[Assam] Indian RAW in Assam, OFFICIAL. LTTE a RAW creation, OFFICIAL. Air India Flight 182 was a RAW soft target?

[Bartta Bistar]

*Special Feature: Research & Analysis Wing (RAW)*

http://presstrust.com/article442708.html


India has presented world with statesmen of acumen like Chanakya, whose
classic, the Arthasastra, not only provides a fairly graphic account of the
activities of spies in the Mauryan and post-Mauryan polity but lays the
foundation for the 'statecraft', guile and unscrupulous practices advocated
by this master strategist.

He goes on to recommend,

"In the work of espionage, all methods are admissible snooping, bribing,
poisoning, using women's wiles and the assassin's knife."

To a weak king menaced by strong neighbours, Chanakya's advice was to rely
chiefly on spies and wage what he described as a battle of intrigues (mantra
yuddha) and secret wars (kuta yuddha). The spies, in order to achieve their
objective, were to practice all kinds of fraud, artifice incendiarism and
robbery.

Their objective was to demoralize the enemy's troops by circulating false
news, and seduce the allegiance of his minister and commanders. The
underlying idea seems to have been to keep the strong neighbour preoccupied
with domestic troubles thus making it impossible for him to launch a foreign
expedition. From the days of Chanakya, the rules of business of espionage
have not changed, at least the basic principles remain as before. The
development of science and technology has only given fresh impetus and tools
to the art of spying.

*Evolution of R&AW*
Origins in the Directorate of Intelligence Bureau, created by the Raj in
November 1920 during the Khilafat and Swaraj movements out of the old
Criminal Intelligence Department (CID). In 1933, sensing the political
turmoil in the world which eventually led to the Second World War, the
bureau's responsibilities were increased to include the collection of
intelligence along India's borders.

In 1947, after Independence, Sanjeevi Pillai took over as the first Indian
Director. Having been depleted of trained manpower by the exit of the
British and Muslims, Pillai tried to run the bureau along MI 5 lines.
Although in 1949, Pillai organized a small foreign intelligence set-up, the
inefficacy of it was proved by the Indian debacle in the Indo-China War of
1962, and the cry of 'not enough intelligence available', was taken up by
the Indian Chief of Army Staff, General Chaudhry, after the 1965 Indo-Pak
war.

It was towards the end of 1966 and the beginning of 1967 that the concept of
a separate foreign intelligence agency began to take concrete shape. In
1968, after Indira Gandhi had taken over, it was decided that a full-fledged
second security service was needed. R. N. Kao[2], then a deputy director of
IB, submitted a blueprint for the new agency. Kao was appointed as the chief
of India's first foreign intelligence agency named as the Research and
Analysis Wing or R&AW.

*R&AW takes shape*
Having started humbly as a Wing of the main Intelligence Bureau with 250
personnel and an annual budget of Rs 2 crore (by a rough estimate), in the
early seventies, its annual budget had risen to Rs 30 crores while its
personnel numbered several thousand. In 1971, Kao had persuaded the
government to set up the Aviation Research Centre (ARC). The ARC's job was
aerial reconnaissance. It replaced the Indian Air Force's old reconnaissance
aircraft and by the mid-70s, R&AW, through the ARC, had high quality aerial
pictures of the installations along the Chinese and Pakistani borders.

The ARC operating bases at:
1. Military Charbatia Air Base Cuttack, Orissa 20°33'27N 85°53'32E,

2. Military Dum Duma Air Station, Tinsukia, Assam 27°33'09N 95°34'15E,

3.Chakrata Air Station, Dehra Dun, Uttaranchal 30°42'21N 77°51'41E.

There are four R&AW Aviation Research Centre operating bases:

[4] at Charbatia in Cuttack; at Chakrata on the Uttar Pradesh-Himachal
Pradesh border; Dum Duma near Tinsukia in Assam; and at the Palam domestic
airport in Delhi.

[5] It is also alleged that Farkhor Air Base,the only Indian military base
situated in a foreign country, at Farkhor/Ayni in Tajikistan,

[6] is also another base station of ARC. By 1976, Kao had been promoted to
the rank of a fullfledged Secretary responsible for Security and reporting
directly to the Prime Minister. His rise had raised R&AW to become India's
premier intelligence agency.

R&AW agents operated in virtually every major embassy and high commission.
Today R&AW has close to 10000 agents all over the world and ARC has
positioned itself to be one of the foremost agencies in aerial surveillance.

Its assets of fixed-wing transport and light aircraft like Russian IL-76s
and AN-32s and General Dynamics Gulfstream III/SRA-1s and upgraded
Gulfstream IV/SRA-4 jets of the US and helicopter fleet comprising Russian
MI-8s and a mix of locally built Cheetahs (locally modified French Alouette
IIs) and Chetak's (Alouette IIIs), many of which are used to transport
Special Frontier Force (SFF) commandos from their base at Sirsawa, 250 km
north of New Delhi, for "dedicated" tasks at the behest of R&AW operatives
or from the Intelligence Bureau are tasked with gathering information via
airborne signal intelligence (SIGINT) operations and photo cameras of
MiG-25RB for aerial surveillancereconnaissance flights along its northern
and eastern frontiers.

R&AW has also created a super secret agency under its controls, the National
Technical Facilities Organisation (NTFO) also known as National Technical
Research Organisation (NTRO). While the activities of the NTRO are
classified, it is believed that it deals with imagery and communications
inteligence using various platforms, including satellites.

*R&AW's objectives*

The objectives of R&AW have been:-

To monitor the political and military developments in all the adjoining
countries, which have, direct bearing on India's national security and in
the formulation of its foreign policy.

Secondly, R&AW watched the development of international communism and the
schism between the two communist giants, the Soviet Union and The Republic
of China. For as in other countries both the powers had direct access to the
Communist Parties in India.

Thirdly, the supply of military hardware to Pakistan mostly from European
countries, the USA and China, was of high priority. And last but not the
least, the presence of a large ethnic Indian population in foreign
countries, provided a powerful lobby. These countries could back a
favourable policy in international councils, motivated by the ethnic Indian
group.

R&AW has been organized on the lines of the CIA.

*Training of R&AW Agents*
Recruitment Initially, induction in R&AW relied primarily on trained
intelligence officers who were recruited directly. These belonged to the
external wing of IB. However, quite a few were taken from police and other
services to fill the cadres of R&AW owing to its sudden expansion. Later
R&AW began recruiting promising fresh graduates from the Universities
directly. The criteria for selection are fairly stringent.

Basic training commences with 'pep talks' to boost the morale of the new
recruit. This is a ten days phase in which the fresh inductee is
familiarized with the world of intelligence and espionage and alienated from
the spies of fiction. Common usages, technical jargon and classification of
information are taught. Case studies of other agencies like CIA, KGB,
Chinese Secret Agency and ISI are presented for study. He is also taught
that an intelligence organisation does not basically identify a friend from
a foe, it is the country's foreign policy that do.

The fresh recruit's training continues and he is now posted in some remote
outpost, attached to a Field Intelligence Bureau (FIB). His training here
lasts for a period of six months to a year. He is given a first hand feeling
of what it was to be out in the cold, in the danger area conducting
clandestine operation. During night exercises, under conditions of absolute
realism, he is taught infiltration and exfiltration. He is instructed to
avoid capture and if caught, how to face intensive interrogation; the art of
reconnoiter, making contacts, and, the numerous skills of operating an
intelligence mission. At the end of the field training, the new recruit is
brought back to the School for final polishing. Before his deployment in the
field, he is given exhaustive training in the art of self-defence, an
introduction to martial arts and the use of technical espionage devices. He
is also drilled in various administrative disciplines so that he could take
his place in the foreign missions without arousing suspicion. He is now
ready to operate under the cover of an Embassy to gather information, set up
his own network of informers, moles or operatives as the task may require.

*Functions of R&AW*
The functions of R&AW vary according to the target. Some functions for
obtaining strategic intelligence are outlined below -

Collection of Information : Emphasis is laid on obtaining information
essential to Indian interests. Both overt and covert means are adopted.

Classification of Information : The vast myriad of data is sifted through,
classified and filed. The modern computer network in the 13-storey bombproof
building situated at Lodhi Road, New Delhi, is a great help.

Aggressive Intelligence : The primary mission of R&AW includes aggressive
intelligence which comprise espionage, psychological warfare, subversion,
sabotage, creating dissension, insurgency in the target country.

*Modus Operandi*
Foreign Missions: Foreign Missions provide an ideal cover and RAW centres in
a target country are generally located inside the Embassy premises.

Multinationals: RAW operatives find good covers in Multinational
organizations. NGOs and Cultural programmes are also popular screens to
shield R&AW activities.

Media: International media centres can easily absorb R&AW operatives and
provide freedom of movement.

Collaboration with other agencies: RAW maintains active collaboration with
other secret services to meet its ends in a particular target country. Its
contacts with KGB of the former Soviet Union, KHAD, the erstwhile Afghan
agency, Mossad, CIA and MI6 have been well-known. A common interest being
Pakistan's Nuclear Programme.

Third Country Technique: RAW has been very active in obtaining information
and operating through third countries like the Middle East, Afghanistan, UK,
Hong Kong, Mayanmar and Singapore.

Spotting and Recruitment: RAW operatives are on the lookout for local
recruits to serve their ends. Acting on the Chanakyan principles, they tend
to exploit human weaknesses for wine, women and wealth, and, at times resort
to blackmail. Separatist tendencies and ethnic or sectarian sensitivities
are also well-known grounds for manipulation. Armed Forces personnel remain
a primary target.

*Directors of R&AW* R. N. Kao, (1969-77)
N. Santook, (1977-83)
Girish Chandra ('Gary') Saxena, (1983-86)
A.K. Verma, (1986-89)
G.S. Bajpai, (1989-91)
N. Narasimhan, (1991-93)
R.S. Bedi, (1993-94)
A.S. Syali, (1994-96)
Ranjan Roy, (1996-97)
Arvind Dave, (1997-99)
A S Dulat, (1999-01)
Vikram Sood, (2001-03)
C D Sahay, (2003-05)
P K H Tharakan, (2005-Present)

*Major successes of R&AW*
Creation of Bangladesh:
In the late 1960s Pakistani Army unleashed a rein of terror on civillians
which included killing, rape and looting.

Nearly 10 million refugees fled to India. The Bangladesh operation, began in
early 1970 with sowing seeds of dissension among the disgruntled and
brutally repressed poulation of East Pakistan, leading to the creation of
Mukti Bahini and under its cover infiltrating into East Pakistan for
guerrilla operations to blow up bridges and other installations which
damaged the operational mobility of Pakistani troops and India won the war
even before the battle began, thanks to RAW as its agents had successfully
infiltrated every nook and corner of erstwhile East Pakistan.

Poornima: Project Poornima was the name given India's Nuclear Programme. The
task to keep it 'under tight wraps of security' was given to R&AW. This was
the first time that R&AW was involved in a project inside India. The rest is
history as India managed to surprise the world on 18 May 1974 by detonating
a 15-Kiloton plutonium device at Pokhran.

Sikkim: Encircled by Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan and West Bengal in the Eastern
Himalayas Sikkim was ruled by a Maharaja. The Indian Government had
recognized the title of Chogyal (Dharma Raja) for the Mahraja of Sikkim. In
1972 R&AW was given the green signal to go ahead with the operation of
installing a pro-Indian democratic government there. In less than three
years Sikkim became the 22nd State of the Indian Union on April 26, 1975.

Maldives: In November 1988, the People Liberation Front of Tamileelam
(PLOTE) comprising about 200 Tamil secessionists invaded Maldives.

In November 1988, Tamil mercenaries from Sri Lanka invaded the Maldives. At
the request of the President of Maldives, Mr Mamoon Abdul Qayyum, Indian
Armed Forces with active assistance of R&AW launched a military campaign to
throw the mercenaries out of Maldives.

On the night of November 3, 1988, the Indian Air Force airlifted a parachute
battalion group from Agra and flew them non-stop over 2,000 kilometres
(1,240 mi) to Maldives. The Indian paratroopers landed at Hulule and secured
the airfield and restored the Government rule at Malé within hours. The
brief, bloodless operation, labelled Operation Cactus, also involved the
Indian Navy. Swift operation by the military and precise intelligence
information quelled the insurgency and thus saved the peace-loving island
country from being another failed state.

Operation Chanakya: This was the codename given to the RAW operation in
Pakistan Occupied Kashmir to infiltrate various ISI backed Kashmiri
terrorist groups and restore peace in the Kashmir Valley. In 1991 RAW
operatives entered the Pak Occupied Kashmir in the guise of freedom
fighters.

They collected immense military intelligence and provided some unimpeachable
evidence about ISI's involvement in the training and funding the Kashmiri
terrorist groups. Operation Chanakya gained momentum when Mossad provided
its experienced Katsas to train RAW operatives. RAW gained enormous
successes not only in unmasking the unholy nexus between the Inter services
intelligence and the terrorist groups but also in infiltrating and breaking
the backbone of millitancy in Kashmir valley.

Monitoring Pakistani Telecommunication: R&AW operatives claim that its
monitoring complex has managed to break through Pakistani Telecommunications
and can listen to all telephonic conversations held by important Pakistani
leaders, terrorists, ISI agents etc.

Disturbances in Waziristan and Balochistan: It is alleged by the Pakistani
Government that widespread dissention among the Balochis and tribals in NWFP
is because of active help and support of R&AW. Senator Mushahid Hussain
Sayed recently remarked that "India has sizeable ingress in the Afghan
ministry of tribal affairs, and is using it for covert activities against
Pakistan"[neutrality disputed].It is further alleged that R&AW has
established its training camps in Afghanistan in collaboration with the
Northern Alliance remnants. Approximately 600 ferraris, or Baloch tribal
dissidents, are getting specialised training to handle explosives, engineer
bomb blasts, and use sophisticated weapons in these camps.

The Indian Government have steadfastly refuted any involvement in the
Baloch-NWFP problem.

*R&AW's Failures*
R&AW has had many successes, but it has also failed a number of times. Some
of these are discussed below:

Promulgation of Emergency: The IB Director, A. Jayaram had advised Mrs
Indira Gandhi against promulgating the Emergency but Kao, Mrs Gandhi's
handpicked man and R&AW's head, supported it.

This proved to be a fatal mistake. R&AW continued to feed the PM reports of
her popularity and that no excesses were committed. However it resulted in
disastrous consequences ultimately ending with the loss of Congress in the
elections and setting up of the Janata Govt. under Morarji Desai.

Kahuta's Blueprint: R&AW agents claim that in early 1978, they were on the
verge of obtaining the plans and blueprint for Kahuta Research Laboratories
that was built to counter the Pokharan atomic blast, but the then Indian
Prime Minister Morarji Desai not only refused to sanction the $ 10,000
demanded by the R&AW agent, but informed Pakistan of the offer. According to
conflicting reports, Pakistanis caught and eliminated the R&AW mole.

Operation Blue Star: This was the codename given to the storming of the
holiest Sikh shrine, the Golden Temple of Amritsar in 1984. Although it was
a domestic matter and IB's concern, yet R&AW was pulled in because of the
active Pakistani involvement. R&AW drew flak as it could not assess the
strength of Bhindranwale's forces. What was to be a 5 hours operation
stretched to five days and tanks had to be brought in and Indian Army
suffered heavy casualties. Ultimately Indira Gandhi had to pay with her own
life as she was gunned down by her Sikh bodyguard in retaliation to
Operation Blue Star.

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's Assassination: R&AW operatives claim that they had
advance information about Shaikh Mujib-ur-Rahman's assassination but
tragically Sheikh Mujib ignored R&AW's inputs and was killed along with 40
members of his family. R&AW thus failed to prevent the assasination which
led to the loss of a charismatic leader .

Mauritius: Mrs Gandhi was keen to see Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam continue as
the Prime Minister of Mauritius so as to stabilise the island nation, R&AW
was tasked to oversee his reelection campaign. Despite heavy investments,
Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam won by a thin majority.

Sri Lanka: Sri Lanka had been marked for special attention after it had
permitted Pakistani aircraft to land for refuelling there after India had
stopped the over flight rights of Pakistani flights to and back from East
Pakistan. Sri Lankan President Junius Jaywardhene's aim of turning his
country into a frontier post of Pakistan did not augur well for India. R&AW
started training the LTTE to keep a check on the Pearl Island but it created
lot of problems and complications ultimately leading to the assasination of
Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

Soft Target: On 23 June, 1985 Air India's Flight 182 was blown up near
Ireland and 329 innocent lives were lost. On the same day another explosion
took place at Tokyo's Narita airport's transit baggage building where
baggage was being transferred from Cathay Pacific Flight No CP 003 to Air
India's Flight 301 which was scheduled for Bangkok. Both aircraft were
loaded with explosives from Canadian airports. Flight 301 got saved because
of a delay in its departure.This was considered as a major set back toR&AW
for failing to gather enough intelligence about the khalistani terrorists.

Kargil War: R&AW was heavily criticized in 1999, following the Pakistani
incursions at Kargil. Critics accused R&AW of failing to provide
intelligence that could have prevented the ensuing ten-week conflict that
brought India and Pakistan to the brink of full-scale war. While the army
has been critical of the lack of information they received, R&AW has pointed
the finger at the politicians, claiming they had provided all the necessary
information. Most Indian officials believe that in order to prevent another
such occurrence, communication needs to be increased between the
intelligence agencies, which would require structural reform.

2004 CIA Spy scandal: Rabinder Singh, Joint secretary and heading RAW's the
agency's South east Asia department had defected to America on June 5, 2004.
RAW had already become suspicious about his movements and he was under
surveillance and his telephones were also tapped. He was also he was
confronted by counterintelligence officials on 19 April 2004. Despite all
precautions Rabinder Singh managed to defect with 'sensitive files' he had
allegedly removed from RAW's headquarters in south New Delhi.

In all RAW remains one of the world's best intelligence agencies. Its major
limitations have been attributed to weak politicans that have been running
the show in the government.

The agency's contribution is a key to India's peace and security.
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