Pokhran (Rajasthan), November 18
In the presence of a high-level Chinese People’s Army delegation, Indian armed forces today conducted the largest ever war games in recent times in the Thar Desert showcasing its prowess for short high intensity wars in a digitised battlefield.

In ‘Operation Desert Strike’, as the war games have been codenamed, the Army and the Air Force deployed their latest acquisitions, including Russian T-90 tanks, mechanised infantry combat vehicles in tandem with force multipliers like Israeli Searcher and Heron Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, to carry out rapid deep penetration blitzkrieg thrusts.

Synergy between air and ground forces marked the Corps-level exercises with IAF fighters like Mirage 2000, ground attack MiG-27s, deep penetration Jaguars, upgraded MiG-21 Bisons and attack helicopters showering fire from air to pave the way for armour and mechanised column to strike deep.

It is for the first time that war games of this intensity were held in the desert after the famous ‘Operation Brasstacks’ in 1987 and also the first time that Chinese army witnessed any Indian armed forces war games along with defence attaches of over 40 countries.

Defence Minister Pranab Mukerjee, Army Chief Gen J.J. Singh, Vice-Chief of the Air Staff Air Marshal Ajit Bhavnani and services top brass witnessed the war games, with Mr Mukherjee later asserting that the government would spare no effort to further speed up modernisation of the forces.

Mr Mukherjee later told reporters that India was not merely interested in buying fifth generation fighter aircraft from Russia but would like to be involved in its conceptualisation.

“They (Russian) are interested in it. We are interested not merely in buying it, our Air Force is interested in its conceptualisation so that they can provide inputs,” he said after witnessing ‘Operation Desert Strike’ the joint war games of the Army and the Air Force. — PTI

Kalaikunda, November 18
It was the one-to-one simulated combat missions against the IAF’s mighty Su-30 and the agile MiG-29 that left her spellbound, amazed and impressed. For Capt Shannon Schneider, an American F-16 fighter pilot flying with and against the IAF was the most exciting and memorable of her experience during Cope India - 05, the joint Indo-US air force exercise which concluded today.

“I flew seven missions during the exercise and it has been an awesome experience,” she said. “The IAF pilots are very professional and it has been a very good training ground for us,” she added. Missions included interception and attack.

Though there were several women in the USAF contingent that was here for the exercise, she was the only women pilot amongst them. She is currently serving with the 13th Fighter Squadron based at Misawa in Japan. This was the first time she was participating in a joint exercise with a foreign air force.

Going by the radio call sign “Grizz”, Captain Shannon said during two of the missions, Indian pilots flew with her in two-seat trainer version of the F-16. “My only regret about the exercise was that I was unable to fly in an Indian fighter, though many of my colleagues got the chance to do so,” she remarked. Given the chance, Shannon said, she would have loved to go up in the Su-30.

She has been in the Air Force for about nine years now. It was her love for flying that led her to join the force. “Since I wanted to be a fighter pilot and fly F-16s, it demanded diligence, hard work and a lot of studying,” she said.

During her 10-day stay here, she also got a chance to interact with the IAF’s women officers. “I do hope the IAF will open the doors for women pilots to get into the fighter stream,” she said.

Captain Shannon is among the 70-odd women fighter pilots, flying various types of combat aircraft, serving with the USAF at present. For some years now, the USA has allowed women pilots into the fighter stream.

Her male colleagues too were left highly impressed with the IAF. “I had no idea about what we were getting into. I had only read about the IAF and had no idea how they operated,” Lieut-Col Pete Bastien, a fighter controller on the AWACS said. “We learnt that the IAF was very competent and it was proud of its professionalism, history and ethos,” he said. Indian pilots and fighter controllers also flew aboard his E-3C AWACS during training missions.

A veteran of joint exercises with foreign air forces, Capt Kevin Jones an F-16 pilot said Cope India — 05 had a much more specific course than those with other air forces. Having exercised with Oman, Bahrain and French air forces earlier, Captain Jones said, “Here we learnt from each other as much if not more”. 

New Delhi, November 18
India has categorically told the United States that it will not part company with the G4 (comprising Japan, Germany and Brazil, apart from India) even if it will cost it the permanent membership of an expanded United Nations Security Council, diplomatic sources said today.

This was conveyed by Indian officials to Ms Shirin Tahir-Kheli, senior adviser to US Secretary of State Condeleeza Rice on UN Reforms, during her five-day visit to the country, which concluded tonight.

There was not much forward movement during Ms Tahir-Kheli’s India visit on the question of UN reforms and the American position on India’s quest for a permanent membership of the UN Security Council remained the same.

It was an exchange of hard talk between India and the US on the question of UNSC expansion as Ms Tahir-Kheli told New Delhi that there was no way that Washington could support G4, comprising India, Japan, Germany and Brazil, for the group’s UNSC bid, diplomatic sources told The Tribune this evening.

For its part, India made it clear that it was not interested in burying the grouping for the sake of brightening its chances of getting a seat on the UNSC table.

Ms Tahir-Kheli lauded India’s contribution to the UN, but stopped short of backing India’s bid for a permanent seat in the UNSC, saying the US had not yet firmed its position on the subject. She stressed that all UN reforms were as important as expansion of the council.

She told the Indian officials that the US was keen on UNSC expansion, but did not want it to be against the effectiveness of the council. She ruled out a huge expansion of the UNSC, saying it would affect the institution which works effectively. Ms Tahir-Kheli stressed that the American focus was on UN reforms in general and UNSC expansion was only a part of this exercise.

The US has advocated a very limited expansion of the UNSC and so far, supported only Japan as a permanent member of the expanded UNSC.

Ms Tahir-Kheli held detailed discussions with Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran, Additional Secretary in the MEA in charge of UN, Ms Meera Shankar, and other officials during her visit.

New Delhi, November 18
Now that the long-pending issue of Cabinet expansion is out of the way, the Congress got down to the business of firming up its strategy for the winter session of Parliament, which promises to be a tough one for the ruling alliance.

With a belligerent Opposition all set to turn the heat on the government, particularly the Congress, on the Volcker issue, Congress President Sonia Gandhi today called a meeting of senior party leaders to focus on parliamentary strategy. Newly appointed Parliamentary Affairs Minister Priyaranjan Dasmunshi briefed Mrs Gandhi and others on the legislative business expected to come up in this session and the exact status of these Bills.

The Congress is relieved that the Left, which has been openly critical of the pro-American tilt of the UPA government’s foreign policy and had threatened a showdown in the session, is seeking a debate on the Iran issue under rules which do not require a vote.

However, the Opposition is unlikely to spare the Congress as the BJP is expected to go either for an adjournment motion or a debate requiring a vote on the Volcker committee findings. It was pointed out that in case the NDA opts for an adjournment motion, the decision to accept or reject it will rest with Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee.

If the Opposition presses for a debate, then it will up to the government on taking a decision. The rules of the debate will be decided later, but a discussion on the Volcker matter is a foregone conclusion.

Although initially defensive on this issue, the Congress has decided that attack is the best form of defence. It will counter the opposition criticism by pointing to the fact that it has ordered two probes into the Volcker report revelations while former External Affairs Minister K. Natwar Singh, named in the report, has already stepped down.

Patna, November 18
A senior police official, Manoje Nath who refused to allow controversial RJD MP Mohammed Shahabuddin, named in 34 criminal cases, to stay at a guest house here after his arrest, has accused the Bihar police chief Ashish Ranjan Sinha, of “personal vendetta” and passing “motivated orders” which he refused to comply with.

In a seven page letter to Governor Buta Singh dated November 14, Nath, the Additional Director General of Police, (Bihar Military Police), said his refusal to carry out the motivated orders made the DGP develop “personal animosity” and engage in “systemtatic character assassination.”

Top police officials pleading anonymity said the DGP had ‘bypassed’ Nath and spoken to IG (BMP) A.K. Seth seeking to permit the stay of Shahabuddin at the BMP guest house at Phulwarisharif, a day after the MP was arrested in New Delhi on November six.

The official has been charged with defying the order of the DGP to probe the escape from police custody on October 18, during the first phase of Assembly elections in Bihar, of Vijay Prakash, the RJD candidate for Jamui assembly seat.

Prakash is the brother of RJD leader Jaiprakash Narain Yadav, who had to resign from the union ministry following issue of non-bailable warrant against him for facilitating the escape.

In the letter Mr Nath said he had not declined to inquire into the escape of the RJD candidate, who was arrested for going around the constitueny with his men carrying weapons, Rs 6.68 lakh in cash and liquor.

Mr Nath said he had only raised certain issues and sought “full legal endorsement” to probe the case in the manner provided in section 36 of the CRPC and that the charge of “disobedience was false and an afterthought.”

Mr Nath also alleged that the DGP had ‘overlooked’ several of his written orders for withdrawal of bodyguards from influential leaders.

Over half of the 11 companies of the 5th battalion of BMP were deployed for the security of VIPs to which Nath had had objected.

Lucknow, November 18
After a month of violence, death and destruction in Mau, the district administration is launching a peace campaign in the communally sensitive town of East Uttar Pradesh.

After successfully organising Eid Milan functions in the city, the first massive such function was organised in rural Adari on the outskirts of Mau on today, the first day after curfew was completely lifted.

Speaking to The 
Tribune District Magistrate Mukesh Meshram said that a function, attended by more than 1,000 people was organised today underlining the need to live in harmony.

Earlier, after more than a month, curfew was completely lifted from Mau last night.

The district administration is making all-out efforts to restore communal harmony in the town through various social activities like Eid Milan functions. “We are also planning a run for peace, and organising nukkad nataks, Mr Meshram said. The routine vigils, would however, be maintained and strengthened, he added.

According to him, the decision to undertake such programmes was taken in a meeting attended by more than 500 eminent citizens and members of various organisations, all of whom expressed the need to get back to normal and carry on with life.

A decision to consult the citizens on issues like withdrawal of night curfew and chalking out of an itinerary for peace programmes in riot-hit Mau was taken by the district administration after the first Eid Milan programme passed off peacefully and it seemed that the situation was inching towards normalcy, said the District Magistrate.

Bokaro, November 18
About 22 school children were injured, eight seriously, in a road mishap near Rajabera in Bokaro district today, the police said.

A private bus carrying students of Bhandari DAV School collided head on with a dumper near the Rajabera turning under the Chandrapura police station area, about 20 km from here.

The bus driver and all the children were injured in the accident.

The police impounded both the vehicles and admitted all injured to the hospital. —UNI