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Strategies & Market Trends : India Coffee House -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?


To: JPR who wrote (10659)2/11/2000 12:47:00 PM
From: JPR  Read Replies (3) | Respond to of 12475
 
Pick the LOC at your own risk, POKemon --JPR
rediff.com
Cabinet panel reviews Pak buildup along LoC

Josy Joseph in New Delhi

The Cabinet Committee on Security met this evening to review the situation
along the Line of Control in Kashmir where Pakistan has been beefing up its
military presence over the last few days. The three service chiefs also
attended the meeting.

The meeting took place a few hours after the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Committee, comprising army chief General V P Malik, air force chief Air
Chief Marshal A Y Tipnis and navy chief Admiral Sushil Kumar, met and
reviewed the situation.

Later, the three chiefs called on Defence Minister George Fernandes and
gave him their assessment of the situation.

According to sources, the movement of troops by Pakistan is aimed at
heightening tension in the run-up to United States President Bill Clinton's visit
in March.

Defence sources maintained that they do not expect any confrontation
immediately. "It is merely a game plan being executed before President
Clinton's visit."

According to recent reports, the Pakistani Army has moved two more
battalions to the LoC.

While saying that he has no definite information, ACM Tipnis pointed out,
"We would be, and are, carrying out intelligence assessment of the situation."

The air chief returned to India last night after a three-day visit to
neighbouring Bangladesh, where he gifted to the air force museum three
fighters -- a MiG-21FL, a Gnat, and a Hunter -- that had participated in the
1971 war with Pakistan that resulted in the birth of that nation.

He said the Indian defence forces are on full alert. "Our preparedness is
there. There is no question of being caught unawares." But he added that
there is no "undue anxiety" in the defence forces.

On his visit to Bangladesh, the first in 25 years by an IAF chief, Tipnis said
both sides have decided to work towards better co-operation. "We need to
look more towards Bangladesh," he said.

Tipnis said the IAF could assist the Bangladesh Air Force in training
personnel as navigators, in weapons delivery, flight combat leadership and
flight strike leadership. "Perhaps we will discuss the possibility of some
exercise together at a logistically possible level," he said.

On the joint exercise 'Springex 2000' of the Indian Navy and the IAF
currently taking place off the Goa coast, the air chief said the IAF is looking
at validating and reviewing its concepts of maritime strikes. "We are also
validating the concept of the air force neutralising the enemy's maritime strike
aircraft. We will also be carrying out combat air patrols in the sea, providing
a defensive umbrella for our own naval forces."

The IAF and the army begin another joint exercise in the Haryana and
Punjab area tonight. Codenamed Vijay Chakra, the exercise will have
extensive practice on the airborne induction of troops over the next five
days.