Overview

The Kargil conflict of 1999 disproved two myths: that democracies do not fight each other and that nuclear weapon states do not go to war directly with each other. The 2001-2002 confrontation between a million troops along the Indian-Pakistani border was fraught with the imminent danger of a war being ignited by deliberate design, accident, or inadvertence. There is now talk in India of restructuring its military forces to make limited war more feasible.

In light of these events, on June 23, 2004 the U.S. Institute of Peace hosted a discussion on the findings of a recent Institute grant project researching the role of limited war in South Asia. Moderated by Institute grant program officer Taylor Seybolt, the event featured researchers from India, Pakistan, and the United States in a discussion of the issue of limited war on the subcontinent from three national perspectives. Presenters also discussed conclusions about stability and crises in South Asia, with specific reference to confidence building measures, doctrines of deterrence and "compellence," and the roles played by political leaders in each country.

Speakers

• P. R. Chari
  Research Professor, Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies, New Delhi; and Grantee, U.S. Institute of Peace
• Stephen P. Cohen
  Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution; and former Grantee, U.S. Institute of Peace
• Christine Fair
  Program Officer, Research and Studies Program, U.S. Institute of Peace, Discussant
• Taylor B. Seybolt
  Program Officer, Grant Program, U.S. Institute of Peace, Moderator