But Ahmed Rashid correctly argues that the terrorist attack on Mumbai was a diversionary tactic, aimed and relieving the Pakistani military pressure on the Tehrik-i Taliban Pakistan in the tribal agencies and on the remnants of al-Qaeda. Neither India nor Pakistan should fall for this tactic.the mumbai attacks seemed senseless. the attackers made no demands. they seized buildings and took hostages but didn't try to bargain over them. no group issued a statement claiming responsibility and providing some political polemic to justify the attack.
a lot of violence is senseless, but it rarely is senseless to the perpetrators. in their minds there was some kind of point. the cole-rashid theory seems pretty plausible to me. inflaming tensions between india and pakistan would get pakistan to move its forces out of the tribal regions where it is fighting islamic militants and over to the indian frontier, thus relieving the pressure on the militants. since the mumbai attack, the two leading militant groups in NW pakistan offered the pakistani military a ceasefire so that they could redeploy to the eastern border. militant groups have also offered troops to fight india along side the pakistani army.
that doesn't necessarily mean this was the original intent behind the mumbai attack. it could just be a bunch of militant groups taking advantage of the situation. but it could have been the reason. and cole is right, pakistan and india should not fall for it, whether or not it was.
