Canada should 'thank and reward' whoever killed a terrorist, says Retd Lt. Gen Kapur

Canada should 'thank and reward' whoever killed a terrorist, says Retd Lt Gen Kapur

New Delhi 

Amid India-Canada heightened row, a former military commander Lt Gen R N Kapur (retd) on Saturday said instead of precipitating diplomatic issues, Canada should 'thank and reward' whoever killed a terrorist residing illegally on their land.

"He (Hardeep Singh Njjar) was not only a threat to India but also could become a threat to Canadian citizens. In fact Canada should be happy and thank and reward whoever killed a terrorist residing illegally on their land," Lt Gen (Retd) Kapur told this journalist.

"Osama bin Laden was killed in Pakistan by the US without any permission from a sovereign nation and  their indulgence in investigation of a purported similar crime amounts to hypocrisy of Western world. I think the strong but diplomatic reaction against Canada by the government of India is fully justified," he said.

General Kapur said, "It is unfortunate that Canada has made an issue about a terrorist being killed on their 

land and put allegations against India without any credible evidence. Nijjar was a proclaimed terrorist who had 

illegally defected to Canada after murdering people in India and against whom Red Corner Notice 

was existing."  

"Nijjar was also continuing to carry out anti India activities including being in possession of an AK 47 rifle in Canada," he maintained. Answering questions, the retired officer said, "Canada as a member of the UN is guilty of sheltering a proclaimed terrorist by a friendly country and needs to take action against the rest of Khalistan group terrorists lest they become victims of terrorism on their own land". 

Almost echoing the same spirit, Michael Rubin, a former Pentagon official and a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute has told the media, "...Let's not fool ourselves, Hardeep Singh Nijjar was not simply a plumber any more than Osama Bin Laden was a construction engineer. He had blood on his hands through multiple attacks".

He said, US Secretary of State Antony may say that the United States will always stand against 'transnational  oppression'. "We are actually being hypocritical if Secretary Blinken makes that statement because after all, what we're talking about isn't transnational repression. We are talking about transnational terrorism and what the United States did to Qasem Soleimani and what the United States did to Osama Bin Laden is really no different than what India is alleged to have done in this case". 

Rubin also counseled the US leadership that it should understand why and how things have unfolded. In Khalistani terorism, "...there's a much greater danger for Canada than India", Rubin opined and also went on to state, "If Canada wants to pick a fight, frankly, at this point (against India), it's like an ant picking a fight against an elephant".

He also said, "... I suspect that the United States doesn't want to be pinned in the corner to choose between two friends, but if we have to choose between two friends, increasingly we are going to choose India on this matter simply because Nijjar was a terrorist". "Justin Trudeau probably isn't long for the Canadian premiership, and then we can get rebuild the relationship after he's gone," Rubin has been quoted as saying.

ends

 (Nirendra Dev is a New Delhi-based journalist. He is also author of the books ‘The Talking Guns: North East India’, and ‘Modi to Moditva: An Uncensored Truth’. Views expressed are personal)

Snub to Canada: "If Hardeep Nijjar was simply a plumber than Osama Bin Laden was a construction engineer" -- says ex-Pentagon official

Michael Rubin, former Pentagon official and a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute says "...Let's not fool ourselves, Hardeep Singh Nijjar was not simply a plumber any more than Osama Bin Laden was a construction engineer. He had blood on his hands through multiple attacks. 

"And therefore, while Secretary Blinken may after the facts, say that the United States will always stand against transnational oppression. We're actually being hypocritical if Secretary Blinken makes that statement because after all, what we're talking about isn't transnational repression. 

"We're talking about transnational terrorism and what the United States did to Qasem Soleimani and what the United States did to Osama Bin Laden is really no different than what India is alleged to have done in this case," he said.

 Video

"I'm not sure that the allies are convinced with Trudeau's theory or that they interpret, the importance of the matter to the same degree that that Justin Trudeau does. First of all, let's give one analogy, when Jamal Khashoggi was killed in Istanbul. 

The Turks were able to provide intelligence support right away, which is why the world rallied around Saudi Arabia in this case. But Justin Trudeau again, he seemed to have shot from the hip. 

He hasn't been able to release any definitive intelligence...when Justin Trudeau says trust me, no one trusts him in the best of times. All the more so against the backdrop of an election campaign, he's presently losing. And so this is the reason why there is such great, doubt or caution on the part of the United States and the other 5 eyes community."

"Well, frankly, there's a much greater danger for Canada than India. If Canada wants to pick a fight, frankly, at this point, it's like an ant picking a fight against an elephant. And the fact of the matter is India is the world's largest democracy. It's far more important strategically than Canada is, especially as concern grows with regard to China and other matters in the Indian Ocean basin and the Pacific...", Rubin said.

"... I suspect that the United States doesn't want to be pinned in the corner to choose between 2 friends, but if we have to choose between 2 friends, increasingly we're going to choose India on this matter simply because Nijjar was a terrorist and India is too important. Our relationship is too important. 

Justin Trudeau probably isn't long for the Canadian premiership, and then we can get rebuild the relationship after he's gone."  

"... I think Justin Trudeau was acting as a politician. He was very short-sighted, and no one should trade, their short-term political convenience for the long-term relationship with the world's largest democracy."