WikiLeaks: India warned of response to Pakistan attack

P Chidambaram said in case of an attack, the people of India would expect the government to respond.


Express/afp May 20, 2011

India would have no choice but to respond to another attack on its territory from Pakistan-based militants, the country's home minister told the US in 2009 according to a leaked diplomatic cable.

P Chidambaram expressed frustration at Pakistan's unwillingness to crack down on militant groups during talks with US Under Secretary of State Bill Burns, according to a June 2009 cable from the WikiLeaks.

Discussing the prospect of another attack in India after the Mumbai 2008  assault that left 166 people dead, the home minister noted that "the people of India will expect us to respond. We won't have any other choice."

Chidambaram asked Burns to treat groups “”aimed at India”" in the same way we treated “”the groups directed against Americans in Afghanistan.”"

The minister was quoted as saying that it was unfortunate that the United States was unable to stop Pakistan from allowing terrorist groups to form and launch attacks against India. “”We know you have tried, but it seems to go nowhere.”"

The Mumbai carnage, in which 10 gunmen stormed the city and laid siege to luxury hotels, a train station and a Jewish centre, was blamed on the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) group.

 

COMMENTS (8)

Sobriquet | 12 years ago | Reply @irfan: It seems that the Pakistani armed forces feel that the only way left to save face is to create a war scenario where both countries are so badly damaged that they become insignificant. This is why you hear Pakistani hyperbole such as: “We have identified high value targets inside and India and dry run for attack has been completed." Do they really imagine that Pakistan can get away unscathed after a military attack? If anything, Pakistan is the best stooge China could have ever hoped for.
irfan | 12 years ago | Reply We dont deserve the right to talk about sovereignty… We are not a sovereign nation… US raids deep into our territory… Chinese forces are there in the Azad Kashmir…. Now Barack Obama is willing to raid target deep inside Pakistan… BBC http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/13478318 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-13487031 Rather than focussing on India, it would be better it we focus on ourselves and our soil… We are experiencing an average of 30 Bomb Blasts (major and minor) in our territory every month… Look at India. Now they are growing at a rate of 9 and they are targeting a growth rate of 10++next year onwards… Look at their total defense expenditure… its just a 1.6 % of their GDP… within that that 11 billion US dollar they are spending to procure 126 Eurofighters is just a fraction… India is becoming more and more vibrant… But we and our politicians are spoiling our nation by thinking of a threat from India… It s becoming obvious that no one can prevent India from becoming a major power in the near future… All nations around the world had already accepted the increasing clout of New Delhi in world affairs… Obama while visiting India said” India is not emerging, it has already emerged..”… Look at our capital… we are discussing sovereignty issues and nations are ready to question us whether we in cahoots with Osama Bin laden… We are ashamed in front of the international community cos of this issue… Look India is now ordering 126 aircrafts with a provision of increase upto 350 fighters… By 2017 they ll have PAK FA 5th Generation fighters… they are getting these things thru aid off the shelves… they are into production… they r creating jobs… India is not focussing on Pakistan… cos it is obvious that Pakistan cannot compete with India… They are way ahead in regard to tech, economy, trade, literacy etc… Look at IPL… look at ISRO… How succesfull their space programmes are… So rather than focussing on India, lets focus on pakistan and develop ousrselves inclusively… Major international sources are perdicting that India ll be the world’s second largest economy and a super power by 2050… the same sources are predicting that if Pakistan proceeds in the same way, it would the world’s top most failed state… So friends, rather than supporting talks given by ISI cheif Pasha like “we have identified high value targets inside and India and dry run for attack has been completed, it would be better if we realise the reality and become a progressive nation…
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