India may launch aggressive actions in Pakistan: US spies

Mikesingh

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WASHINGTON:

US intelligence chiefs warn exchange of fire at the LoC may lead to a direct conflict between India and Pakistan.


US intelligence chiefs have warned Congress that India may launch aggressive actions inside Pakistan on the pretext of stopping “cross-border attacks” and that the ongoing exchange of artillery shells across the Line of Control (LoC) may lead to a direct conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbours.

The warning given at a US Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Tuesday afternoon followed alarming statements from New Delhi and Islamabad, threatening attacks and counterattacks.

“India has sought and continues to move to isolate Pakistan diplomatically and is considering punitive options to raise the cost to Islamabad for its alleged support to cross-border terrorism,” Lt Gen Vincent Stewart, the head of US Defence Intelligence Agency, told the committee.

“Increasing numbers of firefights along the Line of Control, including the use of artillery and mortars, might exacerbate the risk of unintended escalation between these nuclear-armed neighbours,” warned the director for National Intelligence, Daniel R. Coats.

The two officials were briefing senators on the US intelligence community’s threat assessment for 2017-18, during which they see terrorist groups attacking American interests across the globe.

On Tuesday, the Pakistan Army denied the Indian Army’s claim that it had carried out an ‘operation’ against Pakistani posts along the LoC. Indian Army’s Maj Gen Ashok Narula claimed the action was aimed to “bring down the number of terrorists in Kashmir so that local youths are not encouraged to take up arms”.

Pakistan says that it never allows terrorists to use its soil for launching attacks into another country. Gen Stewart told the Senate committee that continued threat of “high-level terrorist attacks” in India, violence in India-held Kashmir and bilateral diplomatic recriminations would further strain India-Pakistan ties in 2017.

He said that after a terrorist attack on an army base in held Kashmir last September, New Delhi conducted an operation against militants across the LoC.

“In 2016, Indian and Pakistani forces exchanged some of the heaviest fire in years along the Line of Control in Kashmir, and each expelled a number of the other’s diplomats amid growing tension,” he added with a warning that yet another terrorist attack could lead to an India-Pakistan war.

Director Coats told the committee that relations between India and Pakistan remained tense following two major attacks last year by militants who he claimed had crossed over from Pakistan.

“They might deteriorate further in 2017, especially in the event of another high-profile terrorist attack in India that New Delhi attributes to originating in or receiving assistance from Pakistan,” he said.

“Islamabad’s failure to curb support to anti-India militants and New Delhi’s growing intolerance of this policy, coupled with a perceived lack of progress in Pakistan’s investigations into the January 2016 Pathankot cross-border attack, set the stage for a deterioration of bilateral relations in 2016.”

In a general assessment of the situation in Pakistan, Gen Stewart said that in 2017, Islamabad could slowly shift from traditional counterinsurgency operations along Pakistan’s western border to more counterterrorism and paramilitary operations throughout the country. He noted that such operations have had some success in reducing violence from militant, sectarian, terrorist and separatist groups.

“Anti-Pakistan groups probably will respond to this sustained pressure by focusing their efforts against soft targets,” he added.

Gen Stewart claimed that Pakistan’s nuclear stockpile had continued to grow and this was a cause of concern for the US. “We are concerned that this growth, as well as an evolving doctrine and inherent security issues associated with Pakistan’s developing tactical nuclear weapons, presents an enduring risk,” he warned.

In his assessment of the situation in Pakistan, Director Coats said that Pakistan-based terrorist groups “will present a sustained threat to US interests in the region and continue to plan and conduct attacks in India and Afghanistan”.

He warned that “the threat to the United States and the West from Pakistani-based terrorist groups will be persistent but diffuse. Plotting against the US homeland will be conducted on a more opportunistic basis or driven by individual members within these groups”.

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor would offer militants and terrorists additional targets, he added.

Published in Dawn, May 25th, 2017

https://www.dawn.com/news/1335319/india-may-launch-aggressive-actions-in-pakistan-us-spies

And now with our new pro-active counter terror strategy against Pak along the LoC/IB announced by the defence minister himself saying that in a war like situation the Army will take the decisions as considered fit and not politicians, it is a radical shift from earlier when the Army was in a containment role.

It does seem that henceforth, the Pakis are going to get whipped for their transgressions and the proxy war they have been indulging in since the past three decades.
 

cyclops

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I really hope we have a more thought out and comprehensive strategy to punish napakistan and not just surgical strikes and cross border firing.
Balochi freedom fighters need to be emboldened and strengthened more so than they already are.
We need to stretch the pakis thin with every sort of covert action.
 

Mikesingh

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Balochi freedom fighters need to be emboldened and strengthened more so than they already are.
We need to stretch the pakis thin with every sort of covert action.
It doesn't look like we are doing much on the Baloch front. We need to step on the gas.
 

Krusty

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WTF is US moaning about? Isn't this the reason why Uncle armed Pakistan in the first place? More arms business to yo.... oh wait now it's China who will reap the benefits of an Indo pak conflict. Jealous much?


It's better that we change our stance on the LOC instead of celebrating death of a few expendable pigs who managed to martyr our army men. We have to realise that's advantage Pakistan. It's nothing to celebrate about. At very little cost Pakistan managed to inflict serious damage and force us to spend rediculous amounts of cash to cull what they deem expendable. That's no victory. It's stupidity. Pakistan army must face the heat along the LOC. they should be forced to spend their precious resources to react to the situation that we put them in. Yes we will face attacks. But then, haven't we faced them all this while? Just get on with it and light up the LOC day and night and watch the pigs squeal. That's the least we can do. Spending 70billion on our military Budget means squat when a country spending peanuts on theirs constantly harasses us on our own turf. If people think throwing money at a problem can solve it, they cannot be more wrong. Money is no cure for the lack of will.
 
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dhananjay1

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Yes, tell me when it happens. This article with few changes could be used for any year of the past few decades.
 

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