South Asia's Nuclear Security Dilemma

The nuclear test explosions in India and Pakistan in 1998 followed by the outbreak of hostilities over Kashmir in 1999 marked a frightening new turn in the ancient bitter enmity between the two nations. Although the tension was eclipsed by the events of 9/11 and the subsequent American attacks on Afghanistan and Iraq it has not disappeared as evidenced by the 2001 attack in the Indian Parliament by Islamic fundamentalists out of Kashmir. By 2002 these two nuclear-armed neighbors seemed to be once again on the brink of war. This book outlines the strategic structure of the rivalry and the dynamic forces driving it and investigates various possible solutions. The expert contributors focus on the India-Pakistan rivalry but also consider the China factor in South Asia's nuclear security dilemma. Although essentially political-strategic in its approach the book includes coverage of opposing military arsenals and the impact of local terrorism on the delicate balance of power.