By
Colonel Awadhesh Kumar, Special Forces
The New York Times an American newspaper writes “The JeM, which seeks independence for Kashmir or its merger with Pakistan, took responsibility (for the Kashmir bombing).
While it is on America’s list of terrorist organisations and is formally banned in Pakistan, the group has been protected and armed by the Pakistani intelligence service.”
Well, all the shenanigans of the CIA in cahoots with ISI after disrupting Afghanistan is now roosting in Pakistan and dreaming of disrupting India.
Saying enough is enough, India retaliated post Pulwama after 13 days mourning period (as per Indian rituals), this time with airstrikes deep inside Pakistan, on terrorist camps killing over 250 terrorists and ISI trainers.
A few days later, PAF tried to intrude into Indian airspace and in the bargain one PAF F16 was shot down by one of the vintage MIG 21 of IAF. This must have shocked the USAAF more than the Pakistanis.
However what was even more devastating was that 4 to 5 BVR missiles fired by F-16s were blinded and virtually turned into unguided rockets. One BVR was even shot down by an Indian Sukhoi MKI. This must be the most terrible news for the Americans because even PLAAF have sukhoi 30s with them.
The NYT did not talk about the shooting down of a F16 or the BVR missiles becoming duds but instead highlighted that Islamabad also captured an Indian Air Force pilot after a February 27 dogfight between the two air forces. He was released on March 1 as a “peace gesture” by Pakistan.
This was the MIG21 pilot who after shooting down a F16 in a dogfight had to eject over POK and was taken as PW by Pakistan. NYT should know that had he not been returned then India would have treated it as a continuation of war and acted accordingly.
However instead of lamenting on the upcoming problems for the USAAF / US Navy in South China sea and the expected crash of world wide F-16 market, NYT chose on to harp on the threat of Indo Pak nuclear war.
It said that a nuclear war between India and Pakistan is “most likely” and the “relative calm” is not a solution as long as the two neighbours refuse to deal with their core dispute of Kashmir.
NYT thinks that although the India-Pakistan tensions had diffused for now, their “nuclear arsenals mean unthinkable consequences are always possible. This relative calm is not a solution and the US needed to get involved in defusing the tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad.
Well NYT, Indians are not going to pay any attention to your pontification. Only country in the world which deliberately used nuclear bombs twice against about to surrender Japan has no right to lecture India on its use.
We Indians are also aware how the US had threatened the Chinese with nuclear bombs during the Korean war. The brinkmanship with respect to Soviet Union is too fresh to be repeated here.
This time India has dared to call the bluff of the Pakistanis including the nuclear one if it comes to that ever. Unlike USA which has till date struck against terror within countries which can not retaliate against the US mainland, India has struck against terror inside a country which is a nuclear power …..that is the difference.
So instead of suggesting mediation by anyone between India and Pakistan, US must first stop all support to Pakistan till it eradicates terrorism from its soil. US must also advice Pakistan that this is the only way to prevent eradication of Pakistan itself, incase it persists in its support to terrorism against India. Though India will ever be ready to mediate between US and North Korea in case NYT makes a request.
The NYT also had the gumption to suggest that the US “could help India strengthen its counterterrorism capabilities to prevent future attacks and it could encourage India to modify its approach to those opposing its rule in Kashmir, which the UN and other groups say involves widespread human rights abuses.” Well this is quite ticklish coming from people who thought nothing while bombing Vietnamese and the Afghanis and carrying out such activities world wide.
USA should also never talk about Kashmir unless it is itself ready to either hand over the State of Texas to Mexico or give it independence. Kashmir is an integral part of India and NYT should remember how USA went to war against itself when the Southern States had wanted to secede from the Union. India feels about Kashmir the same way.
The NYT should be fully aware of the fact that now no international pressure on India will be able to save Pakistan if it continues with terrorism as tool to interfere in India. Those days are over.
While the Clinton, Bush and Obama administrations may have aggressively worked to ensure that India- did not bash in Pakistan in 1999, 2002 and 2008 and may have managed to control India, they cannot do so now. Very rightly the (Donald) Trump administration has just issued a few statements urging restraint.
Well NYT should put on its thinking cap and advice Pakistan to take various actions to prevent itself from being sent back to the stone age.
