India attacks Pakistan over 2008 Mumbai attacks
- Thread starter Historyman 14
- Start date
India has one of the largest and most powerful armies , Navies and Air forces in the world , however Pakistan's nearest ally happens to be China and any attack on Pakistan will likely cause further tension along India's border with China . This one is a scenario that is just about impossible , M.A.D is as close to the reason why it could not happen as I am prepared to go .
M.A.D. didn't stop Pakistan from launching the attacks. China is the far bigger stumbling block here.
So IMO in the unlikely but possible event of China being hit with a terrorist strike by Muslim secessionists from Xinjiang around the same time India could have gone for a conventional response with the silent blessing of the PRC and Pakistan wouldn't have gone for all-out nuclear war over it.
The Uyghur separatists aren't affiliated with Pakistan's government so I don't see how China could give a silent blessing. Uyghur militants simply hide out or find training in Pakistan's tribal areas, and that is a melting pot of dozens of different terror groups. Pakistan is too valuable to China to just drop over Turkestan.
Realpolitik
Banned
We got a nuclear winter coming then. New Delhi wouldn't do something that stupid.
deathscompanion1
Banned
They fire a few hundred/thousand shells cross each other's borders and launch dozens of airstrikes. A division or two cross the border and seize some disputed areas and fight some bloody skirmishes. After a week or two of this the USA/China/UN/Someone arranges a ceasefire.
Few thousand dead combined casualties and another Wikipedia article.
Few thousand dead combined casualties and another Wikipedia article.
A cynical but accurate answer. It's worth noting that one of the most prominent Indian military doctrines (although it's never been officially endorsed) calls for almost exactly what you are describing:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold_Start_(military_doctrine)
Basically a rapid limited war plan in response to a Pakistani-sponsored or supported attack within India. Several armored battlegroups in Punjab and Rajasthan jump off from standing positions within 48 hours of the go order, grab and hold some strategic (or any, really) Pakistani territory near the border ASAP in a high-intensity campaign backed by extensive air power, and then....I guess...hold it and use negotiations to extract concessions from Pakistan.
It's worth noting that this is a pretty contentious idea in the Indian security establishment. 2008 was the exact situation Cold Start was developed for and they didn't use it.
British Republic
Banned
I don't think India would be that stupid, if neither nation did not have nukes then yes there is a good chance of war, however since that is not the case, war is not likely, border clashes and maybe arming milltants might.
what kind of monkey business can India get up to inside Pakistan... as in, are there militants who would take arms from them, carry out attacks for them, etc? Does India have any of that kind of influence there?
