tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post6715888601048949995..comments2024-03-28T05:22:10.255-07:00Comments on Broadsword by Ajai Shukla - Strategy. Economics. Defence.: How long can India ignore the Taliban?Broadswordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13076780076240598482noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-14013365306311242872011-06-23T14:27:56.473-07:002011-06-23T14:27:56.473-07:00Reagan did not finish the Sovs...Gorby and that st...Reagan did not finish the Sovs...Gorby and that stinker called Communism did. Reagan with his tax cuts and spending increases took US to the road to ruin that it is stuck in now. <br /><br />Anyway old Ron was also dealing with a rational foe who understood strength. Not someone who viscerally hated him and his philosophy. Have you ever spoken to a Pakistani? He truly believes the Indian Army carried out 26/11.<br /><br />Forget about Pakistan, contain them. They'll drown in their own sewage soon. Concentrate on our economic growth and on threats from China.<br /><br />Talk to Taliban indeed!!! Those rag-heads will talk to us in good faith...nice plan!<br /><br />RanjitAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-85847931594997912102011-06-22T07:07:38.849-07:002011-06-22T07:07:38.849-07:00Ranjit, the cardinal rule of statecraft is:-
Nev...Ranjit, the cardinal rule of statecraft is:- <br /><br />Never fear to negotiate,but <br /><br />Never negotiate from fear. <br /><br />Now read sub para (e) again.Our 3 adversaries are China,Pakistan,Taliban. The big stick for each of them varies as outlined in subpara (f)& beyond.I hope you are now with me and Broadsword.Read how Ronald Reagan took on the Soviet Union and caused its collapse without putting his armed forces in harm's way.BUT HE KEPT HIS POWDER DRY and all options were visible to USSR AND WERE ALWAYS ON THE TABLE in the talks / negotiations.<br /><br />our adversaries will not like it but will admire the courage of our convictions.Read how the only successful conquest of Afghanistan was achieved by Maharaja Ranjit Singh. <br /><br />The way forward is by not behaving like a bull in a china shop.We cannot wish our neighbours away.Talking is the first step.devindra sethinoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-2892196879136911692011-06-22T01:44:55.452-07:002011-06-22T01:44:55.452-07:00Devindra Sethi,
My pipe has pure high grade tobba...Devindra Sethi,<br /><br />My pipe has pure high grade tobbacco. I understand what Jaw-Jaw is, you seem to have two yourself. <br /><br />You lost me when you started talking of Agni V and Nuke submarines when Ajai was talking about dealing with the Taliban.<br /><br />Say hi to the Tambourine man!<br /><br />RanjitAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-72909194602853331062011-06-21T15:30:38.896-07:002011-06-21T15:30:38.896-07:00when you have an enemy within and junta...even edu...when you have an enemy within and junta...even educated bloggers sleeping...why do you need an enemy outsideAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-52818177419212079412011-06-21T15:27:56.856-07:002011-06-21T15:27:56.856-07:00as long as chor sonia is in power...we will ignore...as long as chor sonia is in power...we will ignore taliban, china, pakistan. in fact, we will sell the nation and become gulaam again.<br />And you and your blog will talk about hardware...!!!<br />We need a civil movement to get this government to take India seriously...put these people in jail for life, bring some character to the youth...only then talk of military hardware makes sense.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-16026019040906947962011-06-20T08:17:30.686-07:002011-06-20T08:17:30.686-07:00If tomorrow the people of Afghanistan overthrow Ta...If tomorrow the people of Afghanistan overthrow Taliban, we would be looking like idiots for negotiating with Taliban...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-8561167146210512522011-06-19T21:35:23.427-07:002011-06-19T21:35:23.427-07:00Hullo Ranjit,you need to read my subpara (f ) agai...Hullo Ranjit,you need to read my subpara (f ) again!JAW - JAW means talking to Taliban /Pakistan /Afghans/pushtuns tribal shoora /northern alliance et all.Kindly check what's in your pipe / weed before writing.devindra sethinoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-37832395721933051642011-06-19T01:41:12.386-07:002011-06-19T01:41:12.386-07:00Devindra Sethi,
What have you been smoking? Ajai ...Devindra Sethi,<br /><br />What have you been smoking? Ajai wants us to talk to the taliban! Not very good at reading are you? <br /><br />RanjitAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-8346313445596305562011-06-18T06:46:31.542-07:002011-06-18T06:46:31.542-07:00As a correspondent Broadsword has written a timely...As a correspondent Broadsword has written a timely article,we can:- <br /><br />a)ignore or decry it, <br /><br />b)put on our thinking caps irrespective of whether we are from the political class / armed forces /IAS /IFS /THINK TANKS for in the month of july 2011 a substantial draw down of Nato / ISAF troops is going to take place.why? the bill is $110billion per anumn and the US economy cannot afford it anymore.as simple as that. <br /><br />c)Mahatma Gandhi was a great friend of Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan.As a trained lawyer our leader knew where undivided India's likely achilles heel was and was preparing us for the future like any strategic thoughtful leader would do.He never wanted partition of our country,hence we would be cheek by jowl with Afghanistan along the Hindu Kush ranges.Pakistan today is a mess.Having sown the wind they are reaping the whirlwind.we have a little time before they implode, time to get our thinking/abilities in order.<br /><br />d)Our history is determined by our geography.The Taliban will first move in to take Kabul, as they did before.Then they will turn eastwards.will the Pak armed forces be able to meet the challenge or are they already compromised as the PNS Mehran attack indicates? If so, they are on our western borders!!<br /><br />e)We now have 3 armed forces inimical to us not two and the prize is our homeland.they will come at us in waves as 1962 / Kargil/ 26/11 indicates ie.by land and by sea.As in the Balkans veterans of India will have to pick up their guns and stand up to fight for home and hearth.why?there is nothing left in the AF -PAK region as two decades of war has ensured that the economy is bankrupt and scotched earth policies has destroyed most of the infrastructure.India appears a glittering nation in comparision to their bleak existence.The Taliban has been living in caves since 9/11.<br /><br />f)the Taliban wants to impose their version of the Caliphate in this region. Is that acceptable to us? If not, then to protect our way of life,we have to accept the challenge.Jaw -jaw is always better than war-war,but the big stick must be brandished openly and all options must be made clear to our likely adversaries,be it agni 5 missiles/ nuclear submarines /mountain divisions impeccablly fitted out/fighter aircraft to command the aerospaces to a depth of a 1000nm.Mr Anthony is spot on recently. <br /><br />g)If we show weakness once we will be steamrolled over,and in this fight we are alone as nobody will come to our assistance.The western powers have been sapped of all will power by the blood letting in the past decade in Afghanistan.Even a tinpot dictator in Libya has halted them in their tracks despite over whelming air power application by NATO.Finally boots on the ground/ deployed sea power is what matters. <br /><br />Keep going Broadsword,more power to your pen.devindra sethinoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-38860854136526999922011-06-17T22:55:50.302-07:002011-06-17T22:55:50.302-07:00Ajai sir any updates on Arjun II, Agni-V or Cochin...Ajai sir any updates on Arjun II, Agni-V or Cochin IAC? Pls...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-25624223632031003142011-06-17T09:47:32.288-07:002011-06-17T09:47:32.288-07:00Thank God Ajai, you left Indian Army.Thank God Ajai, you left Indian Army.ninihalahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10944733704774747465noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-68514547213791403722011-06-15T15:12:51.430-07:002011-06-15T15:12:51.430-07:00first it was buying the F-35s and now engaging to ...first it was buying the F-35s and now engaging to talks with the Taliban...you are falling to an even lower level with every post Mr. Shukla..I sincerely hope that you can see the day when people may finally agree to what you have been saying for such a long time but with the increasingly gullible and ludicrous posts, I feel that might still be a long time away...neverthless, I wish you luck in your seemingly ill-fated endeavours...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-58603912208763843722011-06-15T03:32:52.232-07:002011-06-15T03:32:52.232-07:00Ajai
The heights of India psychophancy, how these...Ajai<br /><br />The heights of India psychophancy, how these guys play with taxpayers money and endanger security <br /><br />http://www.rediff.com/news/report/cag-nails-raws-wing-in-rs-450-cr-uav-purchase-scam/20110615.htm<br /><br />Joydeep ghoshjoydeep ghoshhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00038225081192821456noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-61591499000194812472011-06-14T17:42:16.556-07:002011-06-14T17:42:16.556-07:00India's weakness is like everything else procr...India's weakness is like everything else procrastination and belated diplomacy.Sadly, like me who does nothing till the last minute and and then go frantic working up till late nights, India does the same with everything foreign policy,defence procurement or domestic governance.Add to this it also has the weakest of all intelligence services in the world - RAW wich is more like Really A Waste (of time and money).Unless India thinks strategically, proactively and engages in preemptive intelligence gathering and processing no point walking out with a huge shopping trolley load of military hardware.Weapons alone don't make you a superpower - what do they say? It's not the size that matters but what you do with it?Millard Keyeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11977478261887311256noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-80075520988748856522011-06-14T10:02:40.713-07:002011-06-14T10:02:40.713-07:00Great suggestions. I hope somebody in establishmen...Great suggestions. I hope somebody in establishment is tuned in.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-7609228960251332802011-06-14T09:13:19.931-07:002011-06-14T09:13:19.931-07:00Very interesting article.
I recently completed ...Very interesting article. <br /><br />I recently completed the 4th book of Mukul Deva called Tanzeem (after lapping up the prequels: 1st- Lashkar, 2nd- Salim Must Die, 3rd- Blowback, 4th- Tanzeem).<br /><br />So while I can corelate the different aspects of your article, other's may not be able to. Most Indian's are not up to date with AfPak politics (beyond the "Pak"). The thinking is that Afghanistan is quite far away. We need to realize how close it is to our borders, and how events there affect us big time.<br /><br />To that end, your article is timely.<br />Good going.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-4411767085798760162011-06-14T08:56:17.270-07:002011-06-14T08:56:17.270-07:00You can sleep with your enemy... you can sleep wit...You can sleep with your enemy... you can sleep with the devil... an indian can sleep with a pakistani... (sania mirza and shoib malik... ha ha ha ha...)... but not with taliban/al-qaeda...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-16642043021182843892011-06-14T05:19:10.570-07:002011-06-14T05:19:10.570-07:00I am not sure about your suggestion. If you co-hab...I am not sure about your suggestion. If you co-habit with a snake, you would be bitten! Pakistan is bleeding heavily by their strategic assets at the moment, and India has had its own experiences with LTTE. I would rather have India working full throttle to further improve its economy, civil and military industrial base and infrastructure, and root out corruption to make us much stronger to deal with whatever remains of Pak and its assets post whenever.Ravihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10461934576590227388noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-25352791338198655092011-06-14T04:49:35.952-07:002011-06-14T04:49:35.952-07:00nah!, there cannot be any kind of talk. It is too ...nah!, there cannot be any kind of talk. It is too complicated. Besides without the blessings of SAM it could be economically suicidal for us. And if it was with the blessings of SAM the Taliban and the Pakis would see right though it.We also cannot do it now with our current media fetish for openness. <br /><br />But yes if we did not have a PM called IK Gujral we might have been able to play some sort of double game which is what is required to checkmate ISI.<br /><br />Then again there is a simpler game that can be played in baluchistan no? It always had a heavy Iranian influence anyway.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-78068891766948248962011-06-14T01:22:32.781-07:002011-06-14T01:22:32.781-07:00Dear Ajai,
I find it fascinating that you have no...Dear Ajai,<br /><br />I find it fascinating that you have now suggested negotiations with the Taliban. However I have some misgivings. <br /><br />What do we, as a secular country, having suffered at the hands of Afghan radicals (Kashmir in the 90s and who can forget Khandahar) have in common with the Taliban? What is the common negotiating ground we can get to? What will be our aim, or is talking for the sake of talking?<br /><br />The International coalition, which has borne the brunt of the fighting and paid the blood-price for containing the Taliban over the past decade, have every right to negotiate with the enemy. We have been screaming from the roof tops our moral support to them all these years, how would they perceive us opening another dialogue track with people who continue to kill their soldiers? Pakistan can be expected to scream from the rooftops that this is proof that we support terrorists in their West, but we cannot honestly take Pakistan too seriously in these matters, so I’ll not stress on that. <br /><br />Will we ever be able to trust the Taliban? I reckon that whatever we get up to the Taliban, their history suggests that they will say whatever they must to get back to power and then cosy up with their ideological bedfellows, the ISI. Remember that they are guided by their ideology of religious fascism and blind hatred, not by considerations of the good of Pakistan.<br /><br />My suggestion would be to let the US led coalition pursue their chosen path to peace, whilst supporting civil society in Afghanistan. We must oppose the Taliban, and stick to our principled stand. Sooner or later, the Taliban, if appeased, will cause trouble again, and we must be amongst those that opposed them, or supported those that opposed them. Besides, there is no gain to be had from dealing with them. Our worldviews are so divergent, we might as well be from different planets. <br /><br />So let’s hold firm to our core beliefs and build goodwill amongst right thinking Afghans, leave the negotiation to those doing the fighting, and hope that the right thinking will one day prevail in that unfortunate country. Till then, the Taliban do not directly harm us, but talking to them harms our reputation and corrupts our soul.<br /><br />RanjitAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-19588269983166135272011-06-13T23:40:24.657-07:002011-06-13T23:40:24.657-07:00why india need to open dialog with Taliban, is afg...why india need to open dialog with Taliban, is afgan is also india. <br />Taliban is terriost group , which hijacked indian aircraft and demanded , india already has its own headache with pak/china.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-64364248886673874912011-06-13T23:19:22.803-07:002011-06-13T23:19:22.803-07:00After NATO leaves, a strategy has to be prepared w...After NATO leaves, a strategy has to be prepared which keeps the Northern Alliance and Taliban together, but drives out the Pakistan. <br /><br />If this does not becomes feasible, then division of Afghanistan may be on the cards.Mr. Ranoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-84708632891207506972011-06-13T21:30:14.469-07:002011-06-13T21:30:14.469-07:00India has a long history of ignoring threats... it...India has a long history of ignoring threats... it has long ignored China..[pre and post 1962 debacle]. Now it ignores Taliban. <br />When hardened warfigters and guerrilla force like LTTE can be liquidated and disarmed, why can't Taliban be done same. This is possible by PROTEGEE govt, dialogues and direct military intervention.Abidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-58360868781074051912011-06-13T19:19:16.516-07:002011-06-13T19:19:16.516-07:00Good article, anybody listening ?.Good article, anybody listening ?.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com