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Antony warns of threat from Pakistani Taliban

	June 29, 2009

Holding that the Taliban in Pakistan posed a "real threat" to India, Defence Minister A.K. Antony said on June 25 that since terrorists were still operating from the other side, India could not afford to lower its guard along the western border, especially in Jammu and Kashmir.



"The Taliban are a threat to world peace, our region and a real threat to India," he told reporters on the sidelines of the two-day Unified Commanders Conference he inaugurated in New Delhi.



Better coordination and strengthening the war fighting capabilities of the Army, the Navy and the Air Force were high on the agenda of the conference, held on the theme "Victory through Jointness".



Antony also expressed concern over the situation in Pakistan. "Pakistan is still in turmoil and it is a matter of great concern to us. We are emphasizing and trying to convince the Pakistan Government that they have to take strict action against anti-India elements operating in Pakistan. Only then can both countries move forward and improve their relations," he maintained.



Given this, the Minister said India could not afford to lower its guard along its western border, especially in Jammu and Kashmir. "Of late, there is a decline in infiltration along the border. But we cannot say it is an improvement, since terrorists are still operating from the other side. For the time being, it has declined. But there is no question of lowering our guard as even now, since terrorist outfits are working there, it is a real threat from there."



The Indian Army Chief, Gen. Deepak Kapoor, had said a fortnight ago that the question of troop reductions in Kashmir - a demand made by successive State Governments - would be "tackled" after studying infiltration trends and the manner in which the ongoing Amarnath Yatra was conducted.



Antony discussed the security scenario in the South Asian region with visiting US National Security Advisor James Jones on June 26.



Jones' visit was part of the ongoing effort to further strengthen the India-US bilateral partnership. The visit was at the invitation of his Indian counterpart, M.K. Narayanan, and followed his visits to Afghanistan and Pakistan to monitor implementation of US President Barack Obama's new Af-Pak strategy for the region.



Asked about the progress made in creating a unified command for the armed forces, Antony said after initial resistance, the three Services had realised that individually they could not tackle the threats from various quarters and would have to work together.



"There is a considerable progress made in the last eight years. Initially there was resistance from three Services but now they have realised the necessity of jointness because in modern times, no one Service can ensure the security of the nation and meet the challenges," the Defence Minister said. "So, things are moving very fast and this conference is a turning point," Antony maintained.



Asked about the security steps taken in the wake of the Mumbai terror attacks, Antony said: "After the 26/11 terror attacks, many measures were immediately taken. The Navy has been given the overall charge of coastal security."



"It is closely working with all stakeholders like the Home Ministry, the Petroleum Ministry and port authorities," he said.



Asked whether the increased price Russia has demanded for the aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov would impact on bilateral ties, Antony said: "Discussions are going on for the Admiral Gorshkov and I cannot comment on the final outcome."



"As far as our defence relations with Russia are concerned, they are very cordial. There is no doubt about that," he added.



About plans to raise two mountain divisions for deployment along the India-China border in Arunachal Pradesh, the Defence Minister said: "India is not against any country. We want to maintain friendly and cordial relations with all our neighbours.

But at the same time, it is our duty to increase capabilities of our armed forces and also to equip and provide them modern facilities and develop modern infrastructure to ensure our national security."



Addressing the Unified Commanders’ Conference, Antony feared that Pakistan's problems could "easily" spill over to India and asked the armed forces to be vigilant about the happenings in the neighbouring country and to keep in mind that the groups Islamabad was now acting against were once considered assets by the establishment.





"Anti-Indian forces operating from Pakistan have been trying to destabilise us, as was evidenced by the dastardly attack in Mumbai last November. We must be vigilant about the happenings on our western border, while at the same time, try to make peace with our neighbour. However peace with Pakistan cannot be a one-way traffic," Antony added.



He said a precondition for peace lies in Pakistan taking strong action against anti-India terrorist groups operating from its territory.



"We should not forget that the groups against whom Pakistan is taking action today, were earlier seen as assets by its establishment," he said.



Speaking on relations with China, Antony said India has always tried to maintain friendly relations with Beijing. There is enough space for both India and China to grow into influential nations in the evolving international order. But there are complex unresolved issues between the two countries. India believes that these should be resolved through peaceful means," the Minister said.



On India's other neighbours, Antony said Sri Lanka needs to back up its military gains against the Tamil Tigers with a political devolution package that satisfies the aspirations of Tamils within a united Sri Lanka.



He said in Nepal, democratic forces need to work together to frame a new constitution that would underline the country's emergence as a modern, prosperous and powerful nation.



Underlining the importance of the Indian Ocean Region, Antony said that with a rapidly growing economy, India's dependence on the sea lanes was increasing by the day.



"It is imperative for our armed forces to ensure that the sea lanes of communication are not dominated by any one power to the exclusion of others," adding that the sea lanes could easily become security threats.



"Last year, piracy emerged as a major challenge for sea-borne traffic off the coast of Somalia," he pointed out.



"Sea routes could also be used to transport weapons of mass destruction and arms and ammunition by terrorists. They were commonly used for illegal migration and drug trafficking. Waterways are used by terrorists to reach the hinterland, as was done by the perpetrators of the Mumbai terror attack," Antony pointed out.