ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses a somewhat different view than that of American officials and many strategists and journalists who see Kashmir as a "flash point" that could lead to conventional war and even a nuclear exchange. It offers a strategic overview of the Kashmir crisis. The Kashmir problem is a mixture of terrorism, state violence, subversion, and general horror that rests upon several layers of history. Many Indian policy makers believe that Pakistan intends to use its new nuclear capability, which makes escalation to conventional war risky because that in turn might become a nuclear conflict, to make a grab for Kashmir. After 1971, Kashmir ceased to be the cause of bad India-Pakistan relations, but it remains a cause. The Kashmir crisis has deep historical roots. The Kashmir issue needs an outside perspective because Indian and Pakistani strategists are locked in a mindless competition over tactical advantage and scoring diplomatic points.
