India and Pakistan: No Solution, Just Damage Control

There is no simple solution to a millennium of tensions.

A ceasefire was announced on Saturday between India and Pakistan, after talks mediated by Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Based on reports on Monday, both sides seem to be observing it. India recently attacked alleged terrorist training camps in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (also known as Azad Kashmir) and in Pakistan, as retaliation for the April 22 massacre of 26 civilians in Pahalgam on the banks of the Lidder River in Jammu and Kashmir, Indian union territory. Survivors of the attack have reported that the gunmen were singling out Hindus. (RELATED: Two Forever Wars) India has blamed an affiliate of Lashkar-e-Taiba, as well as Jaish-e-Muhammad, continuing to charge that it is supported by Pakistan. L-e-T has been designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) by the U.S. Department of State, as has Jaish-e-Mohammad. India has not published evidence of Pakistan’s responsibility for the massacre, but to do so would likely compromise sources and methods of intelligence. Conflict between India and Pakistan is particularly alarming, since according to the Federation of American Scientists, each country possesses nearly 200 nuclear weapons. Given the claims and counterclaims, it has been difficult for Western observers to confirm losses on both sides. Pakistan maintains that it shot down five Indian aircraft, three of which were Dassault Rafale, considered a Generation 4.5 fighter delivered to India several years ago from France. This present conflict needs to be viewed in context. President Trump recently stated that India and Pakistan have been fighting each other for 1,500 years. While this is not factually possible, since Pakistan was partitioned out of India in 1947 when the British departed from India, there is nonetheless much substance to it. There are historical, religious, and political causes over centuries that prevent India and Pakistan from normalizing relations. It is naïve to believe that rapprochement is possible: The U.S. d...