All set for Indo-U.S. parleys on terrorism

By Atul Aneja

NEW DELHI, FEB. 3. India and the United States are getting ready to explore the scope of institutionalised cooperation to counter terrorism radiating from the Afghanistan-Pakistan arc.

These issues, among others, are likely to be discussed during the first meeting of the Indo-U.S. Joint Working Group (JWG) on terrorism. The Indian delegation to the two-day parleys, which begin on February 7, will be headed by the Joint Secretary (Americas), in the External Affairs Ministry, Mr. Alok Prasad. The composite team to the dialogue also includes representatives from the Home Ministry, including the Joint Secretary (Internal Security), Mr. Rakesh Ahuja, and two other specialists on counter-terrorism, an External Affairs Ministry spokesman said.

The Joint Secretary (U.N.), Mr. Dinkar Srivastava, is part of the team. The U.S. side will be led by the Mr. Michael Sheehan, the Chief Co-ordinator on counter-terrorism in the State Department. Mr. Sheehan had recently visited Pakistan and therefore has a firsthand account of activities related to terrorism from the Pakistani side.

India is expected to share its perceptions about the spurt of the cross-border militancy in Jammu and Kashmir following the Kargil war, including the increasing role of the Afghan extremists. According to Government sources, the U.S. side is likely to be apprised of the role and external linkages of the Pakistan-based pan-Islamic Harkat-ul-Mujahideen and its connections with the underworld network spread across India, Pakistan and parts of the western world. The modus operandi of this organisation's funding operations are expected to be explained in detail.

The Indian side is likely to link its presentation on the Harkat- ul-Mujahideen with the its understanding of the larger forces behind the hijacking of the Indian Airlines plane to Kandahar. The role of the Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in aiding and coordinating the hijack is also expected to be analysed. Information about the command and control setup in the Mumbai-based underworld, which is linked to operatives residing overseas, is expected to be shared.

Both sides are also expected to exchange notes on Osama bin Laden and his network of operatives in Afghanistan, Jammu and Kashmir and the industrialised world. The role of the highly-motivated Al Quida group, based in Afghanistan, which may be part of the Osama network, is expected to be brought into focus. The group, it is suspected, is trained to target U.S installations, including its overseas financial institutions.

The thrust of the coming dialogue, according to sources, is to define a mechanism for information exchange on terrorism emanating from the region so that concrete steps for cooperation can be undertaken.

The Indian side is attaching great importance to the dialogue. The talks on terrorism precede the visit of the U.S President, Mr. Bill Clinton, to India and Bangladesh. The Indian side is keen that the U.S. hear ``its side of the story'' well in advance. This is to obviate the ``one-sided views'' on the subject which Pakistan might express, just in case Mr. Clinton decides to stop over in Islamabad.

The Indo-U.S. dialogue will be followed by two-day discussions between the Foreign Secretary, Mr. Lalit Mansingh, and the U.S. Under-Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Mr. Thomas Pickering. Sources here say this series of official meetings are part of the preparations for Mr. Clinton's visit.

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