Podcast - India and Pakistani relations following the Mumbai attacks

On November 26th 2008, ten armed attackers struck at the heart of India's financial and entertainment capital, throwing relations between India and Pakistan into crisis mode. In this podcast, Mr. Zeeshan Suhail, a Pakistani with experience working for two major international organizations, discusses the current state of diplomacy in South Asia and examines the motives of Lashkar e Taiba, the organization blamed by India for the attacks. U.S. foreign assistance to Pakistan is also examined and whether past aid has been properly spent.

Download Podcast - India and Pakistan Relations 01.17.09

Evidence in Mumbai Terror Case

The holiday season and a new Israeli-Palestinian conflict has taken prominence in the headlines, but analysts are still keenly focused on the fallout of the Mumbai terror attacks. By all accounts the follow-up investigation has been swift and comprehensive, identifying links between the 10 perpetrators and supervisory backers based in Pakistan.

Somini Senguta for the New York Times reported the delivery of evidence to Pakistani authorities by India on Jan. 8th. Diplomats of selected allies have also conducted an initial review of the 69 page report which outlines the evidence. They say the dossier is quite problematic for the government of Pakistan. Telephone records, audio transcripts, gun labels and boat parts match-up to Pakistani manufacturers and supplies left in the boats used by the terrorists point to an outlawed terrorist group in Pakistan, Lashkar-e-Taiba. India has demanded full cooperation by Pakistan in the investigation and a list of subjects to be turned over to Indian authorities for trial.

While India has officially not suggested any concrete link between the terrorists and Pakistan's government agencies, every Indian Parliamentarian and Minister are openly talking about the connection as a fait accompli.  The Indian Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh even spoke publicly about the necessity for official assistance for the 25ish year old attackers to have been able to pull it off.

Let's see how cooperative Pakistan is - in public and in private. Watch closely.