America Backstabs India

The Nijjar-Pannun affair is a typical CIA operation, which is not being viewed in the manner it should in backdrop of the US-led western propaganda – similar to current clamour for Qatar to broker another Israel-Hamas truce when both America and Israel want Palestinians to “vacate” Gaza.

Canadian President Justin Trudeau accused India for killing Haradeep Singh Nijjar after several months. US NSA Jake Sullivan said India doesn’t have special exemption for operating on foreign soil and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said US was actively engaged with India to “help” Canada.

Canada did nothing when India communicated details of Nijjar’s terrorist activities in 2014. A Canadian inquiry commission implicated Canada-based Babbar Khalsa for bombing Air India Flight 182 killing 329 on board in June 1985, and planting bomb on another Air India flight that killed two in Japan. The inquiry pointed out a series of errors by the Canadian Government, police and security intelligence service that allowed the bombings but by Canada was pathetic.

Does Sullivan think operating on foreign soil is sole preserve of the US-led ‘White Taliban”? CIA has been plotting assassination of the Syrian President past several years and now the Russian President, and is also behind killings of many Indian nuclear scientists. US historian William Blum describes American plots to assassinate foreign leaders.

Now ‘The Guardian’ has also come out that the CIA has a long history of helping to kill leaders around the world.

The US Justice Department has now charged Indian national Nikhil Gupta (paid by India) for allegedly orchestrating the assassination of Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun – a US/Canadian citizen living in New York. It emerges that the assassin being hired by Gupta was an undercover agent for the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), who kept playing with Gupta to collect evidence, enabling the court indictment.

Pannun, founder of Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), has been credibly accused of being on the payroll of Pakistan’s ISI. He is also reportedly linked with the narcotics cartel – same as Nijjar. The DEA undercover agent was probably in touch with Pannun, also drawing his own pound of flesh from the narcotics trade.

Pannun is a “listed terrorist” who publicly asked Sikhs not to fly on Air India planes on November 4 and after November 19 warning their “lives could be under threat”, also threatening Air India with a global blockade and closure of the airline’s operations from November 19. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has registered a case against Pannun under sections 120B, 153A and 506 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Canada is a haven for international terrorists and the US is behind scores of assassinations, terror attacks and warmongering world over. It needs no intelligence to discern why the Pentagon for the sixth consecutive year has failed to account for $1.9 trillion of its $3.8 trillion in assets.

Trudeau sits in America’s lap – same as Pakistan in China’s. The accusation comes at a time when Joe Biden’s ratings are down to 40% and Canadians are rooting for Trudeau’s ouster. From the very beginning of the war in Ukraine America has been trying to sever India’ ties with Russia. It has bagged big defence deals from India and was India’s largest trade partner in 2022-2023. But it wants India to sign on the dotted line and join the US-NATO camp.

It is quite possible that the DEA agent was tasked by the CIA to lure Gupta and make him believe Pannun can be eliminated at a certain cost. Further, it is no big deal to fabricate “credible evidence” with Pegasus-like spyware combined with AI. Confronting Gupta with the fabricated evidence and letting him get out of the country made the evidence “more” credible.
Using AI, it would be easy to show Biden and Zelensky in their birthday suits playing the piano and singing death to Putin in Ukrainian – without any difference in original tones. Similarly, Trudeau, Nijjar and Pannun can be shown guffawing and planning independent Khalistan centered in India.

The US indictment is being viewed as a blow to the image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, NSA Ajit Doval and the R&AW. Reports indicate R&AW has shut offices in North America. So Trudeau is gung ho and Blinken can’t stop smiling.
Western media warfare, including press releases and statements, aim to rub India’s nose in mud; banking on timid Indian response and using the issue which should have been quietly discussed. The Ministry of External Affairs’ spokesman has called it a “matter of concern”, contrary to government policy, and that a high-level inquiry committee is constituted to look into all relevant aspects and necessary follow-up.

There is talk of India-US bilateral relations having been adversely affected. But the only adversity is that the US will use it to continue pressuring India while Trudeau keeps playing poor victim. However, Biden will come as Chief Guest for the next Republic Day posing as ‘Big Dada’ unless he is unwell or his ratings hit rock bottom.

Four issues need to be acknowledged in the above context. First, America is projecting itself as India’s savior in event of an India-China war. But it will never directly fight China, use India as the battle ground and make money by selling arms to us. Second, America needs India more to curb Chinese influence in South Asia, as well as India’s vast markets, defence included. Third, American role in making Pakistan and Myanmar unstable, efforts to bring back BNP rule in Bangladesh, influencing FATF to let Pakistan off its ‘grey list’ and now Pakistan elected Vice Chair of UNESCO’s Executive Board.

Fourth, the US has a history of eliminating its own citizens, even using drones. Sikh separatists are good to keep India under pressure in conjunction with Pakistan but beyond this they are of little use. Eliminating an odd one and blaming it on India give better dividends to the West and Pakistan by stoking sentiments in India.

Same is the case of wanted terrorists being killed in Pakistan not active for over a decade and a burden on ISI, who are being eliminated by the ISI while some Indians give the credit to Doval. If India was really responsible, would the ISI let “unknown gunmen” continue killing terrorists one after another?

Canada refused to hand over Noor Chowdhury who admitted being one of the killers of Sheikh Mujibur Rehman in 1975. The US continues stonewalling extradition of Pakistani-origin Canadian Tahawwur Rana to India; involved in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks killing 140 including Americans, British and Israelis. Is a prison sentence enough David Coleman Headley looking at the carnage in Mumbai?

India needs to: tell the US and Canada: get off the high horse – we are fully conversant with your black history and deeds; Pannun is a terrorist; what is done is done but further proceedings must be under wraps; India is no pushover and if you needlessly continue pressuring us, there will be repercussions.

The author is an Indian Army veteran. Views expressed are personal.

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