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New
Delhi, 01 October 2002
Our
correspondent who is presently in New York has sent us this piece
datelined 30 Sep in Pakistan, which according to him has been taken
seriously by US citizens and this could affect winter tourism to
India as there have already been some cancellations
THE
NEWS (PAKISTAN), SEPTEMBER 30, 2002
INDIA PLANNING PRE-EMPTIVE STRIKES AGAINST PAKISTAN
By Aslam Khan
ISLAMABAD: The government has picked up signals that India has begun
putting in place a plan to carry out pre-emptive strikes against
Pakistan in the eventuality of an American attack on Iraq,
well-placed sources revealed to The News on Sunday.
The
sources added that the government was taking the signals seriously
and had ordered preparations to counter any such eventuality.
"There have been several simultaneous developments in the past
few days that indicate a sinister game plan by India against
Pakistan," a high-placed official disclosed on the condition of
anonymity.
"The
Indians are making ominous moves through their army, navy and the
air force, which has rung alarm bells here and we are taking
appropriate counter measures to be in a position to neutralise any
threat," he said.
He
revealed that in an abrupt move the Indian army headquarters had
ordered all personnel on leave to report back to the frontline units
along the border with Pakistan by October 1. "More ominously,
attack aircraft that were withdrawn to the rear bases in June are
now moving back to forward operating bases," the official
revealed.
Also,
he added, the Pakistan Navy had picked up heightened activity of
Indian ships and submarines in the Arabian Sea not far from the
approach to the Pakistani waters.
"Allied
intelligence gathered along with these developments indicates that
New Delhi is putting in place arrangements that seem to suspiciously
mirror recent threats hurled by Indian leaders, including Prime
Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani,"
he said.
"We
believe that the new found Indian keenness for the American advocacy
of pre-emptive military strikes against possible security risks is
behind the latest military moves against Pakistan by New
Delhi," the official said.
"It
is clear that the moves are a follow-up of the recent statements by
Vajpayee and Advani drawing parallels between the US and Iraq with
the alleged cross-border terrorism across the Line of Control,"
he added.
"Pakistan
is fully conscious of the ominous new developments across its
borders and is adopting appropriate measures to counter any threat
to its security on the land, in the air and the sea," he said.
He,
however, refused to elaborate the military measures. "Suffice
to say that our armed forces are not only capable of meeting any
eventuality but also fully competent to counter any threat
adequately," he added.
When
contacted, senior security analyst Mirza Naseem Anwar Beg said the
latest Indian threatening moves, if related to the American doctrine
of unilateralism, indicated a new international climate that was
polarising the established global security realm.
"The
concept of unilateralism, especially in military terms, is a
dangerous new trend," he said. "It is, however, a case of
easier said than done when applied to Pakistan's case."
"India may want to imitate US unilateralism in the conduct of
its foreign policy but what is apparently not clear to India is that
even the US is finding it difficult to garner the support of such
longstanding allies as Germany and France for the contemplated
attack against Iraq," Beg said.
"On
the face of it, India seems set to take a cue from a likely US
attack on Iraq and launch a similar pre-emptive aggression against
Pakistan on the plea of alleged cross-border terrorism," he
said, adding that Islamabad must step up diplomatic pressure to
counter this omnipotent threat.
A
senior defence source confirmed to The News that there was unusually
heightened military activity along Pakistan's border.
"The
Indian armed forces' directives should be seen in the light of the
aggressive statements by their leaders, which are indicative of
their mood to re-escalate the tension in the region and take matters
to an unacceptable level where they may even resort to use of
force," the official said.
Requesting
that he not be named, he informed that not only were the Indians
adding to the strength of their naval units in the Arabian Sea,
"we have noted the increasing visits of senior Indian generals
to held Kashmir where they are addressing their troops with military
rhetoric at the Line of Control."
Sources
said that a high-level Indian delegation had just returned from Tel
Aviv where it attended meetings of the Indo-Israel Joint Commission
for Defence Cooperation.
The objective was to review their rapidly expanding military ties to
cater for a hi-tech missile defence shield for India as well as the
sale of Phalcon radar for use in planes with AWACS.
Israeli
defence industry has emerged as India's second largest weapons
provider after Russia with defence related trade between the two
countries totalling more than $1 billion a year.
India
has already acquired a powerful Green Pine Early Warning radar
system from Israel, which is reportedly being deployed along the
Pakistan border and signed a multi million dollar deal for
purchasing an unspecified number of Aerostal long-range radar to
bolster air defences along the border.
Israel
has also supplied avionics and weapons systems for use in Indian Air
Force as well as Naval Air Defence and anti-missile system for use
by Indian Navy, the sources said. "While we object to these
military acquisitions, India must realise that neither is it a super
power like the US, nor Pakistan an isolated and crippled state such
as Iraq," the defence source said.
"Pakistan
will retaliate with all possible force if subjected to
aggression," he warned. "India should stop equating itself
with the US and drawing wrong analogies between Iraq and Pakistan.
It will cut a sorry figure for any misadventure," he added.
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