Indo - US Military
To Military
Relations: Who Will Benefit?
By Admiral vishnu
Bhagwat
26 April, 2005
Countercurrents.org
Military
to military relationships usually have as their underlying basis the
tacit approval of the limiting boundaries set by the political
leadership of the two countries involved . The United States has a long
and somewhat controversial history of such relationships that it has
forged with countries around the world , particularly in the Philippines
, South Korea, Japan ,Indonesia , Egypt Nigeria and Latin America and
nearer home in Pakistan , Iran , Saudi Arabia, Iraq , Turkey and now
in East Europe and the Central Asian and Caspian Sea region. Its military
to military relationships with European nations have been of a different
character , though immediately after WWII they had a very large covert
undercover objective , that of the elimination of the communist Resistance
which had gained popular acceptance in countries such as France, Italy
and Greece to give some examples,in view of their anti-fascist peoples
movements and militia organization at a time when most governments had
capitulated to Nazi /fascist atrocities.
Overthrow of democratically
elected civilian governments was routine in Brazil, Argentina, Chile
or Pakistan if it served the political and economic interests of the
US . The School for Americas , identified , groomed and trained military
and police officers to assume such Leadership roles in their home countries.
The International Police Academy groomed the up and coming police and
intelligence officers of the developing countries and gave them the
political orientation of the free world , free market economies etc
, and of democracy oriented to this model . India had stayed largely
clear of such joint military/police ventures having a broad understanding
of the policy objectives of A NON ALIGNED STATE . With the spread of
such an all encompassing concept as Globalization with
policies oriented towards the political and economic objectives of the
nation- state all but remaining in name, with arms expenditures of all
countries concurrently escalating in an arms race fuelled by antagonisms,
the orchestrated war on terror fueled among others by Oil
giants and arms manufacturing conglomerates in need of subsidies from
national exchequers , strange undercurrents seem to be at play.
In the introduction
to a recent publication People , Progress, Partnership
The Transformation of US India Relations, the outgoing US
Secretary of State, General Colin Powell recalls former Prime Minister
Vajpayees words that India and the US are natural allies.
In this context the question arises who are the natural enemies
of these natural allies ? This document has an entire chapter
on Defense Relations Shared Strategic Future .During
General Colin Powells last visit to New Delhi the Secretary of
State of the Bush administration , spoke glowingly of Military
to Military relations progressing, and being the cornerstone of
growing Indo US relations , in this fundamental transformation
in relations between the United States and India. Secretary Powell underlined
that ,together we have opened new levels of co-operation on law
enforcement and intelligence sharing.
It is worthwhile
summarizing the major thrust areas of this chapter on Defense
Relations-Shared Strategic Future which are as follows:-
1.The key word
in the ever expanding lexicon of the US India defense relationship
is inter-operability
It portrays a future in which
the two countries share strategic doctrines and operations in order
to tackle the challenges of a new century
2.It was Indias
swift response to September 11,2001 terrorist attacks on the US and
its unconditional support for the war on terrorism that galvanized the
change in US-India military relations .
3 That the first
steps had already been taken months earlier , when India endorsed the
National Missile Defense program unveiled by President Bush in his speech
at the National Defense University in May 2001.
4. The announcement
of removal of sanctions against India in September 2001 helped to identify
mutually overlapping national security goals and gave new impetus to
military ties .
5.The aim of the
burgeoning military ties is to develop capabilities and confidence ,
jointly confront multilateral security issues , such as protection of
energy supplies and sea lanes , conduct peace-keeping and combat terrorism.
The military establishments of both countries have much to gain from
strengthening this relationship.
6. The development
of inter-operable procedures , communications and doctrines is only
possible through familiarization , understanding and confidence building
, focusing on areas of mutual interest and enhancing the professional
development of personnel.
7. Fast paced developments
in military to military ( mil to mil) relations have been
the most visible aspect of transforming the bilateral relationship.
This is evident from the growing frequency of bilateral exercises ,seminars,
personnel exchanges , high level and unit visits and exchanges , as
well as military technology sales and cooperation, and can play
an important part in contributing to peace ,security and freedomin
Asia . Admiral Blair former CinC, US Pacific Fleet emphasized during
his visit to India, We will develop our relationship with India
on the basis of Indias emergence as a rising global power.
8.The guidance document
of the US-India defense relationship is the Agreed Minute of Defense
Relations of 1995.However the relationship has since then acquired many
dimensions and progressed towards working together in real situations
and when the need arises. A key element of the engagement process is
the enlarged International Military Education and Training ( IMET)
program which has a questionable record and history in the role that
some of the US trained and sponsored officers have subsequently played
in overturning democratically elected Governments , replacing them with
military juntas or in allying with civil servants who subtly further
US interests in their home countries..
9.Joint operations
and joint exercises will it is argued in the document under reference,
necessitate India possessing compatible equipment and technology. (
Even though electronic sensors were marginally effective to check Mexican
infiltration across flat land , into the US , India has inducted the
same sensors on the LOC in J&K and stationed US technical personnel
to install and maintain these sensors).
10.The document
quotes former US Ambassador Blackwell as saying The US will be
a reliable provider of defense commodities to India because a strengthened
,capable and effective Indian military is in Americas national
interests.
11. The last refrain
for mil to mil relationships is of course combating the
regional and global challenges of terrorism.
Two of the initiatives
in the recently accelerated relationship have invited reactions which
need to be addressed in the background of the continuity and clarity
of the definition of what is US vital national interests. These are
not subject to changes based on the incumbent holding the Presidency
of the US or whether he is a Republican or Democrat. These are spelt
out in the National Security Strategy documents promulgated periodically.
Therefore several media commentators who take the trouble to comment
on President Bush being good for India are simply adding
to the obfuscation of the core issues . US Presidents uphold and relentlessly
pursue Corporate Americas interests , though their style and rhetoric
in public speech may differ. For interests the control of oil and key
mineral resources in West/Central Asia , West Africa and Latin America
is the number 1 priority of US policy and nothing will permit a deviation
. If Rebuilding Americas Defenses : Strategy , Forces and
Resources , have to be reassessed that is done in the framework
of the Project for the New American Century ( PNAC) . If
the criticality of the Resource rich areas is geo-politically
necessary a Force Posture Review is undertaken without fuss
. US policy is not influenced by sentimentality or even such values
frequently resorted to as freedom and democracy though they
may be frequently cited to camouflage Corporate interests. It is hardly
necessary to quote examples , in different parts of the world . Democracy
plays second fiddle in the pursuit of US global interests. Some may
say that this is real-politik and it has always been so
, specially so where imperial interests are to be secured. The problem
is not with the United States which has a clear global vision , all
spelt out. The real problem lies in the minds of the spin doctors who
are out to confuse the public interest and the people of India as to
where lie our vital national interests.
The last month,
November 04 saw some inspired writing in the mainstream media and some
TV channels painting a doomsday scenario for the most important non
NATO ally , MINNA, Pakistan. It is being visualized in this scenario
that Pakistan is all on the way to cracking up / or break up (
despite the US economic aid of $ 3 billion and military Supplies already
in the pipeline of one billion dollars ) , US military forward operating
bases in Pakistan, a pervasive influence and control of the ISI , and
close relationships with the Pak military . Following the break up it
is projected that the US and India will intervene to eliminate the Jehadi
forces in Pakistan. This scenario is unrealistic and ignores the military
strategic objective of the United States in the region with large ,
debilitating US forces committed in Iraq , preparing for similar action
in Iran and the axis of evil; the military forces redeployment to West
Africa , and stretched out from Georgia-Azerbaijan to Khazakistan, Uzbekistan
, Kyrgyzia, Turkmenistan , not to mention the over 700 bases around
the world .With this reality , Ops Save Pakistani Freedom
does not appear to be a probable one , with save Nepal , Bangladesh,
Myanmar and Srilanka, on the anvil ! The security management issues
confronting us are such that we are in no position to consider interventions
outside. The BJP led government s policy announcements, articulated
by Mr LK Advani and Mr Brajesh Mishra about the same source of
terror, will have to rest while the present govt. devotes itself
to pursuing a fragile energy security scenario to keep the people, industry
and agriculture going, rather than chasing terrorists in foreign lands.
It is the same
type of thinking of their being joint security interests that commits
the Indian Navy to joint anti-piracy patrolling with the
US Navy in Malacca Straits, without the prior concurrence and participation
of Malaysia and Indonesia, the other two nations on the Straits .
The Proliferation
Security Initiative is a laudable idea , but it needs UN approval .
After all the IAEA is a UN instrument . The US and India unilaterally
intercepting , searching , detaining merchant ships in international
waters could become messy business and cause avoidable friction and
tension , specially when Intelligence is poor as was in Iraq and the
Niger Uranium and the aluminium rods case and wholly fabricated in pursuit
of US military objectives in other sovereign states.
Any objective analysis
will demonstrate that US global designs , plans , preparations , operations
have an altogether different dimension and there is very little by way
of convergence between a Super Power and India whose main challenge
is to maintain its unity and lift its billion people out of misery and
poverty to feed ,clothe , house, educate , and provide employment
to about 18 million young people entering working age, each new year,
apart from the responsibility of nearly six hundred million who are
unemployed or under unemployed and , therefore suffer serious malnutrition
. A former Prime Minister, himself forced to sign the IMF loan
and conditionalities and subsequently the Uruguay GATT agreements ,US
Treasury sponsored Reforms and its consequences spoke of
the middle path and cautioned his Government and the country
against too close an Alingan or embrace.
We now have a situation
where the US Armed forces , a hitherto highly professional institution
has turned itself deliberately and openly into a killing machine to
impress the world with diabolical cruelty ; mass murdering men , women
and children sparing no one not the ill , maimed or old people in Iraqi
cities , much of it on video tape .Civilians have been bombarded, indescribable
methods of torture have been used on children, women and civilians at
Abu Ghraib and elsewhere , the infrastructure of cities and towns including
water , sanitation , electricity and hospitals have been destroyed for
the world to see . The Resistance of the people of Iraq to the occupation
of their country and seizure by military means of the Oil resources
is being described as insurgency and terrorism.
We are witnessing the Nazi assault and holocaust again and a replay
of Vietnam on video in the scenes of killings by the Occupation forces
emerging from Iraq.
Within the United
States the US Administration having politicized the CIA even more than
ever before has resulted in a revolt amongst CIA personnel at various
levels and departments ,including analysts, and personnel in overt and
covert operations. To sideline this dissent the US Secretary of Defense
had already created a Special Intelligence Group (formally named as
the (the Strategic Support Branch ) , in the Pentagon reporting directly
to the Secretary of Defense , to provide Intelligence to justify policy
decisions already made for Iraq and elsewhere. The latest news leaks
are reporting that Covert operations or War in the Shadows,
in foreign countries will henceforth be carried out by the US Armed
Forces , the CIA having been divested of this responsibility due to
lack of confidence ( and trust) in its personnel. This fundamentally
changes the character of the Armed Forces who now become the preferred
and sole instrument of the Administration in planning and executing
covert operations , which includes assassinations of Heads of State,
and political leaders , subversion of local militias and their bosses
to serve such political objectives as Regime Change or the
blackmailing Governments. In other words, the deployments on the battlefield
can change into covert deployments in another countrys political
arena and its internal affairs as per requirement . That transforms
the Generals , Admirals and Air Marshals into secret operatives who
will stop at nothing and to whom no rules of engagement will apply.
They already enjoy , by the US Presidents executive order immunity
from the International Criminal Court and the Geneva Conventions as
interpreted by the President of the United States .
What must be squarely
faced , is whether mil to mil relations , therefore, will
generate a similar psyche in the Indian Armed Forces and whether we
can remain immune to the example that is being demonstrated in the name
of anti-insurgency and counter terror operations, on daily show in Iraq
and Palestine. Will this influence not lead to a blow-back that will
completely destabilize a nation with a diversity presently mutually
reinforcing in India? In fact these objectives if emulated of the US
strategic military covert doctrine could turn India s direction
to a theocracy with a contrived Internal Enemy. Importantly
will such close relations with US military forces mandated to carry
out covert operations against people of sovereign nations not alter
the apolitical and hitherto secular and professional character of our
much respected Armed Forces ? Will it not result in Indias objectives
being questioned in the region and globally ? Are we then not playing
with fire?
The world is witnessing
a fragile energy security situation which many experts
and conferences on peak oil have categorized as the End
of the Age of Oil. We are witnessing a volatile dollar on a steady
decline, with countries, companies and individuals switching to the
Euro and gold , having earlier given life support to the US economy
, hitherto regarded as a global power house. Today its Government ,,
Corporate, and household debt is in trillions and every day and it is
the injection of $ 2.6 billion a day, and 80% of the worlds savings
that enables the US economy to manage to survive , holding in hostage
the Chinese and Japanese economies , East Asia and Europe and the Central
Banks , including India. All those who have parked their dollars in
US Treasury bonds ! (The Prime Minister Dr Man Mohan Singh, known
for his understatements, underlined at the Senior Commanders Conference
, on 26th October, 04 , the imperatives of the increasingly unstable
international environment.
Very few nations
would survive this economic time-bomb that is ticking relentlessly.
Therefore, to talk of the war on terror, which is a cover
up for the war to capture resources, is brinkmanship on a global scale.
India has tackled
terrorism and insurgency, , with political acumen and sagacity; through
reconciliation ,bringing about peace in very difficult circumstances.
Narcotics , gun running and terrorism together have been and are our
foes aimed at corroding the independence of our economic and political
policies within and in International fora.
In February 2004,
the Next Step in Strategic Partnership(NSSP), was hailed
by the BJP leadership as a precursor to the bonanza of hi-tech that
would follow. The last BJP led Governement . sold out Indias vital
national interests ( see Aerospace & Marine International issue
no.10 of May 2004) and brought no major gains .It consistently by-passed
Parliament , hid its inter-governmental and agreements from the people
and the Parliament wholly in violation of the Republican form Of government
which mandates open policies.
A former Foreign
Secretary Shri Kanwal Sibal now our Ambassador in Moscow is reported
in the Hindu,dated 28th October as saying , India and the United
States are not strategic partners , and have a long way to before they
become that
.NSSD 2001 describes India as the US Strategic partner
Ignoring the harsh reality that India and the United States cannot be
strategic partners until issues related to nuclear power , missiles
and dual technologies are resolved . Mr. Kanwal Sibal is further quoted
as saying that India was still subject to US sanctions.
In a recent interview
to Hindu , Dr Anil Kakodkar, Chairman ,Atomic Energy Commision, in reply
to the question Will the dialogue with the US Next Steps in Strategic
Partnership be of any use to India for developing our nuclear power
technology ? answered I dont think so.
A lot of water has
flowed down the Ganga since the days of the BJP led Government went
on an imaginary honeymoon on distant shores . On 19th September, 2001
, Times of India , normally a cautious paper reported on a front page
dispatch, datelined New Delhi , under the heading India offers
America use of three air bases. The report said Even though
no military plans have been firmed up by the US for retaliatory strikes
, India has identified three air base in addition to unspecified port
facilities on the western seaboard as part of its operational support
to the US. The air bases are Avantipur in Jammu & Kashmir ( next
to Srinagar to be more precise ), Adampur in Punjab and Jamnagar to
the US .A senior security (defence ) official told TNN that the offer
was conveyed to the US after it was approved by the Cabinet Committee
on Security last Thursday ( ie around `14th September 2001 , three days
after 9/11, a record of sorts ), after consultation with the three service
chiefs who unanimously agreed on the need to support US action. ( without
knowing its contours and dimensions ).. According to the official
The Chiefs felt that the Americans had joined our war against
terrorism and we must naturally be the first ones to offer them help.
The official stated that Defense
Minister Jaswant
Singhs articulation of the Governments stand, was motivated by
a desire to ensure that Pakistan does not gain by Indias default
The official said India has already begun operational cooperation
by providing US officials with intelligence on Afghan camps and on the
Taliban. The Research and Analysis Wing( RAW ) has gathered a wealth
of detail on Pakistani military assistance to the Taliban in the last
few years ( US ambassador Blackwill meets defence chiefs, page 7) the
TOI report concludes .
It is hardly necessary
to add that the United States preferred to operate from and with Pakistan
. The CCS had made decisions ,without waiting to pause , in a record
72 hours . Our war on terrorism as the Service Chiefs reportedly
described it, continued against Cross Border terrorism exported by Pakistan
, as here to before ,with little or no assistance from the US except
to nudge and cajole us to sit for talks with MINNA. The attack
on The Parliament House on 13th December , 2002 led to the goofed
up up Ops Parakrama ( when the Army Chief asked the Prime Minister,
what the PM expected from the war or in other words what the political
objective of the unprecedented mobilization or Stand to
of the Armed forces was to achieve ;all he got in reply was : Woh
Baad Mein Batayenge ( that will be told later )
As for R&AW
which is ever ready with details for the US , and hardly
ever for our own Defense Forces we have the following on record from
an Intelligence official , after laffaire Ravinder Singh in May04
.
The Hindu reported in a series of articles the failure to issue directions
by the National Security Adviser , Brajesh Mishra, while he was in the
know and while the file was with him for some days instructions
even to prevent the CIA asset to fly out of the country( He was
reportedly under surveillance). Why did Mishra hold back a decision
? Why was Ravinder Singh so important to the Americans is what the Intelligence
Adviser in the PMO wants to find out ?
The Hindu report
dated 20 August 04 under banner headlines Why was terror intelligence
withheld reports quotes in extenso Indian Intelligence officials
as expressing concern over the withholding of terrorism- related
information by the United States information New Delhi believes
could be key to saving lives Specific instances of non sharing
of information gained through interrogations of Al Qaeda operatives
like Muhammad Khan , arrested on 13July , with respect to Al Qaeda operatives
in India , as this organization shares infrastructure with Pak based
terrorist groups operating in India . Various arrests of key people
in Afghanistan and Pakistan charged with aiding the Taliban also ran
extensive terror networks in India . Cases with names running Harkat
ul Ansar , like Akhtar , interrogated and detained have been cited at
the counter-terror meetings in New Delhi in July 04 but Indian
Intelligence has been kept in the dark. The US assets, which are
part of the extensive technical and human intelligence of the US in
Pakistan pick up enormous communication intelligence on the activities
of terrorist organizations based in Pakistan. Our Intelligence
officials have been cited in the Hindu report as saying , that
not one single piece of intelligence has ever been passed on to us .
By contrast, were being regularly mined for whatever we know about
these groups. Washington has also been unwilling to facilitate
ongoing CBI investigations into the 1999 hijacking of Indian airlines
flight IC-814.
A senior Intelligence
official , told the Hindu that while counter terrorism has expanded
greatly in recent years , much of what was passed on was vague
in the extreme and almost never of operational use. Are we to
assume that knowing this state of play the Cabinet Committee on Security
and the three Service Chiefs have played a game from 1999 toMay 2004,
which is fraught with grave consequences , in opening the doors of civil
and military intelligence , the sanctum sanctorum, to US and Israeli
intelligence. This bonhomie and casualness has extended to joint exercises
in J&K and the North East where not only are assets recruited but
the ground truth of spy satellite imagery is verified .
All the joint exercises
primarily provide windows to probe our electronic warfare and communication
vulnerabilities. Friendly countries do not launch almost daily intelligence
flights up and down our Western and Eastern seaboards from Diego Garcia
and Australian bases, nor would their surveillance aircraft and research
ships monitor our exercises , missile firings and take gravimetric
measurements and hydrological conditions on a fairly regular basis off
sensitive Indian vital areas ( VAs) and VPs.
The greatest opening
into previously barred areas has been encouraged by the former Home
Minister and the two Defense Ministers ( Fernandes and Jaswant Singh
with the tacit concurrence of the former PM and his NSA ) . Senior civil,
intelligence and military intelligence officials , knowing that this
was gravely jeopardizing national security fell in line to curry favor
, promotions and gubernatorial posts, like Dave for example. Kashmir
and the North East specially were up for grabs. Otherwise their
jobs may have been on line.
The greatest losses
have occurred as this bonhomie, trust and unmonitored
contacts have multiplier effects whose bounds have never been assessed
. In the meanwhile the think tanks in New Delhi in particular, and the
media in general have been giving encouraging uncritical support, to
such activities and individuals.
Will anyone in
the new dispensation call for a review of the losses and gains and bring
into force time tested checks and balances in the mil to mil
and civilian to civilian relations at par with what the US, UK and every
prudent nation has thought it appropriate, to minimally safeguard its
interests.
Post Script : New
Delhi , Dec 9, Hindu. Under heading Arms supplies to Pakistan
India conveys concern to US.
Defense Secretary
talks with Raksha Mantri
Sharing perspectives on their
respective ties with Pakistan , the External Affairs Ministry
spokesman stressed that , it was noted that India- US relations
had seen significant transformation during President Bushs first
term and that the US was now perceived as a strategic partner.
We attach
importance to the visit of Secretary Rumsfeld . This is the first visit
at the Cabinet level after the re-election of President George Bush
. As you know , defence co-operation has imparted a significant impetus
to the emerging Indo-US strategic partnership.
The role played
by the Department of Defense (US) to the growth of our bilateral ties
was recognized during the discussions today. It was also noted that
India cherishes its relations that are based on our shared belief in
democracy . During the discussions , considerable emphasis was also
laid on the maintenance of the strategic focus of our bilateral relationship,
he said .
The spokesman said
that Mr Rumsfelds visit provided the two sides with an excellent
opportunity to review defence cooperation . Showing a visible
interest in broadening defence cooperation, they expressed satisfaction
at the rapid growth of this relationship , including the effective working
of the dialogue mechanism, military to military contacts, exercises
, visits ,education and training.
Admiral Vishnu
Bhagwat is former Chief of the Naval Staff, India