The Hindu : Front Page : Advani knew of decision to free terrorists, says Brajesh Mishra

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Advani knew of decision to free terrorists, says Brajesh Mishra

New Delhi: The former National Security Adviser, Brajesh Mishra, said on Thursday that the former Home Minister, L.K.Advani, was part of the National Democratic Alliance government’s decision to release three terrorists and send Jaswant Singh to Kandahar for securing hostages’ release in 1999.

Mr. Mishra told Karan Thapar on CNN-IBN:

“The decision was taken by the Cabinet Committee on Security which has, you know, five members — Prime Minister, Home Minister, Finance Minister, External Affairs Minister and Defence Minister.

“....Once those demands were whittled down to three terrorists and no money and no interred remains [of some terrorist], then there was a unanimous decision of the CCS that in order to save the lives of 160-plus hostages and the aircraft crew, it made sense to release these three terrorists and get the hostages back.”

Asked if it was a unanimous decision, he replied, “Of course.” Was Advani part and parcel of it? “Yes, of course.”

Mr. Mishra, who is considered close to the former Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, said Mr. Advani was also aware of the decision to send External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh to Kandahar to secure the release of hostages.

“Again the CCS met and Mr. Jaswant Singh proposed that he would go to Kandahar to bring back the hostages and he explained that the Indian representatives who were negotiating in Kandahar — diplomats, IB, RAW — had suggested that somebody should be there to take care of any last minute complications. This he informed the CCS and they agreed to send [him],” Mr. Mishra said.

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