In April 1984 the Indian Army launched Operation Meghdoot to secure the Saltoro Ridge on the Siachen Glacier. The success of Operation Meghdoot in the face of inclement weather, high altitude and Pakistan Army resistance enabled India to assert a dominating presence on the Siachen Glacier. The month of April 2004 marks the twentieth year of the victory on the Saltoro Ridge. Much debate prevails in India over Operation Meghdoot, but as the wealth of Central Asia glitters, the significance of the victory in 1984 becomes more pronounced. Bharat-Rakshak takes this opportunity to salute the brave soldiers of the Indian Army that have guarded the Saltoro Ridge for the twenty years. Through their blood, toil and tears, India’s gateway to Central Asia has been protected.

Some may find this talk of Siachen Glacier conflict incongruous with the current euphoria of the India-Pakistan peace process. The success of the current round of talks and the opening of several trade and communication channels has generated much optimism. The high visibility trips by prominent Indians to Pakistan have created a lot of positive press in India about Pakistan. Peace in the Indian subcontinent is very desirable, and given the innumerable obstacles in the path to peace, one should expect a slow pace of change. However it is fair to ask the question: are we proceeding in the right direction? Indeed there is an enormous amount of positive press in India about Pakistani hospitality, and the cricket matches alone have resulted in a financial windfall for retired Pakistani generals who run the Pakistan Cricket Board, but why is it that every single opinion editorial in the Pakistani press bristles with anger over the poor showing of the Pakistani cricket team?   After all it is only a game, so why the angst? To match this voices in the Pakistani government blow hot and cold over the issue of Kashmir. With such impatience in full view, can anyone really make the claim that Pakistan is ready for peace with India?

For Pakistan, the path to peace lies through a sustained commitment to counter- terrorism. The credibility of Pakistan’s commitment to counter-terrorism was put into question by the recent operation in Waziristan. The Waziristan operation was supposed to showcase Pakistan’s robust efforts in the American war against the Al Qaida and the resurgent Taliban, however it has done quite the opposite. When asked to define realistic objectives for the operation, General Musharraf preferred to peddle hype about arresting Al Qaida’s No. 2 Ayman Al-Zawahiri. In doing so, he made promises he knew he could not keep. This public failure to deliver Al-Zawahiri casts a shadow over all those Pakistani promises to deliver near-term stability in Afghanistan. The fate of Ayman Al-Zawahiri is no longer an issue, in the eyes of the Islamists, Zawahiri has effectively become a martyr alongside Shaikh Yasin of Hamas. The hundreds of Waziri tribals killed in the process of this operation are only going to fan the flames of Islamist and Pashtun hatred for the US, and thus promote terrorist activity.  

The troubles of Afghanistan are clearly far from over, the assassination of Mirwaiz Sadiq, Minister of Aviation and son of Ismail Khan foreshadows ominous events.  This is the third assassination of a high ranking official in the Afghan Government.  The details of the assassination and its culprits remain hazy amid conflicting reports.  Initial reports mentioned an attempt against Ismail Khan, but the subsequent clash between local troops and the Afghan National Army dominated headlines. While the decision to send reinforcements to Herat seemed unavoidable, the power struggle for Herat could promote domestic instability by crystallizing the opposition to President Karzai as elections approach.  Furthermore, recent announcement to postpone elections from June to September 2004 citing inadequate poll security seems curious especially since this has been an ongoing and worsening problem for which no remedies have yet been proposed.

Terrorism and its potential for political impact were seen in the tragic events in Madrid. The carnage of Madrid bore the unmistakable fingerprints of Al Qaida; simultaneous high intensity terrorist attacks on a civilian target. The impact of this attack on the Spanish elections came as a surprise to most observers, and so did Prime Minister Zapatero’s decision to withdraw troops from Iraq. It is important for all observers to remember that the war with Al Qaida is first and foremost a political struggle and from the events in Spain, Al Qaida affiliates will draw many lessons. It is possible to hope that the European Union’s counter-terrorism initiative will bring some relief in this regard but only time will tell. The discovery of a network of Pakistani born British citizens bent upon unleashing terrorist acts on British soil is a promising start.

The American reaction to change of heart in Spain was most vehement. It seems that the American government is now under considerable pressure to shore up its alliances in the War on Terror. This anxiety may explain the decision by Secy. Powell to spontaneously offer Pakistan the Major Non NATO Ally status. The manner in which this award was offered has not gone down well in India and Secy. Powell has eroded the three years of trust building between India and the US. The MNNA offer to Pakistan gives it an easier route to purchasing American armaments and spares. This qualitatively changes the battlefield scenario in the India-Pakistan context. Indian anger over being left out of such an important decision is well placed. The MNNA episode will substantially alter Indian perceptions about the US.

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