Cold War II: Without Deterrence

"By the grace of Allah, all design parameters for the flight were validated," a military statement said. A careful mix of religion and cruise missiles was launched from Pakistan this morning, solidifying a new Cold War without deterrence. Pakistan, without warning its neighboring adversary India, launched “the missile, named Babur, (which) has a range of 310 miles”. This range may seem insignificant to Soviet and US Cold War experts but it is key when dealing with countries that share a common border. Moreover, this cruise missile is designed to carry nuclear warheads.

As The Independent records, “Pakistan and India, which both carried out nuclear tests in 1998, often carry out tit-for-tat missile tests capable of reaching deep inside each other's territory. In March, Pakistan successfully test fired its longest range nuclear-capable Shaheen II missile, which can reach 1,250 miles. India has said that it will test its longest range missile, the 1,865-mile Agni III, by the end of the year. It already has the intermediate range Agni I and Agni II versions of the missile. India also has the short-range ballistic missile Prithvi, the anti-tank Nag missile, the short-range surface-to-air Trishul missile, and the supersonic cruise missile, Brahmos, in its arsenal.”

This situation can easily spin out of control. Even though both countries have agreed on a “hotline” to avoid catastrophic nuclear disasters, this small stop gap measure seems pointless in the face of religious and nationalist fervor. The difference between the Soviet and US Cold War and the new Cold War is cemented in the underlining religious need for such weapons. These weapons are not only used for national defense but in defense of religion. Thus this Cold War will inevitably become hot. In fact, these two countries have a built in dispute over Kashmir which can ultimately lead to the regions demise. For a more in-depth analysis of the conflict see Part I: Pakistan, Afghanistan, and the Saudi Arabian Dilemma. (August 2, 2005)