‘Strike after 26/11 may have led to war’: Former Pak minister Kasuri

[Styx]

Former union minister Mani Shankar Aiyar and fomer Pakistan foreign minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri during a seminar in New Delhi. (PTI)

Former Pakistani foreign minister Khursheed Kasuri has claimed that American politicians had asked him how the Pakistani military would respond if India carried out a limited air raid in Pakistan in retaliation to the 26/11 Mumbai terror strikes.

Kasuri claimed that after the Mumbai attacks, a US delegation led by Senator John McCain had sought his views as a former foreign minister on how the Pakistani military would respond if India carried out a limited air raid on Muridke — home to the bases of Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jamaat-ud-Dawa.

“I told them (the Americans) if the Indians did that, the Pakistani military would give a measured response in five minutes… It could lead to a war. But they thought it could prevent it,” Kasuri told Karan Thapar in an interview on India Today channel. The former minister has detailed the meeting with the Americans in his recently released book — Neither a Hawk nor a Dove. He was Pakistan’s foreign minister during 2002-2007 under President Pervez Musharraf.

Kasuri said the Americans had met him after holding talks with the top Indian political and military leadership.

Asked how Pakistan would react if the NDA government under PM Narendra Modi planned a limited strike, Kasuri said, “All hell would break loose…”

He said backchannel talks between the two countries had made substantial progress when he was the foreign minister on intractable issues such as Kashmir, Siachen and Sir Creek and solutions were in sight. He said Musharraf had emerged as a statesman in the later years of his presidency.

He said Modi should appoint people he trusted for meaningful backchannel talks. Kasuri added that “men of goodwill” and political resolve was needed to resolve all outstanding issues.

‘Strike after 26/11 may have led to war’: Former Pak minister Kasuri | india | Hindustan Times

 

[Killswitch]

There is no need for a war.

India will develop its economy, infrstructure, and military.

The border defenses are being improved.

NSG hubs and coastal defenses are operational.

Terrorists in Pakistan can be assassinated when the oppurtunity presents itself.

 

[Indus Falcon]

Don't you just love it, when politicians just state the obvious!!!

 

[SQ8]

A strike then would not have played well for India. The WoT was at its peak all over, Pakistan was sensitive and the military would have skinned Zardari alive and gone to war.

 

[Indika]

War, war.....
Oh spare us from the war crap. If a dog shits in india , pakistan will wage a war. This war nonsense has actually gone too far it has become a official defacto language of pakistan . For once lets become mad like them by providing afghans a nuke and put the blame on pakistan terrorists. Let them blow up each other atleast we will spared of this rubbish nonsense for some time. Pakistanis think having nukes is a license to indulge in wanton killings of civilians through terrorists.

 

[third eye]

We people are so hyper that almost anything can start a war.

One is getting tired of old Politicians and Generals whose ' best before ' dates have long gone .

It is surprising how wise they become when not in power & how immature they behave when out of power.

 

[Indus Falcon]

War, war.....
Oh spare us from the war crap. If a dog shits in india , pakistan will wage a war. This war nonsense has actually gone too far it has become a official defacto language of pakistan . For once lets become mad like them by providing afghans a nuke and put the blame on pakistan terrorists. Let them blow up each other atleast we will spared of this rubbish nonsense for some time. Pakistanis think having nukes is a license to indulge in wanton killings of civilians through terrorists.

Done with your rants, or is there more?

 

[Indika]

A strike then would not have played well for India. The WoT was at its peak all over, Pakistan was sensitive and the military would have skinned Zardari alive and gone to war.

Whats new in pakistan military waging war? they have always been at it overtly 2/3 times and covertly all the time. Only newly added dimension is nukes, but even that did not provide victory in kargil war, did it ?
Its only the indian restraint that has ensured peace in the region inspite of all the grave provocations by pakistan. the The current generation of leaders dont have the patience of the older one like gujral,vajpayee or manmohan.

Some where down the lane the indian leadership is going to snap and answer the wishes of petulant pakistan with war its just a matter of time. Hope it does not get to that point.

 

[Strigon]

I dont understand the point of the statement. All I can think of is..

 

[Indika]

Done with your rants, or is there more?

Yes Sirji, there is more to come, just rang up zaid hamid. He wants to vent all his jailed frustrations by declaring war against india for ...........................9th time.

 

[Indus Falcon]

Yes Sirji, there is more to come, just rang up zaid hamid. He wants to vent all his jailed frustrations by declaring war against india for ...........................9th time.

You must understand something, irrespective of what the media thinks about Zaid Hamid, The military doesn't give two hoots to his rantings.

 

[Joe Shearer]

A strike then would not have played well for India. The WoT was at its peak all over, Pakistan was sensitive and the military would have skinned Zardari alive and gone to war.

True. But you are undermining your own logic, when that logic dictates that Pakistan will not resort to a conventional war because of the asymmetry of forces, but will show her nuclear teeth if an Indian attack gets too close to impairing Pakistan's defenses irreparably. If Pakistan had gone to war, she would presumably have gone to conventional war, and that would not have been a happy situation.

 

[SQ8]

True. But you are undermining your own logic, when that logic dictates that Pakistan will not resort to a conventional war because of the asymmetry of forces, but will show her nuclear teeth if an Indian attack gets too close to impairing Pakistan's defenses irreparably. If Pakistan had gone to war, she would presumably have gone to conventional war, and that would not have been a happy situation.

But that is the big deal right there. That need to create war without a conclusion based upon the nuclear gambit. Essentially its overhang makes any meaningful effect of a conflict.. pretty much nothing more than returning to the status quo.

 

[Bhuvan93]

You have to be very proud of India's restraint after the Mumbai attacks, they had valid grounds to strike those camps in Pakistan and the international community would have sided with India as Pakistan's reputation had gone down the gutter. Some might say the cowardly option but war is no good if we have nothing to gain.

 

[SQ8]

True. But you are undermining your own logic, when that logic dictates that Pakistan will not resort to a conventional war because of the asymmetry of forces, but will show her nuclear teeth if an Indian attack gets too close to impairing Pakistan's defenses irreparably. If Pakistan had gone to war, she would presumably have gone to conventional war, and that would not have been a happy situation.

But that is the big deal right there. That need to create war without a conclusion based upon the nuclear gambit. Essentially its overhang makes any meaningful effect of a conflict.. pretty much nothing more than returning to the status quo.

Whats new in pakistan military waging war? they have always been at it overtly 2/3 times and covertly all the time. Only newly added dimension is nukes, but even that did not provide victory in kargil war, did it ?
Its only the indian restraint that has ensured peace in the region inspite of all the grave provocations by pakistan. the The current generation of leaders dont have the patience of the older one like gujral,vajpayee or manmohan.

Some where down the lane the indian leadership is going to snap and answer the wishes of petulant pakistan with war its just a matter of time. Hope it does not get to that point.

I could say sanctimonious but I could also read the iliad to a Cat and expect it to offer me constructive replies after that with better chances of getting through to the cat.