Three shortlisted to succeed Narayanan

[RPK]

Three shortlisted to succeed Narayanan- Hindustan Times

Three seasoned diplomats are in the running for the post of National Security Advisor (NSA) amid strong indications that the incumbent M. K. Narayanan is on his way out. He is tipped to be sworn in as governor of an important State.

Appointments to gubernatorial slots under concurrent charge of governors from other states have acquired urgency in the run-up to the Republic Day, sources told Hindustan Times. They said Narayanan’s experience as NSA and former Director of Intelligence Bureau could be useful in the Kolkata Raj Bhawan as the CPM-ruled state fights Naxalism.

The new NSA could be from among three seasoned diplomats: former foreign secretaries Shiv Shankar Menon and Shyam Saran, and former Indian Ambassador to the United States, Ronen Sen.

“The PM hasn’t yet taken a call on Narayanan’s successor,” the sources said. Both Menon and Sen were closely associated with the formalisation of the Indo-US nuclear deal, the follow up on which is among the NSA’s responsibilities.

Currently the PM’s special envoy on climate change, Saran had an impressive stint as foreign secretary.

Barring the controversy over drafting flaws in the Indo-Pak statement at Sharm-el-Sheikh, Menon served with distinction as India’s envoy to China, Pakistan and Sri Lanka — portfolios the new NSA is likely to oversee in the PMO —before taking over as foreign secretary upon his return. For his part, Sen, known to be close to the late Rajiv Gandhi, was India’s Ambassador to the US, Russia and Germany. He also had a stint in the country’s nuclear establishment.

The UPA’s first NSA was J. N. Dixit, whose demise in January 2005 saw Narayanan, then Internal Security Advisor in the PM’ Office, handling foreign policy issues including the India-China boundary talks. Sources said Narayanan’s departure could be a precursor to the NSA focussing on foreign policy matters and home ministry on internal security.

Home Minister P. Chidambaram’s “New Architecture of Security” proposes changes in the reporting lines of agencies, including those accountable to NSA, under the National Counter-Terrorism Centre.

On the gubernatorial front, appointments to Raj Bhawans in Andhra, West Bengal, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh are likely to be announced over a few days. There are good chances of Chhattisgarh governor E. S. L. Narasimhan being made permanent in his concurrent charge in Andhra. Maharashtra and Punjab governors have also completed their terms and could be replaced.

 

[blain2]

I always wonder what such statements mean because they are used in Pakistan as well:

"Menon served with distinction as India’s envoy to China, Pakistan and Sri Lanka"

What was the distinction over his predecessor? Did a breakthrough in relations happen for which he was responsible or is the distinction only that he did his job maintain status-quo, which by definition would not be anything distinctive, only the norm. Also I ask this because the same common verbiage is used across the border on our side when highlighting the "tees maar khans" of our side.

 

[third eye]

I always wonder what such statements mean because they are used in Pakistan as well:

"Menon served with distinction as India’s envoy to China, Pakistan and Sri Lanka"

What was the distinction over his predecessor? Did a breakthrough in relations happen for which he was responsible or is the distinction only that he did his job maintain status-quo, which by definition would not be anything distinctive, only the norm. Also I ask this because the same common verbiage is used across the border on our side when highlighting the "tees maar khans" of our side.

These are cliched words used by Govts which mean that " he actually didn't goof up big time while he was responsible" or else he would have been sacked.

Also, in case of Govt servants ( non diplomats ) - ' he towed the Govt line & did not create ripples or impediments thereby every one ended up being richer !"

 

[RPK]

Armed forces want nuclear specialist in NSA restructuring - India - The Times of India

NEW DELHI: With the role of the national security adviser up for some tinkering after M K Narayanan's exit, the armed forces are keen that "a specialist'' takes charge of all matters connected to nuclear weapons.

A chief of defence staff (CDS), over the three Service chiefs, of course, would have been ideal to act `a single-point military advisor' to the government as well as manage the country's nuclear arsenal.

But with the government still apathetic towards creation of this crucial post, which would also help in formulating concrete long-term strategic plans, the clamour is growing for `a person well-versed in nuclear matters' to play the lead role in the `executive council' of the Nuclear Command Authority (NCA).

"As we saw with first Brajesh Mishra and now Narayanan, the NSA has too many things on his plate...external affairs, internal security, intelligence, Nuclear Command Authority etc,'' said a senior officer.

"Nuclear command and control matters, which involve armed forces, DRDO, DAE and the like, are too important and complex to be left to generalists,'' he added.

This seems all the more significant since the new NSA is likely to be more of a diplomatic adviser, as seems likely with former foreign secretary Shiv Shankar Menon being the frontrunner, and home minister P Chidambaram becoming the internal security and intelligence czar.

There are some, including Narayanan, who feel it would be foolhardy to bifurcate the external and internal matters since their threats and challenges are so intertwined with each other.

The armed forces, on their part, have for long cribbed about being "kept out of the nuclear loop''. Both Mishra and Narayanan, apart from other roles, had also acted as super-CDSes, chairing as they also did the executive council of the Nuclear Command Authority. They did have deputy NSAs to focus on military matters but they were not specialists.

The Nuclear Command Authority and the tri-Service Strategic Forces Command (SFC) were created to manage the nuclear arsenal in January 2003, after the 10-month troop mobilisation along the Indo-Pak border under `Operation Parakram' in wake of the December 2001 Parliament attack.

The authority's architecture comprises the executive council and the higher `political council', chaired by the Prime Minister and the "sole body which can authorise the use of nuclear weapons''.

The executive council, in turn, is tasked with `providing inputs for decision-making' by the Nuclear Command Authority as well as `executing directives' given to it by the political council. This itself does not find favour with some strategic experts, who hold that the `nuclear button' cannot rest with `a committee'.

"It has to be a single leader who takes the decision after getting sound political-strategic-military advice,'' said an expert. Of course, there also have to be clear-cut "alternate chains of command'' for retaliatory nuclear strikes if the political leadership is "decapitated'' in a pre-emptive first strike by an adversary.

India's nuclear doctrine, after all, lays down that while there will be no-first use, "nuclear retaliation to a first strike will be massive and designed to inflict unacceptable damage''.