Admiral Mullen said it best when he called Bharat (aka India) as an also ran in the regional race for Afghanistan). In the days after Pokhran and Chaghai era, the nuclear dramatics (Bharati fizziles, and Pakistanis explosions) the South Asia countries created “parity” through mutually assured destruction (MAD). Henceforth, Bharat despite provocations and fake and real anger has been unable to cross the Pakistani border. Without the threat of nuclear annihilation, Bharat would have invaded Pakistan and bombed Azad Kashmir and possibly the Western borders also.

Since the 2nd Afghan war, Pakistan has thwarted Bharati attempts to destabilize Pakistan. Pakistani armed forces have cleared Swat and South Waziristan of Bharati supported mercenaries.

Bharat had high hopes after Condoleezza Rice dangled the possibility of anointing it as a Superpower. Much water has gone the Indus since Mr. Rice had power. Today the US and China have decided to carve the world into spheres of influence. This was not as dramatic as Yalta, but nevertheless, China got Asia and Africa while the US got the Americas and Europe.

APJoint Chiefs Chairman Admiral Mike Mullen during a hearing on U.S. strategy in Afghanistan, in Washington on Wednesday. Photo: AP

Acknowledging that India is a big player in the region, a top US military leader has said that the relationship between India and Pakistan is critical for the stability in the region.

“India is a big player in that region as well,” Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said in response to a question at House Committee on Foreign Affairs; which held a hearing on Afghanistan.

“I think all of us — international players, particular regional players — have to take steps to stabilize. The relationship between Pakistan and India is critical.

Leadership there must, I think, step forward to stabilize that border more than anything else. I think that would be a great step forward in stabilizing the region,” Mullen said.

Mullen was responding to a question from Democrat Congressman Donald Payne.

Admiral Mullen has been speaking in tongues. When he talks about Indo-Pakistan relations, what he is really talking about is resolution of Kashmir.

He is clear and blunt statement that “India is a regional player as well” speaks reams about the new thinking in Washington. Pakistan is an indispensable part of the Afghan strategy. President Obama cannot win (in Afghanistan and the next elections) without help from Islamabad. President Obama cannot win (the elections and the economy) without the help of China. Therefore both China and Pakistan are important to Mr. Obama, both personally and from a national point of view.

So the statement by Admiral Mullen about Bharat poignantly describes the new stature of Bharat—it is one of the regional power, not the only one. Pakistan has legitimate interests in Afghanistan, and those interests have been described in blunt conversations with Ms. Clinton and Mr. Jones

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“Is there any way we can impress Pakistan that India is not their biggest enemy, about Kashmir, and have Pakistan concentrate more on Pakistan and stop worrying about India and some India-Pakistan conflict?” Payne asked.

In answer to another question from Congressman Bill Delahunt, the Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, said the Obama Administration did consult India on its new Af-Pak policy.

“Yes” Ms. Clinton said, when Delahunt asked: “Secretary Clinton, if you have time, have we consulted with the Indians in terms of their relationship with Pakistan in reducing the concern that the Pakistanis have relative to India?” Meanwhile in an interview to MSNBC, Senator Allen Specter, argued the US should work to reduce the tension between India and Pakistan.

“I would like to have seen him (Obama) say and do that we’re going to work hard to relieve the tension between India and Pakistan. Pakistan has a lot of troops on the border.

India is not going to attack Pakistan. But if that situation could be defused, then Pakistan could help a lot with the Taliban,” Specter said.

“I do not want to see the United States men and women over there fighting the Taliban. And al Qaeda can organize someplace else. I’d like to see him get more out of Pakistan and not try to intervene in what is essentially a civil war between the Taliban and the Karzai government in Pakistan,[Editor's Note:--Mr. Specter probably meant Afghanistan] ” he said.

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The concerns of the Pakistanis are about Bharat in Afghanistan. Bharat can never fathom a stable and prosperous Pakistan. It thinks of China as it real enemy. It invaded Lanka and tried to befurcate it. It wanted to incorporate Bangladesh. It want to take over Bhutan and the Maldives. It occupies Kashmir, Sikkim and Hyderabad. It has thus made its bed and will have to lie in it.

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Keywords: India, Pakistan, India-Pakistan ties, critical, stability, region,Admiral Mullen, Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, U.S. President, Barack

Obama

. All the same, Patterson stressed that Pakistan would remain the key ally in this war. She also rejected reports that NATO had started moving a significant amount of its supplies through a Central Asian corridor into northern Afghanistan.

“Hardly 10% comes through Central Asia; 80% of the supplies are still coming through Pakistan,” she said.

As a result, Pakistan wants to strike peace deals with the militants. As in the past, though, while this will restore order inside Pakistan, it will redirect the militants to Afghanistan. This good for Pakistan, but it could have dire consequences for NATO troops.Atimes