Is war with Pakistan an option?

Post the attack on Bombay, I have been hearing multiple known and unknown citizens talking of hitting out at Pakistan with military firepower. The biggest example given is that of US. “No one has ever dared to touch US after 9/11 as US immediately attacked Afghanistan and then Iraq”.

This may be the consensus that we see amongst many Indians today. Go ahead and attack Pakistan and give them a strong message that they cannot mess with us.

In terms of sequences they speak of US is correct. There was the disastrous 9/11, and then US attacked Afghanistan, could not catch Osama and then changed their focus to Iraq to find weapons of mass destruction… found nothing. They still lose almost a couple of trillion dollars a year, lose many army personnel, and it has cost Bush his government – clearly told by citizens, that it was a wrong choice.

The real story however is that this offence by US was not the reason why they do not have any attacks on US grounds. Key to US’s success against terrorists is the fact that they developed a strong homeland security system coupled with strong intelligence system. It is the processes that they have developed that helps them squash all threats at a planning stage. Interestingly, if you listen to Ms. Rice of US, you will hear her say that even today they are getting clear threats to their land always. But they are being able to neutralize them from occurring as they have a strong intelligence system.

What we need in India is a strong intelligence system and a willingness to take intelligence seriously. Not fight a war with Pakistan.

With a war, both countries will have more martyrs, will take our intolerance with one another for another 60 years, will kill both the economies and will play into the hands of the terrorists’ thoughts and ideas.

Now, do you think, 'is war with Pakistan an option'?