India-Pakistan War

[vinceasneed]

If India and Pakistan were to get into a war and it was not clear who really started it, how would the world react? Who would take which side? I would think the USA would be either neutral or on the side of India. My opinion is that the majority of the world would not want to take sides in such matter. The neighbors of those countries would surely be concerned and might take sides. I would also think religion could cause some countries to choose Pakistan. But its hard to say. I don't think this war is likely though.

 

[DeltaForce103]

Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The United States supported Pakistan both politically and materially. President Richard Nixon and his Secretary of State Henry Kissinger feared Soviet expansion into South and Southeast Asia.[77] Pakistan was a close ally of the People's Republic of China, with whom Nixon had been negotiating a rapprochement and where he intended to visit in February 1972. Nixon feared that an Indian invasion of West Pakistan would mean total Soviet domination of the region, and that it would seriously undermine the global position of the United States and the regional position of America's new tacit ally, China. Nixon encouraged countries like Jordan and Iran to send military supplies to Pakistan[78] while also encouraging China to increase its arms supplies to Pakistan.

The Nixon administration also ignored reports it received of the "genocidal" activities of the Pakistani Army in East Pakistan, most notably the Blood telegram. This prompted widespread criticism and condemnation both by the United States Congress and in the international press.

When Pakistan's defeat in the eastern sector seemed certain, Nixon deployed Task Force 74 led by the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise into the Bay of Bengal. The Enterprise and its escort ships arrived on station on 11 December 1971.

On 6 and 13 December, the Soviet Navy dispatched two groups of cruisers and destroyers and a submarine armed with nuclear missiles from Vladivostok; they trailed US Task Force 74 into the Indian Ocean from 18 December 1971 until 7 January 1972. The Soviets also had a nuclear submarine to help ward off the threat posed by USS Enterprise task force in the Indian Ocean.

The US, under Nixon, supported Pakistan in their invasion and genocide of East Pakistan (Bangladesh) and the subsequent Bangladesh Liberation War against India. The US has been historically allied with Pakistan. This may seem unintuitive at first, but there are many reasons for this, ranging from India's leading role in the non-aligned movement to our socialist government and close relationship with the Soviet Union.

US relations with Pakistan have largely continued into the 21st century, although they've soured a bit in recent years. Since the September 11, 2001 attacks, the US has provided Pakistan with about $28 billion in military and economic aid for the war against terrorism. Western officials claim that much of this aid has been misspent.

As for US-India ties, they have warmed considerably since then. Even inking civilian nuclear deals. But India continues to be allied with and purchases most of its military equipment from Russia, it refuses to abide by US sanctions, and has voted against US backed proposals at the UN. Most importantly, it refuses to give US corporations free reign within India. This makes for a largely ambiguous relationship. However, the US has become increasingly concerned about Chinese influence in the region, and sees India as a potential ally and crucial to countering and maintaining the balance of power in the region.

Therefore, while it is highly unlikely that the US, or China for that matter, would be in support of India in any confrontation with Pakistan, it is even less likely that the US would announce any support of Pakistan over India, as that would conflict with their long term interests. It seems that the neutral policy they've followed over the past decade will continue.

 

[UAE]

The US, under Nixon, supported Pakistan in their invasion and genocide of East Pakistan (Bangladesh) and the subsequent Bangladesh Liberation War against India. The US has been historically allied with Pakistan. This may seem unintuitive at first, but there are many reasons for this, ranging from India's leading role in the non-aligned movement to our socialist government and close relationship with the Soviet Union.

US relations with Pakistan have largely continued into the 21st century, although they've soured a bit in recent years. Since the September 11, 2001 attacks, the US has provided Pakistan with about $28 billion in military and economic aid for the war against terrorism. Western officials claim that much of this aid has been misspent.

As for US-India ties, they have warmed considerably since then. Even inking civilian nuclear deals. But India continues to be allied with and purchases most of its military equipment from Russia, it refuses to abide by US sanctions, and has voted against US backed proposals at the UN. Most importantly, it refuses to give US corporations free reign within India. This makes for a largely ambiguous relationship. However, the US has become increasingly concerned about Chinese influence in the region, and sees India as a potential ally and crucial to countering and maintaining the balance of power in the region.

Therefore, while it is highly unlikely that the US, or China for that matter, would be in support of India in any confrontation with Pakistan, it is even less likely that the US would announce any support of Pakistan over India, as that would conflict with their long term interests. It seems that the neutral policy they've followed over the past decade will continue.

How do you think the Arab world would react if such scenario took place?

 

[DeltaForce103]

How do you think the Arab world would react if such scenario took place?

The Arab League doesn't hold any position on Kashmir. India and Pakistan have friendly relations with most Arab countries. I'd have expected Pakistan to have better relations with the Arab league, but if it does, it's not by a large margin. Any inclination to support Pakistan as an Islamic state is offset by the value of economic trade with India. The potential for nuclear war, however slight, means that most countries would rather call for a peaceful resolution and maintain neutrality, the only regional player with any incentive to escalate these issues is China.

The likelihood of a conventional war between India and Pakistan is very low. Pakistan has won none of the wars fought with India so far, and the disparity between the economic power and military capabilities between the two countries has only grown wider. The Pakistani leadership recognizes this and uses more covert tools to attack India, such as incubating state-sponsored terrorism, which has already turned on them. Ultimately, the threat of India is used as a tool for population control in Pakistan.

 

[Scorpion]

The Arab League doesn't hold any position on Kashmir. India and Pakistan have friendly relations with most Arab countries. I'd have expected Pakistan to have better relations with the Arab league, but if it does, it's not by a large margin. Any inclination to support Pakistan as an Islamic state is offset by the value of economic trade with India. The potential for nuclear war, however slight, means that most countries would rather call for a peaceful resolution and maintain neutrality, the only regional player with any incentive to escalate these issues is China.

The likelihood of a conventional war between India and Pakistan is very low. Pakistan has won none of the wars fought with India so far, and the disparity between the economic power and military capabilities between the two countries has only grown wider. The Pakistani leadership recognizes this and uses more covert tools to attack India, such as incubating state-sponsored terrorism, which has already turned on them. Ultimately, the threat of India is used as a tool for population control in Pakistan.

Saudi Arabia share good relations with both countries but I have no idea what stance would Saudi Arabia takes if a war is to erupt b/t India and Pakistan.

In regard to the point related to terrorism, Pakistan has accused RAW multiple times of sponsoring terrorism in Pakistan through Afghanistan. What do you say to those accusations?

 

[zenfive]

As you said, I also highly doubt that another war is going to break out between the two countries in the near future. The main reason being that India has come too far to now simply throw away all its economic progress over the last couple of decades and cripple their economy. I think there will always be a psychological war between the two, but not a whole lot more than that.

However if it were to happen, I think quite a few countries that may seem as "allies" would not want to step in, simply because they will have their long-term interests in mind. That being said, considering the large nuclear weapons programs that these countries run, I think the world would definitely try and put an end to the conflict if it were to arise. And China has in the past helped it's allies, for example in the Korean war, when they along with the Soviet Union supported the North, with the US supporting the South. However, that was a long time ago and I doubt a situation like that would happen again.

 

[DeltaForce103]

Saudi Arabia share good relations with both countries but I have no idea what stance would Saudi Arabia takes if a war is to erupt b/t India and Pakistan.

In regard to the point related to terrorism, Pakistan has accused RAW multiple times of sponsoring terrorism in Pakistan through Afghanistan. What do you say to those accusations?

None of these allegations have been confirmed by any international entity other than Pakistan itself. The US has stated that the claims are not based on credible evidence. In addition to all this, Pakistan remains the only country to have ever raised accusations of this nature against India. Regardless of all this, I think there could still be some merit to it. RAW is a secretive organization, even by intelligence agency standards, and what information is available on their operations points towards a primary focus on Pakistan.

I can try to be as objective as I can, but it is hard to deny that the vast majority of domestic terrorism that Pakistan faces is entirely its own fault. It is difficult to even scratch the surface of the accusations that have been made from a variety of countries and organizations to this effect. Pakistan and state-sponsored terrorism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[UAE]

The Arab League doesn't hold any position on Kashmir. India and Pakistan have friendly relations with most Arab countries. I'd have expected Pakistan to have better relations with the Arab league, but if it does, it's not by a large margin. Any inclination to support Pakistan as an Islamic state is offset by the value of economic trade with India. The potential for nuclear war, however slight, means that most countries would rather call for a peaceful resolution and maintain neutrality, the only regional player with any incentive to escalate these issues is China.

The likelihood of a conventional war between India and Pakistan is very low. Pakistan has won none of the wars fought with India so far, and the disparity between the economic power and military capabilities between the two countries has only grown wider. The Pakistani leadership recognizes this and uses more covert tools to attack India, such as incubating state-sponsored terrorism, which has already turned on them. Ultimately, the threat of India is used as a tool for population control in Pakistan.

Very true, also India has supported Palestine (vote for) many times in the UN and other international gatherings something the Arabs appreciate. For that reason they chose not to take side when it comes to Kashmir. I think what the Arab should do is play the good guy role in bridging the gap although I have no optimism that the conflict would ends anytime soon though.