India
has been a victim of terrorism for many decades, much before the West
experienced its deadly reality on September 11, 2001 . The terrorist
menace in Jammu and Kashmir has
its roots in Pakistan and is supported financially and materially by the
government and institutions of that country. Despite the assurances of
the Pakistani Government,
infiltration continues across the border.
The
Indian Armed Forces have dealt with the problem of cross-border
terrorism with a multi-pronged strategy that includes psychological
warfare, innovative military tactics and counter intelligence methods.
India's long experience in tackling terrorism can be of valuable help to
other countries that are facing similar challenges now.
For
any terrorist movement to be contained, the Government’s resolve and
the security forces’ firmness are a must. India’s fight against
terrorism has been a long and arduous one and the Indian Armed Forces
are fully geared to handle any problem that may arise in future.
It is important that the state support for any form of terrorism must
cease. Terrorist organizations have long arms and global reach. The
world, therefore, has to fight a united battle by pooling resources in
order to remove this scourge from the face of the earth.
In
the wake of the attacks of 9-11 came the recognition that states that
sheltered and sustained numerous groups that utilized terror were
themselves terrorist states. This is what led to the attacks on Afghanistan.
However, geopolitics has led to the media overlooking another terrorist
state. One of the states
that are apparently a 'frontline ally' in this war against terrorism
is Pakistan.
The
mastermind of the first attack on the WTC was Ramzi Yousef, a Pakistani
national with links to the Pakistani government.
The attacks on the US embassies in Africa were masterminded by
terrorists based from Pakistan.
The
finances used by Mohammad Atta (the ring-leader of the hijackers that
attacked the WTC-Pentagon) were wired by terrorists with links to
Pakistan's Inter Service Intelligence - an agency with deep links to the
Taliban and Al Qaeda. All
the 19 terrorists, as well as Zacarias Moussaoui (the suspected 20th
hijacker) and Richard Reid (the shoe-bomber) are known to have spent
time training in Pakistan in institutions funded by the Pakistani
intelligence.
In
addition to this are the extensive links between the Al Qaeda/Taliban
and Pakistan. The Taliban forces that occupied and controlled
Afghanistan were supported militarily, politically and logistically by
Pakistan. The links between the Taliban and the Pakistani government
were so extensive that all Taliban Ministries could only be reached
through Pakistani area codes.
Al
Qaeda is but one of 12 groups that make up the Islamic Front that has
issued a jihad on the United States. In addition to Al Qaeda are Jaish-e-Mohammad,
Lashkar-e-Toiba, and
Harkat-ul-Mujaheddin. These three groups are classified as Foreign
Terrorist Organizations by the US State Department.
All four, including Al Qaeda are known to raise funds openly,
train openly and receive military and logistic support from the
Pakistani government agencies.
Pakistan
has used terrorism as an instrument of state policy through the tenure
of General Zia ul-Haq, Benazir Bhutto, Nawaz Sharif and now General
Musharraf . What this means is that state sponsorship of terrorism
in Pakistan is institutional in nature rather than embodied in the
leadership.
Home
Page |