TOKYO TO ISLAMABAD VIA CALCUTTA

October 4, 2001

BY SUNANDO SARKAR

Calcutta, Oct. 4:

Six Japanese military aircraft bound for Islamabad, now close to the

epicentre of the world's latest war-theatre, are scheduled to use the

city airport for refuelling.

The refuelling halt, slated as of now for Monday, is unprecedented,

say senior state government officials.

The six aircraft touching down at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose

International Airport have an official purpose — they are supposed to

be carrying relief material for the thousands of Afghan refugees now

flooding camps close to the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. But the

timing of the refuelling halt has given rise to intense speculation

about the real purpose of the aircraft's mission to Islamabad.

The aircraft — reports here have identified them as C-130H used by

Nato nations for transportation of military equipment and

paratroopers — will be accorded VIP treatment, say officials. A "very

urgent" message came to several Union government ministries,

including civil aviation, defence, home and the ministry of external

affairs, on October 1.

These ministries immediately contacted the state administration, and

a series of meetings between senior officials followed over this week.

It was decided that the refuelling stop would be kept as secret as

possible, given the nature of protests in various parts of India —

and West Bengal — have seen against the US' threat of war against

Afghanistan following the attacks on New York's World Trade Center

and the Pentagon headquarters on September 11.

Civil aviation officials were asked to ensure that the area where the

aircraft would land was cordoned off. The administration has kept in

mind the possibility of a last-minute change in the schedule as

a "public outcry" or "strategic shifts" are not ruled out.

The first of the six aircraft is scheduled to touch down around 9.30

am. The next five aircraft would follow at intervals of about 20

minutes, sources said.

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