Posted on 05/24/2002 6:14:08 AM PDT by Momaw Nadon
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Pakistan has informed India it plans a series of missile tests over the next few days, India said Friday, adding it was "not impressed."
"We have been informed by Pakistan it plans to carry out a series of missile tests comprising short and medium range missiles," the foreign ministry said in a statement, adding the tests would be conducted between Saturday and Tuesday.
"This is routine and not central to the current situation."
The statement did not say which missiles would be tested or if they were nuclear capable.
The tests come amid fears of war between the South Asian nuclear powers, locked in a military standoff over disputed Kashmir (news - web sites).
"The government of India is not particularly impressed by these missile antics, clearly targeted at the domestic audience in Pakistan," the Indian statement said. Pakistan's Shaheen and Ghauri missiles have a range of 375-1,560 miles, which could be armed with nuclear warheads, although it is not known if they have the capability to do so.
India accuses Pakistan of arming and sending militants into Kashmir where it has battled a Muslim rebellion for 12 years.
Pakistan says it only provides moral and political support.
In its statement, India again urged Islamabad to act against the militants.
FYI and Discussion
If Pakistan strikes first, they could win. If winning a nuclear war is possible.
Or even al Qaeda itself.
Is India going to announce missle "tests" or military "exercises". Such tests are often used for a cover for real military moves.
Actually, this is in response to Indian tests a few weeks ago, and this has been planned for some time. I guess they picked the actual date, and that's the reason for the story.
This isn't a first strike. Pakistan cannot win a war with India, even if they launched all their nukes in a sneak attack. Their missile range capability doesn't extend to all of India, and they couldn't take out all of the Indian nukes with their arsenal, even if they knew where all of them were.
This test is meant to impress the Pakistan public, but it's also meant to impress India. It's like that stupid nuclear demonstration each of them did in 1998 when they took turns setting off nukes to prove who was the most studly.
There WILL NOT be an all-out war between India and Pakistan any time soon. They may trade artillery fire across the LOC, but that's about it for now, main reason being that the situation is too internationalized (read: u.s. pressure), and in a risk vs. gain analysis, they both simply lose too much.
And seriously, put it back in your pants and quit fanatasizing about a nuclear war between these two---ain't gonna happen.
"Get ready everyone, the price of curry is about to go through the roof."
Is that a little more in line?
I don't know abraxas... there has been three wars in the last 50 years. Much like Israel and her neighbors, I think it is just a matter of time. Make no mistake, things are real serious over there. Much more serious than our chandra saturated media is leading on.
That should be enough time for the US to knock some sense into the Paks and the Indians and defuse this crisis.
In September these may heat up even more. What's interesting, is India has been asking where the US troops are in Pakistan, but the US is not letting India know. India knows it had better not blow up US Soldiers, especially with nuclear weapons.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Bush administration criticized Pakistan on Friday for planned missile tests amid tensions with India over Pakistan.
``We are disappointed in this,'' a State Department spokesman said.
Pakistan announced it would conduct missile tests this weekend. Secretary of State Colin Powell called the confrontation between the two South Asian countries perilous. He said the United States would try to coax India and Pakistan to calm down.
A State Department spokesman, Philip Reeker, said ``we hope India and Pakistan will both began to start going down the escalation ladder.''
He said Pakistan notified the United States of the missile tests last week and ``there should be no question that the Pakistanis understood our position on this.''
``We've continued to make that position well-known,'' Reeker said, speaking to reporters in a State Department briefing room, ``including what we are doing right here and now from this podium.''
``It is very dangerous,'' Powell said in Moscow of the standoff over Kashmir. ``I hope both sides realize they are at a very critical point, and we will get them to step back.''
Powell, accompanying President Bush on a six-day European trip, said he had spoken to Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf on Thursday. He then called Indian Foreign Minister Jaswant Singh on Friday from Moscow in another effort to lessen tensions.
``There is concern worldwide,'' Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou said after calling on Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage.
Pakistan notified India on Friday that it intends to test short- and medium-range missiles from Saturday through Monday. In response, White House press secretary Ari Fleischer said the United States ``reminds both India and Pakistan that they have to ease tensions'' and work to maintain peace.
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