US analysts rationalise India's airstrikes
Aziz Haniffa
WASHINGTON 27 MAY
DESPITE the US State Department expressing concern about the hostilities in the Kargil-Dras sector of Jammu & Kashmir, some intelligence analysts and experts here said they could understand New Delhi's rationale behind the airstrikes.
Some even drew the analogy of Israel's airstrikes against alleged Palestinian terrorist camps in Lebanon. However, they quickly agreed that unlike the action that the Israelis are reputed for, India's airstrikes were “on India's side of the LoC (Line of Control)”.
One intelligence analyst, speaking acknowledged that India's decision to use air power to flush out the infiltrators was unprecedented. But, he noted that “what appears to be going on is a relatively new kind of situation for Kashmir”.
“You got a large group of militants who are threatening to cut off a principal ground communications route for India, the road that goes up to Leh,” the analyst explained. “And from what I can tell by looking at the map, that's the only road there is.” Another senior official, said that probably, Prime Minister Vajpayee wanted to send out a message — that despite having a caretaker government, India still meant business.
“Don't mess around with us” was probably the message the Vajpayee government wanted to disseminate to Pakistan. Obviously, these elements thought that they could take advantage of India's political flux, the official explained.
Stephen Cohen, heads, South Asia Programme at Brookings Institution, a prestigious think-tank here, agreed with the analyst's contention. — IANS
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