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

09-18-2001, 12:37 PM

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.