Tripura CPI(M) opposed to Indo-US joint manoeuvre in Mizoram

Agartala, Aug 1 (UNI) The CPI(M) Tripura state committee has opposed the proposed joint manoeuvre between Indian and the United States and in the Counter Insurgency and Jungle Warfare School (CIJWS) in Mizoram from tomorrow.

Talking to media here today, Tripura CPI(M) spokesperson Goutam Das said the Left would not support any kind of defence venture with the US and lashed out at the UPA Government that it had been compromising with the country's defence sovereignty and encouraging the US influence in the country's security sector.

Mr Das, however, stated that the Left had earlier also opposed similar complex battle manoeuvre in Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir and in the Alaskan mountains in the US, and now the Manmohan Singh Government allowed a batch of 30 American special forces personnel to take part in the exercise besides, four officers and 26 personnel from the Indian special forces, to be held in the specialised counter-insurgency ranges at CIJWS at Vairangte.

'' The Indo-US special forces manoeuvres are reaching an advanced stage of joint manship on the theme of tackling terrorism, '' a senior CIJWS official told UNI over phone.

The focus of the forthcoming exercises would be on tackling terrorism in urban landscape with the US forces drawing upon their experience in Afghanistan and Iraq and the Indian forces on their expertise in Jammu and Kashmir, he added.

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