US Role In India-Pakistan War: Facilitator or Mediator?

India's opposition parties are questioning the Government as to why it allowed Trump to mediate between India and Pakistan and reach a ceasefire agreement. Many western countries also strongly believe, as per Trump's tweet, that it was USA which enabled a ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan.

India's Strategic Plan

The grim reality of the war is that the Western countries and arms dealers, along with suppliers like Turkey and China, were, in fact, eagerly looking forward to a protracted war to analyze how Pakistan would deploy their provided weaponry against India and to assess the real-world capabilities of their aircraft, missiles, and drones.

India's BrahMos Cruise Missile 

Fully intact, undetonated Chinese PL-15 missile found in Punjab's Hoshiarpur

All the dreams of this coterie of countries, were shattered when India, with military brilliance, carried out completely unexpected tactical moves, in a matter of hours, by:

1. precision striking and damaging the two tunnel entrances leading to the underground nuclear weapons storage facility in the Kirana Hills complex near Nur Khan airbase, using BrahMos cruise missiles along with bunker buster bombs.
   
   
2. extending military action beyond terror camps and terror infrastructure with retaliatory strikes, by going over 150 km inside Pakistan,  targeting 13 Pakistani air bases and destroying their communication buildings, runways, command centers, operation centers, radar sites, and aircraft hangars & shelters. 

These two calculated and brilliant moves of India effectively rendered Pakistan's nuclear capabilities unusable and their air defenses inoperable. This unexpected outcome forced USA, along with the other nuclear-weapon states (China, France, Russia, and the UK), to take swift action. Trump promptly realized that this is now no longer an issue to be settled between India and Pakistan but needs its immediate intervention as well as that of China, which had publicly declared its support to Pakistan. Therefore, far from acting as a mediator, India's decisive actions prompted USA to make an urgent plea for India to cease further attacks.

Ultimately, aligning with India's foreign policy of treating Kashmir as a bilateral issue, USA urged Pakistan to directly request an immediate ceasefire from India. In the meantime, Trump, with all good intentions, took the credit for brokering the ceasefire, by tweeting about it first.  What matters really is that the ceasefire came into effect immediately, easing global tensions.  

While this is the background scenario, whether USA mediated between India and Pakistan remains open to interpretation based on individual perspectives and political affiliations.

Possession Of Nuclear Weapons: A Strategic Weakness 

It is a known fact that Turkey hosts US nuclear weapons as part of a NATO nuclear sharing agreement. Specifically, Incirlik Air Base in Turkey stores approximately 50 B61 gravity bombs designed for use by fighter aircraft. These weapons are part of a larger US deployment of tactical nuclear weapons in Europe, which also includes bases in Belgium, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands. 

The presence of US nuclear weapons in Turkey, along with other NATO countries, is a Cold War legacy aimed at deterring potential Soviet aggression and reassuring European allies of US commitment to their defense. Emerging speculation suggests Pakistan's nuclear bases are similar legacy American sites aimed at countering Soviet influence in India and maintaining global power balance.

Consequently, the moment USA perceived a potential threat from India to its strategic nuclear assets located in Pakistan, it swiftly intervened to safeguard those assets and contain any resulting radiation.

The arrival of a specially equipped aircraft from the US Department of Energy, designed to detect nuclear radiation leaks, in Pakistan suggests heightened concerns regarding the integrity of Pakistan's nuclear facilities. This deployment implies a potential need to assess and monitor any radioactive contamination, possibly in response to the Indian strikes or as a precautionary measure. The US operates such Aerial Measuring Systems (AMS) aircraft, which are capable of detecting and mapping radioactive isotopes in the air and on the ground, often deployed in emergency scenarios like the Fukushima disaster.

Further, the landing of an Egyptian Air Force plane carrying boron in Pakistan adds another layer of intrigue. Boron, particularly the isotope Boron-10, is known for its neutron-absorbing properties and is used in nuclear reactors and to manage radioactive leaks. Its presence suggests a potential requirement for radiation mitigation or control measures. The simultaneous arrival of these specialized aircraft from different nations underscores the seriousness of the situation and the potential international implications. 

The ultimate irony is that Pakistan's "Islamic nuclear bomb," once brandished as a threat against India and other countries, now could pose the greatest danger to its own population. India's success in this war is a potent reminder that the possession of nuclear weapons, if not coupled with responsible doctrine and deployment, can be a strategic weakness rather than a strength in conflict. 

Lessons Learned

• The unbelievably accurate BrahMos missile strike that sealed off Pakistan's nuclear weapons storage facility, a move that astounded all nuclear-capable nations, marks India's greatest triumph in this war.

• The accumulation of nuclear weapons, even for self-defense, exposes those nations to the gravest dangers. They are like holding a loaded gun to their own head.

• This war has transcended Pakistan's sole responsibility; it is actively facilitated, financed, and sustained by a group of stakeholders who are wary of India's increasing influence, growing strength, and bold assertiveness.

• India's new-age warfare has positioned itself as a sovereign military power capable of unilateral trans-border action, thus demolishing the global equilibrium, till now defined by the United States and China.

• By anchoring its political aspirations and foreign relations in the Vedic understanding of Dharma (righteousness), India should ensure greater moral responsibility and ethical conduct.