FaujHistorian
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Part-1 of this essay can be found here: http://www.defence.pk/forums/strate...ns-raw-laughing-all-way-bank.html#post3091323
This is Part-2 of the discussion on the ways Indians and RAW have figured out how to push the right buttons of Pakistanis and get the outcome that is mostly in favor of India. Pakistanis on the other hand refuse to use their heads and instead tend to rely on brute force still harking back to the perceived (but inaccurate) history of attacks by Afghan war lords on the lands east of Khyber.
So what is RAW? Simple search on the net reveals reasonable info about this organization. It is the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), India's external intelligence agency. The working of the RAW is not answerable to the Parliament of India and it works under the Prime Minister of India. It is responsible for obtaining and analyzing information about foreign governments, corporations, and persons, in order to advise Indian policymakers.
However many Pakistanis ignore this important function of RAW, and incorrectly associate this fine agency with ISI. Remember ISI is primarily run by Pak army and therefore is not an agency dominated by civilians.
Why was RAW formed? Again wiki provides a reasonably correct answer. RAW was formed in September 1968 after the poor performance of Intelligence Bureau (which then handled both internal and external intelligence) in the Sino-Indian war of 1962 and the India-Pakistani war of 1965 convinced the then government of India that a specialized, independent agency was required for competent external intelligence gathering.
Even though RAWs work involves collection of external intelligence, counter-terrorism and covert operations. But this essay focuses more on intelligence operations. In my view (and I could be wrong) the covert ops of RAW are rather limited as such ops fall under the purview of Indian military establishment. RAW cannot match combat hardware and logistics at the level afforded by the the Indian military.
OK, now that the intro of RAW is in place, let me give a some examples of how Indian planners and RAW were able to push Pakistani emotional buttons and get their desires fulfilled. In other words, Pakistanis once "primed" by the "foreplay" of RAW, did the Indian bidding and did so willingly.
Lets go back to the 1970 and 1971, the tumultuous years in Pak history. A dastardly stage was set, Pakistani leadership had goofed up big time, alienated Bengali population, and handed RAW an excellent opportunity. Indians were gradually building consensus with the world capitals for an anti-Pakistan military push. They needed an excuse to stop Pakistani air service to the Eastern wing. And RAW did this with a masterful stroke.
In January 30, 1971: Indian Airlines Fokker F27 on scheduled Srinagar-Jammu flight was hijacked to Lahore by two self-proclaimed Kashmir Separatists. Pakistanis were jumping up and down with joy that their beloved Kashmiris have finally woken up and did something against Indians. Hijackers were treated as heroes by the emotionally charged but totally clueless and ignorant Pakistanis. As per the RAW plan, all passengers were released by February 2, but the aircraft was blown-up. Some say Pakistanis authorities may have innocently helped the hijackers in this process.
The world pooh poohed Pakistan for allowing such an atrocity against civilian aircraft, and everyone associated terror and Pakistan in one breath. Then Indians and RAW dropped the second shoe on Pakistan and suspended overflights of PIA.
Not too long after this sad incident, many Pakistanis realized that they got duped, and suddenly the kasmiri hijackers were heroes no more. They got the rightful treatment of being Indian spies. But the damage had already been done to the international standing of Pakistan, and soon we were fighting all alone and soon got utterly defeated and humiliated.
Suspension of Pakistani overflights was not the singular cause of defeat in E. Pakistan. However logistically it was paramount for Pakistan to have an uninterrupted air-service for moving men and material. At least the overflights could have helped us evacuate vital assets from E. Pakistan before its fall to Indian shoes. But we were too slow to understand how RAW and Indians were operating and what their plans were.
So RAW allowed their old dilapidated planes destruction in return of winning multiple strategic objectives against Pakistan. Fantastic! Isnt it?
As I concluded in Part-1, the need of this hour for us Pakistanis is to stop for a moment and rethink how we can smartly face off an old adversary in India. Americans may come and Americans my leave, but our old fight will be alive for the next 500 years. And the only way we can survive for another 500 years is to use our brain and our intellect in this challenging neighborhood of ours.
(to be continued in PART-3)
This is Part-2 of the discussion on the ways Indians and RAW have figured out how to push the right buttons of Pakistanis and get the outcome that is mostly in favor of India. Pakistanis on the other hand refuse to use their heads and instead tend to rely on brute force still harking back to the perceived (but inaccurate) history of attacks by Afghan war lords on the lands east of Khyber.
So what is RAW? Simple search on the net reveals reasonable info about this organization. It is the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), India's external intelligence agency. The working of the RAW is not answerable to the Parliament of India and it works under the Prime Minister of India. It is responsible for obtaining and analyzing information about foreign governments, corporations, and persons, in order to advise Indian policymakers.
However many Pakistanis ignore this important function of RAW, and incorrectly associate this fine agency with ISI. Remember ISI is primarily run by Pak army and therefore is not an agency dominated by civilians.
Why was RAW formed? Again wiki provides a reasonably correct answer. RAW was formed in September 1968 after the poor performance of Intelligence Bureau (which then handled both internal and external intelligence) in the Sino-Indian war of 1962 and the India-Pakistani war of 1965 convinced the then government of India that a specialized, independent agency was required for competent external intelligence gathering.
Even though RAWs work involves collection of external intelligence, counter-terrorism and covert operations. But this essay focuses more on intelligence operations. In my view (and I could be wrong) the covert ops of RAW are rather limited as such ops fall under the purview of Indian military establishment. RAW cannot match combat hardware and logistics at the level afforded by the the Indian military.
OK, now that the intro of RAW is in place, let me give a some examples of how Indian planners and RAW were able to push Pakistani emotional buttons and get their desires fulfilled. In other words, Pakistanis once "primed" by the "foreplay" of RAW, did the Indian bidding and did so willingly.
Lets go back to the 1970 and 1971, the tumultuous years in Pak history. A dastardly stage was set, Pakistani leadership had goofed up big time, alienated Bengali population, and handed RAW an excellent opportunity. Indians were gradually building consensus with the world capitals for an anti-Pakistan military push. They needed an excuse to stop Pakistani air service to the Eastern wing. And RAW did this with a masterful stroke.
In January 30, 1971: Indian Airlines Fokker F27 on scheduled Srinagar-Jammu flight was hijacked to Lahore by two self-proclaimed Kashmir Separatists. Pakistanis were jumping up and down with joy that their beloved Kashmiris have finally woken up and did something against Indians. Hijackers were treated as heroes by the emotionally charged but totally clueless and ignorant Pakistanis. As per the RAW plan, all passengers were released by February 2, but the aircraft was blown-up. Some say Pakistanis authorities may have innocently helped the hijackers in this process.
The world pooh poohed Pakistan for allowing such an atrocity against civilian aircraft, and everyone associated terror and Pakistan in one breath. Then Indians and RAW dropped the second shoe on Pakistan and suspended overflights of PIA.
Not too long after this sad incident, many Pakistanis realized that they got duped, and suddenly the kasmiri hijackers were heroes no more. They got the rightful treatment of being Indian spies. But the damage had already been done to the international standing of Pakistan, and soon we were fighting all alone and soon got utterly defeated and humiliated.
Suspension of Pakistani overflights was not the singular cause of defeat in E. Pakistan. However logistically it was paramount for Pakistan to have an uninterrupted air-service for moving men and material. At least the overflights could have helped us evacuate vital assets from E. Pakistan before its fall to Indian shoes. But we were too slow to understand how RAW and Indians were operating and what their plans were.
So RAW allowed their old dilapidated planes destruction in return of winning multiple strategic objectives against Pakistan. Fantastic! Isnt it?
As I concluded in Part-1, the need of this hour for us Pakistanis is to stop for a moment and rethink how we can smartly face off an old adversary in India. Americans may come and Americans my leave, but our old fight will be alive for the next 500 years. And the only way we can survive for another 500 years is to use our brain and our intellect in this challenging neighborhood of ours.
(to be continued in PART-3)
