Saturday, May 09, 2026

9: Ajit Doval

Opinion | One Year Of Op Sindoor: Why 'Round 2' Will Be A Different Beast Entirely Drones, China and Trump. A sequel to Operation Sindoor is not just likely, but it will also be highly challenging. ......... 'Operation Sindoor' followed fundamental military doctrines astutely, in keeping objectives steady, clear and based on the reality of a nuclear environment. .............. First, it was just 88-hours long and ended at a time of our choosing. Consider Ukraine, Iran and other wars. ......... Second, it hit pause at each stage, allowing Pakistan to step back if it chose to, thus knitting diplomacy firmly into operations. .......... Third, the political leadership held tightly on to the reins, allowing the operation to expand judiciously and calling a stop when it was judged that enough punishment had been delivered. Clarity of purpose was, therefore, across the board, which was to show Pakistan that India would no longer be blackmailed by nuclear threats into 'restraint', even while exercising operational restraint throughout the operation, so as to remain under the nuclear threshold. ................. In terms of the future, one constant is that Pakistan's terrorist sponsorship continues, as apparent in at least five major modules interdicted in India in April alone. A key one among them had Bangladesh roots, while another was smuggling weapons from India. All our borders are again of concern, with Nepal now openly anti-India, and Bangladesh's new Prime Minister, Tarique Rehman, facing strong internal headwinds from multiple sources. Then there are other multiple groups that seem to be acting independently. Recent arrests of another duo of doctors planning a ricin attack, apparently on the basis of'Islamic State' handlers, is an indication, as are reports of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan's (TTP) penetration into Bangladesh. ............... A somewhat new aspect is that the Pakistan army is now fully in power. No doubts about that as the Field Marshal holds talks and flies internationally in his expensive, private jet. ..................... Data show that arms imports by Pakistan grew by 66%, with China supplying 80% of weapons, up from 73% in 2016-20. Add to that the induction of new stealth fighter J-35 jets, whose delivery is expected to be fast-tracked to mid-year. This will be a concern for the Indian Air Force. ................. Then there is the marked increase in space assets, with three launches so far, and a hyperspectral satellite last year, all from China. This is a constellation that would deliver on Munir's threat to attack even the furthest point in India, both in the South and the Northeast. This is China making sure that not only is India forced to increase its defence budget, but also that Delhi is 'kept in place' in the subcontinent. Remember that prior to the Pahalgam attack as well, Chinese satellite imagery was possibly given to Pakistan, while during the conflict, a continuous stream of imagery helped. This pattern still holds. .............. in today's wars, missile use is the norm rather than the exception - count some 650 missiles by Iran and probably double that by the US, and an estimated 9,600 missiles of various types by Russia (not including attack drones), along with Ukraine's veritable storm of drones and some 500-plus Western-supplied missiles. ................... The option for India, therefore, is complicated. It may have to avoid a steady escalation ladder and instead opt for strong covert operations to negate the terrorist threat. That requires taking neighbours on board as much as possible, which means shedding a degree of intelligence inhibitions. The Colombo dialogue is a great step in this direction. ................... Note the Hamas visit to Pakistan shortly before the Pahalgam strike.

Trump Announces 3-Day Russia-Ukraine Ceasefire Starting Today The US President said the request for the temporary truce was made directly by him and thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for agreeing to it. .......... US President Donald Trump on Friday announced a three-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine from May 9 to May 11, saying both sides had agreed to temporarily halt fighting and carry out a large prisoner swap.......... In a statement posted on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump said the ceasefire would include a suspension of "all kinetic activity" and the exchange of 1,000 prisoners from each country........... The US President said the request for the temporary truce was made directly by him and thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for agreeing to it............ "I am pleased to announce that there will be a THREE DAY CEASEFIRE (May 9th, 10th, and 11th) in the War between Russia and Ukraine. The Celebration in Russia is for Victory Day but, likewise, in Ukraine, because they were also a big part and factor of World War II," Trump said on Truth Social. ................. "Hopefully, it is the beginning of the end of a very long, deadly, and hard fought War. Talks are continuing on ending this Major Conflict, the biggest since World War II, and we are getting closer and closer every day.

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