by Daryl G. Kimball
Ten years ago this month, tens of thousands of Indian and Pakistani soldiers faced off in a confrontation over the disputed Kashmir region. If not for intensive U.S.-led crisis diplomacy, that standoff and another in 2002 could have led to war between the two nuclear-armed rivals...
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Toward a Nuclear Freeze in South Asia
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3 comments:
Sir,
After the weaponization of india and pakistan nuclear arsenals, the debate is going on, what are the factors which can reduce the threat of 'mutual kill' between two belligerents states. Pakistan nuclear restriant proposals regarding this aspect is practical and avert military adventurism.The role of strategic powers is very sensitive in this volatile region.For safe future the necessity isto tackle the lingering dispute of crises prevention and institutionalize measured that would ehance stability of nuclear deterrence. The culture of trust, relative gain is the way forward.
India has worked very hard to remove the nuclear sanctions. Even though the nuclear scientists are justifiably proud of their achievements, the sanctions regime set them back many years. One just has to look at the long gestation period for the breeder program. I noticed a very similar sense of accomplishments in my meetings with Pakistan's scientists in the Atomic Energy Establishment - a different entity from the Kahuta Research Labs founded by Dr. A.Q. Khan. In any case, India is not about to jeopardize its new found "nuclear freedom" by doing things that would cause friction with the P-5 states and especially, the U.S. My discussions with knowledgeable people in New Delhi indicated that India will not sign the CTBT until the U.S. ratification, which would be quickly followed by China and then India. I also think too much is made of nuclear arms racing in South Asia. Once the huge US-Russia stockpiles are brought down significantly so that other arsenals are in play in disarmament negotiations, it will be much easier to talk about the smaller arsenals. First things first, let's try to lead by example.
India faced resistance and sanctions from the US in every step of high-tech development, whether it is nuclear technology, Super computers or satellite launch technology.
On the other hand the US state department high officials throttled the whistle blowers, to facilitate Pakistani theft of nuclear tech. secrets.
The US is also the major supplier of lethal weapons to Pakistan, and in that sense India is fighting the Americans in Pakistan.
The US is not trust worthy, as far as India is concerned.
India's strategic deterrance policy is not limited to China and Pakistan alone. The likes of Daryl Kimball have no business talking of nuclear freeze in South Asia, while the Americans are working over-time to develop better bombs every day.
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