International : UndoingThe Past

The historic decision of the USA to block $ 225 million military support to Pakistan is a positive step ahead even though it is a delayed wisdom. So far in fifteen years, the US has pumped $ 33 billion military

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The decision of Donald Trump to suspend aid to Pakistan  is a belated action, more indicating the failure of the US policy since cold war years

Prof C I Issac

The historic decision of the USA to block $ 225 million military support to Pakistan is a positive step ahead even though it is a delayed wisdom. So far in fifteen years, the US has pumped $ 33 billion military aid to Pakistan as a part of its counter terrorism operations. But, if truth be told, Lion’s share of this money was used against India through terrorist channels. The relevant question is ‘Who sowed the seeds of contemporary Islamic terrorism’? The answer is very clear, that is the US. From Afghanistan to North Korea, this lend-a-hand or alms from the US has, in fact, really turned against their interest. It ultimately ended in the rise of Osama Bin Ladden and the collapse of World Trade Centre. Furthermore, this financial help, in effect, turned as Lord Shiva’s bequest of a boon to Bhasmasura.  
The history never repeats but its lessons keep pointing it. Terrorism or extremism, whether it is religious or Communist Maoist or else, is a double-edged sword. For all that they take or give a hand to this sword shall perish with this sword. Time has proved through ages. It has proven in the case of Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi. It is a stark truth that both of them helped directly or indirectly terrorism in Punjab and Sri Lanka. The tragedy we have seen.
Likewise, to defuse Soviet designs in Afghanistan the US administration trained Bin Ladden, a civil engineer and an entrepreneur, on the religious lines. Hence the World Trade Centre Tragedy!

The Two-fold Cut

The U.S. officials said two main categories of aid are affected: foreign military financing (FMF), which funds purchases of U.S. military hardware, training and
services, and coalition support funds (CSF), which reimburse Pakistan for counter-terrorism operations. They said they could make exceptions to fund
critical U.S. national security priorities.
The CSF funds, which fall under Defense Department authority, are covered by the freeze, said Pentagon spokesman Commander Patrick Evans. The Congress authorised up to $900 million in such money for Pakistan for fiscal year 2017, which ended Sept. 30.  

Therefore the present day Islamic terrorism is the outcome of the unwise policies of the US and Saudi Arabia. The US’s unnecessary interference in Iraq was an historic blunder. Above all, in the name of Soviet threat the US extended support to Islamic terrorism and Saudi Arabia is still continuing liberal financial aid to Islamic NGOs in the name of Zakkath which has been the current headache of
the contemporary world.
The US’s liberal support extended to make Pakistan  a counterweight to India during the Cold-War phase was an idiocy. It was a fact that the aid to Pakistan was more for anti- terrorism endeavour than for plotting against India, a Soviet ally. Now it is counteracting. As a part of it the US also shared the nuclear technology with Pakistan without considering its earlier history. The most untrustworthy, rogue and theocratic state Pakistan shared it with North Korea is not at all a secret. That’s why now they are paying the price in the Far East.
Hence the US administration has been forced to accept that “Pakistan was giving nothing to the US, but lies and deceit and providing safe haven to terrorists in return for $ 33 billion aid over 15 years”. It is a public confession.
The US failed to understand the true mindset of Hindus. The Hindus are a rare race in the Universe which is embellishing democracy and Universal Brotherhood (lokah Samsta Sukhino Bhavantu & Vasu Daiva Kutumbakom) as their catchphrase from time immemorial.
 Now also Taliban leaders are leading a far more comfortable life in Pakistan than in any other Islamic country of the Middle East. Anyhow, the US administration comes to the reality. They are in a mood to reconsider their India policy. The Tweet of Trump is an appendix to it. It may be a war of words. Let us wait for another chapter in the Indo-US relations.  
 (The writer is the Vice President, Bharatheeya Vichara Kendram, Kerala)

Global Leaps And Binds

Internationally Bharat has clocked some major milestones in 2017 making it a force to reckon with, but challenges ahead are no less daunting

Pulind Samant

When we look back, we look from two points of references viz. strategic gains and lost
opportunities. Accordingly, the year 2017 has been strategically very good for Bharat.
The unipolarity of the world order had begun
undergoing a change in a consensual way, with Bharat gaining substantially in the new emerging world order. After a cautious start at alignment with the newly-
sworn-in Trump administration in 2016, we walked quite some distance in getting attention and due recognition as a strategic ally of the US.
 The initial apprehension ,if any, was possibly a natural apprehension towards calibrating mutual expectations. In fact, we have been able to align much more comfortable with the new US regime, with more commitment
emanating from both sides. The US sending out frequent admonishments to Pakistan to desist from hosting and/or abetting terrorism, its labelling Syed Salahuddin of Hizbul Mujahideen as a global terrorist this year are glaring examples. Apart from that, it has also declared ‘Milli Muslim League’, a political party floated very recently in Pakistan by Hafiz Saeed (the mastermind of 26/11 Mumbai attack) a terrorist organisation. Secondly, its recognising India to be the major power responsible for the reconstruction of Afghanistan was clearly a milestone. Thirdly, its new geopolitical construct of Indo-Pacific, replacing the earlier regional identity of Asia-Pacific, is expected to go a long way in reconfiguring India’s position in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
We have also forged a stronger relationship with Israel. It was the first ever Indian Prime Ministerial visit to Israel when PM Modi visited it in July, which has gone a long way in cementing the ties between both the
countries.
Despite the strengthening of ties with both US and Israel, Bharat has consciously and quite appropriately voted this month for the draft resolution in the UN’s General Assembly, criticising the recent US’s recognition of Jerusalem to be Israel’s capital. It is a strategically important move on our part, consistent with our foreign policy and asserting our own
position on the global issues of geopolitics in a realistic way sans external influences, both at the same time.
We have also marched steadily on the path of the Act East policy with the PM Modi’s visits to Myanmar and Philippines. Apart from the reinforcement provided
during the said trip for Myanmar’s major infrastructural projects (that includes providing connectivity for both the countries seaports, in the Bay of Bengal) as well as the help extended in the form of military as well as diplomatic training.
Both the countries have displayed a great amount of understanding and co-operation in the context of the Rohingya issue.
The Philippines visit made us move onto a major platform, where Bharat participated in the
resurrected Quadrilateral (Quad), consisting of US, Japan and Australia being the other members. It is an open secret that the said group is a formation conceived for checking China’s unilateral operations and hegemonic intentions in the East and  South China Seas. It had originally been formed in 2007 but had not stabilised itself, mainly due to the later disinterest displayed by the US.
Another major milestone on the ‘Act East’ path was Singapore, through a bilateral agreement with Bharat, allowing access to our navy to its Changi naval base (near South China Sea, the hotbed of disputes between China and ASEAN
countries) for refuelling our vessels and other logistical support. It’s a first of its kind of achievement, of great strategic importance.
Even on the west side of the IOR (in the Gulf of Oman), there has been a gain for Bharat, in the form of the new Chabahar port in Iran
having started functioning this year. The said port was developed through a bilateral
agreement between Iran and Bharat with an objective of seeking
unhindered trade routes to Afghanistan and the Central Asian countries, bypassing Pakistan. Apart from the said economic factor, Bharat has extended its strategic footprint, juxtaposed with the Chinese developing the Gwadar port in Pakistan’s Balochistan province, as a part of its strategy of ‘string of pearls’ in the IOR.
Not to mention the silent victory after the two months long Dokalam face off, would be a crime here. It was a fantastically orchestrated operation in a great coordination with the Bhutanese establishment.
On another international forum i.e. at the International Court of Justice, Dalveer Bhandari of Bharat got re-elected last month for another term. The same was seen more of a diplomatic victory of Bharat than anything else, as Bhandari’s
rival Christopher Greenwood’s
candidature was withdrawn by Britain.
 Challenges Ahead
On the negative side, China’s OBOR clearly stands out as the initiation of a long drawn and by and large single to be fought the cold war. Bharat was the only
country that
boycotted the OBOR Summit in Beijing in May this year, for the right reasons concerning our sovereignty (its China-Pakistan Economic Corridor passing through PoK) though, thus making us look isolated.
Consistently used Chinese veto in the UN Security Council (UNSC) throughout the year, against labelling Masood Azhar a global
terrorist (even after agreement on his Jaish-e- Mohammed to be a
terrorist organisation), has been a constant point of irritation for Bharat.
Another blow on the front of
terrorism was the very recent
rejection of our request for issuing the Red Corner Notice (RCN) against the fugitive jihadi preacher Zakir Naik, by the Interpol.
Bharat has been trying hard to get a permanent seat in the UNSC, for last many years, which is being rejected by China from inside and Pakistan from the outside, by
lobbying hard globally against it.
Securing the safe release of Kulbhushan Jadhav from the Pakistani jail should be our priority early next year. Dalveer Bhandari being there in the International Court, where Jadhav’s trial is being conducted, has nevertheless given us the hope in the Jadhav’s case.
Bharat is expected to reinforce ties with Russia, coming year. We will never forget that it was only Russia who had stood with us during our trying and harder times on the global stage, in the good old days.
(The writer is Mumbai-based columnist)

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