Congressional Statements

Rep. Ackerman Calls for 'Real Action' Against Nations Promoting Terrorism in South Asia

Press Release
July 12, 2000

Congressman Gary L. Ackerman (D-N.Y.), Cochairman of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans, today warned that if South Asia faced the possibility of a nuclear conflagration, the real culprits were those powers that cavalierly propagate and proliferate terrorism.

"In South Asia today, the real and immediate threat to regional and global peace is state-sponsored cross-border terrorism. India, a longtime victim of cross-border terrorism, is bound to lose its patience and perhaps abandon its policy of restraint. Continued acts of terrorism against New Delhi from across its western border could well trigger a tit-for-tat and hot-pursuit response, which, in turn, can snowball into a major conflict. Therefore, Mr. Chairman, if the region faces the possibility of a nuclear conflagration, the real culprits are those powers that cavalierly propagate and proliferate terrorism," Rep. Ackerman told a House International Relations Committee hearing.

In a statement submitted for the record at a hearing on terrorism in South Asia by the House International Relations Committee, the New York Lawmaker said: "In South Asia today, the two crucibles of global terrorism are Pakistan and its vassal state, Afghanistan. It's from these two nations that fanatic forces of fundamentalist faith are spreading wanton mayhem and murder not only against India, a bastion of democracy, but also against Western democracies, values and interests.

"These forces of chaos, who make no distinction between civilian and military targets, cannot thrive and function in both Pakistan and Afghanistan without the cooperation and tacit blessings of the authoritarian regimes that have usurped power in Islamabad and Kabul."

Rep. Ackerman, a leading member of the Committee who has visited India nine times, asserted: "The repressive Taliban regime in Kabul and the military dictatorship in Islamabad repeatedly deny playing any role in promoting terrorism. The Pakistani junta's leader, Gen. Pervez Musharaff, has even tried to ingeniously redefine the meaning of terrorism by saying that 'jihad,' or Holy War, was not terrorism. But the international community knows better. And it won't be hoodwinked. It knows that these assertions are lies because the facts on the ground in both countries show that terrorism, in its various forms, is nurtured and promoted with the sole purpose waging an undeclared war."

"
It is pretty clear that the governments in Kabul and Islamabad are using terrorist tactics, employing terrorist groups or exploiting terrorist incidents as a means of surrogate warfare. These governments view terrorism as a useful asset --- as a cheap means of waging war. Unable to mount a overt conventional military exercise, terrorism is seen as an attractive alternative --- an equalizer. Pakistan, I believe, looks upon terrorism as a political tool to frustrate India's aspirations of emerging as a major and respected military, technological and economic power. It apparently sees it as an equalizer to neutralize the numerical and technological advantages of the Indian defense forces," Rep. Ackerman said.

He added: "In effect, for Pakistan, terrorism in various forms is a paramilitary option, or a weapon if you will, to bleed the Indian defense forces and keep them tied up with internal security operations. The ultimate hope is that this would somehow induce an over-all weakening of New Delhi's resolve and lead to the breakup of India. It is apparently the Pakistani military's unstated calculation that such a devious policy could ultimately erode the unity and integrity of India just as the bleeding of the Red Army in Afghanistan contributed to the breakup of the Soviet Union."

The international community, Rep. Ackerman declared: "has a moral responsibility to see through this diabolical game and realize that the Kashmir issue can never be - and must never be - allowed to be resolved by military means."

He said: "It should only be resolved by mutual dialogue between India and Pakistan within the framework of the Shimla Accord of 1972. The issue has to be resolved bilaterally, by the parties themselves. And before the two sides can resume a meaningful dialogue, the junta in Pakistan must initiate credible efforts to restore trust with the government and people of India. It is imperative that we also insist that the junta in Islamabad undertake verifiable steps to stop its proxy terror war against New Delhi, especially in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. This means, in effect, that terrorist organizations such as the Harkat ul-Mujaheddin and Lashkar e-Toiba must be outlawed by Pakistan. This means that the regime in Islamabad must shut down all the training camps and 'madrassas,' or religious schools, that produce these terror outfits. This means that Pakistan cannot be fully recognized among the world's decent nations until it takes real and serious steps to halt its role in supporting the 'jihad' against India over Kashmir."

The lawmaker added: "It's time for our Administration to turn up the heat against Islamabad and Kabul to bring to a close the two nations' continued abetment and promotion of terrorism. It's time for real action - Some definitive action that will clearly send a message across to the recalcitrant forces that control Pakistan's military that enough is enough; That this is not the way a responsible nuclear power behaves endangering international peace and security; And that if Pakistan does not change its behavior, it must recognize that there will be severe consequences for violating global peace and security."

Full text of the statement by Rep. Ackerman follows:

South Asia is a critical area for us in the United States. After President Clinton's historic visit to the region in March of this year, a new and positive approach toward the area is hopefully evolving in our nation's policy circles that recognizes the changed realities and emerging opportunities of the Indian subcontinent.

However, the peace and stability that we seek to promote in the region is being endangered by the blazing fire of the phenomenon called terrorism. In South Asia today, the real and immediate threat to regional and global peace is state-sponsored cross-border terrorism. India, a longtime victim of cross-border terrorism, is bound to lose its patience and perhaps abandon its policy of restraint. Continued acts of terrorism against New Delhi from across its western border could well trigger a tit-for-tat and hot-pursuit response, which, in turn, can snowball into a major conflict. Therefore, Mr. Chairman, if the region faces the possibility of a nuclear conflagration, the real culprits are those powers that cavalierly propagate and proliferate terrorism.

In South Asia today, the crucibles of global terrorism are Pakistan and its vassal state, Afghanistan. It's from these two nations that fanatic forces of fundamentalist faith are spreading wanton mayhem and murder not only against India, a bastion of democracy, but also against Western democracies, values and interests.

These forces of chaos, who make no distinction between civilian and military targets, cannot thrive and function in both Pakistan and Afghanistan without the cooperation and tacit blessings of the authoritarian regimes that have usurped power in Islamabad and Kabul.

The repressive Taliban regime in Kabul and the military dictatorship in Islamabad repeatedly deny playing any role in promoting terrorism. The Pakistani junta's leader, Gen. Pervez Musharaff, has even tried to ingeniously redefine the meaning of terrorism by saying that 'jihad,' or Holy War, was not terrorism. But the international community knows better. And it won't be hoodwinked. It knows that these assertions are lies because the facts on the ground in both countries show that terrorism, in its various forms, is nurtured and promoted with the sole purpose waging an undeclared war.

It is pretty clear that the governments in Kabul and Islamabad are using terrorist tactics, employing terrorist groups or exploiting terrorist incidents as a means of surrogate warfare. These governments view terrorism as a useful asset --- as a cheap means of waging war. Unable to mount a overt conventional military exercise, terrorism is seen as an attractive alternative --- an equalizer. Pakistan, I believe, looks upon terrorism as a political tool to frustrate India's aspirations of emerging as a major and respected military, technological and economic power. It apparently sees it as an equalizer to neutralize the numerical and technological advantages of the Indian defense forces.

In effect, for Pakistan, terrorism in various forms is a paramilitary option, or a weapon if you will, to bleed the Indian defense forces and keep them tied up with internal security operations. The ultimate hope is that this would somehow induce an over-all weakening of New Delhi's resolve and lead to the breakup of India. It is apparently the Pakistani military's unstated calculation that such a devious policy could ultimately erode the unity and integrity of India just as the bleeding of the Red Army in Afghanistan contributed to the breakup of the Soviet Union.

The international community has a moral responsibility to see through this diabolical game and realize that the Kashmir issue can never be - and must never be - allowed to be resolved by military means. It should only be resolved by mutual dialogue between India and Pakistan within the framework of the Shimla Accord of 1972. The issue has to be resolved bilaterally, by the parties themselves.

And before the two sides can resume a meaningful dialogue, the junta in Pakistan must initiate credible efforts to restore trust with the government and people of India. It is imperative that we also insist that the junta in Islamabad undertake verifiable steps to stop its proxy terror war against New Delhi, especially in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. This means, in effect, that terrorist organizations such as the Harkat ul-Mujaheddin and Lashkar e-Toiba must be outlawed by Pakistan. This means that the regime in Islamabad must shut down all the training camps and 'madrasas,' or religious schools, that produce these terror outfits. This means that Pakistan cannot be fully recognized among the world's decent nations until it takes real and serious steps to halt its role in supporting the 'jihad' against India over Kashmir.

Pakistan must take back the doormat that says: "Terrorists Welcome." Repeated assertions by officials from Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence agency that they have less knowledge or control over these groups than they would like, is neither sufficient nor acceptable, nor plausible.

Kashmir is a victim of cross-border terrorism --- pure and simple. In Kashmir, the elected government is under continuous assault from secessionist terrorists who are responsible for numerous serious abuses, including extrajudicial executions, torture, kidnaping, and extortion. Mr. Chairman, the fountainhead of human rights violations in Kashmir is state-sponsored terrorism from across the border.

The peace-loving people of Jammu and Kashmir, Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs alike, are victims of terrorism for the last several years. It's the terror and unbridled violence let loose by the so-called Mujahiddin members - many of them from overseas - from across the border that is the real cause for human rights violations in Kashmir.

The real violators of human rights in Kashmir are the numerous terrorist outfits owing allegiance to fundamentalist religious groups. It's religious fanatics belonging to such groups as the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen and Lashkar e-Toiba, recruited, trained and unleashed by Osama Bin Laden and his terror network who are fanning the flames of human rights violations in Kashmir. It these terror groups and training camps that we have to target - and not democratic India - as violators of human rights. Mr. Chairman, acts of terror have no place in a civilized world. The U.S. and India, as the torch bearers of democratic values, have a moral duty to firmly confront and combat this menace to international peace and put an end to cross-border terrorism and acts of religious hate and bigotry. The establishment of the U.S.-India Joint Working Group on Terrorism is one of most promising developments in the relations between India and the U.S. Both the U.S. and India must evolve a common strategy to roll back and stop this global problem.

Undiluted resolve and clear-headed realism are essential ingredients in facing up to the problem posed by international terrorism. Those who abet and sponsor terrorism and allow their territory to be breeding grounds for terrorism must be put on notice. They must be told in no uncertain terms that unless they put an end to cross-border terrorism, they will be put on the List of Nations that Promote Terrorism.

It's time for our Administration to turn up the heat against Islamabad and Kabul to bring to a close the two nations' continued abetment and promotion of terrorism. It's time for real action - Some definitive action that will clearly send a message across to the recalcitrant forces that control Pakistan's military that enough is enough; That this is not the way a responsible nuclear power behaves endangering international peace and security; And that if Pakistan does not change its behavior, it must recognize that there will be severe consequences for violating global peace and security.

If we in the U.S. indeed want to prevent nuclear brinkmanship in South Asia, and also accomplish our stated goals of nuclear non-proliferation, we must first pay urgent attention to the proliferation and propagation of terrorism in the area. We have to take firm and decisive steps against nations that engage in it. We have to demonstrate to both Pakistan and its surrogate, Afghanistan, that terrorism does not pay.

Mr. Chairman, we in Congress should send a clear and unambiguous message that, besides the terrorist outfits themselves, those nations that provide sanctuary to terrorist organizations or assist them with technical, financial, political or any other support will also be held accountable.