On the Indian National Interest
The leader of Lal Masjid and its associated madrassas is neither an ordinary fire-breathing Islamic cleric, nor the run-of-the-mill Islamist politician like the sorts who constitute the MMA. The sheer audacity with which he and his ‘students’ thumbed their noses at the Musharraf regime—‘arresting’ policemen and what not—can only indicate one thing: that it is … Continue reading “Poor brinkmanship at Lal Masjid”
Centuries ago, war was all out combat between one group against another; the distinction between combatants and non-combatants came later as a moral upgrade to that ugly business. Wars then largely became contests between armed forces of countries (although non-combatants continued to be killed). In the nuclear era, war became a game played by the strategic elite. The war of the future may go back a full circle—pitting entire populations, combatants and non-combatants alike in a complex clash of convictions.
(This is a longer than usual post that contemplates the future of war)
India must consider unconventional military offensives against Pakistan’s terrorist infrastructure The Pakistani military establishment knows that at least on three occasions over last two decades it was able to use the threat of a nuclear response to dissuade India from launching pre-emptive or punitive strikes against its nuclear and terrorist infrastructure. India considered offensive military … Continue reading “Getting on the right side of that paradox”
The implications of al-Qaeda’s links with the ISI Pakistani intelligence officials captured and delivered Abu Faraj al-Libbi, a Libyan terrorist, to the American authorities last week. But doubts have been cast on how important a personality Abu Faraj actually was. Was he simply an errand boy, a field operative of some importance or indeed a … Continue reading “No al Libi”
Kaushik Kapisthalam writes that US largesse to Pakistan will only make a bad problem worse Unless United States Congress votes against it in the next few weeks (and decides to run the risk of angering the American defence industry), Pakistan will receive an entire arsenal of modern arms, aircrafts and munitions. That includes items like … Continue reading “That’s another $1.3 billion threat to India”