Indian public opinion would force the Indian government to take military action against Pakistan in case of another attack like Mumbai, home minister P Chidambaram told the Americans in 2009, according to leaked US diplomatic cables.
Chidambaram also blamed Bangladesh and Myanmar for providing sanctuary to insurgents in the North East and called Myanmar “totally uncooperative” in efforts to destroy their bases.
“[On] the prospect of another attack on Indian territory, Chidambaram noted that “the people of India will expect us to respond. We won’t have any other choice.” [US] Under Secretary [Bill] Burns stressed that the U.S. is pressing Pakistan to take action against all terrorist groups,” the cable, detailing talks between US and Indian officials said.
Speaking in the spring of 2009, Chidambaram also regretted that with every passing year, the terrorists sneaking into India were getting better and better equipped. “idambaram added that the level of infiltration would grow as early as next week as the snows melted. There were indications the insurgents were better equipped this year than in the past. ‘They have parkas, boots. They are very well-prepared,'” the cable noted.
Chidambaram also noted that the separatists in the northeast were able to flourish because of the safehavens they had established in Myanmar and Bangladesh, while Nepal was not as a big problem.
“Myanmar was “totally uncooperative.” The new Bangladeshi government had made promises to cooperate, but had been diverted by the rebellion of the Bangladesh Rifles. It would be a big accomplishment, the Minister added, if India could eliminate insurgent leaders “holed up” in Myanmar and Bangladesh. Although there were some safe havens in Nepal, they were not the key problems for India,” the cable said.
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