India continues to turn up the heat on Pakistan for the Mumbai attacks, declaring once again on Wednesday that all options were open to disrupt militant networks operating from there. And this, a day after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said official agencies must have been involved in an operation of such sophistication, a serious charge by a head of government against another state.
But is India really in a position to make good its threats against Pakistan ? The question has repeatedly come up here on this blog and elsewhere since those attacks on November 26 and now in the light of Israel’s Gaza operation, some people are again asking why New Delhi cannot carry out punitive strikes inside Pakistan.
Tunku Varadarajan, writing in Forbes magazine, advances five reasons why India can’t do a Gaza on Pakistan. 1) India is not a military goliath in relation to Pakistan in the way Israel is to the Palestinian territories with its overwhelming military superiority. Pakistan for all is dysfunction is a proper country with a proper army and with nuclear weapons to boot. “Any assault on Pakistani territory carries with it an apocalyptic risk for India.”
2) The rationale for “doing a Gaza” may not be 
present in the case of the Mumbai attacks. Hamas are in political control of the territory from which the attacks on the Israelis have occurred. The Mumbai attacks on the other hand, even if carried out by people based in Pakistan, were not authored by the government there and so it would be difficult to hold the entire Pakistani state culpable. So how do you go to war?
3) Israel enjoys overwhelming support from the American people, a fraternal feeling that buys it
enviable immunity in the conduct of its strategic defence. India, by contrast, scarcely has a fraction of Israel’s pull in Washington, even if it is probably admired far more than Pakistan.
4) Pakistan is strategically significant to America in ways that the Palestinians are not. This is the central front on the war on al Qaeda and Taliban and the last thing the U.S. wants is a military strike by India that would compel Pakistan to expend all its energy and resources on the eastern border rather than the western flank that has become home to al Qaeda.
5) Finally, Varadarajan says, Israel has the privilege of being an international pariah that works to its advantage. To its critics including those who wouldn’t have even diplomatic ties with it, Israel can say “Hang Diplomacy.” India by contrast has no such luxury. “It is a prisoner of its own global aspirations-and pretensions.”
You could argue against all of these or some of these reasons. Indeed you might say that the whole basis of Varadarajan’s article is flawed given that the risk of conflict remains high. What if there is another big attack in India, again a possibility that has been discussed here and elsewhere
Will the same reasons hold back India or will it be too late then?
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Anup:
Get this into your head: Pakistan belongs to…the Pakistanis. Just like Kashmir belongs to…the Kashmiris.
- Posted by Bangash KhanAfuan Asshad Makhouri
- Posted by NavneetIt shows your frustration, but it just makes anyone laugh, you are making a comparison of indian film industry to urs? You guys are culprit for making pirated cd’s and exporting to rest of the world. Your industry survive on us. Pakistan cricket is almost over, you have not played any test cricket from almost an year. It just continues…don’t like to spend much time on this blog.
Nice Article! But is it True……
Since mumbai incident, india and its people start barking on Pakistan and providing false evidences about involvement of Pakistan, whether state or non-state actors. Yesterday indian news channel “NDTV” showed the items recovered from boats supposedly used by so-called terrorist, in all items there was mention that “Made in Pakistan”, to my amaze they showes one pistol where it is written “Daimond.Made in Peshawar” What a funny story and they want world to believe that. Let suppose that mumbai attack was not planned by india, then do you expect such highly trained, professional and killing machines to do such things that they bring things which were all marked as “Made in Pakistan”.
What is really happening? - for india it is the right time to get away from Pakistan, the strongest and the only threat to india, not only in armed infrastructure but also in economic terms, Obama will soon start taking decision, so before he could learn about indian politics, india will go to him and beg for safety from Pakistan. Obama, being gentlemen, will have soft corner if india could prove that Pakistan is supporting terrorist activities. But india forgets that success lies only in truth and truth is that PAKISTAN is a peace loving, and a responsible country
1) Pakistan has world’s largest WiMAX network
2) Pakistan enjoys all weather in its environment
3) Pakistan has city called “Swoat”, its Snowfall is much better than Switzerlands’
4) Pakistan has the mountainous region, it has K-2, highest peak in the world,
5) Pakistan has Gas, Iron, Minerals and etc. resoviour in different parts
6) Pakistan has chain of five rivers
7) Pakistan has white dolphins
Pakistan has best sea shores for surfing and boating
9) Pakistan is the world best in surgical instruments, sports goods and wodden furntiture.
10) Pakistan has more than 5% area covered with natural forest.
11) Pakistan is a nuclear state and self sufficient in many things despite being not so priviledged by world
11) And many more….
All such things in a country called PAKISTAN annoyed india, russia, because only these two countries have problem with PAKISTAN…
So wake up and start thinking positively…
- Posted by PeaceLong live and Prosperous Pakistan.
India has many options short of frontal assault like gaza.
Pakistan is a failing state on the verge of collapse.
ECONOMIC FAILURE: Pakistan is bankrupt. Even all the loans from IMF, World Bank, Paris Club, London Club, overt and covert aid from US, and repeated refinancing of the debt have not worked.
MILITARY FAILURE: 4 wars have been lost by Pakistan. Bangladesh was freed in 4 days. The military is demoralized and cannot even control its own territory.
SOCIAL FAILURE: the miserable poverty and exploitation and treatment of women and minorities within Pakistan is shocking. The Honor killings and treatment of women is unacceptable.
POLITICAL FAILURE: The military coups, suspension of constitutional law, murders of Bhuttos (father and daughter) reveal no evidence of a modern political culture or democracy.
EDUCATIONAL FAILURE: The lack of modern schools and scientific education shows no potential for Pakistan to develop economically or politically in the future. The madrassas are where terrorists are openly bred.
CULTURAL FAILURE: A nation that looks the other way as terrorists and murders are being trained openly is morally bankrupt. Every Pakistani knows whats been going on in their country, and one must assume they approve of the violence in their heart.
It won’t take much for Pakistan to fragment into 4 ethnically based states - Sindhi, Punjabi, Baluchi, and Pashtun. Continued economic and military aid from US and Britain is delaying the inevitable.
- Posted by ClearthinkingPakistan should join hands with ekta kapoor…great stories,total U turns,lies,betrayal…. perfect mixure for some new soap!!!
- Posted by garima singhM. Z. Mustafa
- Posted by Anup-’Pakistan is not Gaza, Iraq & Afganistan;’
—You are right-Iraq & Afghanistan are ancient civilizations & proud nations, whereas what is called Pakistan is rightfully Indian territory, illegally under the control of barbarians, whom the modern world terms as terrorists…
Recent Mumbai terrorist attacks could not have been executed with out the involvement of Paksitani army and ISI. It was a sophisticated commando style operation, which required lots of American Navy SEAL type of commando training, which must have been provided by Pakistani Navy.
So here you have a country with nuclear weapons, launching a terrorist attack on a neighboring country. The world is at a different place after Mumbai. Pakistan army is not/ has not been a genuine fighter against terrorism.
Pakistan would like to have Taliban take over Afghanistan. Pakistan army is the sustainer of the global jihadi terror.
America has shed precious blood of its soldiers and has given away billions of tax dollars to Pakistan for very little. All because Pakistan has been double dealing the US and international community.
Pakistan army has miscalculated on Mumbai. It is going to be a turning point.
- Posted by JohnnyThe most important thing about India and Pakistan going to war is the destruction it will cause to their own people and economy.
What Pakistan needs to realise is that letting terrorists culminate in their own region is going to eat themselves up someday. The politicians of Pakistan should try to gain control on terrorit camps for their own good b’se it not going to make any good to their country. The camps are eating up their own young generation in the so called jihad. They need a wake up call. If their young generation slowly end their own life what will be the future of Pakistan.
And I agree on lot of points the writer has raised in this article.
- Posted by AnuPakistan is not Gaza, Iraq & Afganistan; and India is not USA. Indian should read Arundhaty Roy’s colums who is their own beloved writer. Indians must listen to her what she is saying. If any stupity done by Idian government then they must be ready to pay back. The response would be very destructve, an unimaginable and swift from Pakistan. That’s simple. If Indian thinks that they are at the same level where China is today and Pakistan is failed State, they are living in a fool’s World. PAKISTAN: NOW AND ALWAYS. Pakistan Zindabad.
- Posted by M. Z. MustafaIf you throw stone in dirty swamp, the dirt will spill on self.
- Posted by amarIndia/she knows in each & every field Pakistan is ahead from her e.g. in Cricket have won more than India ODs & in Test, Hockey, Polo, Pakistan is even ahead in more explosion of Atomic Bombs. If you feel pride on M.Rafi & Lata, then we’ve M.Hassan & Nurjehan so every where Pakistani Flag is ahead with India, therefore she & her think tanks are too frieghtened to survive.
- Posted by Adnan Arshad MansooriIndia at the moment cannot do gaza on pakistan because indian public has elected all old goats in the country to power.
- Posted by OmStarting from mr.prime minister, defese chief, the home minister, minister of external affairs had a chance to lead india’s 1.1 billion people as leaders..but they all chose to be slaves of one italian lady.
what a shame !!!
syed
you are another hatred fed typical pakistani who always wants foolproof evidence when some thing is against you, and you talk without evidence. not only talking, also spreading among the people of pak and feeding hatred among them against india with out any evidence. once hatred is fed sufficiently, then the can be tuned to another ajmal kasab or any other suicide attackers. your country wants this kind of people to spread havoc across the world and particularly india. that is the reason for feeding hatred.
- Posted by venkatUmair
- Posted by Anup’such destruction can be unleashed with in minutes…’
—If you terrorist guys are so smart then why irritate the Great Indian Nation & call upon yourselves ‘Kayamat’ before time??? A global nuisance that’s what Pakistan is…
Indian Governments have not been saints.
They have tried to break Pakistan and make it weak in 1971 war for Bangladesh they were successful and in the Baluchistan separation for the last two years.
Pakistan is also got full right and justification to help the separation of Jammu and Kashmir from India.UNO resolution of 1948 for plebiscite has not been implemented by Indian Governments as promised by Nehru.
Oh I forgot UNO is just a dummy organization financed and implemented by the imperialists\’ countries for their own interests!!!
Its a two way traffic and not the biased western or Indian press is talking against Pakistan.
- Posted by ratee