Events/Multimedia

Limited War Under the Nuclear Shadow in South Asia: The Kashmir Crises of 1999 and 2001-2002

Protesters demonstrate at a peace rally in Pakistan organized by South Asia Partnership Pakistan.
(Courtesy Villagers Media Production)

Date
Wednesday, June 23, 2004
9:00–11:00 AM

Location
U.S. Institute of Peace
1200 17th St., NW
Washington, D.C.
Directions

Overview

The Kargil conflict of 1999 disproved two myths: that democracies do not fight each other and that nuclear weapon states do not go to war directly with each other. The 2001-2002 confrontation between a million troops along the Indian-Pakistani border was fraught with the imminent danger of a war being ignited by deliberate design, accident, or inadvertence. There is now talk in India of restructuring its military forces to make limited war more feasible.

In light of these events, on June 23, 2004 the U.S. Institute of Peace hosted a discussion on the findings of a recent Institute grant project researching the role of limited war in South Asia. Moderated by Institute grant program officer Taylor Seybolt, the event featured researchers from India, Pakistan, and the United States in a discussion of the issue of limited war on the subcontinent from three national perspectives. Presenters also discussed conclusions about stability and crises in South Asia, with specific reference to confidence building measures, doctrines of deterrence and "compellence," and the roles played by political leaders in each country.

Speakers

• P. R. Chari
  Research Professor, Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies, New Delhi; and Grantee, U.S. Institute of Peace
• Stephen P. Cohen
  Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution; and former Grantee, U.S. Institute of Peace
• Christine Fair
  Program Officer, Research and Studies Program, U.S. Institute of Peace, Discussant
• Taylor B. Seybolt
  Program Officer, Grant Program, U.S. Institute of Peace, Moderator

Related Resources

• A Special Address by Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf
  Archived Audio and Remarks (June 2003)
• Religious Extremism and Governance in South Asia: Internal and External Pressures
  Archived Audio (May 2003)
• Controlling Weapons of Mass Destruction
  Peaceworks (September 2001)
• The President's Trip to South Asia and Prospects for Conflict Resolution
  Archived Audio and Video (March 2000)
• Kashmir Web Links

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