It is time for the Indian government to take action. India cannot be seen as being led by indecisive leaders who’s thoughts are more on the coming elections rather than grappling with national security. We are sitting on the borders of a country who’s government is loosing control. Over its own armed forces, over the fundamentalist forces. Pakistan is in danger of being completely Talibanized. It was a process that started when the US government armed and trained the Taliban through the Pakistan Army and ISI to fight the Russians. Afghanistan was turned into a battle zone of the major powers and Pakistan too allowed itself to get caught into the game, hoping to gain a few brownie points and much aid for its armed forces. Well, the game has backfired and Pakistan itself is in danger of being turned into battle zone.
\nSo what should the Indian government do ? Whatever it has to do, it must do swiftly, for time is not on our side. We cannot continue to be seen as a soft target, and our people cannot continue to sit back and await the next terror attack while the government looks at the options in light of the coming elections. If India needed to do surgical strikes, they should have happened already, sending a clear message to the fundamentalist forces that targeting India is not an option. It is now too late to do that.
\nMore than that, no terrorist attack is possible without ground support within our own country. I am afraid this is where it gets really murky as money, vote getting etc gets in the way of a clear cut policy. I am amazed that Dawood Ibrahim walks freely after being implicated in the Bombay Blasts years ago, and even travels to Dubai for his birthday. I am convinced now that Dawood knows too much for some politicians in India to allow him to be repatriated and put in trial in India. Our politics is so corrupt.
\nBut is War with Pakistan an option ? Consider this :
\na. Who are we declaring war against ? The people of Pakistan, or the government of Pakistan, or the fundamentalist forces ? A general war is exactly what the Taliban wants. It desires a Pakistan weakened further by war, so it can take control. It can then rip up more rhetoric and recruit many many more terrorists to its cause
\nb. What are the ‘goal posts’ of the War ? How do you declare a war as won. What do we want by going to war ? I think the government of India must make a list of the leaders of the Lakshar -e Tayiba – and others like Dawood, to be handed over for trial in India for crimes against the indian people. But the Indian government has not made any such clear demand. It has not taken any affirmative action yet
\nc. A war like this must be won within a period of 3\/4 days. Beyond that collatoral damage in the cost of civilian deaths on both sides is too high. Bombing of each other cities and even a nuclear conflict is a real threat in any war that becomes long and protracted.
\nSo what are the options now ?
\na. First the Indian government must make a list of people and operatives it believes to have organized the terror attacks on India, and ask Pakistan to hand them over.
\nb. We must put international pressure on Pakistan through countries like the US and China to hand these people over.
\nc. Ask the UN to step in and ensure that the terror camps are dismantled with in Pakistan. After all the UN has been sitting for 50 years on the borders of the two Kashmirs. Time for them to get more active.
\nIf nothing works then Military action may be the only alternative. First we should try and put together an international force, and if that does not work, then India should go it alone. But Military action must be the last resort. I believe though that the Pakistan Government too would be thankful to be rid of the fundamentalist forces that are destroying the fabric of their own nation. It is just that they are unable to publicly state that view for the fear of the reprisals from fundamentalist forces within their armed forces.
\nIt is difficult to judge who is in control right now in Pakistan,<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
It is time for the Indian government to take action. India cannot be seen as being led by indecisive leaders who’s thoughts are more on the coming elections rather than grappling with national security. We are sitting on the borders of a country who’s government is loosing control. Over its own armed forces, over the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-473","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-events"],"yoast_head":"\n