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Politics : America Under Siege: The End of Innocence -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: John Hunt who wrote (12269)	12/25/2001 1:09:36 PM
From: John Hunt	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 27720

Tempers also flare on China - India border [ The Indo-Pak border is not the only place where tempers are flaring up. India has put its troops on alert on the eastern front as well in response to "hostile actions" by China in recent weeks. China has, over the last two months, demolished 24 border pillars in the Dibang and Lohit districts of Arunachal Pradesh. Flag meetings held between the local army commanders of two countries have been unsuccessful and while the Indian army continues to rebuild the demolished posts along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), China has been continuing in its demolition spree. A couple of months ago, China staked claim to some areas twenty kilometers within India in Sikkim. Alarmed over such belligerent Chinese moves, the Eastern Command has sent a report to the Ministry of Defence (MoD) asking for induction of more troops into the region to meet possible 'adventurism' by China. "It is an alarming situation. China has made such intermittent moves in the past, but this time, it seems to be synchronised and with a purpose. We have put the troops on alert and moved in additional forces to the border areas," said a top-ranking army officer. China's moves along the LAC come at a time when it has upgraded communication links in its own side of the border. China reportedly objected to some nomads constructing hutments near a stream 20 kilometres within Indian territory in Sikkim. "Chinese troops and officers entered Indian territory and told the nomads not to construct the huts since it was Chinese territory. "When we received information, we objected and the Chinese did give up the claim, but they requested access for their nomads to the stream. The matter is unresolved, but the very fact that they entered India and staked claim to areas well within our boundaries is something that has to be viewed with concern. This has happened in the past in Sikkim," said the officer. Indian and Chinese troops clashed many times in 1965-66 at Nathu La in Sikkim. "The latest incursion must be viewed in the background of Chinese claim over the whole of Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh. We must not forget that China holds on to over 90,000 square kilometers of erstwhile NEFA (now Arunachal) following the 1962 aggression," the officer added. China has been building a number of roads over inhospitable stretches in Tibet. It recently upgraded an unused railway track from its interior areas to Lhasa in Tibet to a broad gauge line. "All the roads and highways that China has built in the recent past lead up to our borders and are not economically viable. The only reason they could have been built was to carry troops and armour," said another top-ranking officer from an Assam-based Corps that has Arunachal in its jurisdiction. Over the past two decades, China has been settling people from other provinces in the areas bordering Arunachal and many new townships-La-kang-tsung, Lung, Mikyimdun, Damze, P'i-p'o, Dimi and Lema among them-have come up in recent times. "In fact, Chinese troops demolished border pillars along the LAC in Dibang Valley adjoining a major town that has sprung up on the other side of the border. This township is threatening to spill over into Arunachal now," said the officer. While reserve forces have been mobilised and sent to the areas along the LAC, the Eastern Command wants more troops inducted into Arunachal and Sikkim. "That's in the short-term perspective. In the long run, we have to upgrade infrastructure-road, rail and communication links-in the North East, especially Arunachal and Sikkim that China claims as its own. We can ignore the threat from China only at our peril," said Eastern Command-based officer. To be concluded - Part II Tomorrow ] hindustantimes.com

To: John Hunt who wrote (12269)	12/25/2001 6:01:54 PM
From: John Hunt	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 27720

Pak redeploys N-missile & Pak Leaves Cancelled [ Pak redeploys N-missile Troops move close to Punjab border Islamabad, December 24 Pakistan has redeployed nuclear-capable medium range ballistic missile batteries in the last 48 hours and moved its troops and air force closer to Sindh-Rajasthan and Punjab borders, sources said. Pakistan recently carried out soft test of Shaheen-II, a two-stage, solid-fuel missile capable of carrying 1,000 kg to 2,500 kg to a distance of 600 km. Pakistan also has 1500 km range Ghauri and 100 km short range M-II missile. Columns of the Pakistani troops left Punjab and Sindh cantonments late Saturday evening and yesterday to take positions closer to borders with India, officials confirmed. Among the corps that received movement orders on Saturday were Pakistan army’s strike corps 1 and 2 based at Mangla and Multan. Pakistan’s doctrine of riposte is based on the premises that the Indian Army — on the basis of its huge presence in Kashmir — may be able to penetrate at some points into the Pakistani side of Kashmir but Pakistan can easily balance the loss of territory in Kashmir by making advances in Punjab. At the same time Pakistan naval flotilla of frigates and submarines is patrolling the sea, senior Pakistani officials said. The Pakistani navy has also commissioned its surveillance aircraft P-3 Orion to gather maritime intelligence. “The 350 fighter aircraft of the Pakistan Air Force are enough to raise a formidable challenge to 800 aircraft of the Indian Air Force,” Pakistan Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal Mushaf Ali Mir told reporters in Rawalpindi. In recent past the Pakistan Air Force has improved the capacity of the F-16 fighter aircraft to jam the Indian radar system, according to Pakistani military analysts. The Indian Air Force is equipped with Russian MiG-29 to match the US-supplied F-16. As build-up of Pakistan’s strike corps on the border with India continues, Islamabad has approached Washington for de-escalation. President Pervez Musharraf called US Central Command Chief General Tommy Franks last week and was reported to have received an assurance that US Departments of State and Defence were working closely with New Delhi to diffuse the tension. “But the Indian troops build-up on the borders is contrary to the assurances given by Washington to Islamabad,” the sources said. At least about 2,000 US military personnel are currently stationed at various locations in Pakistan, while US servicemen are also monitoring Pakistan’s airspace. Meanwhile, a PTI report said the Joint Chief of Staff Committee of Pakistan’s defence establishment met here today to review the security situation in the light of military build-up on both sides of the Indo-Pakistan border. Defence officials here said the committee meeting, held ahead of the arrival of President Pervez Musharraf from his visit to China, was presided over by Lt-Gen Aziz Khan, one of the seniormost Generals of the Pakistan army. The meeting also reviewed the defence preparedness of Pakistan’s armed forces. ] ***** Leave of Pak defence personnel cancelled [ Islamabad, December 24 Pakistan has cancelled leave for troops and recalled all its military personnel on leave as part of its high alert to the build-up of Indian troops in Rajasthan, Sindh and Central Punjab borders. All defence personnel on leave have been directed to report for duty at the earliest, an action taken to face any eventuality, defence officials here said. Reports reaching here said there was movement of heavy defence equipment towards border areas. Defence officials closely monitored the situation at the borders and have taken all “appropriate measures,” the officials were quoted as saying by Dawn. Besides the military build-up on the international border, the tension on the Line of Control (LoC) dividing Kashmir was also mounting, the paper said, adding that Pakistan had already re-deployed its troops along the LoC, which had been unilaterally withdrawn by the government last year. ] tribuneindia.com