- Atlanta - Boston - Chicago - DC Area - Houston - Jersey Area - Los Angeles - New York - SF Bay Area
- Earlier editions
- Astrology - Cricket - Money - Movies - Women - India News
- Rediff Chat - Rediff Bol - Rediff Mail - Home Pages
A complete revamp of the Indian intelligence network recommended in a post-mortem of the 1999 Kargil conflict with Pakistan has been speeded up following the terrorist attacks in the US.
The government, stunned by the daring attack that humbled one of the most advanced intelligence mechanisms in the world, has hastened the process of bringing various intelligence agencies under a unified command in the home ministry.
An intelligence co-ordination group and a joint military intelligence agency would be set up to streamline intelligence gathering, a home ministry official said.
These were among the recommendations of a group of ministers to review the national security system. The group was set up to review the system after India failed to detect, for months, hundreds of Pakistan-backed guerrillas who quietly occupied strategic heights in Kargil. This sparked a near war between India and Pakistan.
The Cabinet Committee on Security, which cleared the recommendations in May, reportedly decided after the September 11 US terror attacks to implement the steps post haste.
The government is setting up a multi-agency task force under the Intelligence Bureau, which would also have representatives from the Research and Analysis Wing, military intelligence and state intelligence units.
Under the existing system, the Director General of Military Intelligence, a three-star army officer, receives intelligence -- albeit limited and often of little value -- from agencies such as IB and RAW.
Every state has to set up an inter-state intelligence team that would report to the home ministry.
Last week, the CCS had also given the nod for an integrated defence staff for better joint planning and policy formulation. The integrated staff would introduce a concept of joint planning and joint training between the Indian armed forces.
Indo-Asian News Service
The Attack on America: The Complete Coverage
Back to top
Tell us what you think of this report
