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Shalom
A man needs to love and to hate at the same moment,
to laugh and cry with the same eyes,
with the same hands to throw stones and to gather them,
to make love in war and war in love.
And to hate and forgive and remember and forget,
to arrange and confuse, to eat and to digest
what history takes years and years to do.
-“A Man In His Life”
by Yehuda Amichai
The insightful words of Yehuda Amichai which
allude to the contradictions and impermanence of
life also find an echo in burgeoning Indo-Israeli
ties. Setting aside decades of policy which called
for engagement-at-a-distance, both
governments are openly embracing each other.
Despite the strength of dissonant voices the
recent visit of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to
India marks a new chapter in ties and increasing
closeness between the two countries. In the past
few years, both countries have realized their
common problems of cross-border terrorism and the
challenge of sustaining a democracy in a hostile
neighborhood. This resulted in a initial
convergence on security issues However in the
post 9/11 era and the globalization of terror, the
ties between the two have expanded to a cover a
broad spectrum ranging from trade, tourism,
cultural links to defense sales and technology
development. Amidst the bonhomie, it is
important to note that there are certain
limitation to ties between the two countries.
Most importantly for India, engagement with Israel
cannot come at the expense of ties to other
countries in the Middle East which are the source
of economic livelihood for millions of Indians and
oil suppliers to the Indian economy. Additionally
India must maintain a balance, so as to prevent
other countries from exploiting any rift
between the Middle East and India. For Israel
there is the challenge of ensuring that its ties
to India do not impinge on its ties with China and
the US. It will require a great deal of maturity
on both sides to overcome such limitations and to
take bilateral ties to the next level.
The August 25, 2003 terrorist attacks at the
Gateway of India and Zaveri Bazaar in Bombay claimed the
lives of approximately fifty individuals and
injured a hundred and fifty more. A further calamity was prevented as police
discovered detonators on railroad tracks shortly
before a train carrying Hindu pilgrims from
the Kumbh Mela. Investigations into the attack
have pointed to prior acts of terror such as bus
blasts in Ghatkhopar, Mumbai by the accused
individuals. The members claim to belong to
Tehreek-e-Qasas Gujarat (Organization for
Vengeance Gujurat), that seeks to avenge last
years riots in Gujarat. Investigations have also
exposed the hand of a nexus of terror involving
banned SIMI (Student Islamic Movement of India),
Pakistan based LeT (Lashkar-e-Toiba) and
Pakistan’s ISI (Inter Services Intelligence).
Two interesting things catch the eye,
firstly as the ISI involvement occurred through
Bangladesh, once again Bangladesh stands out as a
proxy used by Pakistan to cause terror in India. Secondly the involvement of LeT in the
attacks, foreshadows a
disturbing trend. The LeT appears to be spreading
its tentacles throughout India and mentoring local groups in
acts of terror.
Terrorism was
uppermost in peoples' minds this
past month as the world held a solemnly marked the loss of life in the terrorist
attacks of 9/11. The war on terror continues
across the globe not only in Afghanistan, India
and Israel but also in Southeast Asia and Europe.
In the last two years, despite overt praise for
Saudi efforts in aiding US against the Al
Qaida, there are several controversial reports
indicating the actual role of the Saudis.
Classified sections of the Congressional report on
9/11 are widely held to indicate complicity
between Saudi royalty and associates of some of
the hijackers. Furthermore accusations of
Saudi Arabia’s failure to cooperate with US
investigations prior to 9/11 are appearing with
increasing frequency. The US continues to face
obstacles in Iraq. Recently there have been four
major terrorist attacks in Iraq. The deadliest
one in Najaf killed hundreds of Shia worshipers
and
Ayatollah Mohammad Baqr Al Hakim. Terrorism in
Iraq can be traced back to Pakistan, according to
knowledgeable sources, a large number of Arab
nationals trained in Pakistan by the LeT have entered Iraq
and are responsible for attacks on US troops and
locals.
August 18, 2003 marks the 15th
anniversary of General Zia ul Haq’s death in a
C-130 crash. Therefore it is appropriate to
reflect on his dream of
Pakistan
since many pertinent present day issues can be
traced to his policies. The Islamization of
Pakistani society and military began as did the
greater involvement of the religion in national
issues. President–General Zia narrowly viewed the
world as a religious struggle between India and
Pakistan. He envisioned countering India with a
“strategically deep” nuclear
Pakistan
with suzerainty over Afghanistan and backed by
Islamic republics of Central Asia. He planned to
shorn Punjab from India and to accomplish the long
dreamed acquisition of
Kashmir. Subsequent Pakistani leaders criticized his
policies and leadership. Ironically, none halted
the wheels set in motion. Today, like
fifteen years ago,
Pakistan is headed by a President – General, who
took power with the pretense of setting right the
wrongs of the past. Unfortunately, aside from
cosmetic changes, he is unwilling to turn Pakistan
from the steered course of his mentor. Actually,
Zia ul Haq’s vision has become more pernicious and
resolute. Jammu & Kashmir continues to smolder
with cross border terrorism and recently there is
alarming news about ISI attempts to re-stoke
discontent in Punjab.
Afghanistan
bore the brunt of Pakistani meddling with
mujaheddin infighting and the Taliban’s oppressive
policies. Ominously, a resurgent Taliban aided by
Pakistan challenges the stability of an
internationally backed government.
Central Asia
labors under threat of radical Islam and worsening
conditions in Afghanistan could be echoed in the
region. The fear of Pakistani nuclear weapons
falling into the hands of terrorists remains
valid. Zia’s dream continues to be an ongoing
nightmare that casts a shadow of terror from India
to Central Asia.
In a sad turn of events, Mohammad Yosuf better
known as Kukka Parrey, was gunned down in the
Baramulla district of Kashmir Valley.
Responsibility for the
terrorist attack was claimed by Al Nassreen, a
previously unknown outfit. Kukka Parrey was a
well known figure in India's counter insurgency
efforts in
Kashmir and he was the leader of the Ikhwan-ul-Muslimeen. In
addition to a well established reputation as
a counter insurgent, he was the founder of the Awami
League and a former legislator. On somewhat
a positive note August 20,
2003, BSF (Border Security Force) raid on a
Srinagar hideout killed Ghazi Baba, a Pakistani,
a leader of the JEM (Jaish-e-Mohammad). Ghazi Baba is
considered the masterminded in the 1995 kidnapping
of Western tourists in Jammu & Kashmir as well as
the attack on October 2001 bombing of the J&K
Legislative Assembly and the December 2001 attack
on the Indian Parliament.
The editorial team of the Bharat-Rakshak Monitor extends a note
congratulations to the BSF for its hard work and
perseverance in ensuring India’s Security.
It is only natural to note that in this time of
growing internal security issues, a well trained
and equipped paramilitary force can go a long way
in addressing concerns. With that in mind much joy
is being expressed over the government's recent
decision to set up a modernization program for the
BSF. The `New BSF' will play a crucial role in any
conflicts in the future.
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