Posted on 12/09/2008 4:18:13 PM PST by maquiladora
NEW DELHI: In the sort of “high alert” last seen during Operation Parakram, launched after the December 13, 2001, attack on Parliament, the armed forces, especially the air force and the navy, have been kept in a state of war readiness. There has been no massive mobilisation of troops on the border, though.
While Indian Air Force (IAF) fighters have been mounted with bombs and kept in a state of readiness to take off within minutes, almost the entire western naval fleet is aggressively patrolling the Arabian Sea.
The military was moved into this state of heightened alert within 24 hours of the terror attack on Mumbai, which began on November 26. When it became clear that the terrorists were Pakistanis, the government ordered the mobilisation.
According to a source, the IAF has recalled senior officers from leave, moved some of its missile formations forward, and armed its fighters with missiles. Pilots have been put on standby in operational rooms.
To justify the state of war readiness, the government spoke of the possibility of a 911-style attack on India. At a meeting with the three service chiefs, defence minister AK Antony cautioned them to take measures to thwart such an attack. But a source said the alert was a cover to justify India’s exceptional military mobilisation.
The forces have been put on high alert to back up India’s diplomatic efforts to get Pakistan to crack down on terrorists on its soil.
The IAF says it is in state of “passive air defence (PAD)”, which means it is geared to take any measure to defend the country’s assets. Under PAD, all platforms, including fighters, are kept operationally ready, armed with missiles, and pilots are prepared to fly at a moment’s notice.
During Operation Parakram, the air force was kept on “active air defence”, which means it was in a state of readiness to destroy enemy assets.
The source said the IAF has reduced the number of personnel on leave to just 10% from the average 30% of its total strength and recalled several key officers from leave. In the western and southwestern air commands, which cover the Pakistani border, all leave has been cancelled. The state of high alert extends to air stations in the South.
According to the source, besides fully arming fighters and placing pilots in operational rooms, the IAF has moved some missile units close to the Pakistan border. These are primarily surface-to-air missiles and other air-defence assets that can shoot down any incoming threat.
Meanwhile, the navy’s western command based in Mumbai has also been put on a state of high alert, with nearly two dozen warships patrolling the Arabian Sea.
A source said that drawing from the experience of Operation Parakram, it was decided not to carry out massive troop movements on the border. The mobilisation of ground forces, started after the 2001 attack, achieved little and was called off on October 16, 2002. This time the government has put in place a more “opaque” military mobilisation.
ping
I think Israel will knock out some teeth before Jan. 20 because they trust W to support them. Could happen any day.
What was that 5.6 Earthquake in Pakistan? Indian first strike?
Better yet How about the 19th
in the meantime ; please see here how the entire Paki nation
is in collective denial about any Pak complicity with any acts of terrorism against India . “Evidence!” they cry....India
should pin it on their noses .
This is why Pakistan is a rodents warren of terrorism . It is an entire nation composed of enablers.....
It would be "interesting" if the Israelis and the Indians coordinated. India attacks terrorist bases in Pakistan, while Israel knocks out Iranian assets, particular nuclear ones. (Pakistan already has nukes, so India would want to hit the facilities that produce them.
“Better yet How about the 19th”
How about 8:00 AM Eastern Standard Time on the 20th. That could spoil the party.
War by New Years, is my guess. No waiting—just blood and rage. If it goes Nuclear it will be bad news. We should be ready for:
1) high Gas Prices. (again)
2) High Prices in the stores. (wall mart)
3) Radioactivity due to fall out in the Southwest.
4) Crops wasted by Fall out.
5) Refugees from India.
6) a big donation asked by Red Cross for all the victims.
Other nations that may be pulled in:
Iran (to help Pakistan)
Burma (to help India)
Bangladesh (To help Pakistan)
Russia to help India
China to help Pakistan.
In other words...
WORLD WAR IV
That would be bad and good for the US if the Russians and Chicoms participated against each other.
If it happens I hope we go back to sitting the world wars out until the end part.
Burma to help India? You don’t have the best of understandings when it comes to the region do you? :-)
Don’t take it the wrong way but the only countries India can count on are Israel with tacit support coming from the US (since recent times) and the UK.
Russia is a wild card here. I don’t really know what they will do.
1) They have a festering Islamic problem so they may sit it out and even allow NATO air and land access to reach Afghanistan because the Pakistan route will be out of the question. They may even threaten China to stay out of the war.
2) They may provide urgent deliveries of arms and missiles to India since they have traditionally been a supplier.
3) This may be the turning point when Russia sides with the Islamists and joins China in taking on India and her allies.
7) US to help Saudi Arabia.
8) Saudi Arabia to screw US.
mmmmmmmm...
Sounds series to me.
ping.
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