Surgical strikes were well executed, but aimed at appeasing a domestic audience

[ashok321]

At last the government has come up with a strategy of “compellance” against Pakistan with the surgical strikes, but has no plan to deal with what comes after.

The import of the ‘surgical strikes’ launched by the Special Forces on night of 28-29 September, 2016, was not in the number of enemy casualties and the infrastructure destroyed or the depth and frontage of the operation or the type of weapons used.

It lay in the declaration of India’s intent for dealing with the proxy war perpetrated by Pakistan in the future. “Alea iacta est” (the die is cast), we all thought. At last a government has come up with a comprehensive political and military strategy of ‘compellence’ for dealing with Pakistan.

Pakistan’s response to the surgical strikes was in consonance with its long term strategy. The surgical strikes were denied and ridiculed, putting the onus on India to provide the details.

It responded to India’s aggressive posture along the LoC in a quid pro quo manner using matching firepower and Special Forces/Border Action Teams. Infiltration into J&K has increased and so has terrorist violence. Pakistan has made it clear that there will be no change in its strategy.

Escalatory retribution is an integral part of a strategy of ‘compellence’. In the absence of any follow up on the surgical strikes, the moot question is, does India really have a National Security Strategy to force compliance on Pakistan? The surgical strikes were a standalone and well executed tactical operation without any strategic plans to follow up and clearly, they were aimed more at the domestic audience than Pakistan.

“War is too serious to trust it to generals,” said Winston Churchill. But then, Churchill had done a spell in the army, was a war correspondent, and was the First Lord of the Admiralty, and Minister of Munitions during the First World War before influencing the strategy during the Second World War. In our case, it would be equally apt to say that National Security is too serious a business to be driven by “post-truth politics” in which bravado, rhetoric, emotions, ignorance, and impulsiveness are the main drivers and rational military counsel is either absent or ignored.

The writer was the Northern and Central Army Commander.

 

[Talwar e Pakistan]

Despite the use of the term "surgical strikes", the Indians definitely did not airdrop commandos to hit "launching pads of militants" inside Pakistani-held territory, or conduct ground assaults deep into the Pakistan-administered side. But they did cross the Line of Control (LoC), in some cases by more than a kilometre, to hit nearby Pakistani border posts.

Indian troops could not have hit a target and returned alive as the climb required was too steep, officials said. Nor could helicopters have been used to drop special forces given the difficult terrain and because Pakistan would have shot down the aircraft.

The Pakistanis did not take long to get their act together and fired back from the remaining bunkers, pushing the Indian guns back from the ridges overlooking the valley.

Despite the claims in the Indian media, the BBC could find little evidence that militants had been hit.

There were no reports of any of the camps in the Samahni area of Bhimber or in the Poonch-Kotli area having been hit. They are mostly located behind ridges that serve as a natural barrier against direct Indian fire.

In Leepa, some five or six wooden structures housing militants between the villages of Channian and Mundakali had not been targeted. A ridge that runs along the east bank of the nearby stream covers them from military positions on the LoC.

Likewise, in Neelum, most militant camps - such as the ones at Jhambar, Dosut and in the Gurez valley area further east - are located in the valleys below, at a safe distance from the LoC.

The BBC also could not confirm an Indian media report that Lashkar-e-Taiba camps in the Khairati Bagh village of Leepa valley and the western end of Dudhnial village in Neelum valley had been hit on 29 September.

A similar advance by the Indians in the Dudhnial area of Neelum valley further north was beaten back by the Pakistanis. At least one Pakistani soldier was injured - reports of a dead soldier could not be independently verified by the BBC.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-37702790

This whole drama caused 34 deaths of Indian soldiers in the next several weeks, ask yourselves, was it really worth it?

 

[ashok321]

Whatever it was, it was for votes.

 

[truthseer]

I have zero respect for an Indian who comes on to a Pakistani forum to insult his own country, just to make a political point

And vice versa as well

 

[RowdyRathore]

I have zero respect for an Indian who comes on to a Pakistani forum to insult his own country, just to make a political point

And vice versa as well

Why do you consider false flaggers as Indian? even though some of them sold their souls shouldn't be considered as Indian.

 

[YeBeWarned]

This sur GI cal story remind me of a movie called wizard of Oz .. If this strike was real so does that movie ..

 

[truthseer]

Why do you consider false flaggers as Indian? even though some of them sold their souls shouldn't be considered as Indian.

He's obviously Indian though

 

[Azadkashmir]

sunny deol is reacting to this post,

 

[#hydra#]

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-37702790

This whole drama caused 34 deaths of Indian soldiers in the next several weeks, ask yourselves, was it really worth it?

Count your casualties too.