This goes back to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in the 1980s. Pakistanis allowed the creation of jihadi groups in Afghanistan and also in Kashmir. The Lashkar-e-Tayiba is one such group. It was a deliberate effort of the Pakistani military or intelligence service to create such groups. Ultimately, it has led to a situation that it has become uncontrollable or they have been using them in such a way that it is ultimately damaging to Pakistan's interest.

I think Pakistan must understand that these groups have to be shut down. These groups cannot operate as they have been operating or else there will be a very high price to pay. Not just from India, but the world community will not tolerate Pakistan being the base of such jihadis.

A lot of blame has to be borne by the US. Al Qaeda is a creation of America, the Taliban was courted by Unocal and Benazir Bhutto facilitated it. There is no dispute about these facts. Who put arms into the hands of these jihadis?

Yes, absolutely. There is no question America, Saudi Arabia as well as Pakistan, three of them, were partners in the creation of these militia and jihadi groups. There is no doubt about it but so what? Look, you have to go back to the 1980s. There was a Cold War between the Soviet Union and America.

America had suffered greatly in Vietnam at the hands of the Communists with the backing of the Soviet Union. And, Afghanistan was our opportunity to teach the Soviets a lesson.

In Afghanistan, it was their Vietnam if you like. To do so we used the militia, the mujahideen and the Afghans, to fight the Soviets. I have, absolutely, no guilt about it whatsoever.

America, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan were supporting the Afghan people to defend themselves against the Soviets. That was the correct thing to do. I am very happy that Soviets got a bloody nose.

In India we say what you sow, you reap.

That's true.

Isn't 9/11 the result of that politics?

I don't think it's that easy to say. It's more complicated than that. I don't think these jihadi groups that end up becoming radicalised and coming to attack America and coming to attack India are just about what happened in Pakistan and Afghanistan. I think it's more complicated than that.

There is the Egyptian dimension to Al Qaeda. Its number two is Ayman al-Zawahiri. It has to do with the Egyptian government's policy which is by the way backed by the US, or at least tacitly supported by US.

America is definitely guilty of a number of things, like support to bad regimes in the Middle East.

Image: US Marine Sergeant William Olas Bee has a close call after Taliban fighters opened fire near Garmsir in Afghanistan's Helmand province, May 18, 2008. Photograph: Goran Tomasevic/Reuters

Also see: An Indian held captive in Afghanistan tells his story

Back

|

Next