National Security & National Interests – Implications - Presentation Transcript
National Security & National Interests – Implications & Response Jan 2009 M. Rajaram
Agenda National Security & National Interests – Definitions & Dimensions Trends & Responses – A Discussion on India’s responses over the years India’s Neighbourhood – Situation Analysis & India’s Options
National Security & National Interests – Definitions & Dimensions
What is National Security?
A multi-dimensional view and response towards protecting National Interests against threats, both internal and external
Dynamic and evolving as a derivative of National Interests which in itself is an evolving derivative of National Strength
Underpins and guarantees the pursuit of National Objectives in a competing international arena
What is National Interest?
Any issue that has the potential to directly impact the pursuit of National Goals can be classified as an area of National Interest
Has 5 major dimensions
Geo - Political
Economic
Military
Socio-cultural
Science & Technology
National Interests therefore stem from the evolving National goals in each of these dimensions and is also a reflection of the relative National Strengths with regard to these dimensions
National Security Paradigm National Security Economic Geo Political Military Socio-Cultural National Goals National Interests National Strength Science & Technology Science & Technology Science & Technology Science & Technology
Trends & Responses – A Discussion on India’s responses over the years
Dimensions- Trends & Responses
Geo-Political Trends
Emergence of Multi-polar world
Global Economic Re-adjustment
Increasing number of flash points
Competition for Energy
Knowledge and access to Knowledge as currencies of power
Increasing Neighbourhood turbulence and active internal subversion by external powers
Geo-Political Responses
Willingness to take leadership roles and seize global opportunities
Inclusive and domestic base for economic growth
Building capability to project power and defend interests
Diversify, de-risk and broad base energy sources
Establish leadership in key technologies and science
Control neighbourhood turbulence through more realistic approach and recognise the threat from internal subversions
1948 Situation Map
India’s Outer Buffers-Caroe
Caroe’s Seven Power Circles
Dimensions- Trends & Responses
Economic Trends
Increasing use of economic warfare through control of markets
Use of economic levers to influence policy
Denial of comparative advantages through control of economic arrangements
Creation of economic dependency through control of capital and investments
Increasing Urbanization and pressure on Agriculture
Pressure on access to markets and global trade
Economic Responses
Building resilience through calibrated engagement to global structures
Balance need for capital and control of economic national assets
Proactively defend interest in multilateral forums
Create conditions for counter dependency by improving capability to take over assets abroad
No clear answer to pressure on agriculture and increasing urbanization
Getting involved in multilateral forums and key groupings
Oil Pipelines from Central Asia
Of the total 54 million urban households in India, 31% are in SEC A and B categories representing a large market Urban Households - Socio-Economic Categories (%) : 25.79 m : 11.54 m : 4.52 m : 5.23 m : 4.30 m : 2.76 m Total Urban Households: 54 million
Dimensions- Trends & Responses
Socio-cultural Trends
Use of NGOs and lobbies to distort or disturb achievement of national projects
Change in demographic profile of India
Collapse of Agriculture – the silent time bomb
Cultural “dhimmitude” as a weapon of control
Increasing Regionalism
Vote banking and its implications
Use of media to distort public opinion
Socio-cultural Responses
Monitoring of funds and end-usage
Providing for the change in demographics through increased spending on key areas
National Agriculture Policy being revisited
Backlash to the politics of appeasement being felt and emergence of alternative national discourse – albeit still a fringe activity
Major threats that have not been addressed
India’s population is young with a vast majority (61%) being under the age of 30 Source: Tata Statistical Outline of India, Marketing White Book 2006 Age-Wise Distribution Of Population Rural Urban Population distribution Male (Outer Circle) Female (Inner Circle)
Dimensions- Trends & Responses
Military Trends
Increasing use of RMA and integrated theatres
Capability to fight multi-theatre wars with non-state and para state entities
Nuclear backdrop and Nuclear blackmail
Increasing sophistication of internal threats
Need for power projection over larger areas
Military use of space
Dependence on foreign supply of arms
Military Responses
Increased induction of “Force Multipliers” in the Indian Armed Forces
Integration of Services along theatres of operation format
Development of Triad, Development of “Cold Start” doctrines to counter nuclear threats
Need for raising more state level internal security forces has been recognised
Increased joint operations across spheres of influence to enable power projections
Creation of Aerospace commands, creation of assets
US needed NATO troops to takeover ISAF while engaged in Iraq
NATO and US troops under constant attack from Taliban forces sheltered in FATA/ WANA regions of Pakistan
Indian Role in Afghanistan
India always was interested in Afghanistan
Before 9/11 supported Ahmed Shah Masood and his Northern Alliance
Supported the Hamid Karzai govt with civilian assistance to rebuild Afghanistan
Reopened the consulates in Jalalabad, Peshawar and Kandahar
Indian Embassy building bombed. Most likely ISI supported terrorists
Built the road from Zaranj to Kabul providing the alternate land route to one controlled by Taliban
Assistance ~ $1Billion and is the largest amount outside US.
Stable Afghanistan is a national security interest of India
Afghanistan in Pak sights
The top priority of US for next two administrations will be war in Afghanistan
Future of NATO
Containment strategy towards Russia
Grand ideas like unilateralism and war as diplomatic tool
Pakistan has realized that if it chooses it can make matters worse for the US in Afghanistan
NATO jugular in Pak grip
Pakistani troops in border areas keep the Taliban in check at same time keeps the US from retaliating
75% of all supplies through Pakistan
US unwilling and unable to use Russian or Iranian route for supplies
More SF ops in borderlands is invitation to future disaster
Afghanistan in Pak sights
US experts Reidel etc suggest that one way to win Pakistani cooperation is to make India “settle” Kashmir
Five different agencies formulate US policy on Afghanistan
White House, State dept, Pentagon, Central Command and CIA
Durand Line and Pak’s Afghan policy
Eight million Pashtuns straddle the Durand Line
Past Pak leaders have tried to formalize the Durand line
Unless Afghanistan formalizes the Durand Line, Pakistan is in jeopardy
However formalization divides the Pashtuns for ever even after the end of colonialism
A new Afghan national Army (134K) will be a check on Pakistan as it will be mostly Tajik due to demographics. More Tajiks live in Afghanistan then in Tajikistan. Just as more Pashtuns live in Pakistan than in Afghanistan
Not clear what is driving the US experts
Aim at keeping India unsettled?
Aim to keep India from pursuing her Central Asian objectives and energy sources?
Aim to keep India from joining the SCO powers to control Central Asia heartland?
India needs to watch the situation and be ready to counter any moves
Since 9/11 US has provided $10B as aid to Pakistan : CSIS study
Despite all that Pakistan faces an economic crisis due to oil price rise and collapse of Pakistani rupee
US, China and KSA have refused bilateral aid and prefer multi-lateral agencies to aid and restructure Pakistani economy
IMF Agrees to $7.6 Billion Loan to Pakistan
US Elections and Pakistan
2008 US Elections are a key milestone in US-Pak relations.
Democrats want to disengage from Iraq and Afghanistan
Obama Transition team has published position that the road to Afghanistan is through Pakistan which needs a settlement with India on Kashmir
Bruce Reidel, John Podesta Center for American Progress
Unhelpful as J&K is on its way to normalcy
Will rejuvenate Pak inspired terrorism in J&K
Pak is on its way to disintegration and collapse and throwing Kashmir into the mix is unhelpful to the people of Kashmir.
Western Alternative plans for Pakistan remapping
Bernard Lewis
Ralph Peters
Pashtun - Durand Line
Pashtunistan Billboard map
Bernard Lewis Plan
Truncates Pakistan
Splits Pashtun areas and Baluchistan
Keeps Sind and Karachi with Pakjab
Ralph Peters
Similar to Bernard Lewis Plan
Pashtun Plan-I
Creates greater Paktunistan including parts of Afghanistan
Keeps Sindh and West Punjab together
New Pashtunistan Billboards
More realistic as it covers all Pashtun speaking lands
Even Keeps Sindh and Pakjab together
Separates Northern Areas of Afghanistan
Indian Claim in 1947
Note the border of greater Punjab is East of Indus and includes Bhawalpur
Sindh is separate and removes Karachi from Pakjab
Most Likely
Indian Options For PIP
Crackdown on terrorism in J&K and SIMI
Reduces the million mutinies inside India
UN presence in Afghanistan
Provides diplomatic cover for Indian troop presence in Afghanistan
Independent command in Iraq w/Iraq invitation
Provides security for rebuilding Iraq and bringing it back to community of nations
Presence will reduce the operating space for KSA and Pakistan in OIC and Sunni states
Reduction of ISI as its great game tool
Reduce numbers as it coincides with US objectives in Afghanistan
PIP= Peaceful Implosion of Pakistan
Indian Perspective
The loss of Kandahar by Akbar in 1588 was the death blow of the Mughals as they were finished in less than 150 years after that.
The frontier areas were allowed to go under Persian influence and led to the Durranis taking over Afghanistan with severe consequences to mainland India.
Ranjit Singh created the buffer state and the English got hold of those areas after the Anglo-Sikh Wars. Durand line was created after the Anglo-Afghan wars and formalized the de-facto buffer created due to Ranjit Singh's efforts.
To support Pashtun recovery of Durand line will bring the frontier back to the outer rim of Indian core lands.
Pashtuns should be shown to recover their lost lands from the Iranians/Persians. Better yet be satisfied with what they have.
Another argument is the Sarkari Pashtuns on the eastern side of Durand lines are the tribes that sided with Aurangazeb and being the successor state it is India that should look out for them eventually. Frontier Gandhi's debt has to be repaid. He was let down badly as we didn’t understand nor had the capability to support him in 1947.
Conclusions
The rise of Pakiban is erasing the Durand line. What we are seeing is the gradual failure of two states- Pakistan and Afghanistan.
In Afghanistan elections are slated in 2009. If the Taliban ensure reduced Pashutn participation it will lead to a default Northern Alliance Tajik leadership which will unite all Pashtuns(sarkari and non-sarkari, Ghilzai and Durrani)) under the Taliban black flag.
So any way one looks at it 2009 is critical year for that area.
Prognosis
A new "northern alliance", with covert material support from Iran and Russia, with Indian tacit approval & "peaceful" participation on the ground, will likely begin a new & successful "jehad" against US/NATO forces in Afghanistan. In fact, a long term US/NATO presence in Afghanistan is probably the last hope of the Pakis to keep their artificial "country" together.
But Russian/Iranian supported bleeding of US/NATO forces in Afghanistan will drive them out in a lot less time than the Soviets held out.
And in the subsequent obvious conflict between opposing Jihads (Taliban from the south and new NA from the north), the Taliban will finally bleed to death, putting Afghanistan squarely in Russian (& Indian) orbit. That should also begin the long delayed unraveling of the artificial construct otherwise known as Paki satan.
As usual, and contrary to Paki high expectations, China will intrude minimally in this process.
What matters is that with retreat from Afghanistan, and also from Iraq (foregone conclusion), US/NATO will find itself in an unusual (for it) defensive mode.
The consequences for India, while full of cautionary circumstances, will be nothing but fruitful.
Prognosis Continued
The Pakiban and Taliban phenomenon is really an Islamized Pashtun nationalism at its core. If one maps the areas in Pakistan and neighboring Afghanistan it is very obvious that it’s all in the Pashtun areas. The Pahstun has grabbed Islamization as a substitute for thwarted and suppressed nationalism.
This phenomenon is not an isolated one in history. Islam provides politico-religious milieu for suppressed nationalism throughout its history.
the Arab tribes that burst out into the Middle East the first hundred years after advent of Islam.
the Vandals of North Africa who were left out of the Roman Christian mission who became Islamized and swept Spain or Al-Andalus.
The Turks of Central Asia who created the Ottoman Empire and the Sultanates all over Middle East to India in the medieval period.
An Islamized Pashtun state will at a minimum straddle the Durand line and could have a zone of influence till the west bank of Indus. The Tajiks in Afghanistan will seek to merge with their brethern. and so will the Uzbeks. The Shite Afghans around Herat will have to join Iran for safety.
However everytime a new Islamic state is established it leads to spillover in its immediate neighborhood and farther if it gets too powerful. Looking at the past it is possible to predict the course of spread of such Islamized nationalism- the neighboring states and regions will get the first impact of the successful wave and it will spend itself in distance and time.
So India is in for the long haul. It is possible to deflect the wave Westwards than to absorb it Eastwards for historically the Persians were able to subdue the Afghans as the book "History of the Pathans" by Olaf Caroe shows.
Karzai and other sarkari Pashtuns will be overwhelmed unless the TSP is taken down massively. I don’t think the West understands this or hopes to use the wave towards India.
Alternate Prognosis
The new elite in Islamabad must realize, that an ideological necessity no longer exists for the continuance of military rule
They need to let the kabila guards go and allow the society to settle down and be at peace with itself and its neighbors.
There is also no reason why Balochs, Sindhis and Pashtuns should not have greater autonomy
Nazariya-e-Pakistan is not realistic
Even during the pre-Mughal era the Turks and Afghans fought each other
Pakistan must repeal its law declaring Ahmadiyas as non-Muslims, and give more freedom to Christians and Hindus.
The new elite should envision a new concept of how Pakistan should look like in future and abandon the “Not India” vision
India’s Neighbourhood – Situation Analysis & India’s Options China
The “Other” Clash of Civilizations
India and China are destined to Compete and Cooperate
Chinese “string of pearls” – India’s encirclement and Indian response
Gwadar Port
Arming of their “Israel” with nuclear arms
Militarization of Tibet
Listening posts through in Bay of Bengal through Bangladesh and Myanmar
Assisting Sri Lanka
Competing in Africa and Central Asia for dominance
Militarization of Space – threat to Indian space assets
India’s Tibet options – Post Dalai Lama era is a threat or opportunity?
From a diffidence to realization – India grapples the cold reality of Chinese intent
China’s position in the Nuclear deal – showcased her intent and limits of power
Chinese creeping encroachment – Arunachal – India’s response – blow hot and blow cold
China’s Tibet Rail – India’s belated but scrambling response
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