April 11, 2003

SERIOUS NON-PROLIFERATION:

Indian defence minister joins Pakistan pre-emptive strike chorus (AFP, 4/11/03)
Defence Minister George Fernandes reiterated Indian warnings that Pakistan was a prime case for pre-emptive strikes.

"There are enough reasons to launch such strikes against Pakistan, but I cannot make public statements on whatever action that may be taken," Fernandes told a meeting of ex-soldiers in this northern Indian desert city on Friday.

The renewed warning came just hours after US Secretary of State Colin Powell said Washington would strive to cool tensions between nuclear enemies Pakistan and India, who have fought three wars since 1947.

Fernandes said he endorsed Foreign Minister Yashwant Sinha's recent comments that India had "a much better case to go for pre-emptive action against Pakistan than the United States has in Iraq."


Don't talk about it; do it. Posted by Orrin Judd at April 11, 2003 5:33 PM
Comments

Yeah, well, leave me out of it.

Posted by: Harry Eagar at April 11, 2003 10:24 PM

If the US permitted this they'd probably make a permanent enemy out of Pakistan.



And if there was an invasion I'd probably go to Pakistan and join the resistance forces myself.

Posted by: M Ali Choudhury at April 12, 2003 4:25 AM

Are we speculating about nuclear strikes?



If I were Fernandes, I don't think I'd be too

anxious to start a conventional war with

Pakistan with a tenth of my population Islamic.

Posted by: Harry Eagar at April 12, 2003 2:29 PM

Ali:



All they're going to do is remove the nukes.

Posted by: oj at April 12, 2003 4:06 PM

And everybody will go home and eat pizza?



Maybe not.

Posted by: Harry Eagar at April 12, 2003 9:16 PM

Harry:



What choice do they have?

Posted by: oj at April 13, 2003 12:04 AM
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