India And Pakistan On The Brink Of War

INDIA and Pakistan moved closer to a state of war yesterday, as Delhi recalled its envoy from Islamabad and sealed border crossings and both sides deployed thousands of reinforcements along their frontier.
The sabre-rattling raised fears around the world that the two nuclear powers were on the brink of a new round of bloodshed, which would undermine the international coalition’s war against terror in the region.

India began the escalation when it withdrew Vijay Nambiar, its High Commissioner in Islamabad. The move is more than a symbolic diplomatic protest.

Only twice before, in 1965 and again in 1971, has Delhi recalled its envoy. On each occasion the two countries were at war shortly afterwards.

The action followed growing demands across the political spectrum in India for the Army to attack two militant Islamic groups that are based across the border in Pakistan and accused of carrying out the attack last week on the Indian Parliament that left 14 dead, including the five assailants.

India and Pakistan last clashed in 1999 in a mountain battle at Kargil in the disputed Kashmir province. Hundreds of Indian and Pakistani troops were killed.

This time the stakes are even higher. In addition to reinforcements along the Line of Control, which separates the two sides in Kashmir, tanks, artillery and infantry have also been deployed along the normally peaceful Rajasthan-Sind border.

Yesterday’s escalation began when India launched a verbal assault against its historic rival, accusing Pakistan of “sponsoring last week’s suicide attack on the Indian Parliament”. Pakistan hit back by charging the Indians with provocation and warning Delhi that it would defend itself if attacked.

The threats and counter- threats caused alarm in Washington and London, which are preoccupied with trying to complete their operations against terrorist suspects in Afghanistan and instal a new government in Kabul. To achieve that they need stability in the region and the help of President Musharraf of Pakistan.

Western sources said that they feared that the Pakistani leader was not able to control elements of his military and intelligence services, who were deliberately encouraging extremist groups in the hope of provoking a clash with India.

Western officials privately appealed to India to show restraint, but the Government in Delhi was under mounting public pressure to respond decisively.

In addition to recalling its envoy, India cut road and rail links, including the DelhiLahore bus service, which was opened only two years ago as part of a peace drive between the two neighbours.

The Indian authorities alleged that the five gunmen involved in last week’s gun and grenade attack were members of Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Muhammad, two Kashmiri rebel groups based in Pakistan.

Indian investigators claim that the conspiracy to storm Parliament House in Delhi was hatched in Pakistan and that the cellphone records of the dead assailants and the confessions of those arrested for abetting them establish Pakistan’s involvement.

On Thursday the Indian Government produced one of the accused, an Indian named Kashmiri Mohammed Afzal, before the media. He said that the suicide squad was from Pakistan and that he was the link man between them and Jaish-e-Muhammad.

The Indian Government is upset by what it considers the US’s refusal to accept the evidence of Pakistan’s role in continuing to foment terrorism in India and believes that the US is deliberately turning a blind eye because it does not want General Musharraf to be destabilised.

Pakistan has rejected India’s accusations that its intelligence service supported the attack and said that it would take no action until India supplied proof. India on Thursday rejected a US request to share its evidence with Pakistan so that General Musharraf could crack down on the militants.

Most defence observers agree that the situation in the region is the most serious since May 1999 when Pakistan’s military intrusion in Kashmir brought the two nations close to a full war. The danger was averted when Pakistan pulled out its troops from Kashmir’s Kargil mountain post under US pressure.

I think this will cool down and not blow up to full scale war.

This is and has been the issue all through the operation after 911.

I think it does seem the case that Pakistani elements did help al Qaeda and Taliban escape to Pakistan.

China has been backroom dealing with Pakistan making them feel they are covered which makes them more willing to doublecross us (despite their actual appreciated cooperation).

When events like this come up, the actions of the Chinese government to make it possible for Pakistan to build their bomb take on monumental proportions and is a legacy of Clinton.

Pakistan helped us in this war, but out of no choice, not ideology per se. China did nothing. Supposedly they provided some information, but other than that their contribution was "talks".

Pakistan and moreso China are serious problems for us. Different than al Qaeda and other terrorists, but ultimately more dangerous to our freedoms in the long haul.

Is there some reason why Islamic terrorism has been escalating in the last twenty years?

Does it have anything to do with the increasing gap between living standards and technology? Do Muslims feel that their religious belief of the superiority of Muslims over infidels is threatened by the increasingly obviousness of the superiority of infidel technology and economics?

I guess the only real thing to wonder about now is how nuclear fall out will effect global warming. My strong suspicion is that this is the real thing…

I agree. The attack on the parliment building would have been the last straw for any nation. India has dealt with quite a bit. I suspect they can take a few nuclear weapons and still survive I would not say the same of pakistian.

My strong suspicion is that this is the real thing…

And I always thought Coca Cola was the real thing.

India and Pakistan will eventually fight each other. The only question is will they restrain from using their big guns (nuclear weapons), or will they have a free for all. If it turns into all out nuclear war Pakistan will be wiped off the face of the earth, and India will have its 1 billion plus population "problem" significantly reduced.

India's next problem however will be from China which may see a chance to take over a weakened India before it has time to rebuild.

Imho, definately an issue.. and one Blair and Dubya have been really worried about.

Anyone else notice the tons of face time Musharraf got when there was talk that Pakistan might just fall apart right before his eyes over religious loyalty to Osama and Islam?

His face was everywhere.. right alongside Dubya and Blair. They knew he was in serious trouble and were trying to shore up support for him.

"India and Pakistan will eventually fight each other. "

The fall-out - literally and figuratively - from this would immediately affect US operations in the area and it will become necessary to choose sides. That will prove to be a real test. Considering the assault on its Parliament, India will go for the finish.

"When events like this come up, the actions of the Chinese government to make it possible for Pakistan to build their bomb take on monumental proportions and is a legacy of Clinton. "

Some military guy on Fox tonight said that China was still supply Al-Qa'eda with military equipment a week after 911, including a Chinese version of the 'Stinger' missle.

If it turns into all out nuclear war Pakistan will be wiped off the face of the earth, and India will have its 1 billion plus population "problem" significantly reduced.

Show some respect to human lives. That 1 billion plus population "problem" has someone's father, mother, sister, son, brother.... If some issue doesn't impact your life, it doesn't mean you have right to be rude.

"Do Muslims feel that their religious belief of the superiority of Muslims over infidels is threatened by the increasingly obviousness of the superiority of infidel technology and economics?"

I think it is oil money and our apparent lack of will to deal with terrorist acts. It is time for a good ten year 'full court press' to root out and supress/kill these bastards all over the world. Afghanistan by itself will not be enough. In fact, Afghanistan just by itself may encourage more of the same from them. We need to employ assassination squads and terrorise them. Kill them in their homes, track them in the dead of night and kill them.

> If it turns into all out nuclear war Pakistan will be wiped off the face of the earth, and India will have its 1 billion plus population "problem" significantly reduced.

> Show some respect to human lives. That 1 billion plus population "problem" has someone's father, mother, sister, son, brother.... If some issue doesn't impact your life, it doesn't mean you have right to be rude.

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I agree. If it was the elites up at the top who run things who suffered and died, it would be one thing. But the wealthy and political elites will be the most well protected - it will be the poorest at the bottom who will suffer most in such a war.

And the ones left alive will be stuck with the cleanup.

-well, ya. Short version, the chinese need the oil. They don't just want it, they need it, or their country implodes sometime this decade and the PRC fatcats become long pig for stir fry. There's one billion arabs, and one a quarter billion indians between them and the oil. There's also the US and europe. The chinese get to try and make those other entities off each other, then they get the oil.

"Only twice before, in 1965 and again in 1971, has Delhi recalled its envoy. On each occasion the two countries were at war shortly afterwards." This is an ominous statistic to say the least. It's as if the whole world economically, socially etc is having a mass nervous breakdown. And now Bush announces the yaer 2002 as "War Year" Turning and turning and turning in the widening gyre..............

A good excuse for the US to clean out Pakistan of the fundamentalist elements there. Many have pointed out that notwithstanding Pakistan's alleged cooperation in our efforts in Afghanistan, Pakistan is Al Queda's next strongest base. And oh how easily one-eyed Omar and OBL have moved back and forth across the Paki border. This is a friend we do not need. Let India have her justice, and Pakistan her just desserts, while we mop up the criminals that have escaped there and those that harbor them.

You don't get it do you?

I put the quotation marks around "problem" so you would understand that I meant their so called population problem.

I don't think India or any other country has a population problem, just a spiritual and economic problem.

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