Is India the next U.S. target in the year 2000? Those undertaking research and development of the “new generation Cruise missile” (NGCM) are keeping the setting and scenario of conflict and increased hostility between India and Pakistan in mind.
An analyst says Seena Sirohi in the Telegraph of General Dynamics one of the largest arms manufacturing companies in the world recently briefed officials and advisers in Washington on how to neutralize India (like Iraq recently) in the future.
The U.S.A. expects heightened tensions between India and Pakistan over Kashmir. It would get involved because of nuclear capabilities of both countries. India heads the list of 13 possible regions in the world where future conflict is likely. So actual plans have been drawn up in the USA in that case.
The blueprint aims at “demonizing India. The manufacturers of arms expect the world fairly constantly at war. In the briefing held by General Dynamics between February 18 and 22 for military personnel and defence advisers there was discussion on giving India the Iraq treatment
A map of India shown then displayed all the country’s military sites in colored boxes. It was said that 307 Cruise missiles against India launched from ships and bombers based in Diego-Garcia would swoop in on buildings and blow them up. The cold plan incidentally included no retaliation against Pakistan; only of staking out all military targets in India.
It was said a batch of 190 Cruise missiles would first be launched against the submarine bases ammunition storage facilities. Vendurthy naval station hangars dry docks piers and communications facilities in the country. The next batch would come if India was not sufficiently humbled.
Scenario-planning is often done by arms” manufacturers with details chillingly close to the current strategic thinking of the Pentagon which envisages a series of regional conflicts flaring up with a possible use of nuclear weapons by combats.
General Dynamics expects border incidents between India and Pakistan and naval incidents between them to grow. In about a decade both countries would have full nuclear capability. ‘The U.S.A. has also taken note of “Indian leasing of Soviet submarines testing of a medium range ballistic missile and the expansion of the Indian Navy”. Further India wants to dominate the region and kick the USA out of the Indian Ocean. The U.S. intervention would be justified under the most flimsy circumstances. It would be a battle against “chaos” restless natives and criminal elements.
Three sources of tension in the future are intractable conflicts between mortal enemies (Indo-Pakistan rivalry qualifies under it)
Catastrophic failure of the human conditions in the Third World and lastly the rise of anew centers of power (India qualifies as a regional power in Asian) India is also seen as turning into a belligerent dictatorship in the future.
TRIBUNE
Article extracted from this publication >> April 12, 1991
