Indo-US Joint Effort on Countering Terrorism

24 Mar, 2000    ·   341

Rajashree Kanungo reckons that the divergent American emphasis on the Taliban and Indian concerns about Pakistan might impede substantive bilateral cooperation in tackling terror
Rajashree Kanungo
The December 24 hijacking of an Indian Airlines plane by Harkat-ul-Mujahideen terrorists again exposed the ugly face of terrorism in South Asia . It was given a wake up call to the international community to counter the menace of terrorism. This has reflected in the recently initiated Indo-U.S. joint effort on counter terrorism. The United States and India agreed to intensify their joint cooperation to ensure that the perpetrators of the hijacking of the Indian Airlines Flight 814 are brought to justice in the inaugural meeting of the Indo-U.S. Joint Working Group (JWG) on Counter Terrorism at Washington DC . 

 

 

The State Department spokesman, James Rubin said after the inaugural meeting of the JWG that "inter-agency teams from the two countries agreed on a range of measures to enhance cooperation between the two countries to combat international terrorism. The two sides would share experience, exchange information and coordinate approaches and action". For the first time different functional agencies dealing with terrorism and counter terrorism in the two countries would be the chalking out future cooperation. The working group also decided to convene a meeting of legal experts in April to discuss the United Nations Convention on Terrorism proposed by India .

 

 

India 's cooperation with the U.S. would certainly help in countering terrorism. The U.S. responsiveness to India 's concerns regarding global terrorism is undoubtedly the result of being on the receiving end of terrorist violence. The threat also comes from the same quarters- Osama bin Laden and organisations like Harkat ul-Mujahideen, which have declared 'jihad' or holy war against both India and U.S.   Both countries have been victims of the international terrorism with which Pakistan has been associated.  India could now take the help of various U.S. agencies like the CIA and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) which have advanced electronic surveillance and data processing systems, huge data bases, and an extensive global network of agents. These agencies have been carefully watching the Osama bin Laden's terrorist army, Taliban, and other fundamentalist Islamic terrorist groups like the Harkat ul-Mujahideen and Lashkar-i-Toiba, which Pakistan uses as instruments of its cross-border terrorism against India . 

 

 

The US and India are in agreement on the nature of international terrorism and the ways to combat the scourge. At the same time there are differences on specifics relating to the South Asian region. We should remember two things.  First, the US focus is on Afghanistan -where Osama bin Laden is located. It wants the Taliban to comply with United Nations Security Council resolution 1267 and bring Osama to justice. It is in US interest to persuade Pakistan to hand over Osama bin Laden. Second, it has hedged whenever asked about Pakistan 's involvement in fomenting cross-border terrorism against India , and stated that it had no proof that the Pakistani government was involved in the hijacking. Credible evidence to that effect has been presented by India to the Foreign Relations Committee of the U.S. Congress. There is, however, a small and powerful group-many of them Cold War relics who have dissuaded the State Department from taking any harsh steps against India . This is not very reassuring for India whose main concern is cross-border terrorism sponsored by Pakistan . 

 

 

Besides, the U.S. policy will not isolate Pakistan by declaring it a terrorist state. The U.S. needs to engage Pakistan in a dialogue to resolve the crisis, which it considers imperative for peace in the region. The repeated statements issued by the White House on the eve of President Bill Clinton's visit stating that the U.S. is continuing to have "very serious concerns" about nuclear proliferation and Kashmir and hoped that the Indian government would understand this and continue with these issues because they are essential". Further President Clinton's proposed visit to Pakistan has serious implications ofr Indo-US cooperation to counter terrorism in South Asia .

 

 

How far can the U.S. be expected to go in cooperating with India to counter Pakistan sponsored cross border terrorism? The main focus of the U.S. is to apprehend Osama bin Laden, if it succeeds will it still be interested in India 's fight against terrorism?

 

 

The Indo-U.S. joint effort to counter terrorism would be meaningful only if the two countries have a close relationship based on respect for each other's common vision of a global order. The United States needs to address "terrorism as the core issue" which is affecting peace in the South Asian region. President Clinton's visit to India has immense importance for this new aspect of Indo-U.S. bilateral relations viz. countering terrorism to envision a peaceful international order. 

 

 

 

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