Daily Excelsior... Editorial

EDITORIAL

By Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Daulat Singh

Voices are beginning to be raised in the media in Pakistan about the manner in which the chief of the Pakistan Air Force Air Marshal Mushaf Ali Mir died in an aircrash, his mysterious links with the Saudi-Pak-Al Qaeda network, and the existence of fundamentalist Islamic elements within the ranks of the military. .......more

Poll model code
needs a revision

By M Rama Rao

The objections over the launch of Doordarshan's 24-hour News Channel bring upfront the debate over the overbearing nature of the Model Code of Conduct for political parties and the Government at election time. For some at least the 'model code' is like a bull in the China shop. The way the Election Commission is approaching the code lends some credence to this school of ........more

EDITORIAL

Message from Ayodhya

Whatever may be said in the name of Ayodhya elsewhere, the message that the ancient city itself has sent is very heartening. Until one saw the television images of Mahant Gyan Das, president of the Sri Ram Mandir Punarudhar Samiti, hosting an Iftar party on the campus of the famous Hanumangarhi temple, one just could not believe the reports of the spirit of mutual love and affection exhibited by the local Hindus and Muslims in the city which has often been in the news for all the wrong reasons. If anything, it reaffirms the fact that Ayodhya and its twin city of Faizabad retain their long tradition of harmonious communal relations. Who can deny that this is one of the most inspiring developments to have taken place in the recent times. Ever since the demolition of the disputed Ayodhya structure there has existed a threat to peace in the country. It is a tribute to the residents of the two cities in the country's most populous state of Uttar Pradesh that they continue to live in perfect understanding of each other. In no way have they allowed their lives to be disturbed by their own actions. They have maintained cordiality and brotherhood even in occasionally tense situations when the chest-thumping leaders of both the communities from outside have sought to create trouble on the banks of the holy Saryu. The host of the Iftar party himself is a deeply religious person and, as his designation indicates, he heads the movement for the restoration of the Ram temple. His guests have included almost all top Hindu and Muslim religious leaders, including the local convener of the Faizabad-Ayodhya Babri Masjid Action Committee. One has seen the video pictures of the Muslims leaders expressing pleasant surprise that they should have been invited to, of all the Hindu religious places in their vicinity, the Hanumangarhi that has been the launching pad of quite a few pro-temple agitations. Indeed, they have been happy that by their own participation they have contributed to mutual amity. This inspires one to hit upon an idea. Why should the local Hindu and Muslim leaders together not catch the bull by the horns? They can resolve the Ramjanmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute, which has become a sore point. Few will be able to stand up to them if they join hands and take the initiative in coming to a mutually acceptable solution that fully reciprocates each other's sentiments. On his part, Mahant Gyan Das has certainly done well to dissociate himself from the temple-mosque politics, which, he has said, is aimed at building vote citadels.

Invariably, it has been seen that if the population in a region has a common past and heritage, it tends to live in peace and harmony despite its religious mix. For centuries, the Kashmir region has been a shining example of such mutual accommodation. However, whenever one religious component of the population becomes vulnerable to harmful extraneous influences or develops silence in the face of them, the trouble begins for society as a whole. That group of the people comes under a spell that shuts its capacity to think. It does not seem to realise that willy-nilly it may be straining its own age-old traditions and causing inconvenience to the other segment of the population. This has happened in Jammu and Mirpur in 1947 and in Leh and Kashmir in the nineties. After the trauma they have lived through, neither the Kashmiri Pandits nor the Kashmiri Muslims can say with any degree of confidence that they have been living a normal life. There is, therefore, the need for the people to ensure that they don't let their close relations be snapped either by their proximity to the powers-that-be or by a few terrorists. Not many would believe that the people used to jointly celebrate Diwali in the historic Lal Chowk in Srinagar and Amirakadal Chowk. The present scenario is such that we can't even celebrate Id without looking behind our shoulders although we are a Muslim-majority State. The miseries of one section of people can't be any cause of comfort for the other section inhabiting the same place. The signal from Ayodhya, therefore, can have much wider positive implications. All that is needed now is a serious follow-up in letter and spirit.

Siachen melts

If one tends to keep one’s fingers crossed about the actual outcome of the present heartening exchanges between India and Pakistan, it is only because of their bitter past history. One does not want to run the risk of rejoicing too soon. This is despite the fact that the two neighbours are singing peace tunes after a long time. Only the cynic can ignore the fact that there is a new-found warmth in their approach. It is not without significance that even the tension at the Siachen glacier, which is the world’s highest war zone, may fade away in the emerging scenario. It appears that everything is proceeding on the right track, as if according to a well-thought plan. No time is being lost to build up mutual goodwill and bonhomie. It is proved by the dispatch and clarity with which Pakistan has responded to External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha’s statement that India would like the cease-fire along the Line of Control to be extended ‘beyond the LoC into the glaciers of Siachen’. In a quick response, Pakistan Foreign Minister Khursheed Mehmud Kusuri has left no doubt at all while speaking in Islamabad that his country’s decision to observe cease-fire ‘strictly and religiously’ covers the glacier also. This is a significant shift in Pakistan’s stated position so far that India should unilaterally withdraw from the Siachen heights.

Lest there should be any confusion, the distinction between the LoC and the Siachen glacier needs be clearly understood. The 74-km long glacier, said to the world’s largest in the non-polar regions, has not figured in any bilateral accord between India and Pakistan. It neither finds a mention in the Karachi Agreement of 1949 nor in the Shimla Agreement of 1972. On the other hand, it was the Shimla Agreement which had described the Line of Control as the one ‘resulting from the cease-fire of December 17, 1971’, which, it was said, ‘shall be respected by both sides without prejudice to the recognised position of either side’. This agreement also envisaged that ‘neither side shall seek to alter it unilaterally, irrespective of mutual differences and legal interpretations’. However, the Siachen glacier remained undemarcated. There were no troops posted there at that time. Indian forces had moved in when Pakistan was discovered encouraging foreign expeditions to Siachen. As a result of Pakistan’s attempt to grab the snow-capped territory --- its argument was that the LoC should go eastwards to meet the Karakoram pass --- the inhospitable Siachen has turned into a battleground at altitudes from 15,000 to 20,000 feet, spread over 4,000 sq km, since June 1984. India’s stand has been consistent that Pakistan can’t have any right over an undemarcated uninhabited area belonging to Jammu and Kashmir which is an Indian State. A number of meetings at different levels between the two countries to solve the dispute have proved futile. As a consequence, these icy heights have been witnessing an armed confrontation, which is stated to be the most expensive in the world. The latest postures being adopted by the two neighbouring countries hold out hope and promise that the coldness in their relations may melt in the days to come.

New bearings for terror

By Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Daulat Singh

After the latest suicide bombing in Istanbul, some kind of a pattern can be discerned. The terrorists are now choosing western targets in non-western countries, presumably because the security measures have become much more stringent in the West. In contrast, they may have found Asian and African countries far easier to enter for the purpose of conducting their deadly operations. Bali was followed by Casablanca and Riyadh. Istanbul has now seen two successive attacks– on Jewish synagogues and on British diplomatic and commercial offices. Except for Saudi Arabia, against whose royal family Al-Qaeda bears a special grudge, in all the other attacks the country wasn’t really the target. Only the western offices and personnel were.

The reason why the terrorists find it much more convenient to operate in these countries is that, first, they can blend easily into the local population unlike in Europe or the US, where their oriental looks would make them objects of suspicion right from the point of entry. Secondly, they may find it helpful to operate in the anti-American atmosphere prevailing in most of these countries. It has been estimated, for instance, that nearly 90 per cent of the people of Turkey harbour anti-US sentiments in the context of the war in Iraq. Even the government of Turkey, hitherto a staunch ally of the US, refused permission for the American forces to invade Iraq from Turkish territory. And, after the war, Turkey withdrew its offer of sending troops to Iraq following objections from the Iraqi governing council.

To the terrorists, therefore, Turkey provides an ideal location for planning their acts of murder and mayhem. They are also indifferent to the fact that Muslims may die as a result of their attacks. All that they care is that American, British and Jewish targets will be hit. The latest outrage may have prompted George W. Bush and Tony Blair to reiterate their determination to fight terrorism, but they cannot deny that, at the moment, the western powers are groping in the dark. Iraq remains a festering sore and the Palestinian issue a breeding ground of anti-Jewish and anti-US sentiments. Clearly, the war against terrorism is far from being won. Besides Al-Qaeda and Taliban, as pointed out by Deputy Prime Minister, Mr. L.K. Advani, the role of the ISI, the mother and mentor of all terror should be looked into by those who are interested in eliminating terrorism.

After a traumatic act of terrorism, intelligence agencies the world-over tend to swing dramatically from the one extreme of under-estimating the threat to the other of over-estimating it. There is an understandable tendency to accept all reports without a critical analysis. Mercenary sources take advantage of this to flood the agencies with highly exaggerated information. The more gory the threat they project, the greater the attention and money they get from the agencies. This is what happened in India after the Mumbai blasts of March 1993. And this is what happened in the US after 9/11.

The result is a picture of Osama bin Laden and his Al-Qaeda which, to discerning professional minds, should appear to be far from reality, but which nobody has the courage to say so lest they be proved wrong by another 9/11 and their professionalism doubted.

The CIA and the intelligence agencies of other countries have made Osama bin Laden appear like one of those figures in Hindu mythology– with ten heads, 20 arms and 20 legs; the more heads you cut off, the faster they are replaced. So is the case with Al-Qaeda.

The CIA, the FBI, and academics, who reflect the CIA’s thinking, have made the Al-Qaeda appear like an octopus of gigantic proportions, with the presence of its cells and networks reported practically from everywhere in the world except the South and the North Pole.

Al-Qaeda is like the Loch Ness monster. Its sightings have been widely reported, but it has proved to be elusive. Many have been arrested as suspected Al-Qaeda members, including Abu Zubaida, reportedly the No 3 in the set-up, but even after their interrogation one is none the wiser as to what happened to Osama bin Laden and his lieutenants and where the terrorists have gone. Speculation is rife, but the certainty is little. Where is Taliban’s number one leader Mullah Omar?

The only question that one can answer with some certainty is with regard to the damage to Al-Qaeda’s training infrastructure in Afghanistan and its motivation. US claims of having largely decimated its training infrastructure seem correct. As long as the US keeps up the intensity of its campaign against Al-Qaeda and its accomplices in the International Islamic Front for Jehad against the US and Israel, Osama bin Laden, if still live, and his lieutenants would find it difficult to rebuild a similar training infrastructure anywhere in the world. Not even in Pakistan. However, they already have many highly motivated and well-trained cadres at their disposal, which can operate without the need for further training.

There are credible indications that their motivation, despite their losses, is as strong as ever.

In the war against Al-Qaeda and the International Islamic Front, the US is committing the same mistake it did in Vietnam– assessing the success of its campaign on the basis of body counts over more important factors such as the impact on the ground capability and motivation. One assesses the capability of an adversary not only on the basis of source reports but also– more important– during face-to-face encounters on the ground and has vanished into thin air. Those involved in the encounters with the forces of the US and the Afghan warlords aiding it were mostly the dregs of the Taliban and the Pakistani jehadi organisations, which are members of the International Islamic Front and not of Al-Qaeda.

Osama bin Laden needs his own Arab dregs to ensure his physical security and future operations against the US and he has chosen not to lose them in direct encounters with US forces. Immediately after 9/11, there were highly inflated estimates of the strength of Al-Qaeda, even going up to 42,000. This was an absurd figure. To prevent penetration by foreign intelligence agencies, Osama bin Laden has kept Al-Qaeda small and tightly knit, not taking non-Arabs into it. Yes, thousands of terrorists were trained in Osama bin Laden’s training establishments in Eastern Afghanistan, but they were not Arabs of Al-Qaeda, but Pakistanis of jehadi organisations such as the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen (HUM), the Harkat-ul-Jehad-al-Islami (HUJI), the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LET), the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JEM) and the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LJ). To downplay the extent of the Pakistan’s involvement in jehadi terrorism radiating from Afghanistan, the military-intelligence establishment deliberately underplayed Pakistan’s involvement and overplayed the Arab involvement.

The most dreaded terrorist organisations of the past such as the set-up of Carlos, the Baader-Meinhof, the Red Army factions of Japan and West Germany had their strengths running into a few dozens only. Most of the dreaded terrorist organisations of today such as the Hamas, etc, have strengths running into a few hundreds only. Large strengths are a liability and not an asset to a terrorist organisation. What brings success to terrorist organisations is not number, but strong motivation, a minimum capability and the inadequacies of the physical security set-up of the State. Al-Qaeda’s 9/11 success was facilitated by the total failure of the US’ physical security set-up.

After Operation Enduring Freedom has not made pan-Islamic terrorism spearheaded by Al-Qaeda less of a threat to international peace and security. The seriousness of the threat remains as high as before 9/11. To counter this threat every country needs better intelligence, analysis, physical security and coordination. There is a need to constantly monitor the functioning of the intelligence and physical security set-ups to ensure that the requirements for better counter-terrorism are being met. INAV

Explain PAF Chief's death

The NATION in an editorial has sought a "clarification from the highest level" about allegations contained in a book ‘Why the USA Slept’ published by an American author in which the PAF chief was described as a vital link in a network that purveyed Saudi money and arms to Osama bin Laden in return for guarantees of not targeting the House of Saud.

The book, written by Gerald Posner quotes the confessions of Al Qaeda’s top functionary Abu Zubeidah describing the existence of the network in which four Saudi princes, the PAF chief and Osama bin Laden were linked so closely that all knew that the US was about to be hit but none knew exactly when and how.

Three Saudi princes connected with the network died mysterious deaths immediately after the exposure of their roles as did the PAF chief. The only survivor who knew and is still alive is the former Saudi Chief of Intelligence (who forged the network as a protection of the Kingdom of Saud), Prince Turki al-Faisal bin Abdul Aziz who is currently Saudi ambassador in London.

The NATION draws attention to the revelation in the book that out of fear of his disclosure of his connection with the extremist religious outfit Air Chief Marshal Mushaf Ali Mir could not even warn Washington of the impending danger. The paper says that "if that contains the faintest element of truth it gives a bewildering new twist to the crash.

The NATION in its editorial said: "The ‘revelation’ cannot be allowed to go unresponded and needs clarification from the highest level." It also expressed its worry over other revelations that Pakistani nationals are found fighting in Chechnya, arrested in Canada for possessing doubtful credentials, implicated in the Iraqi resistance, and, closer home, involved in sectarian murders and assisting the Taliban.

Similar are the concerns expressed by the influential DAWN and the DAILY TIMES about the Pakistan military establishment’s connections with terrorist organizations as underlined by the arrest of dozens of officers and men fighting alongside Taliban and Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan and the grudging acknowledgement by the Inter-Services Press Relations (the mouthpiece of the infamous Inter-Services Intelligence) that "three or four" officers of the rank of Lt-Col and below were being interrogated about links with extremist organizations.

DAILY TIMES editorial read: "Our suggestion to the military is to get rid of these skeletons in its cupboard rather than trying to pretend that they do not exist. The military should run a thorough check of all officers and men and get rid of any and all officers and men it suspects of having extraneous linkages. This is a very serious matter calling for drastic measures. Without this surgery, regardless of its extent, the military will expose itself to extreme danger from such elements…"

"…That they should do so (join the jehad in Afghanistan) without the army getting suspicious or the intelligence picking up such activity is amazing, besides being troubling," it wrote.

DAWN put its finger at the very heart of the matter when it wrote in its editorial: "The military should also note that it has allowed itself to become susceptible to political influences becaue of the repeated readiness to rule thecountry and patronise favoured politicians and parties. Army chiefs from Ayub Khan down have seized power and become full-blown politicians. In the process, an institution that should have been above the cut and thrust of politics and dedicated solely to safeguarding the country’s borders has lost its insularity."

"…After all it was inevitable that the long and close exposure of the Army and its various agencies to the Afghan situation dating back to the resistance against Soviet occupation should have had its ideological fallout. Even before that, when Ziaul Haq was Army chief, he wasbelieved to have been quite dedicated to converting the rank and file to his own religious views…" – (adni)

Poll model code needs a revision

By M Rama Rao

There is no denying that the Nirvachan Sadan is the 'Umpire' in electoral football. Equally undeniable is the fact that the 'Code' is not meant to undermine normal functioning of the administration. This is more in a country like ours where elections have become an every day feature, since we donot hold simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and the State assemblies.

Each assembly has its own calendar. In addition, we have elections to grassroot level democratic institutions namely the three-tier panchayat system. The time-table for these panchayat elections varies from State to State under the aegis of duly constituted local election commissions.

Strictly speaking and in fact this is what is happening more often than not, the poll body prefers to sit on judgement not only on men and matters related to elections but also on anything and everything that is even remotely connected to elections invoking its 'moral' authority under the Model Code. Like, for instance, the DD News Channel.

Whether what the Central Election Commission or for that matter a State Election Commission does is right or wrong is not material. What is important is the need for the political parties themselves to sit together, adopt a holistic approach to the issue and to draw a Lakshman Rekha. Otherwise there is the danger of Governance becoming hostage to the electoral games of one-upmanship.

There are valid reasons for sounding this advisory. We are in an era of split verdicts. Almost all major parties- the Congress, the BJP, the Socialist amoeba, the multiple Communist variants et al- rightly claim the tag of a ruling party in one State or the other. Some parties are either allies of a ruling party or the inside or outside crutch of a ruling alliance.

In that sense almost all parties know the ifs and buts of decision making process in a Government and know from experience that much home work precedes a formal announcement of a decision whether it is the launch of a new welfare programme or giving some relief to workers of sick public sector enterprises. In the present milieu, if the decision happens to coincide with elections, it comes under media focus and generally faces the axe from the poll body. This is the experience of ruling parties in the States and the party or parties in power on the Raisina Hill.

Yet surprisingly, neither the Congress which is the Grand Old Party (GOP) nor the BJP, the new entrant to the stable of ruling parties, has deemed it fit to strike a mature and balanced stand on the issue.

In fact, both are trying to score some debating points against each other in the on-going electoral battle in five states which is a two-legged race. The role of other parties like for instance the NCP and the BSP is peripheral in nature in these elections. These parties have the potential of playing spoils sports at the best.

If the Congress thinks it has stymied the BJP by putting spokes in the launch of Doordarshan's News Channel, the BJP is chuckling at the discomfiture Chief Minister Digvijay Singh is facing on the question of free power to farmers and the inability in Raipur of Chief Minister Ajit Jogi in distributing schools bags that carry his photo.

Now, the criticism against DD News Channel is that a terrestrial news channel gives the ruling party of the day at the Centre some advantage in the media war for eye balls. There is merit in the argument since Prasar Bharti has not covered itself with glory as a truly public service broadcaster. But is it not a fact that such channels are launched to coincide with a major media event like elections.

Remember STAR NEWS was born as a 24-hour news channel in a hurry to cash in on the election fever some five years ago. More over the decision to launch the channel was taken in August, full one month before the election dates were announced.

Yet, some one may as well say: it doesn't give the decision any immunity from Election code since it is common knowledge that the five assembly elections would be held before November end. Just for argument sake let me ask you: since Feb-March is being talked about as the likely period for Lok Sabha elections, shall we allow the model code of conduct to come into force from now on.

Consider Chief Minister Digvijay Singh's case. He had decided to offer free power and some reliefs to the farmers hit by drought in the State. This decision, like the one in respect of DD News, was taken quite a while ago. As his officers were going through the usual paper work, Election Dates were announced. The Bhopal High Court was moved and the Election Commission has been brought into the picture. But the question is why? Just because the ruling party is likely to get some advantage because of Diggy Raja's benevolence !

Ajit Jogi's bags to school children have not appeared all of a sudden. These were procured a long while ago and are being distributed for some time. So why there should be any fuss now? Only because of election time! Is it alright to distribute 'Free Jogi Bags' before and after elections..?

My point is simple; increasingly governance is becoming a hostage to the model code. It was evolved at a time when there was no level playing field and the Chief Minister or the Prime Minister of the day was known to go around on a foundation stone laying spree after hitting the campaign trial.

We have come a long way from that phase. Yet, our reflexes are conditioned by the mood of those times. This is a pity. It has led to investing the Election Commission with an authority that is probably not envisaged by the founding fathers of the Indian constitution. We refuse to learn from our experience with a maverick Chief Election Commissioner, who, describing the Code as his Bible, played havoc with the electoral system.

One example will suffice. All candidates were asked to maintain registers of daily expenditure backed with vouchers. These registers, it was decreed, should be open to inspection of 'Expenditure Observers''. Anyone familiar with our electoral practices will readily agree with me when I say, a normal candidate has neither the time nor the endurance to become the bill clerk of the Election Commission.

Whoever wants the candidates to 'be pucca' like a corporate executive will do well to be part of the dust and din of campaigning for a couple of days to have the feel of the scene. Middle class values, middle class moorings and middle class judgements should not be treated as universal values, universal moorings and universal judgements. There is a gulf between the image and reality.

The truism that our ruling parties have not covered themselves with glory with their tendency to offer sops to garner votes on the poll eve should not colour our judgement of all matters at poll time. A ballot anywhere in the country should not bring to a grindling halt the normal functioning of the Government at the Centre and the States.

It is time to draw a new line to tell the Third Umpire what his limitations are and to make it clear that the Third Umpire should cover his feet of clay. Political parties should set aside their concern for the immediate and work out the new ground rules. In their own interest! Like they have done to get the ceiling on poll expenditure raised after elections were announced.

Certainly, the Vajpayee Government cannot take shelter under the plea it was unaware of the unrealistic ceiling till the Nirvachan Sadan announced the schedule for five assembly elections. GOP was unhappy that it was not sounded of the move since it is the major opposition. It is not unhappy with the decision per se.

(Syndicate Features)