Title: US threatens
to snap military ties with Pakistan
Author:
Publication: The Free
Press Journal
Date: March 29, 2000
NEW DELHI: Worried over
the Inter Services intelligence's non-committal attitude in returning some
600 'Stinger' missiles to US from Afghan Mujahideen, the Americans have
threatened to snap military ties and intelligence liaisoning with Pakistan
if the latter hesitate to resolve the issue immediately.
American President Bill
Clinton has strongly warned Pakistan during his brief stopover in Islamabad
on Saturday asking General Parvez Musharraf to honour the 1997 agreement,
otherwise relations will further deteriorate between the two country.
The delay as well as
misleading information amounting to breach of trust in returning some 600
odd Stinger 'missiles' to US by Pakistani security agencies has irked American
security and intelligence agencies who have been pressing for early solution
to the problem after holding ISI and military as responsible.
According to diplomatic
sources, this is one of the contentious issues, which has forced Americans
to make remarks of further isolation for Pakistan in international fora,
if urgent steps are not taken to resolve the dispute.
Though the 'left over'
arms issue with Pakistan has a history of cold war era, it has worried
the American security agencies particularly the Central Intelligence Agency
(CIA) about the impending crisis of small and medium arms presence in the
region, the sources maintained.
In fact, the US had created
a 3.2-billion dollar secret project 'Operation Cyclone' in the 80s to aid
Afghan Mujahideens to fight Russian occupation but the entire project was
implemented through Pakistan and its ISI.
As part of the project,
there was an agreement between the US and Pakistan to execute the project
in full knowledge of Americans as well as all the 'left over' arms will
be returned to US once the war is over. Moreover, the responsibility was
entrusted to ISI to act as a liaison agent.
To start the 'Operation
Cyclone', the US had offered 30 million dollar in 1980 which went upto
250 million dollar in 1981 and finally it rose to one billion dollar in
1986.
However, in 1983 10,000
tons of arms including 'Stinger' missiles were supplied to Afghan Mujahideen
through Pakistani agencies and that reached 65,000 tons in 1987. But the
ISI had misled the US about the actual arms supply and grabbed some of
the consignments for its won purpose.
After the Afghan war,
the US wanted to take back all the 'left over' arms from Pakistan which
was working as an agent. In the meantime, the relationship between US and
Afghan regimes, particularly after the taking over of Taliban in 1996,
underwent a sea change.
The US which realised
about the danger of small arms presence including deadly Stinger in the
region entered into a 800 million dollar agreement with ISI in 1997 to
retrieve all the 'left over' arms currently at the hands of Pakistani terrorists,
Pakistani military and Taliban regime as well as Mujahideen.
However, only 200 Stingers
were returned to US by the ISI with an assurance of complete return. But
the Kargil episode exposed Pakistan when some Stingers were used in the
conflict and subsequently Indian Army also recovered three such missiles
during mopping up operations in the Kargil sector last year.
Besides, there are reports
of Mujahideen selling 'Stinger' to hostile countries and a likely joint
venture between Pakistan and China to jointly manufacture the missile which
is highly effective for mountain warfare. Since then, the US has
been insisting Pakistan to hand over all the 'left over' arms without any
delay or face the dire consequences.
