India-Pakistan: December 25, 2001

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India is now moving warplanes to forward airbase near the Pakistani border. Warships normally stationed in southern India are moving north. Both sides have been moving troops to their border before the December 13th attack on the Indian parliament. These earlier movements were in response to increased rebel activity in Kashmir. The earlier attack on the parliament in Kashmir and the Red Fort in Delhi already got the escalation process going. The attack on the Indian parliament was throwing gasoline on an existing fire.  A lot of people are getting scared over there, especially in Pakistan. Musharraf may be getting enough public support to shut down the camps of the pro-Kashmir rebels, something unthought of a few months ago. Musharraf has already said he would crack down on the Kashmiri rebel groups, and he actually began reining in other Islamic radical groups last Summer. But sending troops to shut down camps full of armed holy warriors is another matter. For one thing, the camps are in Pushtun territory, an area where many pro-Taliban supporters and religious radicals.