War on terrorism and U.S. nuclear weapons doctrine contributes to the crisis. Between The Lines' Scott Harris spoke with Bill Hartung of the World Policy Institute, who assesses the danger of war between India and Pakistan.
India and Pakistan on the Brink of Nuclear Conflict
War on terrorism and U.S. nuclear weapons doctrine contributes to the crisis
Interview by Between The Lines' Scott Harris
Nearly a million soldiers from India and Pakistan have massed on the border of the disputed territory of Jammu and Kashmir, raising tensions between the two nuclear powers for the second time in six months. The latest incident which sparked new fears of war occurred on May 14, when three Islamic militants infiltrated the Indian-held sector of Kashmir and killed 30 people, may of whom were the wives and children of Indian troops. This clash and a string of attacks - including a December attack on the Indian parliament - have led the nationalist government of prime minister Vajpayee to threaten a military response unless Pakistani leader General Musharraf halts all cross border terrorist incursions into India.
Alarm at the prospect of nuclear war between these two south Asian rivals has triggered a round of diplomatic activity by the U.S. Britain and Russia in an 11th hour effort to reduce the prospect of a border conflict that could easily spin out of control. U.S. military planners estimate that if India and Pakistan were to engage in nuclear war, 3 million to 12 million people would be killed.
Between The Lines' Scott Harris spoke with Bill Hartung of the World Policy Institute, who assesses the danger of war between India and Pakistan, the fallout from America's war on terrorism and the negative role U.S. nuclear weapons doctrine plays in influencing how other nuclear powers wield their weapons of mass destruction.
Contact the World Policy Institute by calling (212) 229-5808 or visit their Web site at
www.worldpolicy.org
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