The Hindu : 'Greater say' for para-military forces in counter-terrorism

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Aug 17, 2002

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'Greater say' for para-military forces in counter-terrorism

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI AUG. 16. The Government is planning to alter the counter-terrorism strategy so that the security and para-military forces can achieve greater coordination and pack a lot of punch in tackling suicide attacks and terrorist strikes in Jammu and Kashmir as the State readies to go to the polls to elect a new Assembly in September-October.

As the troops had been deployed in strength along the Pakistan border and war clouds were looming large, the Cabinet Committee on Security had decided to put all anti-terrorism operations under the Army's overall command. With the change in the situation, the CCS is likely to review the arrangement and restore the operational autonomy to the Central para-military forces.

Top Government sources said that a decision would be taken soon on reviewing the counter-terrorism strategy and the next CCS meeting might have a detailed discussion on it.

Forces such as the Border Security Force and the Central Reserve Police Force were feeling somewhat confused and concerned over the fact that their extra-sharp edge of strike capability was getting blunt in the absence of clear-cut independence of operations in the terrorism-hit border State.

Concerned over the rise in level of violence in Jammu and Kashmir, the Deputy Prime Minister, L.K. Advani, is also said to have decided to visit Srinagar soon after his return from abroad. Sources said that Mr. Advani would assess the situation in Jammu and Kashmir in the light of the fact that Assembly polls were going to be held soon in the State. Mr. Advani is scheduled to visit Britain and New Jersey, U.S. from August 21.

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