Retributions  

Two different men, who should ordinarily have little in common. One amongst India’s top strategic thinkers, other a man said to be the real power behind the throne. However, their recent utterances reveal the same mentality, an inablity to see the truth even when it is crystal clear to those who do not see it through the same rose-tinted glasses.

Writing in Indian Express, C. Raja Mohan laments

On their way to Havana, both Dr Singh and General Musharraf have suggested that a lot is at stake in their Havana encounter this week on the margins of the non-aligned summit. It is even possible that his Saturday meeting with Musharraf might well turn out to be the highlight of Singh’s week-long sojourn in Latin America.

Perhaps, Mr. Raja Mohan has access to nformation outside the public domain because atleast one of the parties concerend has clearly warned that nothing much should be expected from the meeting. As far as the General goes, he has been pretty much saying the same thing since the events of 9/11 turned his world topsy turvy. Couched in seemingly conciliatory language, the demand remains the same: Give us Kashmir or face the consequences. The General’s exuberance is more for public consumption and for taking the moral high ground when they talks fail, as they invariably will. This means that India should be very careful when starting the talk process, otherwise the onus of its failure will very conveniently fall on her shoulders.

While the whole piece is littered with gems, this one does take the cake.

Singh said borders in Kashmir cannot be redrawn. For Musharraf the present borders in J&K are not acceptable. And together they agreed that borders in Kashmir should not matter

???? I mean, seriously, what exactly is that supposed to mean? Admittedly, Musharraf has proposed something akin to open borders but while terrorists wait on the other side, waiting for the first opportune moment to sneak in, how is India supposed to even consider such an offer? That some of our foremost strategic thinkers take such negotiating positions seriously is a sad commentary on their intelligence or rather lack of it.

Talks are vastly over rated as tool for preventing war. War happens irrespective of the state of negotiations if the parties concerned think the benefits outweigh the losses. The greatest war in history was being planned while Chamberlain was stilll waving the peace agreement from Germany. The way for a lasting peace with Pakistan is not endless talks for talks sake nor it is the case that Pakistani leaders do not realize that India will never give up. They already know it. The way forward is only possible if India proves by its deeds that the cost of waging a covert war against India is sufficiently high. Till that happens, whatever Mr. Mohan might think, nothing will change on the ground.

Dick Cheney, a man never widely known for the acuity of his thinking or his vision for that matter comes up with this astounding observation in an interview with Tim Russert.(click on the video)

The fact is we’ve captured and killed more al-Qaeda in Pakistan than any place else in the world in the last five years. President Musharraf has been a great ally.

By that yardstick, who has been the greatest of American allies? Taliban, ofcourse, because the Americans killed the maximum number of Al-Qaeda in Afganistan. Leaving aside such details, it is quite interesting to note how people fall for this rubbish as how Musharraf is not able to control the terrorists. Now he is not only helpless against terrorists in POK, but also those in Waziristan or even those who reside closer home in Karachi. Since Musharraf’s writ does not seem to extend beyond his fortress in Islamabad, what can any negotiations with him really achieve? While American love story with Pakistan has a historical background, the setbacks in Iraq have made the administration wary of committing more troops on the ground and hence desperate for small amount of local support. Note, Mr. Cheney ignores the question about Pakistan-Taliban peace agreement.

Well, what can one say? Except the the opium production in Afganistan has reached a new high.

P.s Speaking of dope-induced hysteria, read this little gem too. Lage Raho Munnabhai should decide our public policy!!!!

(Cheney link via BongoPondit)