From box cutters to nukes

While the attention of much of the world, and certainly of nearly all Americans, was focused upon a war that began with the most rudimentary of weapons, India and Pakistan came terrifyingly close to one that could have ended with the most sophisticated. The link that connects box cutters to nuclear missiles is terrorism.

The South Asian conflict, based upon Pakistan’s long-standing objection to India’s rule over Muslim Kashmir, began the transformation to crisis two weeks ago when terrorists attacked the Indian Parliament, killed 14 people, and left a clumsy trail that easily was traced back to Pakistan. India accused Pakistan of harboring the terrorist groups responsible for that and for several other recent atrocities. Thus began escalating bellicosity by both sides – mobilizing troops, evacuating civilians from the border regions, closing air space, downgrading diplomatic relations and, finally, putting missiles in full readiness.

The danger seems to have abated somewhat in recent days. The foreign ministers

of the two countries shook hands on Wednesday, suggesting that talks scheduled for Friday between the two heads of state, Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf and Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, will further ease tension. It is encouraging that Wednesday’s terrorist attack on a provincial Indian government building and the exchange of small-arms fire by troops across the frontier both were described by diplomats on both sides as isolated, uncontrollable incidents and not as state-sanctioned aggression.

Much credit for this ratcheting down goes to Gen. Musharraf. Unlike his predecessors, he did not merely decry the acts of the terrorist groups that operate within Pakistan and allow them to continue. He made significant arrests and, in a major address to his nation, made it clear that his government will end the creeping entanglement of Pakistan’s country’s military and political institutions with Islamic extremists. Although the way he achieved power – by military coup – is objectionable to democratic eyes, his courageous stand against terrorism,

both after the Sept. 11 attacks and now, suggests that the ongoing crisis has produced a remarkable leader.

Indian Prime Minister Vajpayee also has performed admirably by effectively using foreign diplomats, especially American diplomats, to keep the lines of communication open to prevent a crisis from exploding into a catastrophe. Until now, the United States has stayed out of Indo-Pakistani conflicts, but this time President Bush and Secretary of State Powell have been in close contact with the South Asian leaders and plans are under way to increase U.S. diplomatic engagement in the region.

After Sept. 11, many experts in global

terrorism warned that al-Qaida and other terrorist groups would press the attack not just through acts of terrorism for their own sake, but through acts designed to increase political instability in vulnerable countries that would lead to broader conflicts, revolution, even war. The blatant efforts these groups have made to push two nuclear powers to war demonstrates the ruthlessness of these terrorists and, in case anyone remains unconvinced, of the importance of the campaign against them.