Visit by the Faculty and Students of US Marine Corps War College

The Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS) hosted the Faculty and Students of the US Marine Corps War College on 24 February 2009 at the CLAWS premises. The visiting delegation was welcomed by Brig Gurmeet Kanwal (Retd.), Director, CLAWS, who appreciated the contribution of the Marine Corps to war-fighting and peacekeeping in Afghanistan and expressed his hope for a peaceful solution to the situation of conflict in the country. Maj Gen G D Bakshi (Retd.) added that “Combat is the final audit of the armed forces” and that the Indian armed forces were the most combat-tested having fought four wars with Pakistan and having been engaged in conflict on the border with China. Maj Gen Bakshi emphasised the need for the Indian armed forces to learn from America’s similar experiences in the contemporary theatres of war in Iraq and Afghanistan. Brig Kanwal made a presentation on the internal and external security threats to India. This was followed by a Q&A session. The highlights of the Q&A session are in succeeding paragraphs:

Internal Security

A question was raised on the feasibility of inter-state governmental cooperation and cooperation of state governments with the national government to solve problems that spread across state borders. In response, Brig Kanwal emphasised the need for political parties across states to cooperate and the need to solve problems of inter-state jurisdiction.  He added that militants and terrorists know no boundaries and the solution was to recognize internal security as a national security challenge. Maj Gen Bakshi stressed the two-fold nature of the problem of internal security in India, referring to the vast tribal populations who are disconnected with the rest of the nation. He said that the discontent breeding in this hinterland was being fuelled by the Maoist Leftist ideology which is a long-term threat to democratic ideals. He also spoke of the “youth bulge” in the country, adding that if India could skill its young population, it has the potential to rise like a tiger economy, but if it doesn’t, then unemployment and anti-state ideologies will be a serious threat.

Critical Alliances

In response to a question about alliances that are critical to India’s global status, Brig Kanwal stressed the need for a peaceful and stable internal environment for India’s development. As the Indian subcontinent was referred to as the second most unstable region in the world after West Asia, he emphasized the need for a proactive strategic culture, where it was necessary to make peace with internal groups inimical to the Indian state. He added that the economy was already on an upward trajectory and if it could be fostered in a stable environment, it would consolidate further. Maj Gen Bakshi quoted Arnold Toynbee saying, “Great civilisations arise in response to great challenges”, adding that despite security challenges India was progressing into the stratosphere of big powers.

Mumbai Attacks

The response to the terror attacks of 26/11 in Mumbai was debated. India’s response options in the form of conventional military strikes and covert intelligence capabilities were discussed. Brig Kanwal pointed out how it had become clear that the attacks on Mumbai had been engineered by the Pakistan Army and the ISI. He added that the method, handling and execution of the attacks had been of a military nature and, hence the Government of India should have launched air-to-ground strikes or artillery strikes across the Line of Control (LoC). He said that the failure to respond suitably, given numerous options, had weakened the nation considerably. He added that India did have covert capabilities in Pakistan but these had been shut down in the mid 1990s. These could be revived to deter the next terror attack. He said that in the event of the next attack, the government would have to retaliate across the board. Maj Gen Bakshi pointed out the deliberate provocation by Pakistan’s strategy of asymmetric warfare intended to lower  the threshold. He said that asymmetric warfare could not be fought with defensive measures.

Strategy in Afghanistan

On being asked if a common strategy was possible between the NATO/ISAF and American forces in Afghanistan and Indian forces for solving the Pakistan problem, Brig Kanwal said that the NWFP/FATA/ Swat Valley area is the epicentre of radical extremism. He added that India’s interests lie in making sure firstly, that the extremism stays there and secondly, to fight it to its end. He added that if radical extremism were to spill over to the east of the Indus River, into Pakistan’s Punjab province, then it will spill across the border into India, which would be a cause for great concern and serious trouble. As India cannot go through Pakistan to fight it, he suggested that India must provide the economic, diplomatic and moral support. As the NATO/ISAF forces did not have the political will or staying power to fight it alone, it is necessary to beef them up, he said. He added that a regional solution to a regional problem was inevitable. Discussing India’s military intervention in Afghanistan, he said the Indian troops could be deployed in the west or in Herat to the west, or in Mazr-E-Sharif to the north, to contribute to the international effort as part of a UN force, reporting to the UN Secretary General. Asked if Pakistan would feel encircled by India, Brig Kanwal said that Pakistan’s territorial integrity was not being violated, on the Durand Line in the west or the Line of Control (LoC) in the east.

(Compiled by Swapna Kona Nayudu, Associate Fellow, CLAWS)