“Yesterday”:http://www.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=20016 in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir
bq. In a pre-dawn strike, militants on Monday gunned down 24 Kashmiri Pandits, including 11 women and two children, at a hamlet in Pulwama district of South Kashmir, dealing a blow to state government’s plan to bring back Hindu migrants.
and here is what “Richard Boucher”:http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_221254,0008.htm , the state department spokesman had to say
bq. Boucher said “violence will not solve Kashmir’s problems. Dialogue remains a critical element in the normalization of relations between India and Pakistan,”
How come you did not invite Saddam Hussein or Osama to the white house and engage in a dialogue ? Indians have even done that. Our Prime Minister “went to Pakistan”:http://www.rediff.com/news/1999/feb/20bus1.htm, asked for peace. Musharraf sent his troops to “Kargil”:http://www.rediff.com/news/1999/may/26kash2.htm. We invited “Musharraf to India”:http://www.punjabilok.com/musharraf_visit/main_page1.htm. We got more terrorists after that. So please, don’t insult the Indians by asking for dialogue. You look ignorant and stupid in the eyes of 1 Billion people.
Update: “The real tragedy of Kashmir”:http://www.sulekha.com/redirectnh.asp?cid=305233
Suman Palit as always puts it “more eloquently”:http://www.palit.com/2003_03_23_tkl_archive.asp#200044764.
JK, I wholeheartedly agree there – I don’t know what kind of back-door dealing is going on between the US an dPakistan, but even from the American standpoint, what looks like a nice short-term position has a major potential to backfire in the long-term.
You would tend to think that America would learn from the effects of its short term policies (Afghanistan, Saddam). But looks like history repeats and that too many times in the span of one generation.
I am actually frustrated even with the seeming bone-headedness of Indian diplomatic efforts. I wish they would just stop harping about the Iraq war and UN. They might have a little more leverage with Washington if they sit on the fence, instead of outright going against America’s position.