Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Indo-Pak Tensions: Prospects of Nuclear War: US Interventions

Indo-Pak Tensions: Prospects of Nuclear War: US Interventions

An Indo-Pak nuclear war would just not mean huge loss of lives, in terms of millions, it would also mean severe damage to earth's ecology.
A nuclear war on a larger scale, as advocated by that madcap Sudarshan - the supremo of the "Hindu" radical Right - RSS, would simply blot out lives - all lives - from the face of the earth, virtually for ever.

But, at this moment, that appears to be somewhat beside the point.
Rice and Mullen were fairly successful in pouring sufficient cold water over the belligerence of Indian leaders. Even Advani, after his encounter with Rice, is visibly more restrained. Never mind Arun Shourie's ugly and insane calls for "a whole jaw for a tooth".
With the resumption of sabre rattling, Mullen has again come to the region - Pakistan to be more specific.
The effect is almost instantaneous. After Indian External Affairs Minister's shrill war cries at the Indian Envoys' conference comes the about-turn by the Indian Prime Minister, the very next day at the same venue. His radical climb down is just not a bit comical in the immediate aftermath of the chest thumping of his external Affairs Minister and a sort of highly welcome anti-climax, it is also evidently an act of public disowning of the number two in his own cabinet.
But that has not dissuaded the Indian media from providing its own spin. If the Indian Express claims that the PM has accused Pakistan of trying to divert the issue with talk of war – the text quoted by it in no way substantiates that, the Times of India has gone a couple of steps further. The banner headline on page 14 of the Mumbai (i.e. the main) edition is: "War not must but raze terror camps: PM" (See: http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Daily/skins/TOI/navigator.asp?Daily=TOIM&login=default&AW=1230101687562. This is, however, not available on its main website. Even the headline is not dowloadable. That appears to be significant.)
But never mind the spins, the shift is all too evident. Even across the border.

Sukla

I/VI.
http://www.voanews.com/english/voa-22dec08-1.cfm
India Says Prepared for All Measures if Pakistan Fails to Act Against Extremists
By Anjana Pasricha
New Delhi
22 December 2008

India has demanded that Pakistan act against Islamic extremists responsible for last month's terror attack in its financial hub Mumbai. The attack has rekindled tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbors.
……
Mr. (Pranab) Mukherjee says Islamabad is resorting to a "policy of denial" and seeking to deflect the blame.
"We will expect from Pakistan to do whatever they committed to do, to fulfill their promises, to fulfill their commitments. As responsible members of the community of nations, no nation can shirk its responsibility to fulfill the commitment which it gives to the other nation," he said.
The Indian foreign minister also says efforts by the international community to persuade Pakistan to clamp down on extremists based in the country are not enough. He says New Delhi is prepared to act alone and "will take all measures necessary to deal with the situation."
"And in that process to pursue that objective, we are not freezing any option, we will explore the possibilities because the obligation is ours, our people have been killed, our persons have been attacked, our installations have been destroyed," he added.
In the wake of the Mumbai attack, top officials from the United States and other countries have visited New Delhi and Islamabad, urging them to avoid military confrontation. Indian leaders also said they do not want war with Pakistan.
But in recent days they have spoken a tougher language saying they are frustrated by Pakistan's failure to act against the terrorists responsible for the Mumbai attacks and previous terror strikes targeting India.
This has fueled speculation that New Delhi may mount a retaliatory strike against camps of extremist organizations such as the Lashkar-e-Taiba, which India has blamed for the latest
attack.
Snipped

II.
http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/International/23-Dec-2008/Manmohan-Singh-claims-calms-war-rhetoric-but-demands-action-from-Pak
Manmohan Singh claims calms war rhetoric but demands action from Pak
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday dismissed talk of war with Pakistan but again demanded it act against militants blamed for Mumbai attacks. " The issue is not war. Nobody wants war. We would like an objective effort to dismantle terror infrastructure," Singh told reporters in New Delhi. Singh's comments followed similar remarks by Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee. "My request to our friends in Pakistan would be they should address the issue. "India has requested Pakistan to take action against perpetrators of these attacks." New Delhi has blamed last month's attacks, in which gunmen killed 163 people, on the banned Pakistan-based extremist group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) which is fighting Indian rule in disputed Kashmir.

III.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/act-on-terror-dont-distract-with-war-talk/402021/
'Act on terror, don't distract with war talk'
Dec 23, 2008 at 0153 hrs IST

New Delhi: With Pakistan whipping up a war hysteria in a bid to divert international attention and escape culpability for the Mumbai attack, India today sought to bring the focus back on terrorism by making it clear that "nobody wants war". However, New Delhi also pointed out that "state establishments" in India's neighbourhood were aiding terror.
Speaking to reporters outside Parliament, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said: "What we want from Pakistan is to dismantle the Terror machine. That is the one demand. This is in the interest of the people of India and Pakistan. The terror machine should be dismantled without any further loss. The issue is not war. The issue is terror and territory in Pakistan being used to promote, aid and abet terror here. I think that is the issue. Nobody wants war."
Earlier, in his address to the Heads of Missions conference, Singh said: "Non-state actors were practising terrorism aided and abetted by state establishments. The Mumbai terrorist attacks were an attack on India's ambitions to emerge as an economic power."

IV.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008%5C12%5C23%5Cstory_23-12-2008_pg1_3
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Pakistan has right to defend itself: COAS

* Admiral Mullen urges Pakistan to forge more productive ties with India
* Dawa leaders detained, being questioned, says ISI DG

LAHORE: Army chief Gen Ashfaq Pervez Kayani told US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Michael Mullen in a meeting on Monday that Pakistan reserves the right to defend itself in case of aggression from India, a private TV channel reported on Monday.
Sources privy to the meeting told Daily Times that Mullen – who arrived in Islamabad after talks with Afghan President Hamid Karzai – urged Pakistan to forge more productive ties with India to fight the common threat of terrorism.
The two officials also discussed bilateral military-to-military ties and the situation in Pakistan's Tribal Areas and Afghanistan, they said. Lt Gen Ahmed Shuja Pasha, the director-general of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency, also attended the meeting.
A US embassy statement said Adm Mullen thanked Pakistani military and intelligence officials for their continued efforts to fight terrorism. He also thanked them for action against Lashkar-e-Tayyaba and other terrorists believed to be involved in last month's Mumbai terrorist attacks. "The Pakistani government has taken steps to break up the group believed responsible for the attacks that held the Indian financial centre hostage for three days," he said.
Mullen also appreciated the legal efforts by Pakistani authorities to prosecute terror suspects quickly and transparently.
Leaders detained: Citing military sources, another TV channel said the ISI chief told Mullen Pakistan had arrested most of the Jamaatud Dawa (JD) leaders who were now being questioned. He said the ISI had no role in the Mumbai attacks, the channel added.
Monday's visit was Mullen's seventh to Pakistan since assuming office in October 2008, and his meeting with Gen Kayani was his eighth so far. He left late on Monday. US embassy spokesman Lou Fintor told AFP that Mullen was in Islamabad for "scheduled talks with senior Pakistani officials on regional issues".
Also on Monday, US Marines Commandant James T Conway met Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Noman Bashir at the Naval Headquarters and "discussed matters of mutual interest", the state-run APP news agency reported. sajjad malik/daily times monitor/agencies.

V.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008%5C12%5C24%5Cstory_24-12-2008_pg1_4
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Pakistan does not want tension on borders: PM
Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said on Tuesday that Pakistan does not want tensions along the border with India, and the country will 'act responsibly and with caution' in dealing with the situation in the aftermath of the Mumbai terror attacks.
The prime minister's comments came as both India and Pakistan stepped up aerial surveillance along the common border and the Indian army chief rushed to Siachen to review the preparedness of his forces.
Talking to reporters at the Convention Centre, Gilani said, "Nobody wants tensions on the borders, and we are moving responsibly and with caution." He said the nation and the army were united in defending the country – a reference to speculation that war could be thrust on Pakistan amid rising tensions with India over the Mumbai attacks.
The prime minister, however, said that Pakistan wanted to maintain good neighbourly relations with India – "which should be based on mutual respect". The government was aware of the situation in the region, and would act as 'things move along', he added.
Gilani said Pakistan's armed forces were prepared to deal with any situation.
About the Mumbai attacks, he said any evidence related to the attacks would be made public.

VI.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008%5C12%5C21%5Cstory_21-12-2008_pg1_3
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Attacks show need to reduce Pakistan-India tensions: Mullen

KABUL: The terrorist attacks in Mumbai last month show the need to reduce Indian tensions with Pakistan and this would help bring stability to Afghanistan, United States Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Admiral Mike Mullen said on Saturday.
Snipped

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