September
22, 2008: Israel and India are
increasing their cooperation in the fight against Islamic terrorism. Israeli
special operations troops are going to India, to exchange information, ideas
and techniques with their Indian counterparts. India has been suffering from
Islamic violence for centuries, but Israel has been at the forefront in
developing effective weapons, equipment and tactics to deal with the problem.
Last year,
Israeli troops went to Kashmir, and shared their knowledge of how to keep
Islamic terrorists from sneaking across borders. Although the Israeli
experience is largely related to desert and semi-tropical borders, it is
applicable for the mountains and forests more typical of Kashmir as well. The
Israeli methods are highly dependent on many types of sensors, and computer
software that can "learn" which combination of sensor readings
indicate some guys with guns trying to move through an area. Israel has already
sold India millions of dollars worth of night vision devices, which the Indians
have used with great success against the terrorist line crossers. The Israeli
sensors were not always as successful as they should be, and the Israeli
trainers and technical experts went to Kashmir to work out the kinks, and set
the stage for some large new sensor sales.
India has
been able to supply Israel with a lot of useful intelligence on al Qaeda
activities, and what Iran is up to. India has maintained good relations with
Iran, which has been a trading partner for thousands of years. In this case,
tradition and mutual-need trumps religious differences. India also has a good
informant network in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
