I think the pro-active method employed by the Isrealis is a very good idea as long as you are 100% sure of who you are taking out otherwise you run the risk of further fueling hatred towards you. Additionally does India have the reach and capability to do such raids through RAW or spec ops, whatever. Also how likely is India to start to engage in these operations? How many times does India have to be provoked before it acts.
Death by a thousand cuts.
A few points:
1) India does have a strong and substantial covert operations capability; it is a known fact that the Khalistani insurgency in India has reached such a high proportion that the Indian Government had to go for a similar kind of pay back scheme.
During the rule of Gen Zia Pakistan had started to raise, instigate and fund the separatist movement, this time in Punjab. Of course the Indian security agencies have played their part to try and keep it to its minimum but of course things werent so easy. You had the Kanishka bimbing case where hundreds died over sea.
The point it Pakistan had deemed it fit to try and stir a thng or two in Indian state of Punjab. Add to that the fact that thousands of Sikh pilgrims regularly visit Pakistan for places like Nankana Saheb and Lahore. So Pakistan played its part.
Of course then things started changing for the good. India retaliated in kind and late 80s and early 90s the Govt of India had already pieced together a very powerful and credible covert operations capability (does not mean it never had it before), the only difference being it became the policyhenceforth that to stop this India must also do the same.
Resultantly RAW started a covert campaign of bombing sensitive areas of Pakistan like Karachi and Lahore, through a series of low intensity strikes, till it was a message loud enough for Benazir Sahiba to stop funding the separatist movement in Punjab and come to the same terms as India was demanding.
Till Mr IK Gujral (born in modern day Pakistan) came to power in 1990s our covert operations were very strong and the Govt did not make any compromise to reply in kind. But unfortunately he ordered closing/ramping down of all covert operations capabilities in Pakistan, which India had painstakingly put together in so many preceeding decades.
So Counter Intelligence Team X and J need to be provided with funds to carry on the activities that is their bread and butter.
2) @ illuminatidinesh - The NSG is not involved in subversive activities beyond enemy lines and similarly Marcos is also not involved.
3) @☪☪☪☪ Please be aware that covert operations by definition and logic is something that is
Deniable (This is an important word)
4) The entire debate in India as of today is not the question of morality or anything of that sort. It is the question of whether India should also pay back in the same coin? Additionally the issues is of making the perennial Paksitani support of terrorism directed towards India so PROHIBITIVELY costly/expensive that there is only one way to go and that is backwards..
If the answer is yes then India must go full throttle forward with this
My opinion:
India must call the bluff now and start gathering intelligence within the closed frontiers. I am sure the PMO can easily set up the asset infrastructure again and start the covert operations without delay.
Particularly so when Pakistan is not in the pink of health, with the hydra headed monster of sectarian violence rearinf up its ugly head, theres a full scale war in the northwest and secssionist movement in Balochistan (I am talking as the people in this business do, please do not take me wrong)
Secondly whether you do covert operations or not Pakistan's line of action will remain so for the foreseeable future, so why the moral high ground saying something stupid that there is a difference between them and us and that the difference should remain... abd related blah blah..
Finally a few thing of caution:
a) It is very difficult to maintain deniability in such operations, so please be discrete to the extent possible.
b) Look for expendable assets for taking out targets
c) Try to avoid civilian casualties and collateral damage by such operations, as an Indian we do not WANT a failed assasination attempt on the lines of Ali Hassan Salameh..
my two cents..please feel free to agree or disagree...
Pakistan Intel Agencies fought covert and proxy wars with Soviet Union which had a agency which could take out entire RAW in few weeks (KGB) but were Pakistanis Generals Scared?NO they fought and KGB was disbanded in 1991 while ISI is still here..and don't give me terrorism bullshit..if you take action in Pakistan expect a more then fitting reply..and you are more then welcome to try but reality check: You don't have the capability to do so.
