The bill (for National Security Powers Act) to clarify and strengthen the 1973 War Powers Act. has been introduced by Senators Chris Murphy, a Connecticut Democrat, independent Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Senator Mike Lee, a Utah Republican as reported at https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-07-20/senators-seek-to-reassert-congressional-war-powers-with-bill . It is not for nothing that in the US Constitution the legislature is higher in hierarchical order than executives hence (in view of possibilities of Pak – nukes falling in the hands of militant Jihadis) when Prez Biden is not discharging his constitutional responsibilities about military matters in Afghanistan, the US Congress through emergency session should expedite the passage of NSP Act for waging war against Taliban for restoring elected Govt in Afghanistan, as explained below:-
(1)- Against the warning at public meeting in J&K (as reported https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/mehbooba-mufti-refers-to-afghanistan-over-j-k-statehood-sparks-row-2515774 ) by the former Chief Minister of J&K Mehbooba Mufti that the Centre “to not test us” referring to the Taliban seizing power in Afghanistan, what the President of J&K BJP (party of PM Modi) said that – “[ India is a powerful country and our Prime Minister is Narendra Modi unlike (US president) Joe Biden who withdrew from Afghanistan. Whether it is the Taliban, Al-Qaeda, LeT, JeM, or Hizbul… anyone who conspires against India will be destroyed]” – is only partially true.
(2)- India is either incapable of understanding the gravity of the situation or doesn’t want to handle the situation (post Taliban takeover of Afghanistan) out of its communalism (though much milder than the communalism of Pakistan) therefore practically is doing nothing to resolve this crisis. Hence the leader of free world the USA should immediately take the cognizance of the likely situation (where the Kashmiris disillusioned with Pakistan post August 5, 2019, will establish J&K govt-in-exile at Talibani Kabul, the capital of ‘nuclear neo-Khorasan’).
(3)- When on August 5, 2019 India amended Article 370 and repealed Article 35-A of the constitution (which removed the special status of J&K which was meant to protect the demography of J&K and also to stop outsiders from purchase land and landed properties in J&K) and bifurcated the State of J&K in two Union Territories, the Kashmiris expected Pakistan to do something (militarily) to oppose this action of Government of India (GoI).
(4) When Imran government merely indulged in optics (like half hour silence on Friday) & rhetoric (including at UNGA) the Kashmiris realized that it is beyond the capacity of Pakistan hence some Kashmiris started looking towards China (which shares border with J&K at Ladakh) about which former Chief Minister of J&K Omar Abdulla said that Kashmiris should know what China is doing to Uighur Muslims as reported at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aE_dFyMUZRA
(5)- Kashmiris think that the repeat of terrorist activities supported by Pakistan / Afghanistan (as was the case after 90s in which hundreds of thousand were killed & injured and hundreds of thousands of Hindu Kashmiri Pandits were forced to leave the valley) will not solve Kashmir problem and only military intervention of some powerful country will bring the Kashmir solution. Hence in view of no possibility of military help from Pakistan or China, post 2019, the Kashmiris have been biding their time. Now the Kashmiris think, that time has come after takeover of Afghanistan by militant Jihadist Taliban.
(6)- The agreement by the Trump-administration with the Taliban for withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan and its process started by the Biden-administration is perfectly legitimate and ethical. The USA was in Afghanistan for 20 years hence had to leave and for which the USA negotiated with the Taliban (as is done by many countries when they talk to terrorist / armed rebels for peace or for achieving some objectives). But the USA didn’t ditch the Afghan government as rightly said by Prez Biden that about 3 hundred thousand security forces paid & equipped by the USA will defend Afghanistan against Taliban.
(7)- But now the USA is not discharging its responsibility (i)- of ensuring court marshal of top brass of Afghan military who refused to fight and (ii)- of militarily restoring elected Afghan government in Kabul as mentioned at https://www.ansarpress.com/english/23689 or
https://www.pakistanchristianpost.com/opinion-details/3869 or
(8)- The US-administration is not pursuing the right policy because it is not trying to understand that:-
(i)- If Taliban are allowed to remain in power in Afghanistan then Kashmiris will establish J&K govt-in-exile at Talibani Kabul which is going to be the capital of ‘nuclear neo-Khorasan’ for the simple reason that the success of Taliban in Afghanistan has created an impression among majority of Muslims (and not merely in militant Jihadis) that Jihadis (with much less resources) can militarily defeat even USA and its NATO and other allies. The international militant Jihadis are already motivated by the concept of Ghazwa-e-Hind (as mentioned at http://www.scoopnews.in/det.aspx?q=75897 ) and Khorasan (as mentioned at https://www.csis.org/programs/transnational-threats-project/past-projects/terrorism-backgrounders/islamic-state-khorasan ). The territories of Khorasan need not be exactly what was earlier conceived; rather in present circumstances it can easily include Afghanistan, Pakistan and united J&K (including Ladakh and Gilgit-Baltistan).
(ii)- Two issues are extremely emotive for Muslims all across the world and which can attract any number of militant Jihadis from all over the world (A)- Palestinians against Jews / Israel and (B)- Kashmir against India. These Jihadis know that if they can bring Pakistan (of 200 million people with strong military and nukes) under their control then they can solve both these problems militarily to their satisfaction. After victory of Taliban in Afghanistan the Pakistanis are jubilant & euphoric (not merely ordinary Pakistanis but even PM Imran who equated Taliban victory with breaking of chains of slavery of Afghan people)
(iii)- In Pakistan the people of KPK, Balochistan and Sindh provinces already have grievances (which have taken a lot of lives and blood) against Punjabi Pakistan (which is the main support base of Pak military which is already radicalized since the days of Gen Zia). In Punjab also radical Islam has strong support base as was evident by unprecedent crowd last year in Lahore during funeral of hardline Pakistani cleric Khadim Hussain Rizvi, who for years terrorized the country’s religious minorities, incited riots and advocated the destruction of European nations and expulsion of French ambassador for blasphemy. Hence for international militant Jihadis, with the support of Taliban, it will be very easy (on the issue of Kashmir which has been termed by Pakistanis including it’s founder Jinnah, the jugular vein of Pakistan) to bring the Pakistan security establishment under their control and in turning Kabul as the capital of ‘nuclear neo-Khorasan’
(iv)- Taliban is already finding it difficult to govern the country and even to form the government hence Taliban will also like to divert the attention of the people towards the emotive issue of ‘liberate Kashmir’. Hence any untoward incident in Kashmir (which will be seen by the Muslim world as persecution rather genocide of the Kashmiris by the GoI of Hindutva forces) will be enough for the global militant Jihadis (who are already in considerable numbers in Afghanistan and who have already started criticizing Taliban as pro-USA) to constrain Taliban to first take over Pakistan (on Kashmir issue) and then invade Kashmir militarily to snatch Kashmir (if not entire J&K) from India. Such untoward incidence can be engineered not only by militant Jihadi Muslims in Kashmir or across the border but also by some miscreants in India in view of crucial early 2022 elections in U.P. especially in view that the ruling party BJP is expected to benefit only from communal polarization because on other issues the BJP governments at Center and in U.P are attracting the ire of the people.
(9)- This menacing situation can be averted if the US Congress through NSP Act :-
(i)- Restores Afghan government militarily as mentioned above
(ii)- Constraints India and Pakistan to carry out Plebiscite in J&K (as mandated not merely by UN resolution but also by ‘Instrument of Accession’ the IoA of J&K to India) and in Balochistan (the IoA of which was taken by Pakistan through military pressure) after getting both these territories free from outsiders . The USA should tell both India and Pakistan that otherwise the USA will ask the UN to take both these territories (united J&K and Balochistan) as ‘UN Trust Territories’
(iii)- (In order to eradicate the region from the poison of communalism) constraints India, Pakistan and Bangladesh to grant ‘dual citizenship’ for about 160 million forcibly displaced Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims (and their children) during partition.
(iv)- Constraints India & Pakistan to provide adequate manpower (military, para-military and civilians) for ‘Peace Keeping Force’ and for conducting elections in Afghanistan after preparing voter lists including Afghan refugees in other countries.
It is hoped the US Congress shall rise to the occasion (as mentioned above) in the interest of winning cold war II between ‘liberal Western democracy’ against ‘authoritarian Chinese democracy’ by militarily restoring elected government in Afghanistan
Hem Raj Jain
(Writer is author of ‘Betrayal of Americanism’ and presently staying in Shakopee, MN, USA)
