Eric Garcetti: India Vital to Future of American Security and Prosperity

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Washington, DC – Testifying in front of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee today, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti told US senators considering his nomination to be ambassador to India that “Few nations are more vital to the future of American security and prosperity than India.”

A Rhodes scholar who studied Hindi and Indian cultural and religious history in college, Garcetti recalls that when he graduated, US-India relations were under the shadow of the cold war, trade was limited, and there was no defense trade or military interoperability. Garcetti commended the bipartisan work of Congress in bringing about a strong US-India strategic partnership, and said if confirmed, he would work toward an ambitious economic partnership with India, reduce barriers to market access, bolster fair trade and create good jobs for the American middle class.

“India is situated in a tough neighborhood,” said Garcetti. “If confirmed, I intend to double-down on our efforts to strengthen India’s capacity to secure its borders, defend its sovereignty, and deter aggression – through information sharing, counterterrorism coordination, joint freedom of navigation patrols and military exercises (which I have participated in as a naval officer alongside my Indian counterparts), and sales of our best defense technologies in order to realize the full potential of our Major Defense Partnership.”

The question of India’s purchase of the S-400 missile system from Russia was brought up in today’s hearing, with Ranking Member James Risch (R-ID) saying that “”We cannot ignore the reality of concerns over India’s defense relationship with Russia.” Chairman Bob Menendez (D-NJ) also commented that New Delhi would need to address concerns about its treatment of minorities and purchase of Russian hardware if it wants to strengthen its partnership with the US.

Garcetti spoke of how, as Mayor, he chaired C40 –– a global network of mayors from the world’s largest cities –– to combat climate change and to share the experience of Los Angeles, which is on track to be powered by 100 percent renewable energy by 2035. He promised that if confirmed, he would work with India to promote green energy through the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and through the Agenda 2030 Climate and Clean Energy Partnership. ISA is an alliance of 124 countries initiated by India, and the US joined as a member last month.

Garcetti gave a shout out to his parents, Gil and Sukey Garcetti, who were present at the hearing today, and who first took him to India as a teenager.

Garcetti is a veteran who served 12 years in the US Navy Reserve as an intelligence officer. He is currently in his second term as Mayor of Los Angeles.

Washington Update: Demonstrators denounce US policy toward Ethiopia

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Washington, DC – Ethiopian-Americans held demonstrations last week throughout the United States, including in front of the White House, to denounce the Biden administration’s policy toward Ethiopia and to demand a reversal of a policy that treats the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) aggressors as victims. Ethiopians in Canada, South Africa, Israel and Europe held similar demonstrations. Ethiopians also demonstrated in front of the US embassy in Addis Ababa to denounce the misguided US policy toward Ethiopia.

US Ethiopian policy has been distorted by a failure to understand the corrosive effects of a constitution that exacerbates ethnic divisions, by a willingness to ignore human rights abuses, and a desire to simplify complex conflicts into fights between forces of good and evil.

Atrocities committed by the TPLF

The European Union and the US have failed to condemn atrocities committed by the TPLF, including the killing of over 1000 innocent people by TPLF soldiers and militia on November 9-10 in Mai-Kadra. The massacre, and the identity of its perpetrators, have been described by Amnesty International and the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission.

There are many other examples of ethnically motivated violence in Ethiopia, including in Metekel where ethnic Gumuz armed groups and OLF/Shenne have engaged in a targeted campaign against members of other ethnic groups in the area, including the Amhara.

There are reports demonstrating that the regional government in Tigray (TPLF) is forcefully channeling food and medical supplies towards insurgency efforts rather than civilians and destroying infrastructure in a concerted and deliberate effort to further fuel the conflict.

The Reuters news agency has reported that Tigrayan forces have killed a large number of civilians since they seized territory in Amhara. Tens of thousands of people fled their homes in the region as the Tigrayan forces advanced.

The TPLF ravaged the airport that services the UNESCO world heritage sites in Lalibela, in the Amhara region.

Amnesty International has reported on TPLF atrocities in Nifas Mewcha, in Amhara’s Gaint district. During a nine-day period in August, TPLF forces raped more than 70 women, Amnesty International reported. Agnes Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General, said TPLF fighters committed war crimes and possibly crimes against humanity.

Ethiopia Peace and Democracy Promotion Act of 2021

Senators Chris Coons (D-Del) and Jim Risch (R-Idaho) have introduced the Ethiopia Peace and Democracy Promotion Act of 2021. In a statement, Coons said the bill is intended to “bolster the United States’ diplomatic, development, and legal response to support democracy, human rights, peace, and stability in Ethiopia. In addition to suspending American security assistance to the government of Ethiopia and authorizing American support for conflict resolution and civil society peacebuilding efforts, the bipartisan legislation mandates the imposition of targeted sanctions against individual actors who are found to undermine attempts to resolve, who profit from, or who provide material support to any entity that is party to the civil war.” Coons described his understanding of the situation in Ethiopia, and called for both Prime Minister Abiy and the TPLF to choose peace over war, in an article in Foreign Affairs.

Statements from friends of Ethiopia in the U.S. Congress

Rep. Chris Smith, Senator Jim Inhofe and Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee have all recently issued statements calling on the US to take a balanced approach to Ethiopia and condemning Biden administration officials who are advocating on behalf of the TPLF.

Representative Chris Smith issued a statement criticizing the US State Department for failing to recognize and condemn the atrocities committed by the TPLF. In a statement posted on Twitter, Smith accused the State Department of ‘abetting a scapegoating narrative’ for the TPLF. He wrote: “There’s been a failure by @StateDeptSpox to call out reprehensible atrocities committed by the Tigrayan People’s Liberation Front which precipitated the conflict last November.”

Rep. Jackson Lee (TX-D) told Ethiopian-Americans: “Your voices are going to be heard in halls of Congress… I will take your voices to Washington.”

Senator Inhofe issued a statement condemning the Biden administration, saying it “continues to treat this situation [in Ethiopia] with both sides being equal, when clearly they are not. One side is the democratically elected government, the other is a disgruntled faction reacting with violence because they are no longer in power, it’s a terrorist group.”

Open letter to Blinken

On behalf of 14 Ethiopian Diaspora groups, the American Ethiopian Public Affairs Committee has drafted an open letter to Secretary Blinken calling for immediate targeted sanctions against the TPLF leadership. “We cannot stand by while the TPLF commit more atrocities,” the letter states. It is available at https://aepact.org/open-letter-to-secretary-blinken/.

US State Department messaging about Ethiopia

The demonstrations and criticisms may be having some effect, at least on the Biden administration’s rhetoric. Speaking at a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing on December 1, Molly Phee, Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, expressed US support for the “unity, sovereignty, and the territorial integrity of Ethiopia.” She said the US “is taking no sides in this conflict.”

On December 6, the governments of Australia, Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States issued a statement on detentions in Ethiopia. In addition to condemning ethnically based detentions by the Ethiopian government, the statement expressed “grave concerns” about “atrocities being committed by all parties to the conflicts” in Ethiopia. The statement called for a political solution to the crisis: “It is clear that there is no military solution to this conflict, and we denounce any and all violence against civilians, past, present and future. All armed actors should cease fighting and the Eritrean Defense Forces should withdraw from Ethiopia. We reiterate our call for all parties to seize the opportunity to negotiate a sustainable cease fire without preconditions. Fundamentally, Ethiopians must build an inclusive political process and national consensus through political and legal means, and all those responsible for violations and abuses of human rights must be held accountable.”

Blasphemy Allegations Claim Another Life in Pakistan

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A Sri Lankan factory manager in Sialkot, Pakistan was brutally murdered and set on fire by a mob chanting slogans of Tehreek e Labbaik Pakistan (TLP). The manager allegedly removed TLP posters. The mob falsely accused him of blasphemy to justify their actions.

In response to a question from Global Strat View, a State Department spokesperson commented, “We are deeply disturbed and saddened by the unspeakable tragic event at the Sialkot factory. We urge relevant authorities to investigate and bring those responsible for heinous and unlawful violence to justice.”

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan said the “horrific vigilante attack on factory in Sialkot and the burning alive of Sri Lankan manager is a day of shame for Pakistan. I am overseeing the investigations and let there be no mistake all those responsible will be punished with full severity of the law.”

Key findings from the US Commission on International Religious Freedom’s (USCIRF) report Violating Rights: Enforcing the World’s Blasphemy Laws, show that nearly 80% of the incidents of mob activity, violence, or threats (with or without state enforcement) related to blasphemy allegations, took place in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nigeria and Egypt. Among countries with state blasphemy laws, Pakistan has the most number of reported cases.

Blasphemy accusations have often sparked violence in Pakistan. Governor of Punjab Salman Taseer, who was an outspoken critic of the blasphemy law, was murdered in 2011 by his bodyguard for speaking out against it. Shahbaz Bhatti, Pakistan’s former Federal Minister of Minorities Affairs and the first Christian parliamentarian in Pakistan’s government was assassinated by Tehrik-i-Taliban, the Pakistani Taliban. Both Taseer and Bhatti had advocated for the release of Asia Bibi, a Pakistani Christian who spent nearly a decade in prison after being sentenced to death for blasphemy. Bibi was freed after pressure from the international community.

Pakistani media has blamed the government for mainstreaming radical groups like TLP. Pakistani journalist Nadeem Farooq Paracha tweeted, “Stop calling what happened today as ‘madness’. It was normalized by the state and government decades ago. It became a new norm. If you want to call anyone mad, then call them mad. They did it through myopic politics, textbooks, mainstreaming, and by appeasing hatemongers.”

Pakistani policy analyst and journalist Raza Ahmad Rumi tweeted, “The videos of his lynching/burning are brutal reminders of state policies that have radicalized generations, normalizing murders and mainstreaming radical groups.”

Pakistan lifted its ban on the radical Islamist TLP last month after an agreement was reached with the government that TLP would call off its proposed march to the capital, Islamabad. The government defended its decision to lift the ban, saying it was in the larger national interest and would prevent future violence from TLP.

TLP was banned last year after violent protests in response to the republication of cartoons of the Muslim Prophet Muhammad by the French magazine Charlie Hebdo.

Indo-Pacific Is the Priority Region for DoD’s Global Posture Review

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Washington, DC – Briefing the press on the recently concluded Global Posture Review (GPR), Dr. Mara Karlin – performing the duties of Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy – said that with “the focus on China as our pacing challenge,” the Indo-Pacific was the priority region for the review. President Biden has approved Secretary Austin’s findings and recommendations based on the GPR.

Although much of the GPR outcomes are classified for operational security reasons, Karlin provided highlights on a few of them. The GPR directs additional cooperation with allies and partners across the Indo-Pacific to “advance initiatives that contribute to regional stability” and “deter potential military aggression from China and threats from North Korea.” This includes increased regional access for military partnership activities, enhancing infrastructure in Australia and the Pacific Islands, and planning rotational aircraft deployments in Australia. The GPR facilitated Secretary Austin’s approval of the permanent stationing of an Attack Helicopter Squadron, and Artillery Division Headquarters in the Republic of Korea, which the Department announced earlier this year.

In Europe, the GPR strengthens the U.S. combat-credible deterrent against Russian aggression and enables NATO forces to operate more effectively. Based on an initial GPR assessment and a recommendation from Secretary Austin, in February 2021 President Biden rescinded the 25,000 active duty force cap in Germany established by the previous administration. Secretary Austin announced in April that DoD would permanently station an Army Multi-Domain Task Force and a Theater Fires Command, a total of 500 Army personnel, in Germany. DoD will retain seven military sites previously designated for return to host nations under the European Infrastructure Consolidation Plan.

In the Middle East, the GPR assessed the department’s approach toward Iran and the evolving counterterrorism requirements after the US withdrawal from Afghanistan. DoD posture in Iraq and Syria will continue to support the Defeat-ISIS campaign and build the capacity of partner forces. The review directs DoD to conduct additional analysis on enduring posture requirements in the Middle East.

In Africa, analysis from the GPR is supporting several ongoing interagency reviews to ensure DoD has an appropriately-scoped posture to monitor threats from regional violent extremist organizations, support US diplomatic activities as well as allies and partners.

In Central and South America and the Caribbean, the GPR reviewed the role of DoD posture in support of national security objectives, including humanitarian assistance, disaster relief and counter-narcotics missions. DoD posture will continue to support US Government efforts on transnational challenges and partnership activities in the region.

The review provided foundational information for the National Defense Strategy, which will shape how the administration connects US overseas posture to the DoD’s overall strategic approach. “The Global Posture Review was guided by the President’s interim national security strategic guidance released earlier this year,”said Karlin. “That guidance asserts that the United States will lead with diplomacy first, revitalize our unmatched network of allies and partners, and make smart and disciplined choices regarding our national defense and responsible use of our military.”

The GPR was an interagency effort led by the Department of Defense with participation and guidance from the National Security Council, the US State Department, USAID, and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. DOD also consulted with NATO allies Australia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and over a dozen partners across the Middle East and Africa.

Rabbi Levi Shemtov: Terrorism Disrupts Our Life, But It Will Not Eliminate Our Spirit

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Washington, DC – Commemorating the 13th Anniversary of the Mumbai terror attacks, the Embassy of India hosted a solemn event to pay tribute to its victims. Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM) Sudhakar Dalela presided over the event, which was attended by Jennifer Larson, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State; Rabbi Levi Shemtov, Vice President of American Friends of Lubavitch (Chabad); and community members.

Thirteen years ago, on the night of November 26, 2008, 10 heavily armed Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists entered Mumbai via sea route and went on a rampage killing 166 people, and injured over 300 in coordinated attacks on the Chatrapati Shivaji terminus railway station, Leopold cafe, Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, Oberoi Trident hotel, and Nariman Point Chabad House that lasted for four days.

Deputy Chief of Mission, Sudhakar Dalela

In his remarks, DCM Dalela said, “These dastardly attacks were not just against India, but against the entire humanity. As we gather to mark the 13th anniversary of these heinous attacks, we mourn and pay tribute to the innocent lives lost, while also sharing the pain of those who were injured.” He recalled the honor and sacrifice of the valiant security personnel who laid down their lives. Expressing solidarity with the families of the victims, DCM Dalela spoke of the continuing threat that terrorism poses to humanity. “Terrorism continues to be the gravest threat to mankind, and it is critical for countries to be united against terrorism,” said DCM Dalela. He spoke of India’s initiative to pilot a draft of the convention on international terrorism with the objective of providing a comprehensive legal framework to combat terrorism. India is also a signatory to all the major conventions and protocols on terrorism adopted by the UN and is part of all global initiatives in that regard. Even after 13 years after this heinous terror attack the families of 166 victims from 15 countries across the globe still await closure, said DCM Dalela, reiterating the call upon the government of Pakistan to expeditiously bring the perpetrators of the horrific attack to justice. “This is not just the matter of Pakistan’s accountability to the families of the innocent victims, who fell to terrorists, but also international obligations. Both India and US have been victims of terrorism. Our two countries have a strong counter-terrorism partnership.”

In a joint statement issued by President Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the Quad Summit in Washington DC in September 2021, both leaders “reaffirmed that the United States and India stand together in a shared fight against global terrorism” and “called for the perpetrators of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks to be brought to justice.”

Rabbi Levi Shemtov

Rabbi Levi Shemtov recalled when he heard there was a shooting near Chabad House in Mumbai, he was flying back from Miami at the time. When his flight landed he learned that the shooting was actually in the building. He called Rabbi Holtzberg at Chabad House, but the cellphone was answered by one of the terrorists. “We opened up a conference call line for several hours where I kept repeatedly calling this cellphone of the rabbi which we soon realized had been taken from him by one of the terrorists. And whenever we could get through we had certain instructions of what to ask and what to do from intelligence here and abroad,” said Rabbi Shemtov. He then called up Ronen Sen, the Indian Ambassador to the US at the time, to tell him what was going on, and he immediately put him in touch with people who were manning the situation. “They connected me to authorities in New Delhi who saw a very precious development because they could now listen in on this number, because this terrorist wasn’t talking to me the whole time he was actually talking to other people.” Rabbi Shemtov said that it was because they were monitoring that cellphone that they actually heard the commandant of LeT telling the terrorists to kill people with commands. He spoke of Rabbi and Rivka Holtzberg’s housekeeper Sandra who risked her life to save their son, baby Moshe. “I was thinking about what terrorism does,” said Rabbi Shemtov, “It jars our life, it disrupts our life, but it will not eliminate our spirit. The spirit of friendship between the Indian people and the American people, and between the Indian people and the Jewish people is strong and it’s unshakeable and determined.” Rabbi Shemtov concluded his remarks with the words that heard from Ambassador Ronen Sen who said, Rabbi, these terrorists didn’t attack Jews, they attacked Indians. They attacked all of us. Over a billion people are now in sorrow because of what these monsters did. “And then he said something I will never forget,” added Rabbi Shemtov, ” For 2000 years Jewish people have been living in India, never a problem with the Indian people. Able to practice their religion freely. And these people came and tried to shatter that. We will have to make it even stronger. And indeed we know the relationship between Indian and Israel, and the relationship between India and the Jewish people became stronger as a result. So sure the terrorists can disrupt our life, but they can never make us change our course of constantly pursuing decency until the entire world will know only peace and harmony like the Indian people and the Jewish people have known for thousands of years.”

Deputy Secretary of State, SCA, Jennifer Larson

Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, Jennifer Larson, spoke of the last four years in Mumbai where she was the Deputy Consul General. “I had the great privilege of visiting the sites we are talking about today and meeting some of the brave rescuers and survivors that 13 years ago were put to an extremely difficult test. I have spent many wonderful hours at Chabad house and I have heard this rabbi’s story a couple of times from the rabbi there, which is truly something to be thankful for. It is the spirit of thanksgiving here in the United States and I am grateful for the partnership and the opportunities that we have as the United States with India as a deep and cherished friend.”

The Mumbai Attacks transformed India’s perception towards national security, leading to enhanced maritime surveillance, inter-agency coordination, and information dissemination. Nine terrorists were killed by the security forces. Hemant Karkare (Former ATS Chief), Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan, Ashok Kamte (Addl Police Commissioner, Mumbai), senior Police Inspector Vijay Salaskar were among those killed in the attack. Ajmal Amir Kasab, the only terrorist to be captured alive, was hung 4 years later on November 21, 2012.

The families of 166 victims – which included six American citizens – still await justice, while the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba masterminds of the attacks are safely under the protection of Pakistan’s army and intelligence agencies.

Dr. Kurt Campbell: The Critical, Crucial Member In the Quad is India

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Washington, DC – During an event hosted by the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) today, White House National Security Council Coordinator for the Indo-Pacific Dr. Kurt Campbell said he was “very bullish about the future with India.” In a discussion on ‘Beyond AUKUS and the Quad: What’s Next for the U.S. Indo-Pacific Strategy’, Campbell stressed the importance of India, who is the only Quad member who is not a formal US treaty ally.

“I think we all recognize the critical, crucial member in the Quad is India. We are determined to do what we can, in the bilateral context, to build relations,” said Campbell. He added that the origins of a closer partnership between the US and India began in the Bush administration and that people to people connectivity between the two nations has really manifested much more clearly in a bipartisan way over a succession of administrations.

Successive US administrations have recognized that “a key fulcrum player on the global stage in the 21st century will be India,” commented Campbell. “The broad sweep of history has brought us together.”

“This is a moment for thinking creatively and strategically about what’s possible” between the U.S. and India, said Campbell.

The consensus of the four members of the Quad is that it is appropriate to be considered as an informal gathering, said Campbell, adding that they will not be taking steps in the near term to institutionalize. Campbell emphasized that the Quad is actually about promoting the common good, and “It is about deliverables that are of interest to the peoples of the Indo-Pacific.”

President Biden hosted the first in person Quad Leaders Summit on September 24, 2021 in Washington, DC. The leaders underscored their dedication towards working with ASEAN and its member states—the heart of the Indo-Pacific region—in practical and inclusive ways. The Quad committed to donating 1.2 billion doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, establishing a semiconductor supply-chain initiative, forming a green-shipping network, establishing a clean-hydrogen partnership, and launched a Quad fellowship that will sponsor 100 students per year—25 from each Quad country—to pursue masters and doctoral degrees at leading STEM graduate universities in the United States. The leaders discussed a common approach to emerging technologies, cyber security and addressing the challenge of climate change. They agreed to “closely coordinate our diplomatic, economic, and human-rights policies towards Afghanistan and will deepen our counter-terrorism and humanitarian cooperation in the months ahead in accordance with UNSCR 2593.”

The next Quad leaders summit will take place in Japan in 2022.

Thirteen Years After the Mumbai Terror Attacks, Perpetrators Yet to Face Justice

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Washington, DC – Thirteen years after the Mumbai terrorist attack, the families of 166 victims – which included six American citizens – still await justice, while the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba masterminds of the attacks are safely under the protection of Pakistan’s army and intelligence agencies.

In response to Global Strat View’s (GSV) question about what steps the US is taking to bring the Lashkar-e-Taiba leaders to justice, a State Department spokesperson responded, “The United States remains committed to bringing those who planned and supported the 2008 Mumbai attack to justice. We continue to encourage the Government of Pakistan to take action against all militant and terrorist groups without distinction, including those responsible for Mumbai.”

In a phone interview with GSV, former Canadian diplomat and politician Chris Alexander said that this reflects the reality that the Biden administration, as with most US administrations in recent decades, has chosen to engage with Pakistan without proactive efforts or coercive diplomacy such as sanctions to change longstanding Pakistani behavior — this in spite of evidence that Pakistan remains a prolific state sponsor of terrorism.

Alexander, who served as the first resident Canadian Ambassador to Afghanistan from 2003-05, commented, “It is a policy paradox for a nation that has worked to counter terrorism around the world. This is a source of weakness for US policy, speaking to a pattern of inconsistency, especially with regard to Pakistan, that has harmed US national interests and the collective interests of US allies.”

In a joint statement issued by President Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the Quad Summit in Washington DC in September 2021, both leaders “reaffirmed that the United States and India stand together in a shared fight against global terrorism” and “called for the perpetrators of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks to be brought to justice.”

Pakistan’s support of terrorism continues unabated, while the US continues to say that Pakistan is an important partner in the war against terror. Earlier this year, a three-member bench of Pakistan’s supreme court headed by Justice Mushir Alam, acquitted Ahmed Omer Saeed Sheikh, who is accused of beheading US journalist Daniel Pearl. Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has referred to Osama bin Laden as a martyr, and Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi refused to condemn bin Laden. Pakistan continues to remain under increased monitoring (grey list) by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), but has so far remained off the black list.

As Dr. Christine Fair, Professor in the Security Studies Program within Georgetown University’s Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, commented, “If one were to apply the criteria with reference only to the facts, of course, it would have to be blacklisted. The US and the UK consistently argue that it should remain on the grey list as a black listing would preclude Pakistan from access to IMF funding, which the UK and the US believe is critical to Pakistan.”

“Ordinary citizens worldwide understand that Pakistan has been duplicitous, that it has been the driving force behind the invasion of Afghanistan, and that it is the state sponsor responsible for the existence of these terror groups,” commented Alexander. “But the current US approach seems to be based on a form of policy Stockholm Syndrome, which can be traced back to the US relationship with China, and the Kissinger doctrine which holds that strategic partnership with China or Pakistan is so important that any conflicts or disagreements must be tolerated for the larger cause of US and Chinese or Pakistani comity.”

“This doctrine is totally indefensible today,” added Alexander, “yet the US and most of its closest allies have still not moved beyond it. The so-called ‘pivot to Asia’ that started under the Obama administration has so far done very little to change the reality of this outdated doctrine.”

The consequences of letting Pakistan off the hook for its actions has led to the world’s largest humanitarian crisis in recent times. “They invaded an entire country that was the focus of a NATO mission, but no government is proposing any form of accountability,” continued Alexander. “Everyone has to ask themselves what their role is in this. India should be advocating for this, and working with the international community to hold Pakistan accountable. If there are no consequences, the entire international system is made vulnerable.”

Following a classified briefing on Afghanistan last month, Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK) issued a statement saying that the briefing “confirmed yet again what we’ve known all along: the United States is now less safe than before President Biden’s disastrous decision to unconditionally and entirely withdraw from Afghanistan.” US media reported that the Biden administration informed US lawmakers that they were close to an agreement with Pakistan about using their airspace to conduct military and surveillance operations in Afghanistan. Pakistan’s foreign ministry denied the reports.

Last week Pakistan hosted representatives from the US, Russia, and China to discuss the unfolding humanitarian and economic crisis in Afghanistan that is forcing Afghans to migrate to neighboring countries. In a joint statement, they appealed for international humanitarian aid for Afghanistan and called on the Taliban to cut ties with terrorist groups.

India also held a regional security dialogue on Afghanistan last week attended by Iran, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Pakistan and China declined to attend.

It is high time for the world to move beyond rhetoric and take action against state sponsors of terrorism like Pakistan to ensure a rules-based international order. Justice needs to be delivered, and delivered in a timely fashion. Otherwise, the victims of Pakistan’s actions, like the families of those who perished in the Mumbai attacks, are simply denied justice.

Tribal Farmer Woman Drags Water to Farms

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Barren land Blooms in 100 villages

Jaipur, India – Farmers’ larger worry in the country may be inconsistent income, unpredictable climate and uncertain produce forcing them for menial labour and abandoning farming for the period of stress. This is a reality for those tribal regions also where mother nature has showered abundant grace but poor natural resource management has pushed the otherwise self-reliant tribal population into the vicious cycle of poverty, shifting a major burden on lakhs of women.

However, the silver lining is the sheer grit of a handful of women farmers breaking this cycle to see life smile back in the villages embracing change and pragmatism for the benefit of whole generation. Shahbaad bloc falls in the Baran district in south east of Rajasthan near coaching hub Kota with major population of Saharia and Bheel tribes. When one would cross either of the three rivers Kunnu, Reti and Sirsa to reach the Purampur village of the bloc to meet one such spirited farmer Kotha Bai from Bheel community, the scenic water streams of the rivers would flow freely touching our feet but ironically not deep enough under the ground.

Seasoned social worker Cheetar ji briefs about a vicinal village in dark zone because of utter neglect of water related works here. And that was a serious worry for the people here who would know the value of channeling water for sustainable agriculture and a safe future but not the methods of accomplishing this feat.

By the time we reached the village, dusk had gripped the village but the bustle of rural life was usual amid electricity cut. Kotha Bai was just back spending arduous hours in her fields under cultivation to attend to ailing goat, hungry cattle and inquisitive guests with equal warmth. This simple heart resolute 55 years old woman shares a story of real dark spells of her life when she would force migrate to cities with her husband for months to work as a daily wage labourer. No water, no work and food shortage in the village left no choice for them but to leave children and old parents to the mercy of the almighty. It was suffering beyond redemption, she recalls. Once, when the entire district was hit by severe drought and food crisis, the footprints of community organizations kindled hopes among women like her who joined the relief works undertaken by the government and social sector in her village.

She started participating in all village development activities and meetings to join the process of finding long term solutions to overcome misery, drudgery and poverty. Constructive interventions of social institutions working on the Gandhian model of holistic development guided the villagers to work collectively, dig water pits (talai) to store rainwater and to make way for rivers to their fields, recalls social worker Manju Bala Joshi who was part of this transformative action force. It took a few years of hard toil to build two check dams (anicuts) in the year 2006 in this village inhabiting about 60 families.

Each family contributed 20-25% of the cost of construction for sharing fruits of development and community ownership. Kotha Bai was president of the village development committee (VDC) and this was an opportune time for all to share concerns for reviving agro-economy by adopting small savings, restoring community culture, ensuring education for all, care for girl child and enjoy benefits of government schemes. Water passages (nadi) and canals (nahar) were also built, 4000 feet pipelines rolled out to reach each village farm and water was river-lifted from check dams.

Kotha Bai was at the forefront of every effort and would also face a backlash from the orthodox members of the community when she started devoting more time for village initiatives. But she remained firm with the rock support of her husband Hath Singh, who would value her relentless work and possibilities of opportunities unleashing with change in mindsets. She lost her husband some years back but has already earned enough respect that the villagers now look up to her for every major decision.

With the water reaching directly into farms, the irrigation and cultivation movement started to see the village economy flourish. Now every household in Purampur village has a bank account, small savings, gas cylinder and knowledge about farm markets for fair deal. Most are affording tractors and motorcycles also.

Kotha Bai is leading a network of more than five thousand women from nearby villages and enjoys all love of her sons, daughters in law and grandchildren. It’s her five hectares of cultivated fields we saw in another visit in daylight with one crop damaged by locust attacks but rest that of maize and sesame grown in a larger area nourishing the soul of Kotha Bai and those who take pride in her success. She shows us her pucca house alongside the original wooden-mud brick one, built from Prime Minister Awaas Yojana money with two out of three rooms stacked with pea and wheat grains. She earns Rs 3-4 lakh a year from these farms, keeping best quality grains and vegetables for daily nutritional needs of her family. Her one son helps her in farms while other works as a school teacher. With the check dams, water passages and canals she built, the groundwater is getting recharged for nearly hundred adjoining villages and her ideas of multi cropping are adopted by many smart farmers in the region.

This indomitable woman with strong faith in karma wakes up to the call of every crisis and once started repairing the broken check dam, the lifeline of farms here, alone. Only after seeing her strain, the whole village joined hands later. This is how she leads with the power of her actions. Her words implore fellow villagers to care for nature and long stretches of barren land bows to bloom with the profundity of her wisdom and experiences.

Minimalist living and pure fresh food cooked on a unique two mouth earthen stove (chulha) and hot plate (tava) served with affection assure us of revival of deep ecology if this village model is replicated faster in regions wrestling with similar challenges and pain of migration.

US Joins the International Solar Alliance

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Glasgow, Scotland – US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry announced today that the US has joined the International Solar Alliance (ISA) as a member country.

“It has long been coming, and we are happy to join the International Solar Alliance, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi took the lead in making,” said Kerry. “We worked out the details and this is a process we are pleased to be a part of. This will be an important contribution to more rapid deployment of solar globally. It will be particularly important for developing countries.”

Welcoming the US as the 101st member of the ISA, India’s Minister for Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Mr. Bhupender Yadav said that this move will “strengthen the ISA and propel future action on providing a clean source of energy to the world.”

On November 2, the ISA, India Presidency of the ISA, and the UK COP Presidency launched the ‘Green Grids Initiative – One Sun One World One Grid’ (GGI-OSOWOG), during the World Leaders Summit of the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow. The Steering Committee of GGI-OSOWOG is comprised of five members – the US, Australia, France, the United Kingdom, and India. To help deliver the vision of One Sun One World One Grid, 80 countries have resolved to combine their efforts to create more inter-connected grids, endorsing the One Sun Declaration.

At a steering committee meeting of GGI-OSOWOG, US Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said that the, “United States is excited to be back in the climate conversation”. Citing the One Sun Declaration, Secretary Granholm said that, “all the energy humanity uses in a year is equal to the energy that reaches the earth from the sun in a single hour. The GGI-OSOWOG is focusing on the two most important pieces of the puzzle. We at the US Department of Energy are happy to be a partner with GGI-OSOWOG.”

Background
The International Solar Alliance (ISA) was launched in 2015 at the 21st session of the United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP-21) in Paris, France by India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the former President of France Mr. Francois Hollande. The launch was attended by former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, as well as the heads of state of about 120 nations who affirmed their participation in the Alliance to dedicate efforts for promotion of solar energy.

Washington Update: Deteriorating Human Rights Situation in Ethiopia

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Reporters and politicians in the United States seem to have forgotten the atrocities and human rights violations committed by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) when they were in power in Ethiopia, but the Ethiopian people cannot forget. All over Ethiopia, people have taken to the streets to demonstrate and denounce the announcement of a combination of terrorist organizations with the TPLF against Ethiopia. Ethiopia’s Tigray rebels have joined forces with other armed and opposition groups in a new escalation of a war that threatens to tear the country apart.

The Ethiopian Parliament has designated these groups, organizations including the OLF/Shenne which has massacred Amhara civilians, as terrorists. The massacre of civilians at Guliso Woreda, West Wolega Zone, was orchestrated by the OLF- Shene group and TPLF, Oromia State President Shimelis Abdisa said.

Ethiopian-Americans demonstrated in front of the White House on Monday November 8 to denounce the Biden administration’s policy towards Ethiopia and to demand a reversal in a policy that treats the TPLF aggressors as victims.

The deteriorating human rights situation in Ethiopia is a tragedy that the U.S. and world cannot ignore.

Ethiopians are united in opposing a return to power by the TPLF. The President of the Somali regional state Mustefa Omer has demanded an apology from TPLF officials for the mass killings that took place in various parts of the state during the TPLF-led Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) rule. “This is the place. It is one of the places where grave human rights violations were committed to Somali people by TPLF officials. Here is one of the graveyards where nine members of a family were murdered by the TPLF,” said the president in a video message.

TPLF atrocities are not relegated to the past. Following the unilateral ceasefire declared by the federal government in June 2021, there have been hundreds of killings, brutal attacks and rapes in areas occupied by the TPLF. Briefing the media, Ethiopia Justice State Minister Fekadu Tsega said the terrorist group carried out large-scale atrocities on civilians in violation of international laws in South and North Gondar zones of the Amhara region as well as Galykoma Kebele of Afar region.

The conflict is causing man made famine. According to the World Food Programme, over a million people in Ethiopia are in dire need of food.

After the immediate conflict has been calmed, Ethiopians must take steps to avoid future conflicts. Peace and stability depend on abandoning the ideology of ethnic division and launching a project to revise the Ethiopian constitution. The present constitution was created to exacerbate ethnic divisions. It will lead to the destruction of Ethiopia.

Ethiopian-Americans ask the U.S. Congress and the administration to review its policy towards Ethiopia and request the TPLF to remove its arsenal and fighters from Amhara, Afar and other parts of Ethiopia before any negotiations for peaceful settlement occur.