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Why some Sikhs support Khalistan movement?Short Answer - Sikhs backed by ISI and other anti-India elements do care and want to turn Sikhs against India by fueling Khalistan movement.The Khalistanis have been successfully used in the past by ISI and CIA against Indira Ghandi . The same forces trying very hard to keep it alive as potential leverage that can used in future against Narendra Modi or any strong government in Center.For more Details read long answer .Long AnswerIn the first few years after India’s independence, the Sikh migrants from Punjab constituted the largest single group of Indian origin in the Indian diaspora in the UK, the US and Canada. Some of them had migrated even during the British rule---particularly to Canada to work in the saw mills of British Columbia. Others had gone after 1947. Most of these migrants came from poor rural families and many of them in the UK earned their living by working as drivers and conductors in the public transportation systems of the municipalities. Some of the farmers, who had migrated to the US, did extremely well in citrus farming in California. The Yuba City in California had a prosperous community of Sikh farmers. The migrants to Canada earned their living in factories and in the public transportation systems.Despite their living in Western countries, they continued to be attached to their religion and led their lives as true Sikhs. Whenever they could save enough money, they would come to India to visit their relatives and worship in the Golden Temple in Amritsar. In the late 1950s and the early 1960s, the Sikhs, who were working abroad as salary-earners, started facing difficulties because their employers began insisting that they should shave off their beard and stop wearing turbans. This was particularly so in the public transportation companies of the UK. Moreover, the Sikh migrants in the West faced difficulties in getting permission from the municipal authorities for acquiring land and constructing gurudwaras where they could worship.In the UK, many of the affected Sikhs took up the matter with the Indian High Commission in London and sought its intervention. The High Commission declined to intervene and advised the Sikhs to approach the local authorities for a redressal of their grievances. Jawaharlal Nehru, who was India’s Prime Minister at that time, followed a hands-off policy with regard to the migrants of Indian origin living abroad. He was against the Government of India intervening on their behalf with their host governments. They were told that they should sort out matters themselves by taking up their problems with the local authorities.The affected Sikhs compared what they thought was the indifferent attitude of the Government of India with the helpful and interventionist role played by the Government of Israel in responding to the religious sensitivities of the Jewish people, wherever they might be living and whatever might be their nationality. The Israeli Government, according to the aggrieved Sikhs, always assumed a moral responsibility for protecting the religious interests of the Jewish people. Moreover, Israeli citizenship laws permitted dual nationality, whereas the Sikh migrants, who acquired a foreign nationality, had to renounce their Indian citizenship. Another demand of the Sikhs was that the Government of India should take up with Pakistan the question of facilitating pilgrimage visits by Sikhs living in India as well as abroad to their holy shrines in Pakistan such as the Nankana Sahib gurudwara.Dissatisfaction over the reluctance of the Government of India to vigorously take up such issues with other Governments gave rise to a feeling among some of the Sikh residents of the UK, the US and Canada that only by creating an independent State for the Sikhs would they be able to have their religious rights protected. A group of Sikh bus drivers and conductors in the UK formed an organization called the Sikh Home Rule Movement under the leadership of one Charan Singh Panchi. Some well-to-do Sikh farmers in the US floated an organization called the United Sikh Appeal, which was modeled after the United Jewish Appeal, which had actively supported the rights of the Jewish people and worked for an independent State of Israel. However, the majority of the Sikh communities in the West kept away from these organizations. They did not support the idea of an independent Sikh State.Before the India-Pakistan war of 1971, Dr.Jagjit Singh Chauhan, who had served for a few months between 1967 and 1969 as the Deputy Speaker of the Punjab Assembly and then as the Finance Minister of Punjab, went to London, joined the Sikh Home Rule Movement, took over its leadership and re-named it as the Khalistan movement. He wanted that the independent Sikh State to be created in Punjab should be named as Khalistan. Even before his arrival in the UK, the Pakistani High Commission and the US Embassy in London were in touch with the activists of the Sikh Home Rule Movement. They established contact with Chauhan after his arrival and started encouraging his propaganda against the Government of India in order to embarrass Indira Gandhi. Gen.Yahya Khan, Pakistan’s military dictator, invited him to Pakistan. He was received warmly and lionized as the leader of the Indian Sikh community even though he had no following in the Sikh community of Punjab. During his visit to Pakistan, the Pakistani authorities presented to him some of the Sikh holy relics kept in the gurudwaras of Pakistan. He took them with him to the UK and sought to use them in order to project himself as a leader, who could protect the religious interests of the Sikhs.Before the outbreak of the war in December, 1971, the R&AW, on the instructions of Indira Gandhi, had started a PSYWAR campaign to highlight the violation of the human rights of the people of East Pakistan and the resulting refugee exodus into India. The CIA and the ISI sought to counter this by starting a PSYWAR campaign on the alleged violation of the human rights of the Sikhs in India and the indifferent attitude of the Government of India to the problems of the Sikhs living abroad. Chauhan visited New York and met the local media and others in order to brief them on the Khalistan movement. These meetings were discreetly arranged by some members of the staff of the US National Security Council Secretariat, then headed by Dr.Henry Kissinger. On October 13, 1971, he had an advertisement published in the “New York Times” proclaiming the beginning of a movement for an independent Sikh State. Enquiries made by the R&AW indicated that the Pakistani Embassy in Washington DC had paid for this advertisement. This PSYWAR campaign against India and Indira Gandhi on the question of the alleged violation of the human rights of the Sikhs continued till 1977. When Indira Gandhi lost the elections in 1977 and was replaced by Morarji Desai, this campaign was abruptly discontinued by the CIA and the ISI. Dr. Chauhan returned to India and stopped campaigning for the creation of the so-called KhalistanIn the meanwhile, a number of other Sikh organizations formed by sections of the Sikh youth in the UK, the US and Canada came into being with names such as the International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF), the Dal Khalsa, the Babbar Khalsa etc. These advocated a violent campaign for the creation of Khalistan and repudiated the leadership of Dr.Chauhan, who was against resort to violence. By the end of the 1970s, the ISI had lost interest in Chauhan and started encouraging the new organizations. When Indira Gandhi returned to power in 1980, Chauhan went back to London and re-started his Khalistan movement. As part of his propaganda campaign, he got postage stamps and alleged currency notes of the so-called independent State of Khalistan printed in Canada and started circulating them. He went to Ottawa, met a Chinese diplomat there and allegedly sought Chinese support for his movement. The Chinese declined. He reportedly went to Hong Kong and tried to go to Beiijing in order to meet the Chinese leaders. The Chinese authorities refused him entry into China. After 1980, he was thus spurned by China and downgraded by Pakistan, but the US continued to maintain interest in him. He frequently visited Washington DC, met US officials and members of the Congress and testified before Congressional committees on matters such as India’s relations with the USSR, the alleged presence of Soviet military officers in India etc. The CIA maintained a distance from the new Sikh youth organizations because they advocated violence, but it kept itself briefed on their plans and activities through journalists and other intermediaries.After Indira Gandhi came back to power, a new Sikh leader became active in the US. His name was Ganga Singh Dhillon, who was in the Punjab Police as a junior official before he migrated to the US and settled down in Washington DC. After migrating to the US, he married a Sikh woman of Kenyan origin, who was a close personal friend of the wife of Gen.Zia-ul-Haq, and also belonged to a Kenyan family. With the help of wives, Dhillon came to know Zia and became one of his trusted friends. He formed in Washington DC an organization called the Nankana Sahib Foundation and used to visit Pakistan often. The two families became so close to each other that when Zia visited Washington DC, his physically disadvantaged daughter used to stay with the Dhillons and not in the hotel in which Zia and his wife were put up by the local authorities. Dhillon also became a strong critic of Indira Gandhi and helped the US in the propaganda campaign against her.As a result of these activities, Suntook decided towards the end of 1980 to create a separate Division to collect intelligence about the activities of the Sikh extremist elements abroad and monitor their links with the ISI. I was put in charge of the Division. After taking over, I collected all past reports bearing on this subject, collated them and prepared a detailed background note, which I could use as a database in the Division. One day, a Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) rang me up and asked me whether the R&AW had any background note on Sikh extremist activities abroad, particularly in the US. I sent him a few copies of the detailed note which I had prepared.Some days later, the office of Narasimha Rao, who had taken over as the Minister for External Affairs under Indira Gandhi, rang me up and said that Rao, who was going on a visit to the US, wanted me to meet him and brief him on Khalistani activities in the US and their links with Pakistan. I met him and briefed him. He showed me the background note, which I had prepared of which he had a copy, and asked: “This is a very good background note prepared by the MEA. Why can’t the R&AW prepare something like this?” I replied that I had, in fact, prepared it after going through the R&AW files on the subject and sent some copies to a Joint Secretary in the MEA. Rao remarked in surprise: “ But the Joint Secretary said he had prepared it!”On September 29, 1981, the then Cabinet Secretary (CS) received a flash from the New Delhi airport control tower that an aircraft of the Indian Airlines had been hijacked by some unidentified terrorists and forced to fly to Lahore. The Crisis Management Committee of the Government of India immediately met in the office of the Cabinet Secretary. The initial assessment was that the hijacking must have been carried out by the members of the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), which had earlier carried out a hijacking in 1971. I was called by the Cabinet Secretary. At that time, the terrorists had not identified themselves. The CS asked me for my assessment. I disagreed with the view that the JKLF must be responsible for it and added that it was most probably carried out by a Sikh extremist organization called the Dal Khalsa headed by one Gajendra Singh. My view was not accepted because till then the Sikh extremists----apart from carrying out a massacre of some members of a sect known as the Nirankaris--- had not indulged in any act of terrorism.As I reached back my office, my Personal Assistant told me that the office of the CS was frantically trying to contact me and that they wanted me to come back to his office. When I reached there, an official in the CS’ office told me that the terrorists had identified themselves. It was some members of the Dal Khalsa led by Gajendra Singh, who had carried out the hijacking. He asked me how I was able to identify them before they had identified themselves. I replied that a few days earlier the then “New York Times” correspondent in New Delhi had visited the Golden Temple in Amritsar and met some members of the Dal Khalsa. He had also interviewed Gajendra Singh on the objectives of the Dal Khalsa and the problems of the Sikhs. In that interview, Gajendra Singh had said: “The time has come for the Dal Khalsa to emulate the Palestine Liberation Organisation.” The official asked me whether the “New York Times” published the interview. I said I did not know since I did not get the paper. He asked: “How then do you know he was interviewed by its New Delhi correspondent?” I replied that the IB used to intercept for the Press Information Bureau all telex despatches sent by the foreign correspondents based in New Delhi to their headquarters. They used to circulate to all senior officers dealing with national security intercepts of relevant despatches. They had intercepted the telex message sent by the “New York Times” correspondent to his headquarters about his meeting with Gajendra Singh and other members of the Dal Khalsa. I also received a copy of that intercept.The Pakistani authorities persuaded the hijackers to release the passengers and the plane and to surrender themselves. The plane with the passengers returned to India. The surrendered hijackers, including Gajendra Singh, were allowed to live in the Nankana Sahib gurudwara. The Zil-ul-Haq Government refused to hand them over to the Government of India for investigation and trial. They promised that they would try them in their court after proper investigation. They made a sham of an investigation and trial. They were convicted and sentenced to imprisonment, but instead of sending them to jail, they were allowed to continue living in Nankana Sahib. Gajendra Singh used to meet Sikh pilgrims visiting Nankana Sahib from India and abroad and carry on propaganda against the Government of India. New Delhi’s protests against this used to be rejected by the Pakistani authorities.Three more hijackings followed, with a similar course of events. The Pakistani authorities would allow the plane to land, facilitate interactions between the hijackers and the media to enable the hijackers indulge in anti-India and anti-Indira propaganda, persuade them to release the passengers and the aircraft so that they could return to India, make a pretense of arresting the hijackers and allow them to stay in a gurudwara instead of in a prison. However, in the case of the fifth and last hijacking on August 24, 1984, they did not follow this drill since their earlier fraternization with the hijackers of the previous flights had come in for criticism from some sections of the international community. When this aircraft landed in Lahore, the ISI officials found that the terrorists had hijacked it with a toy and not a real weapon. They, therefore, gave the terrorists a revolver and persuaded them to go to Dubai. When the plane landed at Dubai, the authorities of the United Arab Emirates persuaded them to terminate the hijacking, by promising that they would not be handed over to the Indian authorities. The hijackers released the plane and passengers so that they could go back to India and handed over the revolver to the security authorities of Dubai. They wanted that they should be allowed to go to the US. They seemed confident that the US would not act against them.As soon as the Government of India came to know of the plane taking off from Lahore for Dubai, they despatched a joint team of the IB, the R&AW, the MEA and the Ministry of Civil Aviation to Dubai to interact with the Dubai authorities and persuade them to hand over the hijackers to India along with the revolver for trial as soon as the hijacking was terminated. Initially, the UAE authorities seemed hesitant to do so. Indira Gandhi deputed Romesh Bhandari, then Secretary in the MEA, who had very high level contacts in the ruling family and the bureaucracy of the UAE to go to Dubai to persuade the UAE authorities to hand over the hijackers and the revolver. He was successful in his mission. An aircraft chartered from a Western company was sent to Dubai with a joint team of officers from the IB, the R&AW, one of the central para-military forces and the MEA. It was headed by an officer of the R&AW, who was then on deputation to the MEA to be in charge of security in the Ministry and the Indian diplomatic missions abroad. After the plane landed in Dubai, all the members of the Indian team stayed inside the aircraft so that the hijackers were not able to see them.After the aircraft had landed, the Dubai authorities told the hijackers that as desired by them they were being handed over to the US authorities and that a special plane had come from the US to take them. They were then taken to the chartered aircraft and handed over to the Indian security team inside, along with the revolver. Only then the hijackers realised that they had been misled and that they were actually being taken to India. By then, it was too late for them to do anything. The pilot and the other members of the crew of the aircraft were also taken by surprise because they did not know that the aircraft had been chartered by the Indian security establishment for flying back the hijackers. They murmured some protest, but ultimately flew back to Delhi with the hijackers.This was a brilliant piece of operation made possible by the co-operation of the UAE authorities, the excellent contacts of Romesh Bhandari in the Gulf countries in general and in the UAE in particular and the professionalism of the Indian security team headed by the R&AW officer. However, all this would not have been possible but for the high regard in which Indira Gandhi was held in the UAE. When some terrorists belonging to the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen (HUM) of Pakistan hijacked an Indian Airlines plane from Kathmandu in December, 1999, they first took it to Lahore and then Dubai before finally going to Kandahar. The Government of the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee did not get the same kind of co-operation from the UAE authorities as Indira Gandhi was able to get. They allowed the plane to proceed to Kandahar after re-fuelling it. The failure of the Vajpayee Government to persuade the UAE authorities to terminate the hijacking could be attributed partly to its lack of good contacts in the UAE and partly to its image in the Gulf as anti-Muslim. Moreover, the MEA did not have in 1999 any senior officer with the kind of high-level contacts in the ruling circles of the Gulf countries as Romesh Bhandari had.His contacts were not confined to the Gulf countries only. He had similar high-level contacts in South-East Asia. Once the R&AW received information that a Khalistani terrorist had taken shelter in the Philippines. It immediately sought the assistance of Bhandari. He was able to persuade senior officials in Manila to pick him up informally without arresting him and hand him over to the Indian security officials. In order to avoid media publicity, which might have invited judicial intervention, they picked him up and detained him in an Air Force base in the interior of the Philippines. An ARC plane flew in there and brought him to India. Such informal networking and contacts at the political and bureaucratic levels greatly help in counter-terrorism. One got an impression that the Vajpayee Government was not able to develop such networking during the six years it was in office.The revolver given by the ISI to the hijackers at Lahore before the aircraft was taken to Dubai was of West German make. The R&AW sent the details of the revolver to its counterpart in the then West Germany and sought its help for ascertaining to whom the West German company had sold it. After making the necessary enquiries, the West German intelligence intimated that the revolver was part of a consignment sold by the company to the Pakistan Army. The Government of India immediately shared this information with US officials and pointed out that it was a fit case for declaring Pakistan a State-sponsor of international terrorism. The US authorities did not agree. They said that there was no credible evidence to show that this revolver was given to the terrorists by a Pakistani official. The information that the revolver was handed over to the hijackers at Lahore by Pakistani officials came from one of the passengers of the hijacked aircraft, who had seen the revolver being handed over. During the interrogation, the hijackers also admitted that they got the revolver at Lahore from Pakistani officials. But, the US authorities were not prepared to accept this oral evidence as conclusive proof against Pakistan.The action of the Dubai authorities in handing over the hijackers and the revolver to Indian officials created a scare in Khalistani circles and some nervousness in the ISI too. As a result, hijackings by Khalistani terrorists stopped completely. There were some instances of hijackings subsequently too, but these were carried out by individual elements unconnected with the Khalistan movement.When the ISI noticed the motivation and the determination of the Khalistani elements, it decided to exploit them for its purposes to create instability in the Punjab. It set up clandestine camps for training and arming the Khalistani recruits in Pakistani Punjab and in the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP). Gajendra Singh, the hijacker of the Dal Khalsa, was put in charge of these training camps. Other Sikh terrorists such as Talwinder Singh Parmar of the Babbar Khalsa in Vancouver, who was involved in the massacre of some Nirankaris in Punjab, Manjit Singh alias Lal Singh of the ISYF, Canada, and Gurdip Singh Sivia of th ISYF, UK, were allowed to visit these training camps in Pakistani territory and motivate the Khalistani recruits. Many Khalistani elements from India were also allowed to cross over into Pakistan and provided with safe sanctuaries. This was the time when the ISI was in receipt of large funds from the Saudi and US intelligence agencies and arms and ammunition from the US for arming the Afghan Mujahideen against the Soviet troops. These flows continued till the Soviet troops withdrew from Afghanistan in 1988-89. The ISI diverted part of these funds and arms and ammunition to the Khalistani terrorists.After giving up hijackings as a weapon, the Khalistani terrorists intensified their terrorism on the ground in Punjab and Delhi. Initially, they committed many acts of terrorism with hand-held weapons given by the ISI. Then, they started using improvised explosive devices (IEDs)---- timed as well as remote-controlled. The explosives, detonators and timers were supplied by the ISI. There were targeted killings of political leaders, officials, journalists and innocent civilians such as farm workers from other parts of India.During the training in Pakistan, the ISI impressed on them the need to weaken the economy of Punjab by attacking its irrigation canals and the farm workers from other parts of India, who go to Punjab to work there. It also emphasized the need to extend their operations to Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and other parts of India. There was hardly any reaction from the Western Governments to the ISI’s sponsoring of terrorism against India in Punjab. The ISI looked upon its operations in support of the Khalistan movement as a reprisal for India’s role in the liberation of Bangladesh. It also felt that the destabilization of Punjab would weaken India’s ability to maintain internal security in Jammu & Kashmir and enable the Pakistan Army to annex J&K. The ISI code-named its operation as Operation K-K (Khalistan-Kashmir).Initially, the Khalistani terrorists did not have much ground support from the people of Punjab, but the position changed in their favour after the Asian Games of November 19-December 4, 1982, which were held in Delhi. Around that time, the London-based Jagjit Singh Chauhan flew to Bangkok and from there proceeded to Kathmandu to meet some Khalistani elements from Punjab. The R&AW officer in Bangkok detected his arrival in Bangkok from London through his sources. The R&AW kept him under surveillance in Bangkok as well as Kathmandu. The Government of India requested the Nepalese authorities to pick him up and hand him over to the Indian Police. They did not oblige. They picked him up and put him on board a flight to Bangkok. The Thai authorities were not helpful either. They forced him to go back to London. Before the Games, the IB and the R&AW were in receipt of alarming reports that the Khalistani terrorists were planning to disturb the Games through IEDs. The Police and the central para-military forces took tight security measures. Security barriers were set up on all roads leading to Delhi. Cars and buses were stopped and many Sikhs were subjected to physical search for any concealed weapons or IEDs. The feelings of humiliation caused by these measures drove many Sikhs of Punjab and Delhi into the arms of the Khalistani terrorists. The years 1983 and 1984 saw a serious deterioration of the situation in Punjab. The Khalistani terrorists started using the Golden Temple in Amritsar as a sanctuary for their operations. On April 26, 1983, A.S.Atwal, a Deputy Inspector-General of Police of Punjab, was gunned down by the terrorists as he was coming out of the Golden Temple.The ill-advised actions of Zail Singh, former Home Minister, who subsequently became the President of India, in trying to use Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale to create a split among the Khalistanis in the hope of thereby weakening them boomeranged. Instead of weakening them, he became their leader. He acquired a religious aura and attracted a number of Sikh peasants and other poor Sikhs to the Khalistan cause. He and his supporters took shelter inside the Golden Temple at Amritsar and started operating from there. The number of incidents of terrorism started going up. Punjab and even Delhi kept bleeding more and more. There was panic in the Government when the trans-border sources of the IB and the R&AW started reporting that the ISI had been infiltrating Pakistani ex-servicemen and even some serving members of the Pakistan Army into Punjab to help the Khalistanis. There were even some reports that some of these Pakistani mercenaries had taken up position inside the Golden Temple and were acting as advisers to Bhindranwale and other Khalistani leaders.The alarm caused by these developments and reports made Indira Gandhi contemplate for the first time sending the Army inside the temple to arrest the terrorists and their supporters. However, before doing so, she tried frantically to find a political solution and to use the leaders of the Akali Dal for persuading Bhindranwale and other terrorists to vacate the temple. Rajiv Gandhi and two of his close associates held a number of secret meetings with Akali Dal leaders in a New Delhi guest house of the R&AW. I was given the task of making arrangements for these meetings, recording the discussions, transcribing them and putting up the transcripts to Kao for briefing Indira Gandhi. These talks failed to persuade the Akali Dal leaders to see reason and co-operate with the Government of India by persuading the Khalistani elements to vacate the Golden Temple peacefully. These transcripts, which were kept in the top secret archives of the R&AW, were very valuable records with historic value. They showed how earnestly Indira Gandhi tried to avoid having to send the Army into the Golden Temple. One hopes they are kept safely and would be available for future historians.Simultaneously, Indira Gandhi also sent Kao abroad to contact foreign-based Khalistani elements and seek their co-operation for making Bhindranwale and other Khalistani elements vacate the Golden Temple. Two other officers of the R&AW and I accompanied him. My job was again to record the discussions secretly, transcribe them and put up the transcripts to Kao for briefing Indira Gandhi on our return to India. A Khalistani leader from the US, who met Kao in Zurich, offered to try to help if he was allowed to go into the Golden Temple and meet Bhindranwale. As proof of his goodwill, he claimed that the Khalistani elements in the US had planned to kill the R&AW officer in Washington DC, but he had prevented them from doing so. There was no way of verifying his claim. I was told that Indira Gandhi was against accepting his proposal to send him inside the temple. She felt that if this person also stayed behind inside the temple and joined Bhindranwale it could add to the problems of the Government of India.Things thereafter started moving inexorably towards an army raid into the Golden Temple in order to arrest Bhindranwale and all terrorists, who had taken shelter there. There was some unease in the intelligence community over the wisdom of the proposed course of action. One had an impression that Kao felt that it would be better to be patient for some weeks instead of taking any precipitate action, which might prove counter-productive or, if immediate action was considered necessary, to use the police and the central para-military forces instead of the Army. The Army is trained in a manner different from the police. Once the Army is launched into action, it has to prevail over the adversary. In the case of the police, it tunes its action to suit the circumstances. It does not have to prevail whatever be the circumstances. If it finds that the resistance of the adversary is high and that its attempts to prevail could cause high fatalities, it does not mind withdrawing and awaiting a better opportunity, when it can prevail at much less human cost. I was given to understand that at the request of Kao, two officers of the British Security Service (MI-5) visited the Golden Temple as tourists and gave a similar advice to Indira Gandhi---- be patient and avoid action or use the police. There was also concern in the intelligence community over the likely repercussions of any Army raid on the discipline of the large number of Sikh soldiers of the Army, but senior Army officers were confident that there would be no negative impact on the Sikh soldiers. Ultimately, when the raid was made, their confidence was belied and the concerns of the intelligence community proved correct. There were instances of resentment openly expressed---and even violently at one place—in the Army, but these were brought under control after some initial anxiety.The Army’s raid into the Golden Temple from June 3 to 6, 1984, code-named Operation Blue Star, was not a totally tidy operation. It experienced more resistance than it anticipated from Bhindranwale, his followers and the terrorists inside the temple. In the prolonged exchange of fire, Bhindranwale was killed and the Akal Takht was badly damaged. There were instances of violent protests by the Sikhs in some parts of Punjab and other parts of the country. The Operation caused deep feelings of hurt in the hearts of large sections of the Sikh community in India and abroad. Its negative consequences were to be felt for another eleven years. Among these consequences was the assassination of Indira Gandhi by two of her Sikh bodyguards belonging to the Delhi Police on October 31, 1984.Lt.Gen.Sunderji, who co-ordinated the Operation, blamed the intelligence agencies for the untidy operation. He claimed that the Khalistanis were much larger in number inside the temple than he had been told by the intelligence agencies and much better armed. He blamed what he projected as the poor intelligence for the long time taken by the Army to overcome the resistance and take control of the temple. Over-confidence in his ability to score easy success before launching difficult and sensitive operations and a tendency to blame the intelligence agencies when his over-confidence was found to have been misplaced were the defining characteristics of Gen.Sunderji. One saw them during and after Operation Blue Star and one saw them again after he took over as the Chief of the Army Staff, when the Indian Peace-Keeping Force (IPKF) went to Sri Lanka.Many ISI-trained Khalistani terrorists were arrested during the raid. Large quantities of arms and ammunition supplied to the terrorists by the ISI were recovered. But not a single Pakistani Army mercenary---serving or retired--- was found inside the temple. The reports of the IB and the R&AW in this regard were found to have been wrong. Many of these reports had come from trans-border sources such as smugglers etc. In some instances, the same source was reporting to the IB, the R&AW and the Military Intelligence without these organizations being aware of it. The lack of co-ordination in trans-border operations often resulting in inaccurate, misleading and alarming reporting continues to be the bane of our intelligence community.More than the large number of casualties, what hurt the Sikhs deeply was the damage caused to the Akal Takht by the Army action. At the instance of Indira Gandhi, some Sikh leaders of her party organized a ‘kar seva’ (voluntary religious work) to have the Akal Takht repaired. But it was not that easy to repair the hurt in the hearts of large sections of the Sikh community all over the world. This lingering hurt aggravated the problem of Khalistani terrorism and led to the assassination of Indira Gandhi the same year and of Gen.A.S.Vaidya, who was the Chief of the Army Staff at the time of the operation, in 1986 in Pune, where he was living after his superannuation

We must start from history to discuss all the island disputes. Most people in the West are not knowledgeable about the war in China. Their attention was WWII in Europe. MacArthur was in charge of giving Japan administration power of Ryukyu Islands so they would be in US control. The world order is “Might is right”. There is history in the book I am writing WWII IN CHINA with a chapter on disputes after WWII:WAR IN CHINAJapanese invasion began when pirates raided the coast resulting in 500 years of Sea Ban in Ming and Qing Dynasties. Formal invasion started in 1894 resulting in occupation of Taiwan in 1895 until 1945.THE 9.18 INCIDENT--In 1931, Japan dynamited a railroad to kill Manchurian warlord Zhang Zuolin. His son Zhang Xueliang vowed revenge. In his effort to unite the Nationalists and Communists to fight against Japan, he engineered the kidnap of Chiang Kai-sek in Xi’an Incident to force a united front against Japan. Zhang Xueliang later found out that Chiang was ordering fighter planes and getting soldiers trained to fight Japan. Zhang was reckless to engineer the Xi’an Incident to push Chiang into war before the planes were delivered. Chiang was forced to start the fight ahead of schedule.For the duration of the war, KMT led Nationalist troops to fight in the south while CPC conducted guerilla warfare in the north. Japan installed Puyi to head the puppet state Manchukuo. Instead of removing troops from Manchuria, Japan quit the League of Nations after the decision that Japan was guilty of invasion in Manchuria.The civil war started immediately after victory. Zhang Xueliang followed Chiang Kai-sek when KMT retreated to Taiwan in 1949. After Chiang Kai-sek died, he immigrated to Hawaii and died at the age of 101.THE 7.7 INCIDENT--On July 7, 1937, on the pretense of searching for a missing soldier, Japan launched the attack at Lugou Bridge (known as Marco Polo Bridge in the West), entering Beijing in August, the official start of full-scale War.BATTLE OF SHANGHAI—Shanghai was a concession city with many international residents occupying areas of the city protected from Japanese attack. After the fall of Beijing, Chiang put up fierce resistance in the bloody BATTLE OF SHANGHAI from August to November 1937 hoping for international intervention. But none was forthcoming. Both sides suffered heavy casualties. It took 3 months and the lives of 40,000 Japanese soldiers at the Battle of Shanghai.NANJING MASSACRE-- As the capital of ROC, Nanjing was the target for Massacre. Nanjing Massacre Museum was built in 2006 on the site. The Museum brochure cited the history: “The Nanjing Massacre refers to an exceedingly horrible massacre of civilians by the Japanese army during a six-week period from December 1937 to January 1938 after its occupation of Nanjing, then the capital of the Republic of China. In flagrant violation of international conventions and fundamental moral codes, the Japanese invaders stopped at nothing in committing atrocities in the form of slaughter, rape, plunder, arson and destruction. After the surrender of Japan, the International Military Tribunal for the Far East and the Nanjing War Crimes Tribunal investigated the Nanjing Massacre as a separate case. The investigation by the Nanjing War Crimes Tribunal revealed that Japanese troops had committed 28 mass slaughters taking a toll of 190,000 persons, and 858 sporadic killings claiming the lives of over 150,000 Chinese, in total over 300,000 Chinese lost their lives.”IRIS CHANG: “THE RAPE OF NANKING” --In 1997, Chinese American writer Iris Chang published her book “The Rape of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust of World War II¨. It was a best seller that shocked the Western world with the forgotten details of the Massacre Japan committed in Nanjing during WWII. She made a great contribution to tell the history of Nanjing Massacre to the people in the West. She also committed suicide from depression in 2004 at the age of 36.SAMURAI CULTURE-- Why did the Nanjing Massacre happen? Right-wing militarists were a small minority in leadership position with inflated ego to conquer the world. Ordinary Japanese to this day are unaware of historical facts deliberately covered up by the right-wing government. What caused normal Japanese to turn into slaughtering beasts committing crimes of murder, rape, plunder, and arson? This has to do with Japan’s SAMURAI culture.Japan’s Samurai culture was established early in history and flourished in 15th and 16th centuries. During the period of the Japanese Warring States, dozens of states, independent from the central government, fought among themselves. Wealthy landowners built private armies for their own protection. They employed homeless and jobless wanderers— who pledged absolute loyalty to fight to death for their masters. They would do anything their masters asked. If a Samurai warrior could not accomplish the mission or was defeated in a battle, the shame would cause him to commit suicide (Harakiri) by plunging a dagger to disembowel his body. Anyone who would perform such a brutal act on oneself, certainly would not hesitate to be brutal to victims.BOMBING OF CHONGQING—With the fall of Nanjing in 1938, the Nationalist government moved to Wuhan, then Chongqing as the wartime capital. Sichuan has the most difficult terrain for Japanese tanks to penetrate. And the narrow Yangtze River Gorges were impossible to pass. In February 1938, Japan conducted sustained bombing on Chongqing. Besides casualties from bombing, thousands died of suffocation in crowded air raid shelters.SUMMARY OF HISTORY- Japanese militarism led to a series of aggression against China: the invasion of Taiwan in 1894; the annexation of Ryukyu Islands; the Naval War of 1894-95 to invade Korea and China; participation in the Eight Power Allied Forces, attacks on China and staging of the Mukden Incident as a pretext to invade Manchuria in northeast China. On December 9, 1937, the Japanese military announced the full horrors of war on Nanjing and gave orders to kill all including civilians.LEARN FROM HISTORY—To this day, Japan has not admitted to their war crimes. History books were changed to whitewash their war activities. Japan portrays itself as a victim of WWII, being the only country to suffer from atomic bombing, rather than the perpetrator of war crimes. Right-wingers tried to justify the practice of “sex slaves¨ in WWII. The Japanese claimed to be the most superior race deserving to rule the world. They had a detailed plan to accomplish this. The first step was to conquer China and Asia before proceeding to world domination. It was the first step that resulted in numerous invasions in China since the 19th Century. Full scale invasion began in 1931. They planned to take China in 3 months then Asia and the United States with a surprise attack on the Pearl Harbor. There is yet no apology for atrocities they committed in the war, biological experiments on live Chinese civilians and the untold destruction from their daily bombing on cities in China. It is possible to forgive only when Japanese, like the Germans, show remorse for the crimes committed to assure that this will never happen again.Japan was also involved in Europe with their alliance with the Nazis in WWII. The Japanese do not forget their suffering from atomic bombs the US dropped on Japan, not as perpetrators of war crimes. Memorial service is conducted every year to mourn the victims. China fought Japan alone from 1931, 10 years before US was involved after Pearl Harbor attack, To this day, Japan has continuous disputes on islands returned to China, Korea, and Russia as conditions of surrender after WWII.At the peak, more than 6 million Japanese soldiers were fighting in China. They followed “San Guang policy” meaning “To kill all, loot all, burn all” in China. Poison gas was used by Japanese troops to fight off guerrilla attacks; firebombs to burn down villages, biological weapons on live Chinese prisoners as experiments. It was estimated that 20 million Chinese were killed, 80 to 100 million became refugees. For 14 long years from 1931 to 1945, the Nationalists bore the brunt of the war.CASUALTIES OF WWII--WWII was even worse than WWI in terms of casualties. Twice as many civilians were killed as the soldiers. Japanese invasion of China began in 1931, 10 years before the attack on Pearl Harbor. About 20 million Chinese died in the war, mostly civilians. USSR had almost as many deaths. Colonies of the West were also targets of Japanese attacks with additional 10 million deaths in Southeast Asia. It was estimated 60 to 80 million died in WWII.POST-WAR WORLD ORDER--International leaders gathered to lay down post war world order on the conditions of Japan’s surrender to give up stolen territories including Taiwan, Okinawa, and the Diaoyu Islands. Germany was divided into West Germany and East Germany until reunited in 1990. The Western bloc formed NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) in 1949. USSR with 7 satellite countries in Central and East Europe formed the Warsaw Pact in 1955 which was dissolved in 1991.Japan started the war in 1931, Nazi Germany in 1939 to conquer Asia and Europe based on the theory of racial superiority. They came close to destroying two centers of the world’s civilization! Western imperialism collapsed; their colonies became independent countries after the war. Fifty years after the founding of the United Nations in 1945, United Nations had 3 times the members. Human beings have made amazing progress in civilization but have not become more civilized!Celebration Kiss for VictoryAFTER WWIIKOREAN WAR (1950-53)—After WWII, Korea was divided into two zones of occupation at the 38th parallel line by USSR north of line and the US south of line which became the start of the Cold War. The two sides clashed to push through the 38th parallel line. US sought to stop expansion of Communism to push to Yalu River bordering China. China joined in the fight to defend against invasion to spill over the border. The war ended in 1953 with an armistice, but no formal peace treaty between South Korea and North Korea which has since been developing its nuclear capabilities.VIETNAM WAR (1955-75) --The US fought in Vietnam (1955-75) resulting in 58,000 deaths and additional casualties of American soldiers and untold civilian casualties and destruction in Vietnam. China defended against the war from spilling over the border. Nixon went to China to meet Mao Zedong to end the Vietnam War and to form an alliance against Soviet expansion which succeeded in the dissolution of USSR. Now US is pushing China to join Russia in the new triangle diplomacy.SOUTH CHINA SEA--China had the most advanced naval technology in ancient times. The maritime trade routes were established as early as the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD) between China and the Arabian Peninsula. Emigration from China to South East Asian countries was significant in the Tang Dynasty (618-907). Ethnic Chinese in these countries were called “Tang Ren” or Tang people. During the Song Dynasty (960-1280), large scale trading was frequent. But the largest naval expeditions were conducted by Zheng He in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). When he arrived in Southeast Asia, there were already sizable Chinese communities. Today there are still significant ethnic Chinese populations in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, Brunei, etc. There are even claims in Africa of descendants of Zheng He’s crew who stayed to marry local women in Africa. DNA tests have verified their China connection.ZHENG HE was a Muslim eunuch in the court of Ming Emperor Yongle. In 1405, Yongle Emperor of the Ming Dynasty sent Zheng He on his first expedition to regions bordering the Indian Ocean with a fleet of some 250 ships (some the size of a football field) and 27800 men, about 20 times the size of Columbus’ expedition in 1495. Between 1405 and 1433, he led 7 expeditions to Brunei, Java, Thailand…. in Southeast Asia, to India, Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Zheng He’s sailing charts with the Mao Kun map were published in 1628, showing bays, estuaries, capes and islands, ports and mountains. Three hundred places were named which was the historical basis for China’s claim of sovereignty in the South China Sea. Activities included trade and peaceful exchanges of gifts of silk, porcelain, tea…and ostriches, zebras, camels, etc., not plundering and colonization. Today, there are temples to worship Zheng He in many Southeast Asian countries for his contributions to introduce Chinese culture and technology.MODERN HISTORY--The maps established by the US and Spain in 1898-1900 as well as by Great Britain in 1930 showed South Sea Islands belonging to China. At the time of independence of the Philippines in 1947, its official map did not include disputed islands. Disagreements by the Philippines started only in 1960’s after discovery of oil. In fact, the Spratly Islands were annexed by Taiwan in 1938. ROC’s Kuomintang (KMT-Nationalist Party of the Republic of China) established the eleven dotted line in 1947 after WWII. When PRC took over the mainland in 1949, it inherited the 11 dotted line. For years, there had been fishing activities in South China Sea by neighboring countries regardless of ownership. Upon requests of Vietnam, PRC eliminated 2 dotted lines to allow fishing activities. The 11 dotted lines were revised in the 50’s by Zhou Enlai for PRC into a 9 dotted line, also called the Nine Dash Line. China established sovereignty of islands within the 9 dotted line with historical documentation of mapping and naming of islands. At the time, the disputing countries did not have much naval technology or written languages for historical records.During the civil war between KMT and the Communists, lack of communication and neglect of defense led to encroachments of the islands by Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei, etc. Even today, China has been accommodating to allow fishing in the area and sharing of benefits of oil and natural gas explorations. There had been no claims of the disputed islands by the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia… until discovery of oil and natural gas deposits in 1960’s. China has not taken military action against illegal drilling activities, instead sought bi-lateral peaceful solution with disputed countries which resulted in 2011 agreement with Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines for cooperation between China and ASEAN countries. China proposed to set aside territorial claims and to jointly develop resources as a constructive and win-win solution to the claims. China is the largest trading partner with all ASEAN countries with heavy investments in infrastructure in the region. It is becoming increasingly clear that economic benefits from cooperation with China outweigh any possible benefits from confrontation.The US and Japan have no territorial connections in the South China Sea to interfere in the disputes. The real purpose is to contain China’s rise.EAST CHINA SEA--DIAOYU ISLANDS (Senkaku Islands for Japan)--These islands in East China Sea are land extensions of the island of Taiwan, returned to China the same time as Taiwan as part of the conditions of Japan’s surrender at the end of WWII. These islands did not appear in Japan’s history or maps prior to its invasion of China in 1894. Legally, Japan was to give up all occupied territories resulting from acts of aggression. Google cited the history:The Cairo Declaration was issued on 27 November 1943 and released in a Cairo Communiqué through radio on 1 December 1943, [3] stating the Allies' intentions to continue deploying military force until Japan's unconditional surrender. The main clauses of the Cairo Declaration are that the three great allies are fighting this war to restrain and punish the aggression of Japan, they covet no gain for themselves and won't involve themselves in territorial expansion wars after the conflict, "Japan be stripped of all the islands in the Pacific which she has seized or occupied … "all the territories Japan has stolen from the Chinese, including Manchuria, Formosa, and the Pescadores (incl Okinawa and Diaoyu Islands), shall be restored to the Republic of China", Japan will also be expelled from all other territories which she has taken by violence and greed and that "in due course Korea shall become free and independent." (For the same reason, Japan has continuing island disputes with Russia and Korea after WWII).Japan’s involvement in South China Sea disputes is an attempt to divert attention and release pressure on Diaoyu Island dispute.China has had legal claim over the islands since the 15th Century. It has vowed to defend its sovereignty with military force if necessary.The US has no territorial connections with the islands in the South and East China Seas and is not a party involved in the disputes. Freedom of navigation which has never been a problem was used as a pretense for interference and involvement. China has a legitimate objection to US and Japanese military exercises and surveillance in close proximity of China’s borders threatening its security, greatly increasing chances of accidental warfare from misunderstanding with so many parties involved. China proposed bilateral negotiations on specifics of common interest with individual countries involved.The US and China are two great nations with enough nuclear power to destroy the world or to cooperate for peace and prosperity. With mutual understanding, American and Chinese people have the wisdom to make the right choice.

Robert,I suspect my main reason is after Russia Gate, Ukraine Gate and $50m+ wasted in engaging 15 biased FBI, numerous top anti-Trump lawyers, investigations, spying, lying and unpatriotic acts to bring down a duly elected President, and trying to impeach without evidence since 2016, that even the dumbest of mentally ill, personal animus filled, TDS Democrats would now be thinking, there is no there there.Following that, making an economic miracle of debt left by Obama, Bush & Clinton, which was:Bush Clinton $7Trillion, not paid down under punitive interest is now US $9TObama US$8.5 Trillion, not paid down under punitive interest is now US$10.5T##biggest debt ever.That meant no investment in infrastructure, pensions in the toilet, no investment in the military, average hourly wage rate in decline, house building permits lowest ever, banks unable to lend, more blacks & minorities unemployed, that Trump, also obstructed at every turn by Democrats took US$2T debt and made tax benefits to all, including to Industry to rebuild via Capital Additions, has not fallen below 3% growth vs an weak, rounded up Obama 1% average, growth.Just think what would be achieved had Democrats worked on something, anything, in a bi-partisan way, for all?Apart from that?.My favorite is making the biggest self-sacrifice, selfless beyond any I have seen from a US President since WW2, that despite clearly Democrat TDS, their mental illness and ever-increasing amoral standards, that Trump showed courage & moral rectitude, knowing exactly the reaction from those ‘nut jobs & psycho’s’, and their Fake MSM, many who wanted Nuclear WW3, killing billions, just to spite Trump, he was courageous and saved the lives of all those mothers sons & daughters that the Democrat lunatics would fill up as a blockade, a wall of ‘billions’ of dead, of everyone but their own children - Trump extended the hand of discourse to ‘jaw-jaw’, to avoid war wars, Armageddon.‘Otherwise take your pick:-Fighting Sanctuary cities. Not being amoral by making one's own voters pay tax to protect criminals & illegal migrant criminals in Sanctuaries and provide welfare, to those same detritus that will, or have, sodomized, robbed, mugged, harmed, raped, sold drugs too, or killed, their own sons, mothers, wives & daughters; come to think of it ‘what a perfect definition for ‘delusional’.TDSWhooped crooked Hillary.Neil GorsuchConsumer confidence 17 year high>2m jobsLowest jobless claims in 50 years.Mortgage apps 7 years highUnemployment 17 year lowTrump added 298k jobs in his first month (after President Obama said jobs were not coming back!).Women in Entrepreneurship ActGutted Obama Era job herniating RegsEnded the war on coalResurrected coal jobs.Weakened Dodd-Frank regsPromoted buying & hiring AmericanPut in place Economic plan that in the long term seeks to reduce the $22T National Debt, of which 46% including interest payments was created by Obama.Record Dow, the DOW took just 66 days to climb from 19,000 to above 21,000, the fastest 2000 point run EVER.Stock market gained >$3T, improving instantly pensions.Investment from the US Business’Investment from foreign business’.Reduced Debt by $100B in less than the first 4 months.(President Obama increased the US debt in his first 100 days by more than $560 Billion.)The S&P500 broker $20T for the first time in its history.In the history of the DOW, going back to January 1901, the DOW record for most continuous closing high trading days was set in January of 1987 when Ronald Reagan was President. The DOW set closing highs an amazing 12 times in a row that month. On February 28th Trump matches Reagan when the DOW reached a new high for its 12th day in a row!Reduced illegal immigration.Signed a resolution encouraging women in entrepreneurship and STEMBorder wall being built, slowly despite Democrat obstruction.Against killing unwanted born babies.Victims of Immigrant Crime Engagement [Pelosi would not even see the Angels]Changed R.E. against ISISRepealed Obama’s ‘terms of engagement’ that put the US lives at greater risk than terrorists.Plan to defeat ISIS.Reduced F35 cost5 Year lobbying ban.Sanctioned Iran.Repealed Iran deal, evidence now proves Nuclear capability of Iran.Responded to Syria with the bombingTax reform plan.Resurrected Pig Iron Smelting & jobs.Withdrew from TPPExited the [Voluntary & unenforced] Paris Accord.Created Crime task force.DOJ targetting MS13Energy Independence.Economic growth.E.O. establishing The American Technology Council.E.O to protect policeE.O. targetting drug cartels. President Trump signed three Executive Orders – 13773, 13774, and 13776 – aimed at cracking down on international criminal organizations, including drug cartels and gangs, and preventing violence against law enforcement officers.E.O. Religious Freedom.E.O. on Obamacare subsidies.E.O. to reduce Federal government waste/excess created by Obama, saving taxpayers potentially hundreds of millions.E.O all federal agencies to create task forces to cut regulations that hurt the economy.Inter State insurance competion on Medic Care.Action against Big Pharma drug prices - cheaper in Mexico etc.Sending Education back to the States.Fixing the V.A.Firing crooked Comey.Travel ban.Keystone pipelineCreated Commission on Opioid Addiction.Combating Human Trafficking.Rollback of Obama Cuba policy.Food stamp use lowest in 7 years.Reduced Whitehouse payroll burden on taxpayers by removing 16,000 unnecessary Obama created jobs.Working for free.A successful trip to Asia.China trade dealCanada & Mexico level-playingfield trade deal.E.U. leveler playing field deal.Designated N. Korea a terrorist stateISIS almost defeated, but not gone.Jerusalem capital of Israel.Tax Reform billBusiness investments up 39% due to tax cuts.Signed 130 bills into law.136 Presidential Proclamations64 E.O’sArmed Ukraine with heavy weapons.Confirmed no more waste of US military lives in lost causes &/or no interest conflicts.Food to Puerto Rico.Various national natural disasters handled.NATO paying its fair share.Encouraged RINO’s to leave.Reinforced Judeo-Christian beliefs.Funded the Military.Placing a hiring freeze on federal employees.Twice tried to pay government employees during the shutdown, but was blocked by Democrats.Sanctioned Russia more time than Obama.Signed the First Step Act criminal justice reform into law, helping especially Blacks, a FIRST.Subsequently pardoned unjustly treated black convicts. Unlike Cuomo & Obama, non were killers.More American employed than ever before & no ‘created fake jobs, unlike Obama.The release of Pastor Brunson from Turkey.Construction jobs up 300k in 2018.Kavanaugh was sworn in despite disgusting, disgraceful, amoral efforts by Democrats.Middle-class income rise is a record.Cut $300m to Pakistan.Cut $200m to Palestinians.Worlds largest oil producer.10million barrels a day.Given Russia, Iran & Turkey stopped re-building aid to Syria, saving taxpayers $230mManufacturing grew faster than in 14 years.Record low black unemploymentWar heroes remains returned from NOKO.Possible peace with NOKO.The release of 3 political US prisoners from NOKO.2026 World CupBlack Business Ownership Under Trump Jumps 400 PERCENT in ONE YEAR [Getty]Youth Unemployment hits 52 year low.Peace between North & South Korea’s.Work REquirement for Welfare.Nominates first woman to head CIA.Black support up to 29%Tax surplus in January.Pay rate highest since 2008.Hispanic unemployment hits low.Proposes reform of Civil Service ‘Hire the best, fire the worst’.Signs Bill to combat synthetic opioids - needs to with Democrats resisting closed border.2017 Record of lifetime appointed Judges.Rolled back $900m in Offshore Obama restrictions.US Imposes Sanctions on 52 People and Entities for Abuse and CorruptionHome build permits hit highest since 2007.Economy growth 5.7% in 1st Q of 2018, remained high since.Stock Market bubble outlasts subversive Federal Reserve rate hikes.$700 Billion Defense Bill.For Trekkies, Space Policy Directive.20% take rate for Corporations, to enable economic growth, create jobs and make efficiencies to infrastructure delivery of products.Capital Additions reduced to 1 year from >20 to enable tax deductibility on buying in & replacing inefficient production machinery.Trumps HHS defines life begins at inception / Moron Dems pass infanticide laws.$285m cut in the UN Budget, benefit for taxpayers.Reduction in refugee applications.WIC Welfare Participation Hit 17Year Low (dropped to 7,283,000 in 2017, its lowest level since 2000 when 7,192,000 participated in the program.)Broadcom to move back to US.A new strategy on Iran.Trump Signs Healthcare Order Expands Choice and Access through associationsWithdrew from Ani-Semitic UNESCO.Tech giants pledge millions to Trump initiative.Federal Reserve; Household Wealth in America at record high of 17 trillion Rising property values and Financial gain.Rolls back Environmental Laws herniating infrastructure re-building time etc.$15b Hurricane Harvey.US Small Business Admin. Centre assistance.Job satisfaction highest since 2005.Repeals Obama’s ridiculous ‘Waters of the US’ Rule.Cuts more Federal Debt for a longer period than any other President. When President Trump was inaugurated on January 20, 2017, the amount of US Federal Debt owed both externally and internally was over $19 Trillion at $19,947,304,555,212. As of August 17th, the amount of US Debt had decreased by more than $100 Billion to $19,845,188,460,167.Privatize Air Traffic Control for desperately needed investment.Vote Fraud investigation.Gas prices 12 year low.Ben Carson Finds 500 Billion In Errors during Audit of Obama HUD. (Obama era fraud?)$200m in Apprentice funding.Reversal of Clean Power Rule, to allow safe power.Bill to prioritize training for veterans & police seeking jobs.Anti-Terrorism pact with Qutar.Thousands of jobs created &/or protected in pact with Saudi Arabia on trade.Poland increased arms & US presence v Russia.DOJ sued California for interference with illegal immigration enforcement.DOJ more than 1000 arrests in sex trafficking.DOJ charging 4 for leaks.DOJ took down Alphabay, the largest Dark Web market.DOJ new civil forfeiture rules.DOJ charges 400 in largest Medical Healthcare Fraud.DOJ support of Texas voter ID law.DOJ charged sex traffickers who took hundreds from Thailand to US.DOJ harsher sentences for drug dealers etc.DOJ, Attorney General Sessions designated MS-13 as a priority for the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, to allow Federal law enforcement to utilize an expanded toolkit in its efforts to dismantle the organization.The United States, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras joined together to charge more than 4,000 MS-13 and 18th Street gang members in the United States and Central America, including the alleged leader of MS-13’s “East Coast Program.”August 2018 - More than 20 individuals associated with MS-13 were arrested in California on Federal and State charges in connection with their gang activitiesThe Department of Justice convicted eight members of an international criminal organization, known as the Rendon-Reyes Trafficking Organization, on Federal charges arising from their scheme to force young women and girls from Mexico and Latin America into prostitution.Signed Rep. Rutherford's STOP School Violence Act and Sens. Cornyn-Murphy "Fix NICS Act."$2 billion for school safety.The Ideological Balance Of The U.S. Sixth And Seventh Circuit Courts Of Appeals Shifted From Liberal To Conservative, Thanks To Judicial Nominees Selected By President Donald Trump.The Department of Justice announced more than $98 million in grant funding through the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services COPS Hiring Program to allow 802 additional full-time law enforcement officers.President Trump signed Executive Order 13809 to restore State and local law enforcement’s access to surplus equipment from the Defense Department, such as armored vehicles.In June 2017, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the creation of the new National Public Safety Partnership, a cooperative initiative with cities to reduce violent crimes.Attorney General Sessions expanded Project Safe Neighborhoods to encourage U.S. Attorney’s to work with communities to develop customized crime reduction strategiesAttorney General Sessions returned to longstanding Department of Justice charging policy for our Federal prosecutors, trusting them once again and directing them to return to charging the most serious, readily provable offense.Attorney General Sessions returned to longstanding Department of Justice charging policy for our Federal prosecutors, trusting them once again and directing them to return to charging the most serious, readily provable offense.( Criminals charged with unlawful possession of a firearm had increased 23 percent).Under President Trump, the Department of Justice has supported students whose free-speech rights have been under attack on university campuses. The Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division is reviewing a complaint by a coalition of more than 60 Asian-American associations that alleges racial discrimination against Asian-Americans in Harvard University’s admissions policies and practices.The Department of Justice secured a guilty plea for the first case prosecuted under the Hate Crimes Prevention Act involving a victim targeted because of gender identity.According to NERA Economic Consulting, the Obama CPP struck down by Trump would have increased electricity rates by as much as 14 percent, costing American households up to $79 billion.The Administration estimates that repealing the Clean Power Plan could eliminate up to $33 billion in compliance costs in 2030.Trump took Obama shackles of ICE. Deportations up 40%, crossings reduce.Success with his Ad Valorem tariffs.China opens rice market for US exports for the first time ever.MSM proven fake regards Trump's tariffs.Ordering review of unfair contracts & their abuses/abusers - WTOWages highest in 2018 since 2009>$350 B Saudi Arms deal protecting jobs in Miltary/Arms Industries.To combat Russia -E.U. The energy supply of gas; First Natural Gas Shipped to Poland.Coal export up 60% from an industry destroyed by Obama.A probe of China intellectual property theft.Argentina agrees to allow first US pork imports in 25 years.Crude oil shipment from Texas opens new vistas in IndiaUS ties; India’s first ever U.S. crude purchase to arrive in Sept 18. With this, India, the world’s third largest oil importer, joins Asian countries like South Korea, Japan, and China to buy American crude after production cuts by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) drove up prices of Middle East heavy-sour crude, or grades with a high sulfur contentBlocked China from buying Semi-Conductor Company - Lattice.Trump Blocks Chinese Purchase of Chipmaker Due to National Security; President Trump has issued an executive order blocking Singapore-based Broadcom’s $117 billion takeover of U.S. chipmaker Qualcomm on national security grounds. The heated battle for ownership of Qualcomm has ended with a presidential decree barring Broadcom from ever owning the company after CFIUS cited national security concerns with the prospect of such a deal. $QCOM. $AVGO(— David Faber (@davidfaber) March 12, 2018).Additionally, Reuters reports that the Trump order says all 15 candidate directors proposed by Broadcom are disqualified for Qualcomm board. Trump’s decision confirms what Hayman Capital’s Kyle Bass explained last week.193. VA Accountability & Protection Law allows sackings of civil servants etc.194. Trump signed Forever GI Bill boosting aid to student vets.195. Tougher border controls bring about for crossing The Border Illegally Is Harder Than Its Been In 50 Years.196. MAGA.197. The Administration actually eliminated 22 regulations for every new regulatory action.198. The Administration issued 67 deregulatory actions while only imposing three new regulatory actions.199. In FY 2017, the Administration saved $8.1 billion in lifetime net regulatory cost savings, equivalent to $570 million per year.200. Throughout 2017, President Trump has made good on his promise to cut red tape, and in doing so has reenergized the United States’ agricultural, energy, and infrastructure sectors by freeing them from oppressive and stifling regulations.201. President Trump has signed 15 Congressional Review Act resolutions into law, more than any other president, ending burdensome Obama-era rules and regulations.202. According to a study by NERA Economic Consulting, implementing the Obama Administration’s plan under the Paris Climate Agreement could have cost the United States economy nearly $3 trillion and 6.5 million industrial sector jobs by 2040.203. President Trump signed 15 Congressional Review Act resolutions into law that is estimated to save American taxpayers $3.7 billion.204. President Trump signed an Executive Order that reduced the time it took to approve infrastructure projects from 10 years to two years.205. To date, 860 regulatory actions have been withdrawn or removed from active status.206. The WSJ said President Trump is "rolling back more regulations than any President in history.207. President Trump has signed a record-breaking 15 CRA bills to roll back regulations.208. Since the CRA became law in 1996, only one had ever been signed (George W. Bush in 2001)209. Along with Executive Orders, these bills will reduce regulatory costs by $18 billion annually.210. The Department of Agriculture issued guidance that would give more flexibility to state operations of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The new program maximized flexibility and holds states more accountable for the delivery of food benefits.212. President Trump created the Interagency Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity that Secretary Sonny Perdue chairs and developed suggestions. Suggestions include focusing on broadband access, improving the lives of rural Americans, developing methods to support a rural workforce, harness technological innovation for rural communities, and focusing on economic development in rural areas.213. August 2018 - USDA Announced An Investment Of More Than $124 Million To Help Rebuild And Improve Rural Water Infrastructure In 23 States214. September 2018 - The USDA Announced That They Formalized An Agreement With A Nonprofit Organization To Purchase Homes From The USDA And Convert Them Into Transitional Housing For People Recovering From Opioid Misuse. These houses will allow houses in Kentucky's Hart and Rockcastle counties to be converted into transitional housing for individuals and families215. The Department of the Interior proposed its largest oil and gas lease of over 76 million acres in the Gulf of Mexico.216. President Trump and his Administration acted aggressively to increase exports of energy resources to the global market. The Department of Energy announced the approval of the Lake Charles Liquefied Natural Gas terminal.217. The Administration announced the approval of the New Burgos Pipeline, a cross-border project that will export U.S. gasoline to Mexico.218. EPA Administrator Pruitt launched a task force to provide recommendations on how to streamline and improve the Superfund program, which is responsible for cleaning up land contaminated by hazardous waste.The Superfund task force released 42 detailed recommendations with the following goals in mind:Expediting cleanup and remediationRe-invigorating responsible party cleanup and reuseEncouraging private investmentPromoting redevelopment and community revitalizationEngaging partners and stakeholders219. EPA has re-launched launched the Smart Sectors Program to partner with the private sector to achieve better environmental outcomes. The lead for each sector serves as the ombudsmen within the respective agency across program offices, conducts educational site tours, analyzes data and advises options for environmental improvement, and develops reports that profile the impact of each sector.220. To ensure the Government serves the needs of all Americans, President Trump has called for a comprehensive plan to reorganize the executive branch and has begun to implement this plan.221. President Trump has commenced a comprehensive overhaul of digitally delivered Government services.222. President Trump has called for “conducting a full audit of the Pentagon.” The Department of Defense (DOD) responded to the President’s call to action and has begun its first full financial statement audit.223. $1.6 billion for border wall spending. This is the first time the wall has been funded since 2003.224. $703 million increase in ICE funding, from $6.4 billion to $7.1 billion, an increase of more than 10%.225. $21 billion down payment on the President's promise to rebuild infrastructure.226. The President’s infrastructure plan will establish a Rural Infrastructure Program to invest in rebuilding and modernizing rural infrastructure. The Rural Infrastructure Program will seek to:Use outcomes-driven planning efforts and capital improvements to rebuild and modernize rural infrastructure.Grow business revenues and personal incomes in rural areas by expanding access to markets, customers, and employment opportunities.Enhance regional connectivity for rural communities through interregional and interstate projects developed by the public and private sectors.Spur economic growth and competitiveness by closing infrastructure gaps to attract more development and manufacturing investments in rural America.227. President Trump and his Administration allocated $50 billion to empower rural America to address the infrastructure needs of their communities. The $50 billion dedicated to rural America represented 25 percent of all Federal funds in the President’s plan.80 percent of the Rural Infrastructure Program funds will go directly to the governor of each State as determined by a formula.20 percent of the Rural Infrastructure Program funds will be provided to selected States that apply for Rural Performance Grants.NOTES:- States will be provided funding without burdensome bureaucratic commands on how they should spend it.The federal funding provided by the President’s plan will not be awarded in pre-packaged, asset-specific amounts, as is often the case with Federal programs.Funds provided under the President’s proposal will go directly to the governor’s office of the State receiving funds.This will allow Governors to make investments based on the individual infrastructure needs of their rural communities.228. President Trump’s infrastructure plan will enable the rebuilding and modernization of rural infrastructure across a broad range of asset classes.229. The array of broad asset classes eligible for funding under President Trump’s plan will include:Transportation projects will rebuild roads, bridges, railways, and other vital infrastructure.Broadband deployment projects which will improve access for rural communities.Water and waste projects to help ensure rural families have access to clean water.Power and electric projects to provide rural areas with reliable, affordable power.Water resources project to better manage flood risk and improve rural water supplies and waterways.230. In July 2018, Department of Transportation introduced a new pilot program that will boost military recruitment and help with the nationwide shortage of commercial vehicle drivers by allowing 18 – 20-year-olds who possess a U.S. Military equivalent of a commercial driver’s license (CDL) to operate large trucks in interstate commerce.231. President Trump has made clear that broadband should be an infrastructure priority.The President’s plan will provide States with the flexibility to invest in the needs of their rural communities, including broadband.The Rural Infrastructure Program allowed governors to spend 100 percent of Federal funds they received on broadband access.President Trump signed an Executive Order in January on “Streamlining and Expediting Requests to Locate Broadband Facilities in Rural America.”This was built upon the efforts of the Rural Infrastructure Program by the Trump Administration.232. In April 2018, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) laid out a comprehensive five-point strategy to combat the opioid abuse crisis.233. The Department of Justice announced that fentanyl substances are a drug class under the Controlled Substances Act. This meant anyone who possesses, imports, distributes or manufactures illicit fentanyl-related substances would be subject to criminal prosecution similar to other controlled substances.Anyone who possesses, imports, distributes or manufactures any illicit fentanyl-related substance will be subject to criminal prosecution similar to other controlled substances.The DOJ announced its first-ever indictments against two Chinese nationals and their North American-based associates for distributing large quantities of fentanyl and other opiate substances. On National Drug Take Back Day, the Drug Enforcement Administration collected a record-breaking 912,305 pounds – 456 tons – of potentially dangerous expired, unused, or unwanted prescription drugs at more than 5,300 collection sites.234. In his first week in office, President Trump reinstated and expanded the Mexico City Policy that prevented $9 billion in foreign aid from being used to fund the abortion industry.235. President Trump de-funded a U.N. agency for colluding with China’s brutal program of forced abortion and sterilization.236. President Trump worked with the Congress to sign a bill overturning an Obama midnight regulation that prohibited States from defunding abortion service providers.The Trump Administration published guidance which promises to enforce the Obamacare requirement that taxpayer dollars should not support abortion coverage in exchange plans.237. Reinstated the Mexico City Policy to ban any U.S. foreign aid to organizations that perform abortions.238. Signed a Congressional Review Act bill to allow states to restrict Planned Parenthood Funding.239. In President Trump’s FY 2018 budget request, school choice was a priority for increased funding, including supporting $1 billion in Furthering Options of Children to Unlock Success grants for public school choice and $250 million to promote private school choice through the Education Innovation and Research Program.240. Implemented the year-round distribution of Pell grants, instead of limiting these grants to the Spring and Fall semesters.Low-income students will now have access to these funds over Summer and Winter breaks so they can earn their degrees faster with fewer loans.241. The Department of Education reformed the student loan servicing process to improve customer experience and lower costs.242. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid is being reformed to be more accessible to students.243. Experts from the financial services industry were brought into the Department of Education to modernize the way FSA offers and services student loans.244. The Department of Education is working to ensure regulations on the books adequately protect students while giving States, institutions, teachers, parents, and students the flexibility they need to improve outcomes.245. The Dept. of Education has identified and withdrawn nearly 600 regulations that are deemed unnecessary.246. Rescinded the 2011 Dear Colleague Letter and 2014 Q&A regarding Title IX enforcement, and interim guidance was issued.247. Paused the Obama Administration’s Borrower Defense to Repayment and Gainful Employment regulations.248. The Department of Education’s Regulatory Review Taskforce identified nearly 600 outdated guidance documents for rescinding.249. August 2018 - The Department of Education announced $359.8 million in Federal assistance to 20 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands to assist with the cost of educating students displaced by Hurricane Harvey, Irma, Maria, or the 2017 California wildfires.250. August 2018 - The Department of Education announced that it would potentially rescind the Gainful Employment Regulation.​​​​​​​The Department Of Education Claimed That The Removal Of This Regulation Would Help Provide Transparency And Fairness To Students In Higher Education.I am sure I have missed numerous ones and so I have included an URL from the Washington Examiner below too. I have not checked it against my own list, I only have 250 accomplishments vs their 289, but what’s 39 between friends, after all 39 exceeds Obama’s accomplishments by, coincidentally 39!!251. POTUS did not leave Vietnam empty-handed. He secured a $15 billion deal. Vietnam’s Bamboo Airways and VietJet Aviation JSC signed deals to buy 110 aircraft from Boeing Co. during President Donald Trump’s visit to Hanoi for a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un.I am sure I have missed numerous ones and so I have included an URL from the Washington Examiner below too. I have not checked it against my own list, I only have 250 accomplishments vs their 289, but what’s 39 between friends, after all 39 exceeds Obama’s accomplishments by, coincidentally 39!!252. The U.S. economy added 20,000 jobs in February 2019 while the unemployment rate fell slightly to 3.8 percent, making February the 101st month of consecutive U.S. job growth.253. April 2019. Going nuclear on Trump government picks. Republicans set to stop the Democrat obstruction of employee picks that has seen:1. The least number ever confirmed for a President - period.2. Although Trump policy is to not overstaff, Democrat obstruction of any & all picks has seriously damaged government efficiency.This is to end; but why did the Republicans wait?......could it be to ensure the Democrats who deny obstruction, are proven liars yet again, and that the historical record will record it!254. Removal of the falsely claimed right to Pain-Free execution for Death Row killers. SCOTUS 5-4, April 2019.255. June 19, 2019 5.8 million removed from food stamps that were robbing the deserving.Over 5.8 million individuals have discontinued their participation in America’s food stamp program since President Donald Trump’s first full month in office, according to the latest U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) data. The most recent USDA data shows that 5,829,890 people discontinued their participation in food stamps received through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) since February 2017, Trump’s first full month in office.256. Increased value of Stock Market by US$6 Trillion.257. Ensured NATO pays its fair share.256. “I’m a Jew,” the Miller, White House senior policy adviser said.“As a Jew, as an American Jew, I am profoundly outraged by the remarks by Ocasio-Cortez. It is a historical smear. It is a sinful comment. It minimizes the death of six million of my Jewish brothers and sisters. It minimizes their suffering. And it paints every patriotic law enforcement officer as a war criminal,” he said emphatically.257. The Trade agreement with Canada & Mexico.258. The Killing of terrorist Soleimani.259. The killingn of top ranking Al Qeda terrorist.260. China trade agreement.261. Military funds to build the wall.262. Proving like Russia Gate that Ukraine Gate was another Democrat Sham case. Best though was Jim Jordan destroying the need for witnesses in the senate. The biased 17-0 Democrat witnesses whose evidence was hearsay, extraneous, 2 nd 3rd, & 4 th party, inadmissible nonsense, were officially asked in the House to name a crime, illegal or unlawful act committed by Trump – NON COULD!!