Thread: Brigadier, Maruf's new BdA-InA tirade at CDF

Sir, just what the hell is LGen Singh smoking?







Meanwhile, In The East, Bangladesh conducts mock exercises...a new flank?

SAIKAT DATTA

On April 24, Assam Governor Lt General Ajai Singh wrote to the PMO about a fresh wave of reports emanating out of Bangladesh indicating a security threat to India's Northeast region. In his letter, Ajai Singh noted that "there is cause for concern" and that it needed to be looked at closely and action taken at the earliest. In fact, he was reiterating concerns expressed by his predecessor Lieutenant General S.K. Sinha (retd) before he moved to Jammu and Kashmir.

Singh also pointed at fresh reports indicating that new fundamentalist groups were emerging which could pose a serious threat to the Northeast, particularly the sensitive Siliguri corridor which links the region to mainland India.

Assam Governor Ajai Singh has warned the PMO of the security threat to India's Northeast region.

In fact, Singh's letter corroborates inputs provided by security agencies and an army assessment. It is not as if Bangladesh is preparing to wage war with India. But the army has it that Bangladesh army is preparing for low-intensity conflicts in which it would lend a covert hand to insurgent groups in the region.

What has caused concern among Indian security agencies is a document showing the Bangladesh army (BA) conducting an exercise called Ex-Destranor-17, a mock unconventional warfare "behind enemy lines" supported by conventional logistic support. Conducted under the 66 Infantry Division of the BA, it happened "2.5 km inside enemy territory with conventional logistic support" and with "support from local population assuming that not all of them are friendly". The exercise was conducted from April 15 to 23 last year and troops were drawn from the 16th, 72nd and 222nd infantry brigades. The lessons from it have now been factored in.

South Block sources say the army top brass has also expressed concerns about the BA's move to improve its offensive capabilities. Reports have been received that the BA has raised seven new armoured regiments to be used in a purely offensive role. In fact, worried about the vulnerability of the Siliguri corridor, the army recently moved some of its formations deployed in Jammu and Kashmir during Operation Parakram to the region.

An Indian army assessment has also pointed to the renewed activities of several fundamentalist organisations in Bangladesh and their impact on the region's overall security. Among others, the report names Jamaat-e-Islami and Islamic Chhatra Shibir, organisations which have maintained an anti-India stance. However, the emergence of new organisations like Jagrata Muslim Janata BD, the assessment says, is cause for worry. While the Jamaat-e-Islami is a part of the four-party alliance in Bangladesh, other bodies like the Harkat-ul-Jihadi-al-Islami have also made Indian intelligence agencies see red. The assessment notes that its activities in areas bordering West Bengal and Assam are cause for worry. According to the report, the organisation has now changed its name to Islamic Samaj Kalyan Parishad with a youth wing called the Jamat-ul-Mujahideen.

While India is watching the ongoing developments within Bangladesh, analysts say the continuing illegal immigration can no longer be ignored. "There are reports that all long-term perspective plans drawn up by the Bangladesh Army look at India as their area of concern which is worrying," says a senior army official.

The Border Security Force has also raised the issue of illegal immigration with its counterpart, the Bangladesh Rifles, in several meetings. While Bangladesh has maintained that there is no illegal immigration, the bsf has pointed out that several terrorist groups operating against India are based in Bangladesh.

Originally Posted by Officer of Engineers

Sir, just what the hell is LGen Singh smoking?

Sir,
There is a line of thought that feels that BD along with PLA could cut off the Siliguri sector and link up, then the northeast of India gets sut off.
It is an option for PRC to obtain the terriroty of Arunachal Pradesh as cliamed by them.

Lemon,

True.

But there are many issues to it.

Brigadier and Captain,

I would still have to re-iterate my question, just what are these people smoking? Brigadier, Sir, you yourself stated the terrain difficulties. What could the PLA possibly send that would be of a challenge? A thousand man foot patrol?

Originally Posted by Ray

Lemon,

True.

But there are many issues to it.

Sir,
Whatever the reasons, lets not discuss it here. Too many of oour well wishers are lurking around. Would'nt want to give them a summary of our thoughts.

Originally Posted by Officer of Engineers

Brigadier and Captain,

I would still have to re-iterate my question, just what are these people smoking? Brigadier, Sir, you yourself stated the terrain difficulties. What could the PLA possibly send that would be of a challenge? A thousand man foot patrol?

A challenge would be when an Indo-Pak war is on (even a limited one), and PRC opens two front (along Ladhak and Arunachal), and BD starts its dance in support of the PLA.
Beyond that there would be no challenge.

So, it's a concern. I would not even rate it a military challenge. I realize there are some sensitivities here and I do not wish to indulge in it but strictly from a military standpoint, the BD threat as presented in the article is just pure hogwash.

Sir,
The irony is that the exercise was based on fighting a guerilla war behind enemy lines with a friendly population . Now that is the only military scenario BD has ever faced.
Now where would they get a friendly population in India? Will they welcome BD to bring "democracy" and economic well being to them. ?

Originally Posted by Blademaster

Well I still have the same problem. I use ZoneAlarm and Windows Firewall. Can you tell me which settings I should use to access CDF?

hmm, the original problem was with Norton Internet Security. Anyway, why do you use Zone alarm plus windows firewall. Turn off your windows firewall and check CDF. If not, there shud be a way to include CDF to be a trusted website, sorry I cannot help you further.

Originally Posted by lemontree

Sir,
The irony is that the exercise was based on fighting a guerilla war behind enemy lines with a friendly population . Now that is the only military scenario BD has ever faced.

Sir,
Not to mention that this time, Assamese and Nagas and Manipuris hate them. any of the offensive force has to consider this reality as well. A very very hostile population trained in warfare in a difficult terrain.

I guess BD is cocky coz they sent a lot of them soldiers to UN for soldiering.

Posted this in the CDF thread...

Sorry Sir for not fleshing my thoughts out .

I don't think even they think they could hold off an invader and they don't really have an army to do such and limited plans in case of an invasion at best. Their army is more or less a regional light infantry COIN force. The article Xinhui put up put them as an internal secuitry force with limited and equipment for fighting an external enemy off on their own. And as COIN armies go not much equipment for that mission either. The article did mention fighting in hopes of the world stepping in.

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But the question I think is why India would think about taking over and occupying the whole nation in the first place? "Cold Starting" or "WZCing" them might do the trick if things between them ever got that bad and setting up for a huge force invasion to sack the capital would probably take too long and a message could be deliveired by not even marching into the capital. Destorying some major ground units, crippling their air force and navy and blowing up a lot of equipment while burning bushes would get a message across.

With a small air force and navy and divisions planning to fight on their own it would make them an easy mark to cut up and then leave. And that's if sending planes into their airspace, ships into their waters or SOFs on cross border raids don't send a message.

I doubt India would feel the need (or want to) to occupy and manage 140+ million people...

Basically I would wonder if the thread was even on mark as India would have plenty of options other then invading the entire nation... air strikes, naval actions, raids, strategic raids and so forth up to killing battalions...

And yes the guy on CDF was fishing to say very nice things about the BDF even mentioning several times how old BD is (if a nation cannot form an well trained army in 34 years I have no idea what the problem is)...