Murphy's Law: Slower But Safer

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September 14, 2009: India has discovered that its effort to close the Line of Control (separating Indian and Pakistani portions of Kashmir) have been so successful that Islamic terrorists in their portion of Kashmir, who wish to return to Pakistan, find it easier to travel across India, to Bangladesh, sneak across the border there, and then fly back to Pakistan.

Over the last six years, India, using Israeli sensor technology, erected a 580 kilometer electrified fence along the Line of Control (LOC) in Kashmir. In 2004, India bought more radars, and special jamming equipment (to shut down radios used by Islamic radicals trying to cross the border) for use in Kashmir and along the LOC. The use of ground radars, thermal imaging and other electronic gear along the LOC, reduced illegal movements into Indian controlled Kashmir.

But the Islamic radicals keep coming, although in much reduced numbers. In 2001, it was estimated that 2,417 Islamic terrorists got across from Pakistan (where the government tolerates the terrorist training camps) to Indian Kashmir (where the terrorists are trying to drive the Indians, and all non-Moslems, out of the region). In 2002, that went down to 1,504, in 2003 it was 1,373 and in 2004 if was 537. The earthquake in late October, 2005, wrecked portions of the fence system, so 597 terrorists got across in that year. But in the last three years, fewer and fewer terrorists are able to make it across the LOC.

 

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