The language is deliberate, the signals unmistakable: India is turning up the heat on Pakistan for the Mumbai attacks that have killed at least 195 people, and there is no knowing where this downward spiral in ties between the uneasy neighbours will end.
Beginning with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s warning that a cost will have to be paid by neighbouring nations that allow militants to operate, to Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee’s direct call to Islamabad to “dismantle the infrastructure of terrorism”, there is a sharp, cold edge to the tone that you can’t miss even factoring in the immediate anger and sense of outrage the attacks have evoked across India.
Then the signs: Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi in India on a previously scheduled visit to review the peace process packing his bags and heading home because Indian political leaders cancelled meetings with him following the attacks.
We have been here before, for sure. A 2001 attack on the Indian parliament, for which like the Mumbai attacks, the Lashkar-i-Taiba was blamed, triggered a set of measures by New Delhi including breaking sporting and cultural links, downgrading diplomatic relations, and the deployment of the military in full combat readiness all along the Pakistan border.
That military stand-off ended six months later after considerable diplomatic pressure from the United States, Britain and other powers worried about two nuclear-armed nations on the brink of war.
So what are the options for Delhi this time around, beyond striking a menacing posture to force Pakistan to go after elements there which it believes are responsible for violence in India?
It can’t risk another extended military deployment - you can only do that sort of “coercive diplomacy” once a while for it to be taken seriously. Limited military strikes on the militant camps that New Delhi says exist across the border?
The New York Times raised that possibility following what were arguably the most audacious attacks India has ever seen even its violent history as a free nation. It’s hard to tell, especially now that those training camps don’t exist so openly, given the Americans’ scrutiny of Pakistan. And India has always been reluctant to cross the Line of Control dividing Kashmir, fearing this would undermine its status as a de facto border and basis for a permament settlement to the Kashmir dispute.
Ending a five-year ceasefire along the Line of Control, which has in recent months come under strain? Or a freezing of ties, turning back the four year-peace process which if nothing else ensured the foes kept talking?
All bets are obviously off . The Times said American military and intelligence officials believed there was mounting evidence that the Lashkar–Taiba was most likely involved in the Mumbai attack. That can only strengthen New Delhi’s case as it confronts Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence with evidence when its representative arrives in India to discuss the attacks, itself an extraordinary move.
Islamabad had earlier agreed to send the head of the ISI to India but it later lowered that to a representative.
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Haha this is really funny considering the incompetent Indian government would much rather blame their neighbor, Pakistan, than to admit that a portion of their Muslim population has become destabilized. In all probability this attack was probably one that originated from domestic terrorist activities not a foreign sponsored affair. Even if this was indeed an attack originating from Pakistan there is not much the country can do, busy fighting established terrorists along the Afghan border. It also wouldn’t make sense for India to invade Pakistan aside from the obvious dangers of attacking a nuclear armed country due to the fact that it would totally undermine their international reputation and it would increase hostile feelings towards the Indian government both in and out of India, which would almost certainly result in terrorist attacks every single day of the invasion. Stop hyping up the story and stick to the facts budz
- Posted by weebsSeems like the real intent of the attack was to derail any peace process and the ensueing finger pointing is evidence that it was successful. Pray that no harm comes to Obama. It will devastate relations between races in the U.S. and will greatly weaken the nation. I would not for a minute put this act past terrorist.
- Posted by wolfex1To Brian Cloughley: A Brit telling the rest of us about civilization?? God, has the world gone mad?
- Posted by LaymanWell said, Dr Arshad Khan…..at last, a courageous Pakistani who calls a spade a spade !
- Posted by SiddharthhIndia-Pakistan Nuclear War Would Kill Over Billion People
http://www.futurepundit.com/archives/004 647.html
India-Pakistan nuclear war would cause ozone hole
- Posted by Miker12http://pipes.1913intel.com/2008/04/07/in dia-pakistan-nuclear-war-would-cause-ozo ne-hole-reuters/
No body is going to our job, leaders across the world might support or stand up with us. The job has to be done by our selves. Pakistan is resilient to say that they are nuclearised nation and move army to boarder
- Posted by Rohit mohantyIf the terror attacks are our own faults such as the government and the rest of politicalleaders , we cant blame our problems on some one else, not even on Pak. If we beleive and have proof to justify ourselves not necessarily any one else yhat its Pakistan behind the mumbai terror, just hit back bluntly like the Isralies don’t ask for anyone’s permission. If we are scared, have no guts just shut up, but stop making mockery of ourselves overseas.
PS
I expected that the Government Of India would have blamed their own total failure to combat the terrorists at the first instance. The police counter attacks were woefully inadequate as they were not trained or equipped to fight the well trained terrorists. It took a an unacceptable long time for the authorities to wake up to the situation. India is already considered a world power and its inadequacy was crassly apparent.If India can fight pirates on the high sees then what hinders them fighting terrorists on land. Surely Pakistan could be blamed but the jerk reaction shown by the officials over the years has made it very ineffective for a person to believe every word the government says. Only a week back my daughter was in Bombay and she came back praising all that makes Bombay a wonderful place.I know people who lived in Bombay before partition including my father, who were and are nostalgic about the great city. It was so cosmopolitan and secular. But the recent politics of communalism has taken some of the shine off that citys glamour.
But behind the scenes there are other things India must consider now. First of all, the minorities should be taken along the journey of progress and well being that India has so successfully undertaken. The first tragedy of of independent India was the Partition. That process seems not to have stopped. Pakistan is going to be a State always on the verge of collapse. It has never had nor has proper values to guide it and is quasi a failed state living on the mercy of the IMF. Its poor people have been abandoned long time back. What rules in Pakistan is money, corruption, illitracy and mafia culture.
- Posted by Dr. Arshad KhanThe Bombay attack wasn’t the first neither the last one.
India must act decisively and now before a civil war between Hindus and Muslims breaks out inside India, which is the ultimate goal of this attack and that of the Paki generals.
The world can no longer ignore that Pakistan is nothing but a dangerous terror entity that must be dissolved as soon as possible.
The attack shows the weakness of Indian intelligence agencies, government and that of Dr. Monmohan Singh, who has failed to take appropriate actions now or in the past.
The vicious circle of terror must be broken, which can be done only when the international community, with a UN mandate, attack the epicenter of religious extremism and terrorism, Pakistan, and break it up once and for all.
Indians should not fool themselves that it was the last one. Expect even bigger and bloodier attacks in the near future if you fail to act against the Paki army and ISI.
India has the full support of Afghanistan and the Afghans!
India MUST act NOW!!!
- Posted by mirwaisEnough is Enough!
As usual, ISI is behind it!
Where will this end? Over the last several years, Pakistan has sponsored terrorists to destabilize India as they are incapable of competing with the Indian military. In my opinion, the only way we can stop terrorism in that region is by striking Pakistan similar to the way Israel strikes Palestine every time there is a suicide bomb on their soil. These attacks not only take hindu lives but also muslims living in India. Not standing up for innocent lives is equivalent to accepting defeat in the fight against terrorism.
- Posted by HindustanReligion of “peace” ie. Islam strikes again. I cannot believe how can anyone justify Islam as religion of peace. All around the world common factor in all the conflicts is Islam. Many religion suffered becuase of Islam but no one performed such ghastly act against them. I wonder what will happen if everyone in world will be Muslim? Volience won’t stop for sure. Then Sunni and Shia will fight with eachother, afterall it is religion of peace.
- Posted by xyzI thought we will get condolances and consolations from our friends all over, but what is happening is the same poisoning of mind here also, ill minded people like kumar and foresights are requested to refrain from commenting, and piersing the needle into wounded hearts
- Posted by vivekIt is time for India to make a serious decision about its future. India needs to strengthen all sort of communal ties with all the muslims of India. At the same time, all muslim terrorist groups and extremists madrassas must be dismantled and all terror cells killed. Again, this should be done as commmunal friendships with everyday average ordinary muslims are strengthened for an inclusive India.
Then comes the hard part, dismantling the terrorist infrastructure and each and every madrassa in Pakistan.
Every Jihadi Imam or heads of the Mosques should be taken ‘away’.
Pakistan is not willing to close the madrassas or reign in its terrorists. If Pakistan cannot, it should ask for help from India. If it does not want help, India should clean up Pakistan for Pakistan and then leave Pakistan shiny and squeeky clean. Sounds insane?
Perhaps an insane country requires an insane solution.
Ultimatly, Pakistan should be denuclearized and its military structure dismantled and all the different cultures, join with their mother countries, namely Balochistan with Iran, NWFP with Afghanistan, etc…all co-ordinated under the guide of the UN.
The World is fed up with Pakistan.
- Posted by Rick^^^^
I am quite sure that they teach you facts like “Muslims ruled India for 1000 year” in your Madarasa.
Not your fault…Personally I blame your parents who decided to get you educated in a Madarasa.
- Posted by TejaswyFirst of all i appeal to all you narrow minded hate preachers lets keep religion out of this. No religion especially islam encourages such acts, in fact such acts are truly detested.
Secondly Pakistan has always been a easy target for india so we shouldnt be surprised they have copped the blame, however before blaming the pakistani govt foolproof evidence should be presented - however it seems this isnt necessary.
India fails to acknowledge it has its own internal religious/ethinic problems and there own dissatisfied citizens may be behind this.
It may be that pakistani citizens could be behind this babaric act but does this mean the pakistani govt is involved 2?
Pakistan has its own problems with terrorism (Marriott hotel etc?) and both countries should stand toe to toe and face these problems together. Indias reaction is a convenient deflection of their own shortcomings
- Posted by ZakHow come most of the Indians comes out with comments like “it’s time for world to wake up” or Barak & Hillary have work to do? No body is going to our job, they might support or stand up with us. The job has to be done by our selves. Pakistan is not feeling any heat on the contrary they just had to mention that they will move 100 thousands of their milita to Indian border.
- Posted by PSThe terror attacks are own faults such as the government and the rest of political maffia. we cant blame our problems on some one else, not even on Pak. If we beleive its Pak behind the mumbai terror, just hit back bluntly like the Isralies don’t ask for anyone permission. If we are scared, have no guts just shut up, but stop making mockery of ourselves overseas.
PS
This attack must be an eye opener for all of us Indians and seems to be a pilot scale operation fully encouraged by our hostile neighbours to check out our reactions.
If this is not contained now, what prevents our enemies and terrorists to carry out similar attacks on a mass scale, with hundreds of them at the same time, in multiple cities within India, and that too having a vast number of their symnpathisers in our midst to support them. Just the thought of it is mind boggling.
I hope the right signals are conveyed to these attackers in order to prevent a complete breakdown of our beloved country.
- Posted by SoorajEarlier, even until recently, I believed that Islam was a peaceful religion, even though over the last decade, the world’s terrorists have exclusively been Muslim. I now feel stupid for believing this and propagating the lie that Islam is a peaceful religion. It is an intolerant, sadistic and violent ideology, and according to the True Islam, these terrorists are probably going to reach some heavenly place and be surrounded by several virgins. Pakistan is the land where these people are brainwashed. Madrasas or Muslim schools teach a curriculum of hate towards any non-Muslim. Pakistan’s government, instead of building infrastructure, giving education and producing employment for its poverty-stricken population, channels all of the billions of dollars of aid towards India, a country that has come this far on its own in such a short time, given all of the anti-India forces working against it. These Pakistanis are unable to see Indians progress, as they are surely not about to.
It is time for the world to wake up to the two-face lie that is Pakistan, and the terror and mayhem that this country is on its way to exporting to the rest of the world. Pakistan’s government harbors and protects the most wanted terrorists in the world. This is not a joke anymore. Islam and Pakistan are a danger to humanity. They have to be checked right now, or its going to be too late.
- Posted by Matt WilliamsI have been reading some of the comments posted here, and, barring a few sane voices, it looks like we have have gone back to our previous polarized positions.
- Posted by SiddharthhI am from India. Yesterday, the TV channels here were full of ordinary people being asked their reactions to this whole episode, and i was left wondering what mine was. The truth is, I am scared to spell it out. I also do not have a foolproof ’solution’ to what one network put it as ‘we do not want a repeat of any episode like this, ever. Enough is enough’!
The real thing, to my mind, is that we must stop making statements of religion in public. If we are citizens of the modern world, we should keep our religion inside our houses, and the moment we step out, we must cease to refer to it. I know this is difficult, since many countries have based themselves on a religious ideology, but that’s what it is: we MUST come to terms with the fact that religion is an outdated concept, there is no religion beyond peace and love for our neighbours, brothers and sisters, and the silent obeisance to the Supreme Power , God. We live in a world that is dominated by work, and business, and one’s profession, and the
sooner we make that our religion, the better.
Hence, we must not write about the the virtues of Islam in a public forum like this, all that is well-known and documented. We must inculcate this discipline in us, otherwise we are doomed. Nor must there be a Pakistani who says Muslims are being burned in India. Firstly, it is none of his business, and secondly,sane-minded Hindus have been quick to come out and condemn the Gujarat incidents as barbaric.
Finally, what is the solution to the Mumbai episode?
If evidence of the security forces find that these 10 people were indeed from Pakistan, trained in the camps of Lashkar-e-tayyeba, and India confronts Pakistan, then what? In my limited capacity, I believe that Pakistan should be taught some kind of a lesson, otherwise they will never learn. But what lesson?
I think finally, that Barack Obama and Hilary Clinton will have to do some heavy-hitting with India and Pakistan before this gets sorted out.
it is not a fact and serious ness showned by the indian authorities on blaming pakistan for this incident they are just bothering here and there
- Posted by ikramKumar,
I see you didn’t ponder the questions I asked, shame, and btw when exactly did you as a people become mighty in between being slaves to us muslims for the last 1000 years and the west now?
As for me being ashamed of using my real name on an internet message board, don’t make me laugh, you calling your ‘ab ke maar ke dekho’ scrawny self ‘mighty’ is enough jest for one day.
In any case I do not feel it is right for me or anyone else to use this dark momemt as a podium to get across personal beliefs or political agendas, something your politicians and hindu terrorist vhp/bjp bretheren are clearly seasoned in.
- Posted by Foresight