Fears over U.S.-Pak. 'deal'

[Guest guest]

Fears over U.S.-Pak. 'deal'

 

 

By Harish Khare

 

NEW DELHI, SEPT. 18. The Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee,

today secured the Union Cabinet's endorsement of the Government stand

so far on the changed situation after last week's terrorist attacks

in the United States, but not before the Cabinet sought and got some

explanations.

 

Both Mr. Vajpayee and the External Affairs Minister, Mr. Jaswant

Singh, found themselves having to satisfy Cabinet colleagues who were

exercised over the reported American willingness to listen to

Pakistan's demands.

 

This was the first opportunity the Cabinet had to discuss the

September 11 attacks. The meeting began with Mr. Vajpayee and the

Cabinet observing two minutes' silence, as part of a nationwide

observance of a ``solidarity day against terrorism''.

 

Mr. Jaswant Singh, who first gave a 30-minute overview, is learnt to

have told the somewhat animated Cabinet colleagues that so far there

had been no specific request from the U.S. (Later in the evening, the

Prime Minister also told reporters that ``no specific requests'' for

assistance had been made by the U.S. but dismissed as

``hypothetical'' another question whether India was prepared to give

``all assistance'' as and when the American requests came in.)

 

Many Cabinet Ministers wanted a clarification on the veracity of

reports that Pakistan had imposed certain pre- conditions. Both Mr.

Singh and Mr. L.K. Advani, Home Minister (who had received the

American Ambassador only on Monday) asserted that on the authority of

most responsible American quarters it could be presumed that no deal

had been cut between the U.S. and Pakistan. Such reports of a

``deal'' were meant to drive a wedge between New Delhi and

Washington.

 

The Cabinet was informed that in the first phase the American focus

would be on Osama bin Laden and it was perhaps inevitable that

Pakistan was better equipped - because of geography and intelligence

assets - to be a better partner. The second phase would witness a

more sustained drive against terrorists in general and their

networks, and the Americans were keen on involving India in this

task.

 

These explanations notwithstanding, the many Cabinet members remained

uncomfortable with the alleged American winking at Pakistan's past

record in aiding and abetting terrorism.

 

So much so that Mr. Pramod Mahajan, senior BJP Minister and otherwise

very much a team-player, asked that if the American President was

keen on getting Osama bin Laden ``dead or alive'', why could not a

similar demand be made about Dawood Ibrahim for his culpability in

March 1993 Mumbai blasts.