soldiers and Police do not fire their weapons to scare the protestors by firing in air or injuring them but they fire to kill irrespective of age of the protestor. 63 innocent Kashmiris have been killed since 11 June. Protestors are defying curfews and braving bullets. Non-violent Kashmiri intifada has laid to rest Indian false claims that freedom movement in Kashmir is not indigenous and that insurgency has been quelled.

 (Asian Tribune)

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Jammu and Kashmir

Srinagar

Kashmiri people

CM of Haryana joins "Shoe Club"

CM of Haryana Bhupinder Singh Hooda becomes the latest political leader to suffer the humiliation of having a shoe hurled at him.
Police denied the incident but eyewitnesses said a 21-year-old boy accused the government of failing to give him a job and compensation for a cop-inflicted injury. He flung a shoe at the CM after saying those words.
Hooda resumed his address soon after and tried to make light of the statement, saying: "This incident will ensure we are protected from evil spirits."
After Omar Abdullah, now it's Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, who has faced the shoe missile as a youth hurled footwear at him on Sunday, Aug 22.
21-year-old, Shakti Sing was frustrated at the Haryana government's delay in giving him a promised job.

"I had received a bullet injury during a police firing incident. At that time, the government had promised me cash relief of Rs.10 lakh and a government job. But despite my repeated reminders, none of the promises have been fulfilled so far," stated Shakti.

He was sitting behind the press photographers during a rally in Mahendergarh, 320 km from Chandigarh, at the ITI ground, suddenly threw a shoe towards Hooda but it fell short.

After throwing the footwear, Shakti was overpowered by villagers and handed over to the police, who detained him for questioning.

Hooda termed the incident the "handiwork of the anti-social elements on the behest of rival political parties in the state".

However, police denied the incident as the shoe fell quite some distance away from Hooda.

"Nobody hurled shoe or anything towards the chief minister. Yes, two groups of youths had started fighting at the rally venue but we had immediately controlled the situation," said police officials.


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Bhupinder Singh

Chandigarh

Shakti Singh

Iran unmanned "ambassador of death" Bomber

Mr. Ahmadinejad as saying the new drone was an "ambassador of death" to Iran's enemies.
Iran's military has unveiled a new unmanned aircraft, saying the drone is capable of carrying out long-range missions.
Iran's military displayed the drone Sunday at a ceremony attended by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and shown on live television.
Officials told Iran's state-run Press TV that the drone, named the Karrar, meaning "striker", can carry out long-distance bombing runs against ground targets at high speeds.
The Associated Press quoted Mr. Ahmadinejad as saying the new drone was an "ambassador of death" to Iran's enemies. The Iranian Students News Agency described the unmanned aircraft as a "stealth bomber drone."
Late Saturday, President Ahmadinejad told a group of academics that Iran aims to send Iranian astronauts into space by 2025.
He said the country's next step is to launch satellites to an altitude of 700 kilometers, and then 1,000 kilometers, in the next three years.
On Friday, Iran test-fired a new surface-to-surface missile called the Qiam-1.
Earlier this month, Iran's navy displayed four new Iranian-built submarines, as part of Tehran's efforts to boost its defense capabilities.
Iranian media said the navy now has 11 Ghadir-class stealth submarines that can operate in the shallow waters of the Persian Gulf (also known as the Arabian Gulf).
Western countries are concerned Tehran's ambitious military and space programs may be developing technology to launch nuclear warheads.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Sunday inaugurated the country's first domestically built unmanned bomber aircraft, calling it an "ambassador of death" to Iran's enemies.
The 4-meter-long drone aircraft can carry up to four cruise missiles and will have a range of 620 miles (1,000 kilometers), according to a state TV report - not far enough to reach archenemy Israel.
"The jet, as well as being an ambassador of death for the enemies of humanity, has a main message of peace and friendship," said Ahmadinejad at the inauguration ceremony, which fell on the country's national day for its defense industries.
The goal of the aircraft, named Karrar or striker, is to "keep the enemy paralyzed in its bases," he said, adding that the aircraft is for deterrence and defensive purposes.
The president championed the country's military self-sufficiency program, and said it will continue "until the enemies of humanity lose hope of ever attacking the Iranian nation."
Iran launched an arms development program during its 1980-88 war with Iraq to compensate for a U.S. weapons embargo and now produces its own tanks, armored personnel carries, missiles and even a fighter plane.
Iran frequently makes announcements about new advances in military technology that cannot be independently verified.
State TV later showed video footage of the plane taking off from a launching pad and reported that the craft traveled at speeds of 560 miles per hour (900 kilometers) and could alternatively be armed with two 250-pound bombs or a 450-pound guided bomb.
Iran has been producing its own light, unmanned surveillance aircraft since the late 1980s.
The ceremony came a day after Iran began to fuel its first nuclear power reactor, with the help of Russia, amid international concerns over the possibility of a military dimension to its nuclear program.
Iran insists it is only interested in generating electricity.
Referring to Israel's occasional threats against Iran's nuclear facilities, Ahmadinejad called any attack unlikely, but he said if Israel did, the reaction would be overwhelming.
"The scope of Iran's reaction will include the entire the earth," said Ahmadinejad. "We also tell you - the West - that all options are on the table."
Ahmadinejad appeared to be consciously echoing the terminology used by the U.S. and Israel in their statements not ruling out a military option against Iran's nuclear facilities.
On Friday, Iran also test-fired a new liquid fuel surface-to-surface missile, the Qiam-1, with advanced guidance systems.


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Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

Iran

Tehran

Israel

Is Kashmir an integral part of India?

My opinion is confirmed by a poll conducted jointly by major news outlets on Aug 12.2007.CNN-IBN and Hindustan Times in India and Dawn News in Pakistan. A majority of those polled Kashmir Valley ( 87% to be precise ) preferred freedom ( Azadi ) . The freedom means the rejection of the idea that Kashmir is in integral part of India.


Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai

Dr. Manmohan Singh, the Prime Minister of India’s assertion that "Kashmir is an integral part of India” needs to be supplemented by some observations from the viewpoint of the people of Kashmir. This deserves to be borne in mind by all those who wish the conflict to be justly resolved once and for all.

When the Kashmir dispute erupted in 1947-1948, the United States took the stand that the future status of Kashmir must be ascertained in accordance with the wishes and aspirations of the people of the territory. The U.N. Security Council adopted a resolution on 21 April 1948 which was based on that unchallenged principle. So the idea that ‘Kashmir is an integral part of India’ is in contravention to India’s international obligations. Any such suggestion is an insult to the intelligence of the people of Kashmir. The people revolted against the status quo and status quo cannot be an answer? Also, Kashmiris wish to emphasize that their land is not a real estate which can be parceled out between two disputants but the home of a nation with a history far more compact and coherent than India’s and far longer than Pakistan’s. No settlement of their status will hold unless it is explicitly based on the principles of self-determination and erases the so-called line of control, which is in reality the line of conflict.

Secondly, under all international agreements, agreed by both India and Pakistan, negotiated by the United Nations and endorsed by the Security Council, Kashmir does not belong to any member state of the United nations. So, if Kashmir does not belong to any member state of the United Nations, then the claim that ‘Kashmir is an integral part of India’ does not stand. And if ‘Kashmir is not an integral part of India’ then Kashmiris cannot be called separatist or secessionist. Because Kashmir cannot secede from a country � like India � to which it has never acceded to in the first place.

My opinion is confirmed by a poll conducted jointly by major news outlets on Aug 12, 2007: CNN-IBN and Hindustan Times in India and Dawn and News in Pakistan. A majority of those polled in Kashmir Valley (87% to be precise) preferred freedom (Azadi). The Azadi means the rejection of the idea that ‘Kashmir is an integral part of India.’.

However, there is but one fair, just, legal, and moral solution to Kashmir which was provided by the United Nations. The procedures contemplated at early stage of the dispute at the United Nations for its solution may be varied in the light of changed circumstances but its underlying principle must be scrupulously observed if justice and rationality are not be thrown overboard. The setting aside of the UN resolution is one thing; the discarding of the principle they embodies is altogether another. So the settlement has to be in accordance with the wishes of the people; impartially ascertained; in conditions of freedom from intimidation.

Kashmiris are open to a constitutional dispensation that answers all of India's legitimate national security and human rights concerns. With regard to the former, they are willing to explore permanent neutrality for Kashmir along the model of the 1955 Austrian State Treaty and a renunciation of war or the threat of force in international affairs along the model of Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution. They are willing to consider abandoning a military force like Costa Rica, Haiti, and Panama. Moreover, they hold no objection to providing community quotas in government offices along the lines of the 1960 Constitution for the Republic of Cyprus to safeguard against invidious discrimination of any religious or ethnic group, i.e., Pandit, Buddhist, Sikh, and Muslim alike.

With good faith by all parties common ground leading to a final settlement of the Kashmir tragedy can be discovered.

And an appointment of a special envoy by the United Nations or by President Obama, like Bishop Desmond Tutu will hasten the way of peace and prosperity in the region of South Asia.

Dr. Fai can be reached at gnfai2003@yahoo.com

Tags:

Srinagar

Jammu and Kashmir

Kashmiri people

India

Will Israel Strike Iran as Deadline looms?

Since President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad assumed office in 2005 as the Iranian head

of state, he made attempts to reverse the passive, submissive stance of Iran towards

the Eastern and Western superpowers and proposed new theories for an innovative international order.

Ahmadinejad accelerated Iran`s nuclear program and made remarkable advancements in nationalizing the peaceful use of nuclear energy in Iran.

 By Kourosh Ziabari 


Those who mastermind the U.S.-directed psychological operation against Iran have obliviously forgotten that we're now accustomed to seeing the uninteresting, exhausting charade of "will attack Iran"; you put the subject for it, either the United States or Israel.

Over the past five years, Iran has been recurrently under the threat of an imminent war which the mainstream media have overwhelmingly talked of; a war against Tehran to overthrow the Islamic Republic and bring to power a "democratic" regime which the "international community" favors.

Since President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad assumed office in 2005 as the Iranian head of state, he made attempts to reverse the passive, submissive stance of Iran towards the Eastern and Western superpowers and proposed new theories for an innovative international order. He accelerated Iran's nuclear program and made remarkable advancements in nationalizing the peaceful use of nuclear energy in Iran. He put forward insightful and astute questions: "why should Israel possess nuclear weapons in violation of the international law", "why should Israel occupy the lands which don't belong to it", "why should Israel repeatedly threaten its neighbors and wage wars against them", "why should Holocaust be used as a pretext to suppress the Palestinian nation?", "why should Iran be deprived of the peaceful uses of nuclear power while the United States, Russia, France, United Kingdom and China have thousands of nuclear weapons?"

These questions were not digestible for the United States and its stalwart allies around the world; therefore, some measures should be adopted to suffocate this man and the people he represents internationally. The reason was simple. Ahmadinejad and Iran would not make concessions and thus should be silenced at any cost. So, who is going to pay the price for silencing Iran? Are the military options plausible?

The answer is simply "no". Iran is different from Iraq, Afghanistan and all of the countries which Israel attacked during its period of existence in the Middle East. The people of Iran have demonstrated that they react to the aggressive powers categorically. So, the best option would be to stage an all-out psychological operation in which the means of coercion, falsification, distortion, fabrication and intimidation might be used.

The project was set off almost five years ago, when the U.S. and European mainstream media gradually began trumpeting for an imaginative war against Iran. The first man to set in motion the project was Scott Ritter, the former chief United Nations weapons inspector in Iraq. He told the media on February 19, 2005 that George Bush is laying the groundwork for an all-out attack against Iran: "President George W. Bush has received and signed off on orders for an aerial attack on Iran planned for June 2005. Its purported goal is the destruction of Iran's alleged program to develop nuclear weapons." With what was described as Ritter's "greatest skepticism", he also talked of the possibility of a regime change in Iran, pushed by the neoconservatives who were trying to persuade the ex-President Bush to broaden the extents of war to topple the Islamic Republic.

The primary threats looked so realistic and actual that even deceived the veteran investigative journalist, Seymour Hersh, who wrote in a January 24, 2005 article in the New Yorker that U.S. is getting prepared to launch a military strike against Iran. He quoted a high-ranking intelligence official as telling him: Next, we’re going to have the Iranian campaign. We’ve declared war and the bad guys, wherever they are, are the enemy. This is the last hurrah—we’ve got four years, and want to come out of this saying we won the war on terrorism."

In 2006, the gossips were strongly suggesting that there'll be an attack against Iran, either by Israel or the United States. In August 2006, the former chief of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Major General Hamid Gul emphatically proclaimed that Iran will be attacked by the United States. Interestingly, he also specified the exact time of the attack. Talking to the Pakistani Parliament, he predicted that "America would definitely attack Iran and Syria simultaneously in October."

Along with the previous predictions, however, General Gul's prediction about an imminent assault on Iran transpired to be futile.

The same events continued to happen in 2007; futile predictions and empty threats, either by those who were involved in the conflict with Iran or those who did not have a role.

On January 24, 2007, the Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa told Reuters on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum that there's a possibility of U.S. attacking Iran: "It's a 50/50 proposition, and we hope that it won't happen. Attacking Iran would be counterproductive."

The atmosphere created by the United States and its allies was so imposing and impressive that had influenced everyone, from the most pragmatic, down-to-earth journalists to the most adventurous, overconfident politicians. Quoting the Kuwaiti paper Arab Times, John Pilger wrote in a "New Statesman" article dated February 5, 2007 that Bush will attack Iran, and also gave the military details of the attack according to the statements of a Russian military official: "The well-informed Arab Times in Kuwait says that Bush will attack Iran before the end of April. One of Russia's most senior military strategists, General Leonid Ivashov, says the U.S. will use nuclear munitions delivered by cruise missiles launched from the Mediterranean."

Untruthfulness and falsehood had pervaded the mainstream media and they had simply failed to take seriously the possibility of losing their reputation as a result of proposing unrealistic, improbable and pointless predictions. They were only after serving the interests of their governmental owners and trumpeting for a non-existing war which was about to be waged against Iran.

On March 5, 2007, the Reuters AlterNet quoted analysts that there could be a chance for a possible military strike against Iran. This time, the attacker was destined to remain unspecified: "Risk analysts say there could be an up to one-in-three chance that the United States or Israel will attack Iran by the end of this year, and markets may not be doing enough to hedge against the impact." This employment of the "United States or Israel" was the newest psychological operation tactic; spreading uncertainty and ambiguity to overawe and subdue Iran.

In 2008, the most entertaining charade of the game was initiated by John Bolton, a politician who seemed to be enormously interested in playing the role of a new Nostradamus. His prophecy was that Israel would attack Iran before the new U.S. President swears in. The magnificent foretelling by Mr. Bolton was grandiloquently featured by the Daily Telegraph in a report titled: "Israel 'will attack Iran' before new US president sworn in, John Bolton predicts".

Anyway, the new U.S. President swore in and nobody attacked Iran.

The war threats against Iran have been renewed several times since John Bolton publicized his prediction. The famous "proverb" of "all options are on the table" was uttered by the successor of George W. Bush; the same man whom we trusted in once for good and deceived all of us with his promise of change. Mr. Bolton's newest forecast has been released recently: Israel has until week's end to strike Iran's nuclear facility. The psychological warfare machinery is being activated again as each newspaper and website represents one arsenal. Jeffrey Goldberg is taking steps to become the Judith Miller of war against Iran and the world once again watches the funny advertisement of human rights by those who are terrifically massacring "humans" in Palestine, Iraq and Afghanistan, getting prepared for a new bloodshed in Iran. The thing is not that Israel will attack Iran. The thing is that Israel won't dare attack Iran, but its unremitting propaganda won't cease. The thing is that we should hear these sentences incessantly: "Israel will attack Iran… will Israel attack Iran?"

(Countercurrents.org)

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Indian serving General faces court martial for corruption

 As the corruption goes towering In the India army, for the first time in the history of Indian armed forces, a serving Lieutenant General face a court martial for his proved involvement in financial irregularities.





These investigations indicate that former Commander of 33rd Corps of the Indian army, Lt Gen P K Rath will face a court martial starting August 30 for his role in issuing a no-objection, certificate to a private realtor for building an educational institution on a 70-acre piece of land adjacent to the Sukna military station in West Bengal, Defence Ministry sources said in New Delhi on Friday. The corrupt General had earlier challenged the move in the Delhi High court but his petition was dismissed by the court. A division bench headed by Justice Geeta Mittal asked the officer to approach the Armed Forces Tribunal. "Jurisdiction of this court is barred by Armed Forces Tribunal Act. In view of this, the petition is dismissed with liberty to petitioner to approach the tribunal," the court observed
The Daily Mail's investigations indicate that the orders for convening of the court martial have already been issued after the Summary of Evidence (SOE) held against Lt Gen Rath recommended the continuation of disciplinary proceedings against him while the Court Martial will be headed by a three-star General, senior to Rath
These findings indicate that the 33 Corps, headquartered in Sukna, was facilitating underhand commerce in a corridor it is tasked to protect militarily. The area of responsibility of the 33 Corps is on the China front and includes territory in Sikkim, north Bengal and Bhutan.
However the Officers Commanding and the Military Secretary, in charge of posting the officers and troops, not only ignored security concerns in allowing a commercial project on land adjacent to its headquarters but also actively facilitated Agarwal's venture. 
These findings reveal that they bent rules, altered policies, escorted the realtor, ignored the higher (Eastern) command, tailored formal agreements to suit the deal and put pressure on juniors to hurry it through while they kept suppressing evidence, the Court of Inquiry had found. All the while, the Military Secretary was in constant touch with Agarwal. Lt Gen. Prakash introduced Agarwal to Lt General Rath, the then 33 Corps Commander and deputy chief-designate (now the appointment has been cancelled), as a family friend, the court of inquiry said in its report forwarded to army headquarters.
These findings further reveal that Agarwal used to visit the Military Secretary in his house in Delhi. Agarwal and Lt Gen. Prakash were likely to have met when the military secretary served as commander of the Indian Military Training Team (Imtrat) in Bhutan, within the 33 Corps' area of responsibility.
The Daily Mail's findings further indicate that Agarwal issued a media release in Siliguri on December 31, 2009 in which he said: "The question of an 'army land scam' does not arise. The land never belonged to the army and the controversy is unnecessary." However, toeing Agarwal's line, a day after the show-cause notices were issued, Army Headquarters officials said that they did not know why the then Eastern Army commander and now Army Chief had recommended such strong action ("termination of service") against the military secretary and Commander 33rd Corps. These findings further disclose that controversy relates to a "tea tourism" project to build villas and malls in an estate surrounded by army units. When construction was stopped, an "education" project was proposed to get around the ban.
The Court of Inquiry found that Agarwal had floated the Geetanjali Education Trust registered in Ghaziabad in 2001. "It has not functioned in a true sense and has constructed no school or college so far," the report said. Agarwal was "reluctant to part with information regarding his companies". Yet, the 33 Corps Headquarters entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with him after deleting "Paragraph 17" of the draft. The report describes this clause as "the most potent" paragraph because it gave rights to the army to terminate the MoU "on security grounds".
The Daily Mail's findings indicate that in their review of the case, the investigators reported that the Chumta Tea Estate spread over 2,711 acres was on a 33-year lease from the Bengal government. It is inside the Sukna military station and is surrounded by army units.
Of this land, nearly 72 acres were barren and was handed over to the Bengal government. The Bengal government in turn offered it on lease to four firms (Mata Vaishnodevi Mercantile Pvt Ltd, Sheetla Vyapaar Pvt Ltd, Akshara Vanijya Pvt Ltd and JF Low and Co Ltd) represented by S. Bajoria.
"The barren portion of 71.55 acres is enclosed like a lobe within the tea garden, with one side literally bordering the (33) Corps Headquarters," the CoI report said and pointed out that "the sensitivities of the Siliguri Corridor also necessitated that no civil construction be permitted in the close proximity of the Corps Headquarters".
The Daily Mail's findings indicate that in February 2008, the army discovered in newspaper reports that the barren land was being developed for "tea tourism" and would include a film city, villas and malls. The then Commander of 33rd Corps, Lt Gen. Deepak Raj, informed the Eastern Army Commander and told the Bengal government's Chief Secretary that all construction on the land must be stopped. The Bengal government agreed and gave the orders accordingly.
"The army's objections to civilian construction on Chumta Tea Estate were based on security implications, arising out of proximity of the site to corps headquarters and Ascon (the army's dedicated telecommunications network) node," the CoI report said.
In July-August 2008, Agarwal went to Bajoria and with him proposed building a girls' school at the site while on December 29, 2008, Lt Gen. Rath, who was then the 33 Corps Commander, received a request for a "no-objection certificate" to establish a residential school with a franchise of Mayo College.
The Daily Mail's findings disclose that the next month, Agarwal and Bajoria met Rath. Rath forwarded the proposal from Agarwal with a note "Please examine, a new angle project we may consider" to the administration in charge, Brigadier (now Maj. Gen.) Sen.
In between, in October 2008, former Military Secretary Prakash visited Sukna on an official trip and met Agarwal. He introduced Agarwal to Rath and Lt Gen. Ramesh Halgali, who was Chief of Staff of the Corps, as a friend. In July 2008, Prakash and Agarwal were said to have met Gaj Singh of Jodhpur.
The Daily Mail's investigations reveal that this set the ball rolling till the MoU was signed in talks between March 18 and 20, 2009. In those three days, Agarwal and Lt Gen. Prakash were in constant touch, according to telephone records called by the investigators who describe this connection as the "influencing factor".
These findings indicate that the then Eastern Army Commander, Gen. V.K. Singh, grew suspicious and called off the deal. He convened the Court of Inquiry on September 30 which finally came up with the conclusion that the generals were proved guilty and recommended disciplinary action against them. The findings of the CoI were dispatched to JAG branch and Adjutant General's branch and JAG branch also agreed with the recommendations of the CoI of the Eastern Command but it highly irked the then Army Chief General Kapoor who straight away approached the Defence Minister but to no avail. He finally managed to convince the Defence Minister Antony to handle the matter his way and on Monday, transformed orders of disciplinary action into Administration action while the then Commander Eastern Command was not satisfied with this climax of the case and thus after becoming the Army Chief he ordered the re-opening of the case.

(The Daily Mail )


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Indian Army

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Washington Sees China as a Threat

The Pentagon needs to forget its old mentality and start looking toward a

peaceful future.

It is Washington that makes china feel in seecure.Neither side wants war, but mistrust between the two will only line the pockets of defense contractors in the US.

Pentagon's distortion on China's military.

Washington' s report was released one day after it was reported that China became the world's second largest economy. Whether the timing is a coincidence or not, China's military growth is matching the increase of its economic power. The Pentagon, facing budget pressures due to the economic downturn, naturally wants to keep China as a lasting military threat.

The US continues to flex its military muscle by surrounding China with its military bases, engaging in a war in neighboring Afghanistan, and continuing to sell weapons to Taiwan.

The Pentagon's annual report on the strength of China's military 2010 contained very little surprising material.

Other than limited credit given to the Chinese military's overseas peacekeeping efforts and humanitarian assistance, the annual report is making vague accusations over China's military power, growth and intentions.

The report calls for sustained and reliable US-China military-to- military relations. Yet, given the recent US military activities surrounding China's Yellow Sea and the South China Sea, including the symbolic presence of the aircraft carrier George Washington, has US military shown willingness to build mutual trust?

The report illustrates the Pentagon's hostility against the Chinese defense sector. It also sent a confusing message to the world about China's military role.

Washington' s report was released one day after it was reported that China became the world's second largest economy. Whether the timing is a coincidence or not, China's military growth is matching the increase of its economic power. The Pentagon, facing budget pressures due to the economic downturn, naturally wants to keep China as a lasting military threat.

The US continues to flex its military muscle by surrounding China with its military bases, engaging in a war in neighboring Afghanistan, and continuing to sell weapons to Taiwan.

China bears the burden of realizing sovereign unity and fending off separatists, which is a daunting challenge among other large nations. It is Washington that makes China feel insecure. Neither side wants war, but mistrust between the two will only line the pockets of defense contractors in the US.

Chinese citizens want the same things that most US citizens want. They want a peaceful and stable life. They want a life better for their kids than they had.

Perhaps US officials should look closer at the real situation in China and they would find out the two peoples are not so different.

The Chinese public wants the government to provide them with security, like any other country, and consistent economic growth. Daily life, not confrontation and provocation, tops the agenda of ordinary Chinese.

China is sticking firmly to the principle of peaceful development, but will a war be forced upon China? The question increasingly puzzles the Chinese public.

The Pentagon needs to forget its old mentality and start looking toward a peaceful future.

(Global Times )

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Taiwan

People's Liberation Army

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Naxalite insurgency threat to India’s nuclear assets

He Naxalite insurgency has crippled India to the extent that nearly 50 % of its geographical area is affected comprising approximately 220 districts in twenty states of India. They are especially concentrated in an area known as the “Red Corridor”, where they control 92,000 square kilometres and even pose a threat to India’s nuclear assets in the region. According to India’s intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing, 20,000 armed cadre Naxalites were operating in addition to 50,000 regular cadres and their growing influence prompted Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to declare them to be the most serious internal threat to India’s national security. So great is their threat that the forthcoming Commonwealth Games being organized in New Delhi face the maximum danger from possible attacks and a number of participants have expressed reservations in their participation, quoting security threats. Although the Naxalite movement, which comprises far-left radical communists, supportive of Maoist political sentiment and ideology, who came into being because of deprivation and poverty, it was only a matter of time that Pakistan’s premier intelligence agency, ISI would be blamed for the Naxalite movement. In the past too India finds it convenient to blame ISI for all its woes; so much so that once the ISI was squarely blamed for the onset of plague in some Indian states.
The Times of India story of August 16, titled ‘ISI-Naxal alliance to spell trouble’ implies that the recent arrests of six persons in Nagpur Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh police, aided by the central security agencies, have brought to the fore the move by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Naxalites to link up. The Times believes that the alliance was a fallout of their common hatred for India. The Daily Mail believes that exasperated by the beating that Indian security forces have taken at the hands of the Naxalites, they have now found it prudent to blame their favourite scapegoat, the ISI. Indian experts, in their hurry to find a link between the ISI and the Naxalites forget that the latter are a home grown movement, bred out of the impoverished masses, who became disillusioned by the successive Indian governments, who had been ignoring the downtrodden masses while claiming economic success, The classic case was during the BJP government, which till 2004 was harping on the tunes of “India Shining” claiming an extremely high growth rate. The truth was to the contrary where millions of Indian farmers, despite being growers, were forced into deprivation and poverty and were compelled to commit mass suicides. The bubble had to burst some time and the Naxalite picked up the cudgel for fighting for the rights of the downtrodden masses. Their movement attracted the underprivileged and oppressed masses, which spread the fire of rebellion beyond West Bengal and soon nearly half of India was engulfed in its flames. So far force, coercion and intimidation have failed to subdue the Naxalites. In the past Indian analysts were trying to find links between Lashkar-e-Taiba and the Naxals. When they failed to come up with any plausible evidence, they attempted to name Students Islamic Movement India (SIMI) as collaborators of Naxalites. Indian sleuths even produced “moles” that were willing to swear an oath regarding the links between the Islamists and the Naxals. When this clumsy effort ultimately backfired, they have “found” links with ISI. In the past too India has produced bogus evidence, planted on its own citizens, brutally murdered and presented as Pakistani “agents”. The world needs to take cognizance that India, being unable to rein its own home grown insurgents Naxalites, born and bred out of the failures of its government are now being shown to have an ISI nexus only to hide the incompetence of Indian security forces.

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Pratibha Patil

India Involves Bangladesh in Afghanistan

 The new embassy of Bangladesh in Kabul, India to fulfil its designs of regional dominance. For this purpose, Hasina Wajid looks to be under the grave influence of RAW. So she will not be in a position to refuse her masters for using Bangladesh embassy against Pakistan, China, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka. By availing this opportunity, India will fully involve Bangladesh in its conspiracies which take origin from Afghanistan.




By Sajjad Shaukat

While the US led NATO forces have been facing stiff resistance of the Taliban in Afghanistan and are likely to withdraw in accordance with the announced schedule. Even during the interim period, Indian conspiracy against Pakistan seems to fail because of successful guerrilla warfare of the Taliban in that country. So New Delhi has decided to involve Bangladesh in Afghanistan to intensify its plot against Islamabad.
On Indian enticement, the Awami League is opening Bangladesh embassy in Kabul. In this regard, on July 31 this year, Bangladesh’s Foreign Minister Dr Dipu Moni in Dhaka said that we have decided to reopen Bangladesh embassy in Afghanistan shortly, explaining that the process has been initiated as Afghanistan is now a member of SAARC and good news will be shared. According to the foreign minister, an official team will visit Kabul to select the mission building offered by Afghanistan.
Separately, Bangladesh is contemplating to open a number of full-fledged embassies or consulates in Latin America and Africa to expand economic and trade activities as well as providing services to Bangladeshi nationals living in those parts of the world.

The foreign minister of Bangladesh stated that during the current financial year, Bangladesh embassy or consulates would be opened in Brazil, Nigeria, Sudan, Sierra Leone and Portugal.

At present, Bangladesh has 47 missions abroad. Dr Dipu said it is necessary to expand Bangladesh missions abroad considering the interest of Bangladeshi citizens living there and enhancing economic cooperation.
As regards Afghanistan, Bangladesh mission in Kabul was shut down in 1989. However, in collaboration with New Delhi, Bangladesh embassy in Kabul is alarming for Pakistan due to a number of dimensions.
In this connection, some reports have suggested that the staff of the Bangladesh embassy has been trained by India, while a team consisting of very senior officials of Dhaka have visited Indian embassy located in Kabul. According to some reports, New Delhi will also provide its staff for the Bangladesh embassy. The fact of the matter is that Indian Intelligence has already got access in Bangladesh foreign office and some anti-Pakistan tactics will be adopted covertly from the new embassy in Afghanistan which has already become a centre of regional conspiracies.

Notably, more than 15,000 Indian troops are stationed in Afghanistan under the guise of supervising construction of road Jalalabad-Port Chahbahar project that has now been completed. Indian Border Road Organization (BRO) is being used in facilitating weapons to the anti-Pakistan agents. While, New Delhi has officially declared 14 Indian consulates in Afghanistan, but on ground, has established 200 foreign offices and training camps where RAW’s intelligence officials with the help of Khad, are doing their utmost to particularly destabilise Pakistan. In Wakhan, a religious Madrassa of the Indian Muslim clerics is functioning under the patronage of RAW and Mossad. Very young boys including Afghans, recruits are mostly Uzbeks, Tajiks and Caucasians who also come from Central Asia, bordering Afghanistan. Thus more than 20,000 ideologically motivated suicide bombers have been trained in Afghanistan. They are regularly infiltrated into troubled spots of Pakistan. Posing as volunteers, they join the Taliban militants to fight against Pakistan’s security forces. They have destroyed girl’s schools, video shops and other installations including brutal beheading of captured personnel. These miscreants also conducted a number of suicide attacks and bomb blasts in Pakistan, killing a number of innocent persons and personnel of the security forces. 
Besides Pakistan, there are clear chances that RAW agents could easily use this new embassy as their shelter in order to foment terrorism in Iran, China and Afghanistan. Here, question also arises regarding Bangladesh embassy that will this be an embassy or an Indian listening post?
Nonetheless taking cognizance of the new development, governments of Pakistan, China and Iran should keep their eyes open before Bangladesh embassy starts working.

There are also concerns amongst true Bangladeshi people and the opposition parties that sitting Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajid has a strong tilt towards India. While establishing closest ties with New Delhi, she is giving secular orientation to the country by trying to purge the society from religious touch. In this respect, she has recently issued instructions for the removal of Islamic books, written by famous scholar Maulana Madoodi. She has also put the local leaders behind the bar, who were protesting against her un-Islamic thoughts.

It is of particular attention that the Bangladesh Supreme Court’s judgment nullifying the 5th Amendment to the Constitution enacted in 1977 is seen as a milestone in restoring the constitutional course of the nation’s history. In this context, Bangladesh’s Supreme Court was under the influence of the present government. Reportedly, Mrs. Hasina has already constituted a 15-member parliamentary committee to draft a vital amendment in view of the Supreme Court’s ruling. The main theme has been given to the committee to promote secularism which means end of Islamic culture in Bangladesh.

It is noteworthy that Dhaka has old border and water dispute with India, which have always attributed to New Delhi as the latter has been more aggressive in this context. But some reliable sources suggest that now Mrs. Hasina has directed his staff to close the chapter of water and border conflicts with India. Now the Awami League has given transit trade facilities to Bharat�a move that has been resisted by Bangladeshi patriots for the past several decades. In this connection, a writer has rightly said, “Hasina Wajid again started Honey Moon Period of relationship with India.”

On the other hand, a survey conducted by a local agency pointed out that 98% Bangladeshis are not ready to leave Islamic culture on the name of secularism. They also hate undue interference of India in Bangladesh’s affairs. They are quite aware that under the cover of friendship, New Delhi wants to make Bangladesh its colony. There is no doubt that in the recent past, Indian RAW conducted a number of subversive activities in Bangladesh like bomb blasts.  

It is RAW which played a key role in helping Mrs. Hasina Wajid come in power. Directly or indirectly various tactics were applied in this regard. First it engineered a judicial coup which allowed the Awami League to win. 14 million voters of the opponent parities were disenfranchised. Then the Jamaat e Islami was banned by Hasina Wajed.

Regarding the new embassy of Bangladesh in Kabul, India wants to fulfill its designs of regional dominance. For this purpose, Hasina Wajid looks to be under the grave influence of RAW. So she will not be in a position to refuse her masters for using Bangladesh embassy against Pakistan, China, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka. By availing this opportunity, India will fully involve Bangladesh in its conspiracies which take origin from Afghanistan.

Sajjad Shaukat writes on international affairs and is author of the book: US vs Islamic Militants, Invisible Balance of Power: Dangerous Shift in International Relations. Email: sajjad_logic@yahoo.com

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Taliban

Pakistan

Barack Obama

Afghanistan

Terrorism

Sochi gathering : Russia's new borders in international politics

Judging from news reports, Wednesday's meeting in Sochi between the presidents of Russia, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan was a low-key affair, unlikely to result in any major breakthroughs.
As had been expected, the talks focused on reconciliation in Afghanistan, the war on terrorism, and efforts to combat drug trafficking. These are highly sensitive issues. Small wonder, therefore, that the news media were quite cautious in their coverage, letting only the occasional morsel of information trickle through.
Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon was reported as having suggested they sign a multilateral treaty on counter-terrorism. Russia's Dmitry Medvedev reportedly proposed a revival of economic projects launched back in the Soviet era, primarily concerning the energy sector and social development. Afghan leader Hamid Karzai welcomed in Pakistani refugees who have fled their homes to escape the floods in their country. He also expressed his sympathy for the people left homeless as a result of wildfires in Russia as well, but stopped short of offering them a shelter in his country (which would have been interesting). Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, for his part, invited Medvedev to visit Pakistan.
Well, as always, we'll probably get a clearer picture further down the line. At this point, we can only guess whether the proposed counter-terrorism deal is likely to be followed by any concrete steps, and whether the CASA 1000 project, presented at the first such four-party meeting, held in the Tajik capital of Dushanbe last year, has made any headway. The half-a-billion-dollar project envisages Russian investments in hydro-electric power plants in Tajikistan and electricity supplies from Tajikistan to Pakistan, via Afghanistan.
Other points in need of clarification include the four leaders' take on the supply of 100 Russian transport helicopters to Afghanistan, and how the presidents of Tajikistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan perceive Russia's proposal of using the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) to help maintain stability in the region. Nonetheless, these questions give a general picture of the kind of questions that must have arisen during this meeting of the "Dushanbe quartet" in Sochi.
One thing is already apparent however, and that is Russia's radical policy-shift towards Central and South Asia, motivated by the idea of coping more effectively with the ever-changing challenges that currently face this volatile region and the rest of the world.
A meeting like the one that took place in Sochi would have been impossible in the Cold War era. The United States was then busy creating, in cooperation with Pakistan, a counterweight to Soviet influence in Afghanistan. As a result of those efforts, the Taliban and Al-Qaeda emerged right by the Soviet Union's southern borders, near Tajikistan.
Remembering what life was like under the Taliban, who incidentally owed their victory to the United States, the West as a whole, and to Pakistan, is painful. But transcripts of some intercepted internal Taliban conversations published in the Russian press exist as a reminder of how the movement's leaders garnered support in villages, stockpiled weapons... And we're talking here about villages in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan as well.
Following the 9/11 terrorist attack on the United States, Washington launched its anti-terrorism campaign in Afghanistan. Moscow wholeheartedly supported that war. But an Iron Curtain was still in place, as in the 80's, barring the Russians from any involvement in the post-Taliban reconstruction of Afghanistan.
It is now clear that the U.S. neo-Conservatives, led by George W. Bush, had several goals in mind when they sent their troops into Afghanistan. They sought to rid it and neighboring Pakistan of Islamic extremists, then make countries in Central Asia, such as Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and even Kazakhstan, part of their sphere of geopolitical influence, with regime change where possible, and in doing so - push Russia and China back. Hardly surprising therefore that they turned down all offers of assistance from the SCO and the CSTO.
Russia responded with a flare-up of diplomatic activity in Central Asia, working hard to consolidate its relations with former Soviet states as well as with China. As a result, in part thanks to Bush, Russian and Chinese interests coincided, and the SCO evolved into a powerful regional security organization.
President Bush's ambitions for Central Asia eventually faltered over a lack of resources. He got bogged down in Iraq, failed to crush Taliban resistance in Afghanistan, and ratcheted up the tension with Iran. His successor in the White House, Barack Obama, looks set to make a U-turn on U.S. policy in the region. This looks set to include a withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan as soon as next year, although experts, especially military analysts, do not believe this will happen.
The situation is complicated by the fact that these new policies, on both the American and Russian sides, are very much a "work in progress" at this point. Moscow is not going to wait until the United States has formulated its policy. Russia must go ahead and develop its diplomatic policy towards those areas south of its former Soviet borders.
First, on Tajikistan's initiative, came the meeting a year ago in Dushanbe, then this year's meeting in Sochi.
This may be just an outline of Russia's new borders in international politics in this crucial region, but it does give quite a clear picture. Moscow does not want to fight either the United States or Europe over spheres of influence in the region. It is seeking ways to cooperate with its former adversaries. Sochi is a part of that process.
RIA Novosti political commentator Dmitry Kosyrev
The opinions expressed in this article are the author's and do not necessarily represent those of RIA Novosti.

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