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Wake up leaders!
March 25, 2011
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India has signed a 10 year nuclear deal with the US in 2008. The deal would open nuclear technology and energy market for India. Its nuclear programme would undermine Pakistan’s nuclear deterrent. In a recent visit by the US president to India, both countries singed deals of almost $10 to 15 billion. The most important component of the deal was purchase of 10 C-17 Globemaster-III military transport aircraft for the Indian Air Force. Induction of such aircraft would help improve the IAF ’s mobility and reach. America has also expressed its support for the inclusion of India in the UNSC as a permanent member. Pakistan’s political and military leadership now must reconsider its relationship with the United States and take decisions according to the aspirations of the people of Pakistan. On the other hand, India’s strategic partnership with Israel has also proved to be very effective for the Indian military. India is Israel’s single largest importer of defence equipment constituting about 50 per cent of Israel’s defence exports and about 30 per cent of India’s imports. Defence trade between both countries includes transfer of Risaat-II spy Satellite, Barak missiles to the Indian Navy, night fighting devices to the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force and improved the radar network by providing advanced electronic warfare systems, information technology and Phalcon airborne early warning radar systems etc. These systems have significantly improved India’s reconnaissance and surveillance capabilities
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Few things are common in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan, i.e. the American presence, suicide attacks, car bombings, Al-Qaeda presence, Special Operations by CIA contractors, sectarian violence, bomb blasts at religious places, seminaries, Masjids, attacks on security forces, army and police. All these similarities are not just fluke; something covert is behind all these stirring. Whatever US interests are in these countries, (oil in Iraq, strategic influence in Afghanistan (for trillions of dollars untapped mineral resources) or de-nuclearisation of the only Muslim state Pakistan) the main sufferer is Pakistan. According to WikiLeaks more than 109,032 people have been killed in Iraq. In last three years almost 10,000 people have lost their lives in Afghanistan and Pakistan alone faced 10,000 casualties in 2010 alone. That shows Pakistan has become the ground for the next great game. This volatility started after the US war against Taliban in Afghanistan and with that started the role of US Special Forces inside Pakistan with the permission of former president Parvez Musharraf.
After the Raymond Davis issue one thing is clear that America is pursuing its own hidden agendas in Pakistan in guise of the war against terror. The material recovered from the possession of Raymond Davis suggests that he was not at all a diplomat because diplomats are not supposed to carry such things. Skill to use lethal weapon and equipment suggests that he was an undercover agent on a covert mission. So what he was doing in Pakistan was the source of concern for Pakistan.
According to investigation teams Raymond Davis had links in the tribal areas. Pakistani authorities revealed that a GPS chip recovered from the possession of Davis was being used in identifying targets for drone attacks in the tribal region. Davis was hesitant to provide his purpose of visit to tribal areas. According to the GPS data Davis made up to 12 visits to the tribal areas without prior notification to Pakistani officials. According to the charge sheet Raymond Davis was carrying two mobile phones and few SIM cards. After the investigation and call records it was revealed that he had links with the militant organizations in Pakistan. According to a senior police official “…………….Davis was masterminding terrorist activities in Lahore and other parts of Punjab,”……………..“His close ties with the TTP were revealed during the investigations,” “Davis was instrumental in recruiting young people from the Punjab for the Taliban to fuel the bloody insurgency.”
Call records of the cell phones recovered from Davis have established his links with 33 Pakistanis, including 27 militants from the TTP and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi sectarian outfit. An illegal weapon (9 mm Glock pistol) with five magazines and 78 live bullets of 9mm were also recovered from Raymond Davis’s possession. A separate case has been registered in the Lahore high court for the possession of illegal weapon.
Raymond Davis claimed that he killed Faizan and Faheem in self-defense but postmortem report differs with his claim. According to the charge sheet Faizan and Faheem received three injuries each from the back side. Eye witnesses say that the accused fired at Faizan Haider at a time when he left the motorcycle and ran to save his life. Raymond Davis himself admitted that he fired at Faizan from the back when he was running. After this how could he claim that he killed Faizan and Faheem in self-defense. It is imperative for the judiciary to provide justice to the grieved families and take a decision according to the Pakistani law.
A very pertinent question arises that why the US and its allies want to denuclearize Pakistan? Pakistan is the only Muslim country which possesses nuclear weapons along with credible delivery means. This is the only country in the region which can challenge the hegemony of the US allies India and Israel. To understand this great game against Pakistan we have to understand the level of strategic partnership between America, India and Israel.
India has signed a 10 year nuclear deal with the US in 2008. The deal would open nuclear technology and energy market for India. Its nuclear programme would undermine Pakistan’s nuclear deterrent. In a recent visit by the US president to India, both countries singed deals of almost $10 to 15 billion. The most important component of the deal was purchase of 10 C-17 Globemaster-III military transport aircraft for the Indian Air Force. Induction of such aircraft would help improve the IAF ’s mobility and reach. America has also expressed its support for the inclusion of India in the UNSC as a permanent member. Pakistan’s political and military leadership now must reconsider its relationship with the United States and take decisions according to the aspirations of the people of Pakistan. On the other hand, India’s strategic partnership with Israel has also proved to be very effective for the Indian military.
India is Israel’s single largest importer of defence equipment constituting about 50 per cent of Israel’s defence exports and about 30 per cent of India’s imports. Defence trade between both countries includes transfer of Risaat-II spy Satellite, Barak missiles to the Indian Navy, night fighting devices to the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force and improved the radar network by providing advanced electronic warfare systems, information technology and Phalcon airborne early warning radar systems etc. These systems have significantly improved India’s reconnaissance and surveillance capabilities.
India and Israel are also collaborating to strengthen their military ties, especially in areas like joint Research and Development in defence projects, counter-terrorism and intelligence-sharing. Israel’s technological advancement in military weapon and equipment has compelled India to strengthen its ties with Israel. However, it is believed that Israel may have overtaken Russia to become India’s largest supplier of military equipment and expertise, with sales of land-based surveillance systems, seaborne missiles, and more exceeding $2 billion per year. In addition to that Israel has also provided training to Indian Army soldiers and Special Forces.
Such collaboration would bring innovation and drastic change in the Indian military and it would enable Indian soldiers to use latest technologies in the modern warfare. India and Israel’s most distinctive collaboration is in intelligence. Intelligence agencies of Israel (MOSSAD) and India (RAW) are in close coordination and cooperation in the fight against terrorism. Both countries also train each other’s officers and update each other on the latest techniques and technologies used in espionage, counter terrorism and counter insurgency warfare. India’s acquisition of Electronic Warfare (EW) and Network Centric Warfare (NCW) systems from Israel will enhance its capabilities for reconnaissance, information gathering, communication, and coordination between its armed forces and pose a grave threat to the security of Pakistan.
The US has always supported Israel and we have never heard of any pressure on Israel regarding its nuclear programme. India and Israel has been pampered by the US as far as their nuclear programmes, high tech technology transfer and expertise is concerned, whereas Pakistan has always faced sanctions, political impediments and technology denial from the US-led Nuclear Suppliers Group. Such dual standards in the US foreign policy clearly depict the wicked intentions against Pakistan. The Raymond Davis saga is the opportunity for us to think and take some concrete steps to safeguard the national security interests of Pakistan before it’s too late.
The author is Research Fellow at South Asian Strategic Stability Institute, Islamabad.
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