Saddam Hussein
Washington and New Delhi signed the Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement on Geospatial Cooperation (BECA) on October 27, 2020 – a crucial defense pact that would enable the exchange of classified geospatial intelligence between the security apparatuses of the two sides.
The agreement was signed between the US National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, which is part of the Defense Department, and the Indian Ministry of Defense during the third dialogue between the defense and foreign ministers of the two counties.
In a joint statement, Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and Minister of External Affairs Subramanyam Jaishankar, along with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defense Secretary Mark Esper, pronounced the deal as a significant step forward in bilateral relations.
Once again India stayed away from directly addressing Beijing, though, Pompeo again took a jibe. “Our leaders and citizens see with increasing clarity that Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is no friend to democracy, rule of law and transparency”, stated the top US diplomat. Augmented US-Indian military and strategic collaboration will assist the duo to manage China’s growing influence in Asia, he added.
The deal – BECA – principally refers to geospatial intelligence, and sharing information on maps and satellite images for defense purposes. In a nut-shell, anyone who sails a ship, flies an aircraft, fights war, locates targets, responds to natural disasters, or even navigates with a cellphone relies on geospatial intelligence.
Not to forget that all this is happening in times when India has locked its horns with China in Ladakh, since June 2020. In parallel, India is continuously engaging Pakistan in border skirmishes and propaganda warfare against Pakistan through its print and electronic media – which is now increasingly being clouded by Hindutva ideology.
According to an article in Global Times by Zhang Hui, published on October 27, 2020, the US military help that could improve the accuracy of Indian weapons amid the China-India border standoff will make the pulses of some already excited Indian forces beat faster, and India is likely to stir up more and bigger troubles along the China-India border to aggravate the border situation. It anticipated that some of the troubles may come in the winter.
However, it mentioned that the deal won’t fill the “military power gap” between India and China and ruled out any possibility of India defeating China in military conflicts. It further blamed the US for “provoking” the relations between China and India.
“The US expects India to share statistics and intelligence on the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). Though, India would not possess a great deal of intelligence about the PLA given that PLA is very capable of camouflage,” the article further said citing another Chinese expert.
Pakistan, the arch-rival of India, also recorded its concerns, on the development. It enunciated its apprehensions about regional strategic stability being disturbed by the advanced military hardware and technologies shared with India by the US government.
“Pakistan has taken note of the signing of the BECA. Pakistan has been consistently highlighting the threats posed to strategic stability in South Asia as a result of the provision of advanced military hardware, technologies and knowledge to India”, The Pakistan Foreign Office said in a statement.
“India’s massive acquisition of armaments and expansion of its nuclear forces, including the introduction of new destabilizing weapon systems, are developments with serious repercussions for peace and stability in South Asia”, the statement added
What seems more upsetting is United States’ different responses towards the same category of issues. On one hand, the US Department of Defense (DoD), views the China’s systematic mistreatment of Uighurs, Kazakhs, and other Muslims in Xinjiang – including pervasive discrimination, mass detention, and disappearances – with deep concern. On the other hand, it completely ignores Indian brutalities in Kashmir and alarming state of insecurity for minorities in India.
Does this mean that US is deploying ‘double standard’ as a policy; whereby, it is ignoring Indian atrocities against minorities and ruthless lockdown in Kashmir? Does this mean that all the mud-slinging at Beijing is just a political tool for image assassination and harnessing state interests?
The answer is “yes”. Washington has lost its moral authority of policing China, while it is consolidating strategic defense partnership with the country which is now termed by many as “sick man of Asia”.
Likewise, US has showed serious concerns regarding safety of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons in past, but at present, it is quite comfortable with India handling nuclear weapons and exceedingly advanced and tactical weapons and military gadgets, which could have security implications for regional countries, as it disrupts somewhat stable security equation.
More so, US is also okay with Hindutva ideology which has almost seeped into the whole state machinery of India. This also resulted in many human rights organizations to halt their work and quit India including Amnesty International. These organizations felt suffocated in backdrop of Hindutva fanaticism – a purely political tool used for vested interests of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Is US not concerned about the correct usage of sensitive tactical weapons now? The regime which could alter the social fabric of the Indian society for political ambitions, would not shy off using military tactics for its amplifying its popularity and for distraction as well as expansion purposes.
In conclusion, US and India may argue that they are free to work towards securing their national interests. This is what realpolitik is all about. Fair enough, but then the two are in no position whatsoever for moral policing around the globe; every country should be free to do whatever it takes to secure its national interests. Caution: with this move, Washington and New Delhi are setting a lethal trend of dirty politics.
The author Saddam Hussein is a Development Economist, while he serves as a Research Fellow and Program Manager at Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), Islamabad. He tweets @saddampide.
