Monthly Archives: August 2018

New Delhi, October 1

India needs stronger armed forces with modern equipment to become a developed nation by 2047, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Sunday while underlining the need for effective utilisation of financial resources by the three services.

Singh made the remarks after launching several digital initiatives of the Defence Accounts Department (DAD) during its 276th annual day celebrations at Delhi Cantonment.

Describing the DAD as the “guardian of defence finance”, he emphasised the need to bolster the internal vigilance mechanism so that any suspicious activity can be detected and reviewed immediately. This, he said, will not only help in dealing with the problem quickly but also increase the trust of the people in the department. “If we wish to

create a developed nation, we will need stronger armed forces with modern arms and equipment. Therefore, it is necessary to effectively utilise the financial resources available to us,” Singh said.

“There should be a fine balance between the demands of services and the allocation of available resources,” he said.

Singh also suggested to the DAD for the creation of an in-house standing committee that can research and study market forces and provide high-quality market intelligence to field officers. During his address, Singh appreciated the organisation for its efforts towards enhancing the country’s defence capabilities through a transparent and efficient financial system.

Terming accounting as extremely important for an individual, organisation and the nation as a whole, he said, “Our wants are unlimited, but the available resources are limited.” He commended the DAD for ensuring judicious use of resources while extracting optimum output.

The digital initiatives launched included an integrated defence finance dashboard for the Ministry of Defence — SARANSH (Summary of Accounts, Budget and Expenditure for Raksha Mantralaya) and BISWAS (Bill Information and Work Analysis System and e-Raksha Awaas). — PTI

Use resources effectively

If we wish to create a developed nation, we will need stronger armed forces with modern arms and equipment. It is necessary to effectively utilise the financial resources available to us. Rajnath Singh, Defence Minister

US Army General Mark Alexander Milley, the 20th Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff, will ‘hang up his uniform’ on 30 September after an illustrious, albeit controversial, career spanning 43 years. His military career was blemished by the chaotic withdrawal of the US Army from Afghanistan in 2021, which happened against his advice. However, he cut a niche for himself as the upholder of the constitution, military values, and ethics during the first 16 months of his tenure under former President Donald Trump, who had a marked tendency to flout the same.

Like India, the US has a much longer unbroken record of the supremacy of the civil government over the military since its independence. The armed forces uphold the constitution, but are accountable to the nation under the control of the elected president and the legislature—a relationship maintained by robust institutions. The military gives considered advice and the government makes the decisions. So long as the government’s command is lawful, the armed forces are duty-bound to obey. However, under Trump, this relationship came under tremendous strain. In India, too, this relationship is straying away from the well-established norms due to political exploitation of the military by the Narendra Modi government.

Trump’s tumultuous relationship with the military, wherein he demanded personal and political loyalty by flouting the constitution, and Milley’s steadfastness to uphold it, has been recorded in a series of articles in US media. Notable among these is the long article in The Atlantic titled ‘The Patriot’, written by the publication’s editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg. Earlier, this was covered in detail in the book The Divider: Trump in the White House, 2017-2021 by Peter Baker of The New York Times and Susan Glasser of The New Yorker.

Constitutional vs political loyalty

Like all strong right-wing leaders, Trump had a fascination with the military. He flooded his administration with retired generals and referred to the serving ones as “my generals.” He expected the military to be an extension of his politics and demanded unquestioned obedience and loyalty in the mould of Hitler and his generals. His fascist tendencies were also evident in his penchant for military spectacles.

Much to his chagrin, Trump discovered that the values of the US military were enshrined in the constitution. Soon, his relationship with the generals soured, most of whom were summarily sacked. After initial dithering, the serving generals led by Milley carried out a course correction by upholding the constitution,and refused to be part of Trump’s political machinations.

General on a white horse

Milley was the chosen one, personally selected by Trump overriding the advice of his secretary of defence, former General James Mattis. Apart from his outstanding track record, what endeared Milley to Trump were his never-ending one-liners during earlier meetings as the Chief of the Army Staff—“Mr President, our Army is here to serve you. Because you’re the Commander-in-Chief.” During the selection interview, after some plain speaking, he had said, “Mr President, you’re going to be making the decisions. All I can guarantee from me is I’m going to give you an honest answer…And you’re going to make the decisions, and as long as they’re legal, I’ll support it.” Trump, in all likelihood, missed the caveat—“as long as they’re legal”. Legality here implies that the orders of the civilian authority have to be as per the constitution and Acts of Congress.

After taking over as the Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff on 1 October 2019, Milley was quick to note Trump’s erratic conduct. At his welcome ceremony, Trump made insensitive comments about the presence of war-wounded and disabled army Captain Luis Avila, who had been called to sing “God Bless America”. Within a month, Trump pardoned three soldiers guilty of serious human rights violations against Milley’s advice and later boasted, “I stuck up for three great warriors against the deep state.” Milley was desperately trying to come to terms with impulsive and whimsical conduct of the President, but kept his own consul and never said anything in public.

The first day of June 2020 marked a turning point. In the morning, Milley strongly resisted Trump’s demand to deploy active army troops against ‘Black Lives Matter’ protesters near the White House and advised that the National Guards were adequate. Milley was aghast when Trump shouted at him, “You are all fu…ng losers! Can’t you just shoot them? Just shoot them in the legs or something?” The same day, Milley was duped into joining the entourage accompanying Trump across Lafayette Square in Washington DC for a photo shoot outside the St John’s Church damaged by the protestors. It was too late before the realisation dawned on him; later, he quietly slipped away.

Under severe criticism, Milley drafted his resignation on four counts—politicisation of the military, use of the military to create fear, discrimination against minorities, and ruining the established international order. However, after introspection, he decided to fight from within. On 10 June 2020, he publicly apologised for the photo op with Trump. “I should not have been there. My presence in that moment, and in that environment, created a perception of the military involved in domestic politics,” Milley said.

With presidential elections looming large and Trump’s prediction of rigged elections, Milley drew up a plan, a guide on how to get through the next few months. Prevent Trump from starting an unnecessary war overseas. Ensure that the military was not used in the streets against the American people for the purpose of keeping Trump in power. Maintain the military’s and his own integrity. He also took his fellow chiefs into confidence and asserted that the military would play no part in Trump’s attempts to illegally remain in office.

In the weeks before the election, Milley spoke to allies and adversaries alike to quell rumours about the political stability of the United States. He was moving like a dervish. On 30 October, in probably his most controversial decision, he spoke to his Chinese counterpart, former General Li Zuocheng of the People’s Liberation Army, after receiving intelligence that China believed Trump was going to order an attack. “General Li, I want to assure you that the American government is stable and everything is going to be okay. We are not going to attack or conduct any kinetic operations against you.” Milley later told the Senate Armed Services Committee that this call, and another one two days after the 6 January attack on the United States Capitol, represented an attempt to “deconflict military actions, manage crisis, and prevent war between great powers that are armed with the world’s most deadliest weapons.”

On 10 November, seven days after the election, he said in his Veteran’s Day speech that the motto of the United States Army for over 200 years, since 14 June 1775, has been to defend the constitution. “We are unique among armies, we are unique among militaries. We do not take an oath to a king or queen, or tyrant or dictator, we do not take an oath to an individual. No, we do not take an oath to a country, a tribe or a religion. We take an oath to the Constitution, and …… every sailor, airman, marine, coastguard each of us protects and defends that document, regardless of personal price.” His statement was a veiled message for Trump to forestall him from ‘using’ the military in any form while challenging the electoral verdict.

Six days after the violent attack on 6 January, the eight members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff set all rumours at rest. In an unprecedented move, they signed a short memorandum for the armed forces. In brief, the memo stated, “We witnessed actions inside the Capitol building that were inconsistent with the rule of law…Any act to disrupt the Constitutional process is not only against our traditions, values, and oath; it is against the law. On January 20, 2021, in accordance with the Constitution, confirmed by the states and the courts, and certified by Congress, President-elect Biden will be inaugurated and will become our 46th Commander in Chief. President-elect Joe Biden will be their next commander in chief.” Rest is history.

Also read: Army can’t ask soldiers to do social work on leave. It’s beyond the ‘call of duty’

Role model for militaries

Milley will ‘fade away’ but he has left behind a legacy worthy of emulation. He has given the entire world a lesson on the military’s loyalty to the constitution while remaining under civil government control. Not once did he publicly criticise his president or disregard any order. He was able to temper the president’s impulsive and whimsical conduct with firm advice and a straight spine.

The relationship between constitutional loyalty and civil control is not formally studied by most armies. Indian military too has no intellectual understanding of the same. Hence, the default norm is to adhere to political directions treating them like military orders without questioning their constitutional propriety. The only other reason is, weakness of character in generals. Woe betides the nation that is saddled with a military hierarchy suffering from both maladies.

Lt Gen H S Panag PVSM, AVSM (R) served in the Indian Army for 40 years. He was GOC in C Northern Command and Central Command. Post retirement, he was Member of Armed Forces Tribunal. Views are personal.

While 5 drones were shot down over western Smolensk region, 1 over southern Krasnodar region

Reuters

Moscow, October 1

Russia said on Sunday that air defences had shot down five Ukrainian drones over the western Smolensk region and one over the southern Krasnodar region.

At around 0600 GMT, Russia shot down three drones over the Smolensk region and at 0700 GMT shot down two more over the region, Russia’s defence ministry said. 

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, October 1

Tibetan NGOs, including the Tibetan Youth Congress, National Democratic Party of Tibet and the Students for Free Tibet, today organised protests at McLeodganj against China on the 74th founding anniversary of the People’s Republic of China (PRC).

In a press note, these NGOs said they stood in solidarity with activists representing Tibet, East Turkestan, Hong Kong, Southern Mongolia, China and Taiwan as part of collective Global Day of Action protest against the 74th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China.

They said as the Chinese communist regime prepared to commemorate its 74th founding anniversary of the People’s Republic of China, it is the day of grief for the occupied nations such as Tibet, East Turkestan, Southern Mongolia, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.

The protest is aimed at exposing the grave violations of international human rights law by the Chinese government. It serves as a platform to foster cross-movement solidarity in pursuit of freedom and substantial reforms in Tibet, East Turkestan, Hong Kong, Mongolia and China, the Tibetan NGOs said.

Assault on Tibetan identity

• The Chinese policy of sinicization has resulted in a relentless assault on Tibetan national identity, particularly its language, religion and culture, protesters said
• By forcibly detaching Tibetan children from their families and heritage and placing them in state-run boarding schools, the Chinese authorities employ one of the most abhorrent tools of colonisation, they say

New Delhi, October 1

Mufti Qaiser Farooq, a close associate of Lashkar-e-Toiba’s (LeT) Hafiz Saeed, has been killed by unidentified gunmen in Karachi, Pakistan.

Saeed is considered to be the mastermind behind the 26/11 attacks in India. Last month, another cleric with ties to the LeT, Maulana Ziaur Rahman, was shot by two bike-borne assailants during evening walk in Karachi. Sources said Pakistani agencies were making significant efforts to portray both Rehman and Mufti Qaiser as religious clerics with no connections to Saeed and the LeT. Previously, another individual linked to the ISI, Paramjit Singh Panjwar, who was the leader of the Khalistan Commando Force, was killed.

In February, Bashir Peer, a close associate of Hizbul Mujahideen’s self-styled commander Syed Salahuddin, was killed in Rawalpindi by unknown assailants near the ISI headquarters. He was shot at close range.

Following these recent killings, Pakistan’s ISI has relocated several of its “assets” to secure locations, causing unease within the country’s military-industrial complex. Approximately a dozen of these individuals have been moved to designated “safe houses” by the ISI. The need for caution in safeguarding these assets became even more apparent due to the earlier killings of two additional Lashkar operatives: Abu Qasim Kashmiri in Rawalkot and Qari Khurram Shehzad in Nazimabad in September. Rahman, a suspected terrorist associated with the LeT, was reportedly killed on September 12. He had been operating as an administrator at Jamia Abu Bakar, a seminary used as a front for his terrorist activities. The Pakistan Police labeled the murder as a ‘terrorist attack,’ suggesting the involvement of homegrown “militants.” — IANS

Earlier incidents

• Maulana Ziaur Rahman, with ties to the LeT, shot dead in September
• LeT operatives Abu Qasim Kashmiri & Qari Khurram Shehzad also killed in September
• In May, KCF leader Paramjit Singh Panjwar, who had links with the ISI, was killed
• In February, Bashir Peer, a close aide of Hizb leader Syed Salahuddin, was gunned down

ISI relocates ‘assets’

Following these recent killings, Pakistan’s ISI has relocated several of its “assets” to secure locations.