> >War is one of the options. There could be other options or a combination
of
> >options. e.g. A could retaliate by resorting to covert and deniable acts
on
> >the territory of B.
> >
>
> Were I a guardian of the American Empire, I wouldn't allow India and
> Pakistan to go to war and make a (possibly radioactive) mess that the
> Empire must clean up when I'd rather stay focused on Iraq and
> Venezuela,
Chances of India and Pakistan going to war are not all that high. Both sides have withdrawn their armies to peacetime locations. Every conflict between nuclear weapon states doesn't inevitably to nuclear exchange. Kargil conflict between India/Pakistan and Ussuri river clashes between fSU and China are examples of that
>but I would be very pleased to see India and Pakistan
> employing covert actions in each other's territory, debilitating
> themselves, so I might even help you both in doing so.
This is not in the US interest. The US gains nothing by debilitating two countries. The notion that the US is trying to debilitate the developing nations always and everywhere is not convincing.
Ulhas