US-India Homeland Security: Joint Stakes and Collaboration

The first-ever Indo-US dialogue on homeland security commenced on May 27, 2011 in New Delhi with both nations resolving to enhance counter-terror cooperation by undertaking effective steps to eliminate terrorist safe havens and corresponding infrastructure. Expectedly, during the meet between US Secretary of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano and India’s Home Minister, P Chidambaram, New Delhi kept its focus on the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. After deliberations drew to an end, Napolitano assured the hosts of her government’s intention to share comprehensive information relating to the dastardly 26/11 attacks as and when the case comes to a close. This could also be read in reference to India seeking access to Tahawwur Rana, a Canadian national of Pakistani origin, presently facing trial in a Chicago court in which US-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operative, David Coleman Headley, essaying a key role is currently being questioned.

The homeland security meet has resulted in India and the US affirming strategic cooperation to combat terrorism, manage cyber security, transnational crimes, strengthening agency-to-agency engagement, exchange of intelligence, information-sharing, forensics and investigation, access to and sharing of data relating to terrorism, security of infrastructure, transport and trade and combating counterfeit currency and illicit financing. The joint statement signed by the two sides highlighted, “sharing ongoing transformation of security-related organisational structures and systems as well as regulatory framework, in a democratic and federal environment.”

The timing of this meeting is very crucial given the rapid pace at which events have unfolded in the region starting with the top-secret US operation that resulted in the killing of the world’s most dangerous fugitive, Osama bin Laden, followed by the Taliban attacking Pakistan’s naval base at Mehran. The role of Pakistan’s premier intelligence agency, the ISI, in harbouring, aiding, training and financing terror groups and organisations such as Pakistan-based LeT has been long known. It only got further pronounced following Headley’s recent confessions in which he clearly spelt out the LeT having received directives from the ISI in so far as carrying out attacks on Mumbai were concerned. In this backdrop, Napolitano has equated the LeT with the Al Qaeda and related groups as terrorist organisations. However, it is ironic that LeT founder, Hafiz Saeed continues to roam freely in Pakistan, delivering acidic anti-India speeches that fume hatred and flare up hostility—thus raising eyebrows as to how serious Pakistan’s claims of countering terror outfits stand.

It needs to be underscored here that India has collaborated very closely with the United States in counter-terrorism initiatives during the past few years. In fact, the rise in India’s strategic prominence vis-à-vis the US was a key factor when Indo-US counter-terrorism cooperation began in 2000 and resulted in the establishment of the US-India Counter-Terrorism Joint Working Group (CTJWG) in January 2000 as a confidence building measure. Through the CTJWG mechanism, India and the US have exchanged information, training material, and methods related to interrupting terrorist financial networks, institutional and law enforcement steps to strengthen homeland security, border management and surveillance techniques, aviation security and disaster management in the event of a terrorist incident involving weapons of mass destruction. In 2001, the two countries launched the Indo-US Cyber Security Forum to focus on cyber security, cyber forensics and related research towards enhancing cooperation between law enforcement agencies of both countries in dealing with cyber crime. As part of the agreement, ongoing cooperation between India and the US National Institute of Standards and Technology was expected to expand to new areas including harmonisation of standards. The CTJWG has proved to be a useful mechanism for exchange of information, intelligence sharing, anti-terrorism training programmes and for strengthening institutional links between crime prevention agencies in the two countries.

Moreover, India and the US have collectively also supported the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy adopted by the UN General Assembly in September 2006 and have pursued the draft UN Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism. Cooperation in the area of law enforcement includes programmes developed by Diplomatic Security Anti-Terrorism Assistance (DSATA), the Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Drug Enforcement Agency. Under DSATA, joint training of security and law enforcement officials has been conducted in India and in the United States (Washington DC, Louisiana and New Mexico). The programmes provide both equipment and training in explosives investigation and countermeasures, hostage negotiation, counter-terrorism legislation and counter-terror police training, especially for Jammu and Kashmir.

The US-India counter-terrorism initiatives have made steady progress with exchange of information and assessments on the international and regional terrorist situation; strengthening of intelligence and investigative cooperation; qualitative upgradation and expansion of anti-terrorism training programs for Indian law enforcement officials; signing of a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty; launching of a bilateral Cyber Security Forum, with a wide-ranging program of action to address challenges of cyber terrorism and information security; introduction of military-to-military cooperation on counter-terrorism/counter-insurgency training of army units to supplement the initiatives of the US-India Defense Policy Group in this area; working together on multilateral initiatives on terrorism, including on the implementation of UNSC Resolution 1373; initiation of dialogue and cooperation in homeland/internal security, terrorist financing, forensic science, transportation security and border management; and, undertaking of concrete steps to detect and counter the activities of individual terrorists and terrorist organisations of concern to the two countries.

The homeland security dialogue should serve as the ideal platform for the future course of counter-terrorism cooperation between Washington and New Delhi. The focal point of future collaboration should be an increase in intelligence sharing to foster intelligence-liaison relationships, given that 90 per cent of the success in counter-terrorism is dependent on timely intelligence; Washington and New Delhi maintaining and providing joint access to databases of anti-terror information; the levels and frequency of the US-India CTJWG meetings ought to be raised; and expanded cooperative efforts must be put in to include counter-terrorism in the field of maritime coordination.

Dr Monika Chansoria is a Senior Fellow at CLAWS

(The views expressed in the article are that of the author and do not represent the views of the editorial committee or the centre for land warfare studies).