Through the lens of Thursday
[ NATIONAL ]
Sino-India Standoff: India adds punch to its firepower against China and a mix of defensive-offensive strategy
India has set up a series of Integrated Defended Locations along LAC, under which the focus is to disarm enemy offensive through a mix of layered underground bunkers, minefields & other equipment.
Amit Shah to arrive in Kashmir for a 3-day visit on Saturday amid a spike in violence
This will be Amit Shah’s first visit to Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019 to strip the region of its semi-autonomous status
India, UK have a busy calendar of engagements ahead
India and the UK will be having a busy calendar of engagements starting with the UK’s Carrier Strike Group (CSG) led by 65,000 tonne HMS Queen Elizabeth entering Indian water and one of the ship dockings at Mumbai Port.
‘Technical glitch’ interrupts Indian diplomat’s assertions on China’s BRI at UN transport conference in Beijing last week
A technical glitch at the United Nations transport conference held in Beijing last week raised eyebrows and surprised many
India a ‘huge friend’ of Israelis, Naftali Bennett tells Jaishankar during the first meet
Jaishankar, who is on a visit to Israel, conveyed PM Modi’s greetings to the Israeli leader and invited him to make his first official visit to India since taking the office in June.
Indian Delegation Meets Taliban Team In Moscow
A high-level Taliban delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister of Afghanistan’s interim government Abdul Salam Hanafi met Indian officials on Wed.
Covid-19: India crosses 1 billion vaccination milestone
India on Thu crossed the landmark of 100-crore Covid-19 vaccine doses in 9 months. “Congratulations India! CoWIN can be customized, scaled up for health interventions across the globe: MEA secretary
IAF plane crashes at Bhind in Madhya Pradesh; pilot ejects safely
The pilot ejected safely before the Mirage 2000 fighter aircraft crashed in the Mankabagh village of the district. The aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) on a training sortie crashed in Madhya Pradesh’s Bhind district on Thu, due to aircraft experiencing a technical malfunction. The pilot ejected safely,” the IAF said. An Inquiry has been ordered, the IAF added.
Can’t Block Roads Indefinitely: Supreme Courts Gives Farmers 3 Weeks To Reply
The Supreme Court on Thu said farmers protesting at Delhi borders against the three farms laws have the right to protest but they cannot block roads indefinitely. It gave farmer unions three weeks to respond to the issue.
[ NEIGHBORHOOD ]
Early morning blast in Shenyang barbecue restaurant kills 3, injures over 30
An early morning explosion in a restaurant in north-eastern China has killed three people and injured more than 30 including passers-by, officials said on Thu (Oct 21) just before 8.20 am at a barbecue restaurant in Shenyang. It appears to have been caused by a gas leak, the authorities have said. It prompted Chinese President Xi Jinping to order officials to “stay vigilant and politically sensitive” in preventing major safety hazards.
Pakistan likely to remain on FATF ‘grey list’ till April 2022
According to a report, Islamabad is still short of meeting the FATF criterion, including curbing terror financing.
Taiwan foreign minister adds Slovakia to rare Europe trip
Joseph Wu will also include a trip to the Czech Republic and a virtual address to a forum in Rome.
Five security personnel martyred in two KP attacks
5 security personnel were martyred in 2 incidents in parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Wed.
Pakistan’s double standards on Terrorism exposed: Report
Former US National Security Advisor, Lt. General McMaster believes that any assistance provided to Pakistan should stop immediately and wanted to hold Imran Khan accountable for his recent remarks on the fall of Kabul while speaking on Pakistan and its double standards on terrorism. Yet, strangely enough, successive US administrations had continued to give military and other forms of aid to Pakistan. They lived in the false hope that Pakistan will improve. Today, with Pakistan firmly in China’s pocket, it is all the more unlikely.
Sino-India Standoff: India adds punch to its firepower against China and a mix of defensive-offensive strategy
ThePrint-India has deployed the newly upgraded L-70 air defense guns and several units of the 155 mm Bofors and the M-777 lightweight howitzers into the Eastern Sector, as part of its strategy to ramp up its defensive and offensive capabilities against China.
India has also set up a series of Integrated Defended Locations (IDLAs) along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), which sees a multi-tiered defensive system in which the infantry, artillery, aviation, air defense, mechanized and armored columns of the Army work as one unit backed by the Indian Air Force assets.
- To focus on offensive capabilities the Army focuses on the faster movement of equipment and troops by air, high altitude heliborne operations, and also deploying new versions of various kinds of missiles.
- Numerous new fortified underground bunkers have been created and the basic firearm of the infantry soldier has also got an upgrade.
- All the infantry troops posted in the forward areas along the LAC have been fully equipped with Sig Sauer 716 rifles.
- While the large share of new inductions, the Eastern Command has seen its share of new deployments, making the LAC here one of the most heavily guarded.
- the Eastern Sector is raising a new aviation brigade besides transferring all surveillance drones from the artillery to the aviation wing of the army.
- As reported by ThePrint, the focus of the Eastern Command is to have more technology to counter Chinese aggression rather than more boots on the ground.
India enhances firepower: The Army has just inducted the newly upgraded L-70 air defense guns with full day and night vision capabilities and automatic target acquisition mode.
- While the guns were first bought in the 1960s, 200 of them underwent an upgrade following a 2017 contract with state-run Bharat Electronics Limited.
- The first of these guns, which can take down all flying targets within a range of 3.5 km, was inducted a few months back and now remain camouflaged.
- A senior Army officer added that the main threat in this particular area was from the air and the upgraded guns, integrated with fire catcher radar and new electro-optical systems, beef up the air defense.
- Besides these, the Army had also inducted the Bofors guns into the Eastern Command last year, following the breakout of tensions between India and China in Eastern Ladakh.
- The Bofors, along with the M-777, have been deployed at heights of over 12,000 feet.
While the M-777 has a normal range of 32 km, these guns — which can be lifted and deployed anywhere with the Chinook transport fleet of the IAF — have been able to achieve a range of over 40 km at the LAC, because of rarified air.
The M-777s can reach where the Bofors can’t, also the tracked K-9 Vajra guns system — along with the Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS) — when inducted in future, will take firepower to the next level.
Layered defense system in place: The Eastern Command has been focusing on Integrated Defended Locations (IDLAs) along the LAC, a strategy which is now being replicated in the Ladakh sector as well.
- ThePrint claimed to be witnessed a demonstration of such a strategy at a location called the Assam Hills, very close to the LAC, and at 14,700 feet in height.
- What was showcased was a counter to an armored and mechanized column attack by the enemy.
- On display were various strategies, drills, and other tactics to ensure that the enemy is not able to breach this particular location as they had in the 1962 War.
- The forces are training their defensive and offensive strategy regularly.
Amidst the ongoing tussle, Chief of Defence Staff, Bipin Rawat assured the members of the Public Accounts Committee that India is fully prepared for any challenge along the LAC.
Lt Gen H S Panag, PVSM, AVSM (R) ) hasobserved the development as in his article in ThePrint, “The fallout of the increased deployment along the LAC is going to be that the LAC will de facto become the border with no scope for any change short of a limited war — the probability of which is very low. In fact, it may set the stage for a permanent solution.”
China may push Bhutan for ‘definitive response’ on border dispute: Ex-envoy to China Vijay K. Nambiar, while he was speaking at a webinar hosted by the Institute of Chinese Studies on linkages between the Tawang region in Arunachal Pradesh, and Bhutan. On 14 Oct, an MoU titled ‘Three-Step Roadmap for Expediting the Bhutan-China Boundary Negotiations’ on the boundary dispute was signed virtually by Chinese Foreign Minister Wu Jianghao and his Bhutanese counterpart Tandi Dorji.
How does one explain this? China, with its April 2020 land-grabs, trashed border accords and protocols but India still adheres to them. China rebuffed India’s demand for a rollback of land-grabs as “unreasonable”; still India agrees to yet another round of foreign-ministry talks. –Brahma Chellaney, on unverified news about next round of talk.
China has been an aggressor against India along the Himalayan border, a top American diplomat, Nicholas Burns, nominated by President Joe Biden as his next envoy to Beijing has told lawmakers of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, stating that the US must hold the Chinese govt accountable for failing to play by the rules.
Chief of Army Staff, Gen MM Naravane had telephonic interaction with Gen Tan Sri Datuk Zamrose Bin Mohd Zain, Chief of Malaysian Army, and exchanged views on enhancing bilateral defense cooperation between both Nations: Indian Army
India, UK have a busy calendar of engagements ahead
ANI -India and the UK will be having a busy calendar of engagements starting with the UK’s Carrier Strike Group (CSG) led by 65,000 tonne HMS Queen Elizabeth entering Indian water and one of the ships dockings at Mumbai Port.
HMS Queen Elizabeth – the most powerful surface vessel (Royal Navy’s history), taller than Niagara Falls, propulsion power equal to 50 high-speed trains, with the largest surface equipped with the 5th-generation F-35B lightning multi-role aircraft.
- They are being jointly crewed by the Royal Air Force, Royal Navy, and the US Marine Corps. British foreign secretary Liz Truss and Chief of defense staff Gen Nick Carter will also be on board.
- This leads 6 Royal Navy ships: an RN submarine, a US Navy destroyer, and a frigate from the Netherlands in the largest concentration of maritime and air power to leave the UK in a generation.
- HMS Queen Elizabeth was earlier in the South China Sea in a ‘non-provocation’ position.
UK foreign secretary will later hold talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and also meet business leaders in Mumbai.
- Visiting HNE Queen Elizabeth will do the 1st tri-service exercise Konkan Shakti.
- Another army exercise, Ajeya Warrior is ongoing in Uttarakhand where around 120 British soldiers are participating.
- ANI- Prime Minister Boris Johnson is also keen to visit India. Earlier, two of his visits to India were canceled due to the COVID-19 situation, instead, the two PMs will have an opportunity to meet on the sidelines of COP 26 in Glasgow.
- India and UK are also expected to begin talks on a free trade agreement. Both countries are proponents of freedom of movement and navigation.
India a ‘huge friend’ of Israelis, Naftali Bennett tells Jaishankar during the first meet
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wed had a “warm and rich” discussion with the top Israeli leadership on realizing the full potential of the bilateral strategic partnership and exchanged views on the changes in the geopolitical landscape and global affairs.
Jaishankar called on Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and they discussed strengthening the strategic alliance, expanding bilateral ties, and deepening the warm friendship between Israel and India,” the Prime Minister’s Media Adviser said.
- PM Bennett thanked his Indian counterpart Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the PM for their commitment to the partnership between Israel and India, the adviser said.
- “I speak on behalf of Israelis: We love India. We view India as a huge friend and we’re looking forward to expanding our relationship in all fields and all dimensions”, Prime Minister Bennett told Jaishankar at the start of the meeting.
- Jaishankar conveyed the greetings of PM Modi to the Israeli leader and invited him to make his first official visit to India.
- Jaishankar said that Bennett’s sharing of strategic perspectives was also very valuable.
- “India and Israel will work even more closely to realize their partnership’s vision for the next 30 years,” he tweeted.
- Earlier, Jaishankar called on Israeli President Isaac Herzog at Beit HaNassi, the president’s official residence here.
- The two leaders discussed ways to promote and strengthen the growing bilateral relations in various sectors besides exchanging views on global strategic affairs.
- President Herzog thanked Jaishankar for his commitment, and that of PM Modi and his ministers, to promoting and strengthening ties with Israel,-a press release, President’s office.
- During the diplomatic working meeting, Herzog also praised the flourishing of the Israel-India relationship in a range of fields.
Ahead of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Israel and India next year, President Herzog emphasized his intention to personally assist in promoting and strengthening this important relationship, the statement said.
- President Herzog and Jaishankar further discussed global strategic affairs, it said.
- Jaishankar said that it was “a great honor” to call on President Herzog.
- This is Jaishankar’s first visit to Israel as External Affairs Minister. He is visiting the country at the invitation of the Alternate Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid.
- On Wed, Jaishankar also unveiled a plaque at Ra’anana in northern Israel in the memory of Indian soldiers who laid down their lives in the Battle of Tabsor during WW-I.
- On Tue, Jaishankar met with Israeli Parliament Speaker Mickey Levy and they discussed at length the common challenges faced by the two countries like radicalization, and took stock of the developments in the region.
On Mon, Jaishankar held “very productive talks” with his counterpart Lapid during which the two countries agreed to resume negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) from next month to conclude the long-pending deal by next June. India and Israel elevated bilateral relations to a strategic partnership during the historic visit of PM to Israel in Jul 2017.
‘Technical glitch’ interrupts Indian diplomat’s assertions on China’s BRI at UN transport conference in Beijing last week
A technical glitch at the United Nations transport conference held in Beijing last week raised eyebrows and surprised many.
- Microphone suddenly went silent when Indian diplomat Priyanka Sohoni was explaining India’s position on China’s Belt And Road Initiative (BRI).
- The chair of the conference represented by China later apologized for the technical glitch.
All was going well when interestingly Indian diplomat started her speech by emphasizing Indian initiatives like the spirit of South-South cooperation, climate change, International Solar Alliance (ISA), but as soon she started speaking on India’s objection to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and how it affects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India, in the middle of speech microphone went off.
Moderator said that they are confronting a technical problem and moved to another speaker, but the Indian diplomat was given dais to resume and she completed her speech after the next speaker.
- Before the microphone went silent Priyanka Sohoni said, “There have been some references to Belt and Road Initiative or BRI at this conference.
- Here I wish to say as far as China’s BRI is concerned, we are uniquely affected by it. Inclusion of the so-called CPEC as a flagship project impinges on India’s sovereignty.”
- Pakistan and Chinese representatives in the conference lauded BRI and China also asked others to join the initiative.
- After interruption when the Indian diplomat resumed her speech, she completed her remarks on BRI.
- At the conference, India also stressed that it is of the firm belief that connectivity initiatives must be based on universally recognized international norms.
- They must follow principles of openness, transparency, and financial responsibility.
Indian Delegation Meets Taliban Team In Moscow
NDTV-A high-level Taliban delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister of Afghanistan’s interim govt, Abdul Salam Hanafi on Wed met with an Indian delegation (led by JP Singh, the Joint-Secy of the Pak-Afghan-Iran division of the Ministry of External Affairs) during which the Indian side expressed its readiness to provide extensive humanitarian assistance to the war-torn country, which is now ruled by the insurgent group.
The Indian delegation was in Russia to attend the “Moscow Format” meeting at the invitation of Russia, held talks with the Taliban leaders on the sidelines of the conference, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a brief statement.
- There was no official word from the Indian government on the meeting.
- India had its first formal contact with the Taliban in Doha on Aug 31 but this meeting on Wed was the first formal contact between the two sides after an interim Cabinet.
- The Indian side expressed readiness to provide extensive humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, Mujahid was quoted as saying by Afghanistan’s Tolo news.
- India has in the past provided assistance both for infrastructure as well as for humanitarian purposes to Afghanistan.
- The two sides also emphasized the need to take into account each other’s concerns and improve diplomatic and economic relations, Mujahid said.
The Moscow format was established in 2017, based on a 6-party consultation mechanism of the special envoys of Russia, Afghanistan, India, Iran, China, and Pakistan to address Afghan issues.
- This was the 1st Moscow format dialogue since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, on Aug 15, 2 weeks before the US was set to complete its troop withdrawal after a costly 2-decade war.
- In the meeting, Hanafi called on the international community to recognize Afghanistan’s interim govt, which is dominated by leaders, including those who are on the UN blacklist and urged the US to unfreeze the reserves of Afghanistan’s Central Bank (about USD 9.4 bn).
- On other hand, the US has refused to release the frozen assets adding “it’s important to keep pressure on the Taliban”.
- US Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo said, “We’ll not let…Taliban access the money in an ongoing situation…We’ll continue to assert our restrictions on the Haqqani network and…Taliban.”
- Russian officials said that the recognition of the Taliban would not be discussed.
The Russian Federation’s foreign minister Sergey Lavrov called for the formation of an inclusive government that “truly reflects the interests of all ethnic and political forces”.
Russia expressed concerns over the increasing presence of ISIS and Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan after the Taliban take over.
Any contact with a Russia-designated terror group like the Taliban is punishable under Russian law. Yet without delisting Taliban, Moscow just hosted a Taliban delegation headed by Abdul Salam Hanafi, a UNSC-designated terrorist and drug trafficker since 2001.
Delhi is also accusing Pakistan spy agency of supporting anti-India terror groups Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jaish on Afghan soil.
Foreign Minister of Pakistan Shah Mahmood Qureshi, along with ISI chief Lt Gen Faiz Hameed leading a high-level delegation, arrived at Kabul. During the one-day visit, he will hold talks with Acting FM Amir Khan Muttaqi and call on the leadership of the interim government in Kabul. He will meet other Afghan dignitaries as well, according to footage released by state broadcaster Associated Press of Pakistan.
The Pakistan FO stated: as a “close fraternal neighbor”, Pakistan had always stood by Afghanistan, mentioning several measures in this regard such as keeping border crossing points open, the institution of a facilitative visa regime for Afghan nationals, and provision of humanitarian aid and assistance in the form of food items and medicines.
[ NEIGHBORHOOD ]
Taiwan foreign minister adds Slovakia to rare Europe trip
Taiwan Foreign Minister Joseph Wu will visit Slovakia next week on a rare trip to Europe that will also include a trip to the neighboring Czech Republic and a virtual address to a forum in Rome, his ministry said on Thu (Oct 21).
Taiwan, which China considers a renegade province, to be reunified, by force if necessary, does not maintain formal diplomatic relations with any European country, apart from the Vatican City.
- However, Taiwan has been keen to promote ties with other like-minded democracies in the EU.
- The Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, and Lithuania have all donated Covid-19 vaccines to Taiwan, and Lithuania and Taiwan are due to open de facto embassies in each other’s capitals before the end of the year, to Beijing’s anger.
- Taiwan Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou told reporters that Mr. Wu would first attend a forum in Slovakia next Tue organized by a local think tank, and then go to Prague to meet the Czech Parliament Upper House speaker Milos Vystrcil and Prague Mayor Zdenek Hrib.
- Mr. Vystrcil and Mr. Hrib visited Taiwan last year, infuriating China. Mr. Wu’s Czech visit had previously been confirmed, but not his trip to Slovakia.
- Mr. Wu will also “think of a way” to speak virtually at the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China’s summit in Rome next Fri, Ms.
- Ou added, an event being attended by Mr. Penpa Tsering, head of the exiled Tibetan government, and other people at odds with Beijing.
- Due to Chinese pressure, many countries are unwilling to host senior Taiwanese ministers, though Mr. Wu visited Denmark in 2019 to speak at the Copenhagen Democracy Summit.
- China has ramped up its military and diplomatic pressure against Taiwan to force it to accept Chinese sovereignty. Taiwan says it is an independent country and will defend its freedom.
Pakistan likely to remain on FATF ‘grey list’ till April 2022
Wion: Pakistan is likely to remain on the Financial Action Task Force’s ‘grey list’ till the next session of the global money laundering and terror financing watchdog in April 2022, as per a report by Pakistan-based The News International, Islamabad is still short of meeting the FATF criterion, including curbing terror financing.
- Paris-based FATF will be in session for three days from Oct 19 to 21.
- Deutsche Welle (sources) – the global body’s decision on putting Pakistan off the ‘grey list’ may be taken in the next session slated for April 2022.
The FATF in June retained Pakistan on its ‘grey list’ for failing to check money laundering, leading to terror financing, and asked Islamabad to investigate and prosecute senior leaders and commanders of UN-designated terror groups, including Hafiz Saeed and Masood Azhar.
- It also asked Pakistan to work to address its strategically important deficiencies.
- Pakistan was placed on the grey list by the FATF in June 2018 and was given a plan of action to complete it by Oct 2019.
- Since then, the country continues to be on that list due to its failure to comply with the FATF mandates.
With Pakistan’s continuation in the grey list, it will increasingly become difficult for the country to get financial aid from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank, Asian Development Bank (ADB), and the EU.
- Pakistan has so far avoided being on the blacklist with the help of China, Turkey, and Malaysia.
- Apart from Pakistan, Turkey may also be “greylisted” since it has reportedly failed to combat terrorist financing and money laundering.
- The Financial Times reported that that global financial watchdog may approve the decision to put Turkey on the ‘grey list’.
- There are 22 countries on FATF’s grey list -Yemen, South Sudan, Syria, Morocco, Albania, Zimbabwe, Cambodia, Barbados, Cayman Islands, Philippines among others.
Five security personnel martyred in two KP attacks
5 security personnel were martyred in 2 incidents in parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Wed.
Dawn cited official-a roadside bomb went off in the hilly area of Mamund tehsil near the Pak-Afghan border and the blast occurred by an IED device in Teer Banda locality when a joint team of security forces and police were conducting a search operation in the area following an earlier explosion that had targeted a vehicle of a contractor, wounding 2 persons.
- After the incident, security forces and police cordoned off the blast site and launched a search operation to trace those involved in the blast.
- However, no arrest was reported till late into the night.
- No group immediately claimed responsibility for the bombing.
- The tribal elders and political figures asked the authorities to take serious action against the attackers.
- Earlier in the morning, an army soldier was martyred in a terrorist attack on the Chapri Waziran check post adjacent to the North Waziristan tribal district in the Hangu area.
- The Inter-Services Public Relations – troops initiated a prompt response and effectively engaged the terrorists.
- Area clearance was being carried out to eliminate any terrorists found in the locality.