Geopolitics

SCO counter-terror exercise – punch line option
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Issue Net Edition | Date : 27 Jul , 2018

Going by media reports India and Pakistan are to be part of anti-terror mega drill in Russia under aegis of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) next month; scheduled from August 22 to August 29. The aim of the exercise is to expand cooperation among the member countries to deal with terrorism and extremism. What a travesty that Pakistan which is major generator and exporter of terrorism globally will be feigning fighting terror – but then they successfully masqueraded under US patronage of being America’s frontline partner in the so-called Global War on Terror (GWOT).

The SCO exercise, named ‘Peace Mission’ is being held as follow up to the joint resolution adopted at the SCO Summit held in Qingdao, China in June this year to deepen cooperation among their militaries to deal with threats of terrorism, extremism and separatism. Planned to be held in Chelyabinsk City, Russia, it will see participation by all SCO member countries including Russia, China, Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. India and Pakistan were  observers of SCO since 2005 and were admitted as full members last year.

Media says SCO with aim of maintaining peace, stability and security of the region, is seen as counterweight to NATO. But NATO has been deployed in operations world over whereas SCO is budding still and perhaps to Saudi-led Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition (IMCTC) of 42 countries, even though SCO is much smaller with just eight member states. To what extent SCO will operate jointly and where is also questionable, given individual national interests and terror operating countries like Pakistan. Which country would like SCO fight terror on its territory – China in Xinjiang, Russia in Chechnya? Perhaps SCO is looking at filling the vacuum in Afghanistan if US-NATO pullout, but Pakistan will certainly not stop exporting terror.

About 200 Indian Army and Indian Air Force personnel are participating in Exercise ‘Peace Mission’. Indian and Pakistani armies have served on UN peacekeeping missions under the same Force Headquarters but this is first time they will participate in same military exercises. The setting most likely will be counter-terrorism in urban setting in Chelyabinsk city; involving closely coordinated operations by participating militaries. Beijing would love to see contingents of India and Pakistan operating hand-in-hand and may even orchestrate that. Military official of participating countries are also to   deliberate  on ways to enhance cooperation to stop spread of terrorist ideologies and eliminate factors and conditions that facilitate terrorism and extremism; which implies Indian and Pakistani participants sitting on the same forum, perhaps side by side, discussing these issues.

Above are ridiculously absurd situations given the continuing infiltration by Pakistan, cross-border firing and actions, terror attacks, beheadings, and support to terrorism in J&K. PLA soldiers have been showing up at Pakistani posts along the Line of Control (LoC) and PLA is constructing modular bunkers for Pakistani troops.  Besides, PLA is constructing concrete defences for themselves in POK. Recently, Pakistan media has been gloating that the R&AW mission head in Kabul along-with his two officers have been assassinated and they have taken revenge for the mustang massacre in Balochistan, even though the mustang terror attack was handiwork of ISIS, not R&AW.

Who will provide the ‘exercise enemy’ in the SCO exercise is not known but the best suited is Pakistan’s ISI with its terrorist hatceries and multiple linkages with regional and international terrorist organizations. It should be easy to provide actual terrorists posing as Pakistan soldiers, since no danger would be involved in absence of live ammunition being used. The added advantage would be to observe counter-terror drills of all participating countries that would enable refining future terrorist attacks and plans. Besides, contacts with terrorists operating in Russia could be renewed on first person basis.

There is also the question of   what will constitute manpower of the Pakistani contingent? Pakistan army has not won a single war since the country was born. But they are adept in operating in close concert with terrorists. This began with the invasion of Kashmir in 1947-1948 and has continued ever since, whether it is border action teams against India or ongoing proxy war in Afghanistan. So in all probability, the Pakistani contingent for the SCO exercise will likely have terrorists – from LeT, JuD, HuM, Taliban, Haqqanis, depending on what ISI fancies for this particular situation. Naturally, they will also participate in discussions and deliberations.

India is keen on deepening security-related cooperation with SCO and its Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure (RATS), but here is a situation where our soldiers will probably be rubbing shoulders with actual rats and skunks from across the border. Operating alongside Pakistani army implies making them conversant with our weapons, communications and equipment, tactics, counter-terrorism capacity and capabilities, which is not desirable. It is more relevant to the Army participants than those from the IAF since latter will be more segregated, and may be well protected in case our defence minister wants to observe the exercise from the cockpit of a Sukhoi.

If our Army contingent too had mix of terrorists that would be tit for tat for the Pakistanis, but our Army doesn’t have terrorists even as mascots. However, then we have multiple goon armies operating in the country who are politically backed;  well trained in  murders, rapes, mobocracy, lynching, exhibiting their terrific potential every second day. They could actually bring realism in the exercise, albeit with strict instructions not to leave tell-tale marks. Then you also have Mr Mohan Bhagwat saying his boys can mobilize faster than the Army. Their inclusion would be good for participating countries to learn what mobilization and quick reaction actually means. They would naturally down the unsuspecting exercise enemy with their sticks, before the latter can even wink.

Above would also showcase to the world ‘Silambam’; the ancient stick-martial art of South India – the age old art patronized by the Chera, Chola and Pandya rulers. It is said that the World War IV would be fought with stones and sticks because World War III will destroy everything. That is why Pakistanis are teaching radicals stone-pelting and even the PLA resorted to stone throwing last year in vicinity of Pangong Tso lake. But many of our boys are already masters of stick-martial art and there are periodic camps to train more.

In February 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, then Chief Minister of Gujarat, had stated that traders are braver than Army jawans. So perhaps few traders could be part of our contingent to Chelyabinsk. With bravery writ large on their countenance, just staring into the eyes of the enemy would transfix them like the stare from hundred pythons. Those who protect their eyes can be engaged in trade talk to keep them busy till quick reaction teams pounce on them. All these measures combined can perhaps culminate in Surgical Strike 2.0;  hitting Pakistanis at psychological level and confusing them so much they might just give up their proxy wars and get the terrorist doing yoga – the way China is programming Uighur clerics of Xinjiang.

The Pakistani contingent would be training hard together with terrorists, probably under supervision of Chinese Special Forces who reportedly are preparing for war. The need of the hour for us is to be innovative. A punch line option as above will take all the participants by surprise, not to mention taking the wind out of the ones masquerading as enemy.

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The views expressed are of the author and do not necessarily represent the opinions or policies of the Indian Defence Review.

About the Author

Lt Gen Prakash Katoch

is Former Director General of Information Systems and A Special Forces Veteran, Indian Army.

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3 thoughts on “SCO counter-terror exercise – punch line option

  1. The political establishment, in its entirety, which includes the Congress and the BJP, is a very destructive parasite, which lives off the sacrifices of Indian soldiers and demonizes them, placating and pandering to Pakistan for the sake of bearded vote banks. With this kind of attitude, India cannot conquer Pakistan or its ISI, ever.

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