It's hard to fault India for her desire to strike back after the outrageous terrorist attack on the Indian Parliament. India has as much right to strike back against the Pakistani authors of this act of terrorism, and many previous ones, as America has to attack Taliban/AlQueda terrorists.

It's important for America to both caution and reassure India in this regard. The USA spent a good month after Sep. 11 both preparing militarily and also laying some careful diplomatic groundwork prior to unleashing the devastating air assault and coordinating with Northern Alliance ground forces, to acheive its objectives. India needs to be assured that she can and will have the right to self defense, and the right to launch punitive strikes against terrorists and their supporters in Pakistan, but should plan carefully with others in what is indeed a world-wide war on Islamic terrorism, specifically the US, Europe, and Russia.

America should look to lessen its current dependence on ties to the 'moderate' Pakistani government (which seems barely in control of certain pro-Al Queda sectors of the military and intelligence) and should seek to withdraw troops from Pakistan as soon as possible. Cooperation from the current Paki government has been somewhat helpful during the Afghan war, but will much less so over time. And as the need for India, if not the US directly as well, to attack and punish terrorists base camps and so-called religious schools (which breed so much of the anti-US and anti-Western hatred) inside Pakistan becomes more urgent, our ties to the Paki state become more harmful and dangerous than helpful.