Virtual Homeland of Kashmiri Pandits

Kashmir News Network

| Home | About Kashmir Herald |

Volume 1, No. 10 - March 2002

 Email this page to a friend

 

Terrorism Update
By Subodh Atal
Kashmir Herald Staff Writer

The Unnamed Center of the Axis of Evil 

After Pakistan dictator Gen. Musharraf’s January 12 speech, there wasn’t a tremendous amount of excitement in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). One would believe that after suffering through tens of thousands of deaths at the hands of Pakistani terrorists and their proxies, residents of the state would have been overjoyed to hear that speech. But they weren’t. Their experience with Pakistani terror tells them that mere speeches mean nothing. Their experience tells them that this kind of terror is only dealt with brute force, as proven by the American obliteration of the Afghanistan wing of the Al Qaida. Thus J&K residents were never as enamored of the speech as the Bushes and the Powells and the Blairs. 

And Jammuites and Ladhakis and Kashmiris proved that they knew the Pakistani mindset a lot better than that of the world’s top leaders. And now they have the statistics to prove it. Terrorism and infiltration have not declined, despite any statements that Pakistani leaders have made. Brutal killings of Hindus and pro-India Muslim continue every day in the state. As Daniel Pearl found out in Pakistan at the cost of his own life, Jaish-e-Mohammed offices continue to function and finance its operations with impunity. The sprawling Lashkar-e-Toiba compound outside Lahore is still teeming with terrorists. And Pakistan-occupied Kashmir is still being used as a staging area for jehad against India. 

Let us look at some of the statistics:

Cross-LOC Infiltration bids (Source – Indian Express)
September 2001 17
October 2001 19
December 2001 29
January 2001 34
February 2001 (first 20 days) 20
 
13 terrorist incidents against civilians in J&K between February 16 and February 23 (Source: “Where is the Outrage?” Varsha Bhosle, Rediff India, Feb. 24 ).
These incidents included a massacre of 8 Hindus including women and children in Rajouri, one incident of grisly decapitation of two pro-India Muslim civilians, including a 16- year old girl, grenade attacks at civilian houses, kidnapping and killing of another Hindu civilian, and many more.

Clearly, the frontline ally in the war against terrorism, Pakistan, itself continues to conduct the largest terrorism operation. It continues to harbor Taliban and Al Qaida fugitives. Sheikh Omar, now notorious in the Daniel Pearl case, was roaming freely in the country despite his funding of September 11 hijacker Mohammed Atta. Pakistan’s less than capable investigation of the Pearl case and Musharraf’s own wild statements related to the case, indicate that the ISI is still the key to the remnants of Al Qaida’s terror networks. The Bush administration continues to make excuses for Pakistan. For years the Clinton White House ignored the facts and left Pakistan off the terrorist sponsors list. The result was September 11, and the mayhem that still continues in J&K.

By leaving Pakistan out of his definition of the “Axis of Evil”, President Bush is perpetuating the same error that his predecessor made. The only other country that has the capability and motive for dismantling Pakistan’s military-jehad nexus is India. But can India ever get out of its self-imposed shackles and take on the center of the evil axis? Or is it in Kashmiri destiny to forever suffer through Pakistani terrorism?

| Archives | Privacy Policy | Copyrights | Contact Us |
© 2001-2005 Kashmir Herald (A kashmiri-pandit.org Publication). All Rights Reserved