Time for a Coalition of Democracies against Terrorism

Sanjaya Baru

It was clear to us that something like this had to happen for the United States of America to truly wake up to the dangers of “Jehadi” terrorism worldwide.

Some of us made this painful discovery four years ago at Fort McNair in Washington DC. The event — an Indo-US non-official “track two” dialogue on “The US, India and the World”. The venue — Institute for National Strategic Studies, the US National Defence University. The date - 4th December 1997.

India’s foremost strategic affairs analyst, K Subrahmanyam finished reading a paper on “Transnational Issues: Weapons of Mass Destruction, Terrorism and Narcotics”. The participants around the table included prominent strategic analysts from India and the United States. “International terrorism has become an alternative to waging conventional war against one’s own or another country, especially if the intention is to destabilise the society and hurt its economic development,” Mr Subrahmanyam reminded our US interlocutors. He spoke about the strategy and tactics of terrorists and drew attention to familiar patterns in such wide-ranging incidents as the Bombay bomb blasts in 1993 and those at the World Trade Centre, New York, the same year.

“While international and intranational terrorism with different origins has become a global phenomenon, the most significant category is terrorism arising out of religious extremism which concerns both India and the US,” said Mr Subrahmanyam.

Our US interlocutors were not listening. Their attention was almost entirely on India’s nuclear policy and its unwillingness to fall in line on the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). “Sign the CTBT,” they urged us. Let us talk about terrorism, we said. “The nuclear race in South Asia is the biggest threat to peace in the region,” they said. “Jehadi terrorism will hurt all of us more,” we said. It was a series of monologues. No dialogue.

Mr Subrahmanyam was furious. In his characteristic manner he admonished our hosts. “You Ayatollahs of nuclear non-proliferation are not listening to us. You are obsessed with your theories. You refuse to put your ear to the ground and hear what is happening.” Terrorism is the real threat. “They want to hurt us, they will hurt you too.” Our US interlocutors smirked and yawned.

It was a wasted dialogue. We talked about terrorism, they wanted a CTBT signature. We spoke about the links between Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), the Pakistan Army, the Jehadi groups, Taliban and Osama Bin Laden. They spoke about India’s “misplaced hope” for membership of the UN Security Council, our “big brotherly” attitude towards our neighbours and our unwillingness to talk to Pakistan about Kashmir.

It took India’s nuclear tests in May 1998 to wake up the pragmatists in the US security establishment and sideline the non-proliferation ideologues. It took the military coup in Pakistan to keep the pro-Pakistan lobbyists on check.

It has now taken the World Trade Centre and Pentagon attacks to finally wake the United States to the reality of the “Clash of Civilisations” and the desperate desire of highly motivated terrorist groups to “Remake the World Order”.

Shades of the 1930s and Pearl Harbour. In the 1930s it was the fear of Soviet power and the challenge of communism that encouraged Europe and the US to turn a blind eye to the threat of fascism. They tried to appease Hitler till he came after them. Even after “mother Europe” was attacked, America celebrated its splendid isolation till the Empire of Japan struck hard and deep at Pearl Harbour.

For a decade now India has urged the US to get a grip on the post-Cold War world and try and find out who its real friends and enemies are. It is not our nuclear policy that threatens you, we told them. We are not your enemies, nor are you ours.

We have a common enemy and let us work together. The idea that your enemy’s enemy is your friend is not always correct.

But they were blinded by the collapse of the Soviet Empire, by shibboleths about who is ally and who is foe.

It is only after the Bush administration took charge that we have found a more receptive Washington DC. But make no mistake, the sceptics are still alive and kicking and there are still those who believe that the likes of a General Musharraf will deliver the head of Osama Bin Laden on a platter. No man who rides a tiger can climb off to cut its head.

The grim reality of terrorism stares the US in its face, having lunged into its heart. No superpower, howsoever powerful, can police the world nor remain immune to lawlessness.

The time has come for a Coalition of Democracies against Terrorism. The free and civilised world joins America to mourn the dead. America must join it to defend the living.