Pakistan Moves Forces from Tribal Areas to Indian Border

Pakistan Moves Forces from Tribal Areas to Indian Border
One month after the Mumbai terror assault, Pakistan and India appear to be moving closer to war. Tensions have been high the past two weeks as both nations' militaries have been placed on high alert. Pakistan has refused to hand over terror suspects and has taken minimal and token action against the Lashkar-e-Taiba and its front group, the Jamaat-ud-Dawa.

South Asia is on edge today as reports indicate a Pakistani division is being redeployed from the tribal areas and the Northwest Frontier Province to the border region near Lahore. The unit that is being moved is assigned to blunt an Indian armored strike into Pakistan. The division was previously assigned to fighting against the Taliban in the Bajaur region, where a halting offensive has been underway since the summer.

Aside from the risk of an all-out war between Pakistan and India, two regional nuclear powers, the move may further destabilize the lawless Pakistani northwest. NATO convoys destined for Afghanistan have been under attack over the past month. More than 70 percent of NATO supplies move through the northwest. The United States plans to surge an additional four combat brigades and an aviation brigade into Afghanistan by next summer. Even more supplies must move through this region, which no doubt will further fall under Taliban control.