History as the Architect of the Present: What Made Kashmir the Nucleus of South Asia Terrorism? India-Pakistan Conflict and Its Impact on U.S. Homeland Security
Abstract
The critical question of why the Pakistani military has been assisting and harboring the Taliban and the terrorists who plot attacks against the U.S. Army in Afghanistan and targets within the United States can be explained by the historical events that resulted in the partitioning of British India and territorial conflicts between India and Pakistan. To make better decisions in Afghanistan, it is imperative to analyze the historical roots of South Asian regional conflicts and establish their relationship with current instability and terrorism in the region. This thesis focuses on the root cause of conflict in South Asia that created an environment in the Afghan-Pakistan border areas that nurtures insurgency. The cause is rooted in expedient decisions made by the British Empire in the 19th and 20th centuries to perpetuate her rule in the Indian subcontinent. Ignorance of history and its impact on current events has lead to the prolonging of the U.S. war in Afghanistan. Ever since the partitioning of India in 1947 by the British, India and Pakistan have remained locked in a conflict over Kashmir. This conflict has led to the destabilization of South Asia, including competition between India and Pakistan over influence in Afghanistan. Thus, the U.S. focus on the elimination of al Qaeda is short-sighted, as it ignores the reasons for al Qaeda's survival in South Asia. Without Pakistan's support for the Afghan Taliban and associated terrorist organizations, al Qaeda would not have a sanctuary in South Asia. Without a resolution of the conflict between India and Pakistan, the terrorism problem emanating from South Asia remains a threat. Therefore, it is imperative that U.S. policy expand to include a resolution of the India-Pakistan conflict.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 2012
- Accession Number
- ADA560634
Entities
People
- Sunil Dutta
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School