Daily Excelsior....News Page

Militants getting access to nuclear, chemical
weapons, says Saxena

NEW DELHI, Mar 5: Jammu and Kashmir Governor G C Saxena today expressed apprehension about terrorist outfits getting access to nuclear and chemical materials and said that this "potential threat can be combated by greater vigilance and international cooperation with a more scientific approach to future policing."

Inaugurating the three-day eighth Asian executive policing conference of the International Association of the Chiefs of Police (IACP) here, Mr Saxena said organised crime had been acquiring sinister proportions and international dimensions. Mafia dons and their gang members as well as international fundamentalist and narco-terrorists now had sophisticated arms and equipment including the latest communication systems.

"The coming decades may well see some fundamentalist terrorists and narco-terrorists getting access to even nuclear and chemical materials. This threat requires urgent attention and adequate preparedness by the international community as a whole since it would cut across national boundaries."

New types of crimes were threatening to increase and would specially give rise to novel and very complex problems of cyber crime and cyber terrorism.

Calling for a more scientific approach to policing and use of scientific aids for prevention, detection and investigation of crime, he said old methods were out of tune with the current times and environment and no longer yielded desired results. Adopting scientific methods would improve their credibility and acceptability among the people.

In Jammu and Kashmir, Mr Saxena said, insurgency was not indigenous but large-scale terrorist violence directed and controlled by radical fundamentalist forces and agencies from across the border who were using foreign mercenaries and misguided youth for the purpose.

The security forces and the State police were virtually facing a war-like situation and that too under civil law. There was now a growing international awareness about terrorist threats from religious extremists.

He said the world and particularly the Asian region faced greater turmoil than before. There had been fundamental changes in the security landscape and environment, and the challenges to democratic polity and maintenance of law and order had never been as complex as at present.

"Never before has the concept of ‘global village’ figured so prominently in matters affecting law and order because of the multiple challenges emanating from terrorism, organised crime and drugs."

He said policing in many countries, particularly the Asian region, required a comprehensive understanding of the social and political forces at work, the socio-economic tensions arising in the wake of economic reforms and development and the dynamics of ethnic and other conflicts.

Ethical standards for law enforcement agencies were becoming more demanding and strict, and in this setting police forces had to demonstrate a high degree of sensitivity, caution and restraint. Later Mr Saxena told reports chat said there was no confusion about the cease-fire extension in J and K as it had been done to give peace a chance. The borders had been silent.

He, however, admitted that vested interests were still bent upon creating hurdles.

He said there could be no fool-proof safeguard against suicide missions and very little could be done to prevent them. However, security forces were doing their best to prevent such attacks.

The conference on the theme ‘law enforcement : Emerging challenges’ is being attended by senior police officials including Directors General of Police of various states and heads of central police organisations. During the three days of deliberations the participants will make representations on wide variety of topics including terrorism, cyber crime, organised crime, VIP security, border management and human rights.

The IACP, founded in 1893 in the US, aims at advancing science and art of police services, develop and disseminate improved administrative, technical and operational practices for use in police work, and foster police throughout the world.

The IACP organises an annual conference in the US and regional conferences in different regions of the IACP. These conferences, seminars and workshops cover a wide variety of subjects. It has a current membership of about 20,000 from 100 countries.

Besides the IACP headquarters, two world regions-the European region and the Asia-pacific region—have been functioning. The Asia-pacific regional office started functioning in Delhi in 1994 under the Director, Intelligence Bureau (IB). The IB hosted the fourth Asia pacific regional conference of the IACP in Delhi in January 1992 which was attended by more than 100 delegates. (UNI)

Truce last chance for militants to fall in line: Governor

NEW DELHI, Mar 5: Jammu and Kashmir Governor Girish Chander Saxena today hinted that the current ceasefire may be the last chance for militant and fundamentalist groups to "fall in line" and asserted Government could get tough with them if situation warranted.

"I choose to clarify that there is no difference of opinion over the issue of suspension of combat operations against militants. But if these fundamentalist groups continue with their insane activities and try to pose any threat to the State, we can also go after them with iron hand," Saxena told PTI here.

He was in the Capital to inaugurate the eighth Asian Executive Policing Conference of International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP).

Asked whether he expected the coming summer to be "hot" in the State, Saxena said "we are keeping a close watch and at no point of time the security forces would lose their advantageous position."

"There is a round-the-clock monitoring of the situation and whenever any militant group tries to stall the peace process by killing innocents, we go after them," Saxena, who is serving his second term as the Governor of the State, said.

The former Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) chief said during the current extension of Non Initiation of Combat Operations (NICO), either the militant groups have to fall in line or face the security forces.

Stressing that the peace move initiated by the Centre was necessary, the Governor said "the entire issue should be seen in totality and at no point of time, Kashmir could be solved with military strength....There are other dimensions like political or economic solution as well."

He said the present extension of ceasefire was the firm resolve of the Government to restore peace in the State and support the popular voice which has been craving for respite from the decade-long violence.

Asked about the growing suicidal attacks on installations of security forces and Army after the announcement of ceasefire by the Centre, Saxena said "it is a challenging situation as some vested interests within these fundamentalist groups venture on such Fidayeen attacks...But the security forces have initiated some stern measures to curb such attacks."

"But despite all strict measures, one can never make fool-proof arrangements for such attacks. The only thing we are concentrating now on is gathering and proper dissemination of intelligence information," he said.

However, Saxena, who has the credit of reviving the entire intelligence machinery during his first stint as the Governor, feels that the ceasefire has eased situation at the borders and the State in general.

Asked whether the Government was seeking any help from intelligence agencies across the world, he said "the growing threat of fundamentalists have brought several countries closer in the international arena and some were working for a joint strategy to tackle it." (PTI)