One of the agreements reached between the counter-terrorism organizations of India and the United States during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Washington is that the mechanism of Indo-US counter-terrorism that came into being after the Mumbai attacks (2008) must be advanced further. The understanding reached between New Delhi and Washington is they must now exchange information on their respective citizens who may be going off to Syria, Iraq or any other hot spots.
I am for implementing all such agreements and understandings, including the ones reached between New Delhi and Jerusalem in India’s post-2008 landscape. Reports are that hundreds of American citizens have apparently joined ISIS. India, too, has been tracking about 20 of its citizen (some say more) who have gone over to fight for ISIS. New Delhi and Washington must cooperate to take care of such elements before they return back home to pose any possible threat to the home countries only.
I am, however, not sure if and to what extent Indo-American agreement on counter-terrorism would be really meaningful for India. In his UN General Assembly Address Prime Minister in September, Prime Minister Modi rightly called for a global convention on terror so that no country could differentiate between “good terrorism and bad terrorism.” But Washington still seems to be thinking in terms of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ terrorism. It is yet the see the need to dismantle the various linkages Islamist terrorism has had the world over.
The root cause of terror in India has been Pakistan’s ISI since long. India’s former Defense Secretary and current Governor of Jammu and Kashmir N N Vohra has recently said that “Jihadi terrorism has been progressively spreading its reach” with the activities of the Indian Mujahidin “growing.” India’s hinterland continues “to remain the prime focus of Pakistan- based terror groups, particularly LeT and IM.” ISIS has been “striving to resurrect Sikh militancy in Punjab by supporting the establishment of terror modules from among militants in the Sikh diaspora” and “pressuring Sikh militant groups to join hands with the Kashmir-centric militant outfits.”
Also, India’s National Investigation Agency is believed to recently told a trial court that Pakistan’s ISI has been in contact with top operatives of the banned Indian Mujahideen and provided shelter to its members as part of a larger conspiracy to carry out terror activities across the country. But Washington still seems to be looking the other way, perhaps thinking the ISI might be encouraging what it calls ‘India-specific’ terrorists alone and it has no dangerous implications for the United States .
Besides, it is difficult to believe the sincerity of Washington and allies even in the current war on ISIS. It is no secret that until recently, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey had been supporting ISIS. The UAE happened to be its largest financier. The US, UK and France helped ISIS by funding, training and equipping the so-called ‘moderate’ rebels against the Syrian regime. It is these moderates who joined the ISIS with their weapons.
Today Saudi Arabia looks opposed to the Dawlat al-Islamiyah f’al-Iraq w Belaad al-Sham (Daesh) or Islamic State (IS). According to reports, the Kingdom recently deputed its Prince Khaled bin Salman, son of Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz, and an unidentified royal scion to join the military action against the terrorist group. Prince Khaled piloted one of the planes from Saudi Arabia (Jordan, Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates) to join the US-led bombing of ISIS positions in Syria. Also, the UAE’s first female pilot Major Mariam Al Mansouri participated in the raid on the target areas.
However, Washington and its Middle Eastern allies are still not united in their planning and objectives. It is being said that the goal of the West is to link Qatar’s natural gas fields to Europe and curtail Russia’s politico-economic leverage. Saudi Arabia wants to fix Syrian President Bashir al-Assad, under whom Syria happens to be a frontline ally of Iran in its battle for regional influence in the Middle East. Istanbul is still helping the Islamic State by letting it export oil to Europe via Turkey. It is covertly supporting ISIS mercenaries fighting Kurds in Syria.
Given the above realities, I would suggest the political leadership in New Delhi not to expect much from Washington and allies in its war on terror of the ISIS or ISI kind. New Delhi would better go the way Jerusalem deals with Islamist terrorism and defends itself against the evil by boosting its own self-defense mechanism . Pertinently, New Delhi could heed also the counsel a strategically enlightened section of the strategic community has been giving: raise the cost of Islamabad’s anti-India activities.
It is heartening to find that indications in this regard are already being positive under the Modi government in New Delhi. Recently, the Pakistan Rangers targeted 60 border outposts and over 80 villages in fresh mortar shelling and firing in Jammu, Samba and Kathua districts along the International Border. This has been met with appropriate Indian response. Prime Minister Modi has warned, “Times have changed and their old habits will not be tolerated.” His Defense Minister Arun Jaitley has said, “It (Islamabad) must realize that our deterrence will be credible. If Pakistan persists with this adventurism, our forces will make the cost of this adventurism unaffordable.”
I hope the Modi government will adhere to its new course against Islamist terrorism.
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