Critical Triangle continues....

On 14 May, 2002 terrorists (Pakistani nationals) attacked the families of Army soldiers at Kaluchak killing 31 Indians.

This initiated a second phase of escalation, with India cancelling all military leave and Prime Minister Vajpayee declaring that “the time has come for a decisive battle, and we will have a sure victory in this battle” More ominously the US and Pakistan had detected the movement of India’s strike corps in the desert.

US Deputy Secretary of State, Richard Armitage was sent on a mission to Pakistan during which he confronted General Mushrarraf with evidence of militant training camps in Pakistan. In the tense talks that followed, Musharraf agreed to start dismantling Pakistan’s terror organisations.

This decision was met with significant enthusiasm in Delhi, where Armitage made the commitment public on 7 June. While India, like the US did not take Musharraf’s assurance at face value, they all needed to believe to back off from the brink.

The fact that Armitage himself did not believe that Pakistan would make good on its commitments is indicated by how a list of concrete proposals drawn up by his staff, on dismantling Pakistan’s terror infrastructure was never forwarded to him or for that matter seriously considered.

To be continued......