Terrorist attack in Kashmir - 44 jawans dead

[Sin Hombre]

Biggest ever terror attack on our military by militant scums from the bug nation.

Reading online, there is a LOT of anger.

With BJP looking in trouble heading into the general elections and with people wanting blood, we will either see inaction from the Modi government and them getting wiped in the elections or some severe repercussions.

Some possibilities are
- war
- more surgical strikes
- repeal article 370A/35A - go full China on Kashmir
- get US onboard and/or start nationalizing Chinese owned firms and putting tariffs on Chinese products until they stop their bug nation protectionism
(https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opin ... ick-a-side)

[Rajiv]

Our Preparedness is in Shambles.
Last week our family was on a Holiday in the same region.
And routinely our driver would honk at the military convoy/vehicles and even overtake them
Where in the world can one honk at the military , leave alone overtaking them.
Pathetic state of Affairs.....

[Omkara]

I saw one army guy talk on TV. The defence of the convoy was not at par with standard. The road was not cleared of public before the convoy moved. It's a lapse from army / CRPF.

[sameerph]

Our Preparedness is in Shambles.
Last week our family was on a Holiday in the same region.
And routinely our driver would honk at the military convoy/vehicles and even overtake them
Where in the world can one honk at the military , leave alone overtaking them.
Pathetic state of Affairs.....

Did you really go for a holiday in Kashmir ?I think the tourists have gone down drastically in the last 2 years.

Anyway, I do not know what is the long term solution to this issue other than a full scale was between India and Pakistan.

[Rajiv]

Our Preparedness is in Shambles.
Last week our family was on a Holiday in the same region.
And routinely our driver would honk at the military convoy/vehicles and even overtake them
Where in the world can one honk at the military , leave alone overtaking them.
Pathetic state of Affairs.....

Did you really go for a holiday in Kashmir ?I think the tourists have gone down drastically in the last 2 years.

All of Gulmarg hotels had near100% occupancy, and that has been the case since past 2 seasons.
Although in the last 24 hours , things have changed drastically, as some of our freinds who had stayed behind , have joined the exodus of tourist who are leaving in huge numbers

[Omkara]

I too went to Kashmir to attend a youth festival organised by the army.
Very few tourists then.

[prasen9]

Anyway, I do not know what is the long term solution to this issue other than a full scale was between India and Pakistan.

You think a full-scale war between India and Pakistan can solve the issue? See what the U.S. has been doing in Afghanistan and Iraq+Syria. Despite years of military interventions, the Taliban is doing fine in Afghanistan. There is no chance that we can resolve the issue by military means. We have to make our defense stronger. Get better informants. Try to actively break up Jaish through counter-terrorism means. Quietly infiltrate them and get to know of their plans in advance. Try assassinations by spies of their leaders, etc. Full scale military intervention will solve diddly squat but make people poorer there so that there will be more people joining the terrorist organizations.

[arjun2761]

Anyway, I do not know what is the long term solution to this issue other than a full scale was between India and Pakistan.

You think a full-scale war between India and Pakistan can solve the issue? See what the U.S. has been doing in Afghanistan and Iraq+Syria. Despite years of military interventions, the Taliban is doing fine in Afghanistan.

Not sure what you mean by "solve" the issue. There has been no significant terror strike from the organized terror groups in the US since 9/11 although there have been a couple of home grown islamic terrorists who have killed in the US. I'd rather have the Taliban do "fine" by running and hiding in their own country than only play defense inside my home country.

Counter-terrorism and defense is what the Euros believe in and they have had much less success in preventing terrorist inspired acts. India is largely in that camp as well.

[prasen9]

There is no evidence that the reduction of terrorist activities is due to the failed military interventions. People in the defense-industrial complex who make money of it are the ones who want us to believe that the wars helped with anything. These people are the worst types of leeches. The wars wrecked our economy and here we are having the failed John Bolton being handed over the NSA despite his numerous stupid statements that turned out to be false and failure as a policy person. The right-wing defense mafia know how to loot the treasury.

I am sorry to say this but only someone totally ignorant of the conditions in the ground will say that the Taliban are running and hiding in their country. They control half the mining sites in the Nangarhar province and gets half the revenue generated from it. They extort $50million from all over the country's mining industry. They extort $2m a year from simply billing electricity customers across the country. If people do not pay the extortion fee, the Taliban cuts off their electricity. They have an active presence in 70% of the country and even tax people all across. That is not to speak of the narcotics trade from which it gets 60% of its income. They even have their own labs maybe around 300 of them around the country. The Afghanistan war has gone on for 18 years. It has failed in its mission. Terrorism has been thwarted by designing an integrated DHS that shares all the information it gets and does significantly better than the fractured intelligence community from before. Europe has had a few attacks because they have not hardened their intra-country defense that much and because they have taken in a much larger number of Muslims from the Arabian peninsula, several of whom have been radicalized and converted into terrorists.

[sameerph]

IAF air attack in retaliation for Pulwama -

Indian air strike in Balakot killed 300 militants: Sources

Pakistan saying not that much damage but acknowledging the strikes. IF indeed so many terrorists were killed then it is a remarkable operation by IAF deep inside Pakistan territory.

[jayakris]

This is probably the only safe place where I can type this and get away with it, so here goes. There is still not an iota of evidence that we did anything and killed even a soul, is there? I guess Pakistan has given evidence pictures of some small hit. If we have any evidence like night vision pictures or something, we should actually show it. We never seem to. So I just cannot celebrate like everybody else out there who seem to be just buying what the Govt is saying. Sorry I don't trust the Govt that much.

[Sin Hombre]

The conspiracy theorist would say this was allowed by the Pakistani government.

[sameerph]

If we have any evidence like night vision pictures or something, we should actually show it. We never seem to. So I just cannot celebrate like everybody else out there who seem to be just buying what the Govt is saying. Sorry I don't trust the Govt that much.

I fully agree. We must give the evidence to the extent possible for the benefit of not only international audience but also domestic one for reassurance.
One thing is Pakistani side has at least acknowledged that Indian planes did enter deep inside their territory although they are saying that they did not so any damage.

The conspiracy theorist would say this was allowed by the Pakistani government.

But, what would they gain by this. They have been castigated by opposition parties there for allowing such a thing to happen. They have given confused signals in last 24 hours as response to this starting with denial and then saying that they will retaliate. What will they retaliate for if they are saying nothing happened ?

[Prashant]

There is still not an iota of evidence that we did anything and killed even a soul, is there? I guess Pakistan has given evidence pictures of some small hit.

Precisely. A few news sources have pointed out that there was a pretty large temporary exodus of all sizeable terrorist cells from anywhere near the border after the attack on the jawans, so this seems like empty saber rattling. Western media reported phone calls with people in Balakot that say there is an extremist run school there, but it was completely unscathed.

[sameerph]

There is still not an iota of evidence that we did anything and killed even a soul, is there? I guess Pakistan has given evidence pictures of some small hit.

Precisely. A few news sources have pointed out that there was a pretty large temporary exodus of all sizeable terrorist cells from anywhere near the border after the attack on the jawans, so this seems like empty saber rattling.

Balakot is not near the border, it is at least 50-60 KM away from LOC and there are other reports which say that many terrorists were moved there in last few days as Pakistan did not expect us to strike that deep in their territory.