But they all taste the same
The plan and the devices were too sophisticated for the militants, writes Outlook‘s Saikat Datta. The new enemy is, in fact, the ‘rogue ISI’, elements of which were “operating beyond their official brief”. ‘Fringe’ ISI officers are the “emerging threat”. Only with such rationalisation can those wedded to India’s current engagement of Gen Musharraf even attempt to explain the proliferation of terrorist attacks across India.
The question that needs to be asked is how does one know which of the factions is the ‘rogue’ or the ‘fringe’? A rogue faction implies a section of the ISI carrying out operations against official orders. But Gen Musharraf himself has gone on record several times insisting that the ISI is disciplined force and is entirely under his control. If he is right, then surely, the attack on the Delhi-Attari Express could not have taken place without his knowledge and approval. If he is wrong and he’s not as much in control as he claims to be, then well, India is talking to the wrong man. [Related Link: See Maverick’s take]
A “fringe” faction, on the other hand, implies that the rogues in the ISI (no pun intended) are a small minority. Again, on what basis does anyone conclude this? It is quite possible, and even likely, that those in favour of calling a halt to the proxy war against India are the fringe, while the bulk of the organisation is dedicated to pursuing its age-old strategy against India. Bureaucratic organisations cannot overturn their processes so fast, not least when these processes are a source of substantial economic and political power. And how rogue or fringe could the perpetrators have been when Pakistan airlifted all its citizens before they could testify/be interrogated by Indian investigators?
All the talk about mythical rogues and fringes obfuscates the real issue—that Gen Musharraf must be held accountable if Pakistani involvement in the terrorist attacks is established. Casting Musharraf as a man genuinely interested in peace for its own sake is naive or delusional. The only thing that he is interested in is his own survival. The United States is finally beginning to make his survival contingent on his delivering the goods. India should do no less.
I read what you wrote, but couldnt understand why you wrote it??? you seem to be picking up scrap, cross-country, and trying to make a car out of it.
Tanuj,
I read your comment, but couldn’t understand why you wrote it? You seem to be picking up a car, in a new country, and trying to make scrap out it.
Do explain what you mean 🙂
Nitin
Nitin,
Dont you know, the outlook guys have a hotline contact with the ISI chaps in pakistan. All the info comes from the horses mouth himself.
Jokes apart, we have to be very wary of the writings {or antics} of the left press. The Left-Islamic combine is full of bullshit. In fact bullshitting is there full time occupation.
Mush is a slippery customer – comes from a long tradition. B Raman got it right. Now with Uncle Sam ratcheting up the heat, and with his “clean” elections round the corner, expect Mush to discard many niceties and morph back into “Commando Boy from the Land of The Pure”. The guy is a joke, and his “country” is a joke – too bad he has those nukes – the only thing that keeps everyone from completely laughing him off.
Bulls Eye! libertarian.