India, Pakistan Exchange Shelling and War Threats; Six Dead

AP ^ | May 23, 2002 | Neelesh Misra

[TomGuy]

India, Pakistan Exchange Shelling and War Threats; Six Dead

By Neelesh Misra Associated Press Writer
Published: May 23, 2002

SRINAGAR, India (AP) - Nuclear-armed neighbors India and Pakistan exchanged deadly shelling and threats of war Thursday, with New Delhi saying it "accepted the challenge thrown by our neighbor" and Islamabad warning of retaliation that "would not be good for India." But both governments also said they favored peace.

At least six people from both sides were reported killed in Thursday's shelling. The Pakistan army said Indian troops killed five civilians while India said at least one of its soldiers was killed and seven others were wounded.

The two sides fired mortar and artillery guns across the cease-fire line dividing Kashmir, said Lt. Col. H.S. Oberoi, an army spokesman in Jammu. Pakistani shells also fell in several villages in neighboring Punjab state, but there were no casualties.

India and Pakistan have massed about 1 million troops at their frontier since December. Tensions escalated last week after suspected Pakistan-based Islamic militants raided an army camp in the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir, killing 34 people - mostly soldiers' wives and children.

On Wednesday, India's navy moved five warships closer to Pakistan after Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee told hundreds of soldiers on the Kashmir border to prepare for war.

The United States and Britain urged restraint Thursday and prepared to send in diplomatic missions.

In Washington, Secretary of State Colin Powell appealed for the shelling to end and asked Pakistan to curb the influx of Islamic militants into the contested territory. Powell deputy Richard Armitage will travel to the region shortly.

British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, due in India next week, warned that the confrontation could escalate into nuclear war.

U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan offered Thursday to mediate the crisis, urging the nations to use the "logic and language of peace" rather than war. Pakistan accepted his help.

However, Annan will not go to the region unless asked by both sides, U.N. spokesman Fred Eckhard said.

Also Thursday, British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed on the urgent need for an international consensus to defuse the heightened tensions, Blair's office said.

Vajpayee met Thursday with senior military and political leaders in Srinagar, summer capital of India's Jammu-Kashmir state.

"India has accepted the challenge thrown by our neighbor and we are preparing ourselves for decisive victory against the enemy," Vajpayee said in a subsequent statement.

"We will not let Pakistan carry on its proxy war against India any longer."

Still, Vajpayee said he hoped for peace. When asked by a reporter about "war clouds," Vajpayee responded, "The sky is clear. But sometimes lightning strikes even in clear skies. We hope lightning will not strike."

Soon after Vajpayee left Srinagar, militants lobbed a grenade at a paramilitary post in the heart of the city. A Border Security Force member and a civilian were injured, said border force spokesman R.S. Bhullar.

In Islamabad, a spokesman for Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf warned India against any attack, saying the results "would not be good for India."

Pakistan government spokesman Gen. Rashid Quereshi said his country was exercising restraint.

"We are forced to respond militarily in Kashmir because of the other side firing continuously on the civilian population," Quereshi said. "But Pakistan's efforts are designed to de-escalate, not exacerbate the situation."

However, he later cautioned that "Pakistan has a fully functional military which is capable of defending every inch of its territory."

India accuses Pakistan of waging war through Pakistan-based militants, who New Delhi accuses of crossing the border in disputed Kashmir and launching terror attacks.

Vajpayee and his senior Cabinet members have been careful not to threaten an outright attack on Pakistan, although some members of his coalition government have said India should do so.

Some government officials, including Defense Minister George Fernandes, also have discussed striking the Islamic militant groups' camps in the Pakistan-controlled portion of Kashmir, though they allege there also are camps in Pakistan proper.

In the past week, cross-border shelling has killed dozens in divided Kashmir, which both nations claim. India and Pakistan have fought two of their three wars over the Himalayan region.

Vajpayee said Pakistan has waged a proxy war for 12 years by promoting Pakistan-based Islamic militants fighting for Indian-controlled Kashmir's independence or merger with Pakistan.

Militant attacks inside mostly Hindu India have killed at least 60,000 people.

"For the last 12 years there has been cross-border terrorism and we have been fighting it," Vajpayee said.

Pakistan denies backing the militants militarily, saying it only supports their aims of separating Muslim-majority Kashmir from India.

Pakistan and human rights activists accuse Indian security forces of raping and torturing Kashmir's Muslims and executing Islamic militants instead of detaining them. India denies that.

AP-ES-05-23-02 1749EDT

[TomGuy]

Posturing, or the start of the Big One in SE Asia?

[jaz.357]

What would happen in the USA if they do go nuke? How big are the bombs? Would it affect our air/water?

[My2Cents]

Well, if Bin Laden is in Pakistan, that would be one way of assuring he was obliterated.

I know I should care whether Pak and India wipe each other off the face of the earth, but I don't.

[ChicagoRepublican]

It's just posturing. Within two weeks this will die down until the next time the Indian population gets pissed at a terrorist attack.

[Fish out of Water]

*Index Bump

[Sender]

It would directly affect a large area, mainly whatever lies downwind of the area for hundreds of miles. The relatively heavy fallout would mostly enter the soil and groundwater after the next rain. Some lighter dust would undoubtedly make its way around the world, but I doubt that we would experience any significant contamination. The areas around and downwind of the explosions, however, would remain hazardous for a long, long time. These areas would not be like the desolation in sci-fi movies at all. They would have plenty of plant life and seem relatively normal. People would stay there or move back in. Cancer and birth defect rates would go up. In the end, we would get blamed for it all somehow and have to foot the bill for medical and cleanup. Most significantly though, if there is a nuclear exchange, the genie will be out of the bottle, so to speak. The first one is always the hardest. The next ones are easier. Or at least, no longer unthinkable.

[FReepaholic]

See the link below:

Trans-Pacific Fallout

[FReepaholic]

See post #10

[Dan Day]

Good analysis, including the political ramifications. That's my view as well.

[PsyOp]

Pakistan and human rights activists accuse Indian security forces of raping and torturing Kashmir's Muslims and executing Islamic militants instead of detaining them.

Muslims accusing non-muslims of masacres... I think I'll take the word of the Indians on this one.

[Lion's Cub]

Substitute India for Israel and Pakistan for "palestine". Same strategy-different location. Except this location would greatly help China make a move on Taiwan or the shipping lanes.

BTW, if Musharraf puts all of his forces on the border, who's left to contain the jihadists and prevent his overthrow? It could be that Bush is talking to Putin about a lot more than a new ABM agreement...

[Braak]

Honestly, not much...most of the weapons are low-kiloton range yield weapons...and frankly..the only folks who might have to worry is the Chinese and the Bangladeshis. The Indus and the Gangees might have an unhealthy glow to them as well.

[hchutch]

What's your take on this?

I can't type mine, I fear it would be nuked for profanity...

[Poohbah]

At least this isn't YugoNam, where we had to make an emergency airlift of vowels so we could pronounce the place names...