INDIA/PAKISTAN: Senior US intelligence officials, counter-terrorism personnel and undercover technicians met their Indian counterparts in New Delhi yesterday to exchange information on border management.
Officials said these highly classified meetings were part of a new security co-operation between Delhi and Washington. The measures under consideration include US-erected electronic fencing and ground sensors to prevent Pakistan-based terrorists from crossing the disputed frontier into Indian-administered Kashmir.
While the Joint Working Group on Counter-Terrorism - led by Indian National Security Adviser Mr Brajesh Mishra, and the US State Department's co-ordinator for counter-terrorism, Mr Francis Taylor - began two days of deliberations, the FBI director, Mr Robert Muller, began a series of secret consultations with his Indian counterparts.
The US defence intelligence agency leader, Vice Admiral Thomas Wilson, heading an eight-member team, also visited Kashmir state. His aim was to assess the security situation following the deployment of over 1 million Indian and Pakistan soldiers along their 2,070-mile common border.
The military build-up followed last month's suicide attack on India's parliament for which Delhi blames Islamabad.
Admiral Wilson's visit comes two days after India's Defence minister, Mr George Fernandes, signed the General Security of Military Information Agreement in Washington, enhancing bilateral defence ties and protecting technology secrets and weapons sales.
Besides carrying out joint exercises and training of special forces, the agreement is expected to hasten the transfer of hitherto banned US defence technology to India. Other than sharing military intelligence, Admiral Wilson will also offer India advice on establishing its own tri-service defence intelligence agency, official sources said.
The joint working group on counter-terrorism, which includes diplomats, intelligence and security officials, discussed ways of pooling information, jointly investigating Islamic terrorist activities and cracking down on their funding. It also discussed co-operating on a bilateral offensive against cyber terrorism.
Foreign ministry officials said the US was commencing a pilot project involving the Los Angeles-based Sandia Laboratories electronics firm which is to provide ground sensors and electronic fencing for the Kashmir border .