CDS: Ready to deal with terror spilling out of Afghanistan
Chief of Defence Staff says contingency plans were put into place to deal with such a challenge
NEW DELHI: Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat said that insurgency spilling out of Afghanistan into India would be dealt in a same way India deals with terrorism at present. He also said that India would welcome additional support in the form of intelligence input as it does its part in fighting the global war against terrorism.
Gen Rawat said India was anticipating a Taliban takeover of Afghanistan but the timelines of the latest developments have surprised it, noting that the outfit has not changed over the past 20 years He along with Commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command Admiral John Aquilino was speaking at an interactive session organised by the Observer Research Foundation (ORF).
The Chief of Defence Staff said India is committed to ensuring a terrorist-free environment in the region. “As far as Afghanistan is concerned, we will make sure that any activity likely to flow out of Afghanistan and then find its way into India will be dealt with in the manner in which we have been dealing with terrorism in our country,” Gen Rawat said.
“I think if any other support can be forthcoming from the Quad nations, in at least identifying the terrorists and getting some intelligence input to fight this global war on terrorism, I think that will be welcomed,” he said.
The Quad comprises India, the US, Japan and Australia.
Gen Rawat said New Delhi was concerned about the possibility of terrorist activities from Afghanistan impacting India and contingency plans were put into place to deal with such a challenge. “From India’s perspective, we were anticipating a Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. We were concerned about how the terrorist activities from Afghanistan could overflow into India,” he said.
“And to that extent, our contingency
planning had been ongoing and we are prepared for it. Yes, the timelines certainly surprised us. We were anticipating this thing happening maybe a couple of months down the line,” he added.
Gen Rawat said the Taliban has not changed in the last 20 years and only its partners have changed. “It is pretty much the same; it is the same Taliban that was there 20 years ago. News reports and reports from the expats who have come from there are all telling us the kind of activities the Taliban is into. All that has happened is that the partners have now changed. It is the same Taliban with different partners,” Gen Rawat observed.
In his remarks, Admiral Aquilino referred to challenges that India has been facing, specifically with regard to “sovereignty on the Line of Actual Control” as well as the “foundational security concerns” in the South China Sea region, in a clear reference to China’s aggressive behaviour.
His comments came in the backdrop of mounting concerns over the possibility of rise in activities of various terror groups including the Lashkar-eToiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed from Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.