Author: Deepak K. Upreti
Publication: The Deccan Herald
Date: November 30, 2001
Indraprasth, Nov 29 (DH News Service)
- In a major policy decision India, for the first time, has agreed to exchange
military intelligence (MI) with US with both the countries agreeing to
work out contours of the co- operation in future meetings.
According to highly placed sources,
the sensitive decision on the mutual exchange of MI with the US was cleared
by the Cabinet Committee on Security after a series of meetings between
defence and external affairs ministries. To elaborate the concept of co-operation
a joint Indo-US Defence Policy Group is to meet here next month with US
Undersecretary of State for Defence Douglas J Feith heading the US team.
The ground work for the November meet has already been initiated in the
on-going visit of Admiral Dennis C Blair, chief of the US Pacific Command.
The high level Indo-US political and official delegations have during the
last one month deliberated on possible features of military co-operation
including naval protection for US ships in the Indian ocean, training facilities
for American troops, port visits and ship repair facilities and logistic
support to the US navy but a full agreement was not reached on these issues
with India having reservations on account of various security and political
concerns.
But India has agreed to co-operate
with the US in the field of MI which would virtually expose closely guarded
Indian secrets including those relating to nuclear installations to the
scrutiny of the US from point blank range. The FBI already has a makeshift
office in the US embassy to exchange intelligence with India on criminals,
drug trafficking and terrorists. Sharing of intelligence could "seriously
compromise" Indian security with US digging deep into the Indian security
system and establishing its own "loyal band" in the Indian military establishment
as it did in Pakistan, said a top army official and pointed to the vulnerability
of Indian defence officials quoting the infamous Tehelka incident.
-From the US point of view the MI
co-operation would strengthen its information network in South and West
Asia and with a little prompting it could elicit key intelligence from
India, facilitating military operations in the region.
The September 11 terrorist strikes
in New York and Washington severely shook the US intelligence agencies
which obviously failed to anticipate or gear up to challenges thrown by
the terrorist mastermind Bin Laden and his network Al Qaida.
The fact that the terrorists remained
a step ahead of American intelligence rudely awakened the US to its glaring
lack of "human intelligence" on account of heavy reliance on technology.
In the aftermath of American retaliatory action in Afghanistan, US has
sought to make India its key military partner which could work as an effective
bulwark against "Jehadi" forces in South and West Asia and keep a close
eye on Chinese manoeuvring in the region. Besides, the envisaged strategic
defence co- operation could provide the US a shorter sea route to military
bases in Japan.