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"Surgical strikes are definitely feasible but whether you wish to take that decision or not not is a separate issue," he said when asked by PTI whether such strikes were feasible.
"Definitely yes. Whether you would like to look at doing it (carrying out such strikes) by air or artillery or by another means or physically there," he said in reply to questions.
Asked if the armed forces were ready for such strikes if the political leadership had given the go-ahead, Kapoor said, "we are an army which has been involved in operations in Kashmir and Northern Command on a perpetual basis and on an on-going basis. Therefore, the question of not being ready is frankly not relevant. And we would have been fully ready to do our task."
During the wide-ranging interview, the army chief also sought to dispel the impression that there was no clarity about the nuclear command when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was hospitalised for heart surgery last month.
Kapoor said "Yes I can say that as far as we are concerned such things keep coming up in the media at times and normally you find the prime minister does not talk about it. But as far as we were concerned, there was a lot of clarity. There was no confusion."
Asked if there was no confusion and whether they were clear about who controlled the nuclear button, he said "Yes, there was no confusion at all."
Asked about apprehensions in the West of a conflict-like situation emerging in the wake of Mumbai terror attack, the army chief said over the past few weeks there seemed to have been a gradual acceptance of reality of involvement of outfits based on Pakistani soil in the Mumbai attack amongst the Pakistani establishment.
"The peaceful diplomatic course adopted so far by the Indian government seems to have provided stimuli to the Pakistan government to act against the terror infrastructure and help bring the guilty to book," he said.
In the current and evolving scenario, Kapoor said the armed forces, as per their mandate, were fully prepared to execute the course of action as decided by the political leadership of the country.
He said after the Mumbai attack, no deployment of additional troops had taken place on the border. "However, we are maintaining utmost vigil and closely monitoring the situation. Our current posture allows us to achieve full operational readiness at short notice."
To a question, Kapoor said after the Mumbai attack no deployment of additional troops had taken place on the border.
"However, we are maintaining utmost vigil and loosely monitoring the situation. Our current posture allows us to achieve full operational readiness at short notice," he said.
Asked if there were any plans to deploy specialized troops on foreign soil to protect Indian assets against the backdrop of the bombing of the Indian embassy in Kabul last year, he said at present there were no such plans.
However, the emerging security environment and government decision would dictate any such development in future.
To a question on the proposal for a Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) that cropped up after the Kargil conflict, the army chief said it was desirable and if it is set up sooner it would be good for everyone in the country.
He said a Group of Ministers went into the issue and the government felt that it required wider consultation among political parties before a decision is taken.
The rest of the structure of the CDS like the starting of vice chief of defence downwards has now been established over a period of time.
Specifically on the question of CDS, the government felt that it required to have wider consultations and this decision has not been taken, he said.
Asked whether it was a desirable thing to do, Kapoor said "I would very much say it is very much desirable in today's world where all three wings of the armed forces need to work and function together and therefore synthesis their efforts and that will optimise their equipment, training and efforts in achieving success.
"I think it is desirable and sooner or later it has to come. So if it has to come it might as well come sooner which will good for everyone and for the country."
Kapoor recalled that even in the US and the UK they had to push it through the system.
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Being in the IAF when I was in India, I think India is perfectly capable of mounting surprise surgical strikes.However,as one reader has commented that politically it is fraught with grave risks as the civilian population of India probably will be subjected to suicide bombimgs
I think we are going towards martial law.Who is he to talk.Don't interfere in others jobs.When your are asked thendo your job.By his act we are more becoming a laughing point as all are sayinhg but we all know after Pakistan becoming a nuclear state there is no possibility of attack.It is not 1971 when we take the opportunity in the unrest in East pakistan but now bangladesh is also becomes our new enemy because of our policies.
our rank and file armed forces are brave and have capable leadershipits the moraless and spineless politicians who are to blame,and we the janta of Bharat are to blame as well for putting these politicians in power. The indian army has wopped paki arse on many occasions they were always stopped from finishing the job completely by congress politicians,,all (na) pakistan can do is fight a proxy war that to because the traitor muslims living in Bharat support them,,any way now like all mad dogs in the end the isi trained and funded mujahhid and millitants have turned on there masters and every day loads of people are killed and bombed in pakiland which is a haven for terrorist.we need a strong and pro Hindustan and pro Hindustani Govt in Bharat not only in the states but in the Central Govt as well if we want to protect and preserve aur DESH,DHARMA AND ITS PEOPLE,the best surgical strike is in our hands its the power to votebecause if the Govt is weak then even a strong is made weak
The phrase, 'surgical strikes', carries a false connotation of a surgeon making some cuts in an operation, which has a beginning and an end. But that is not the reallity on the ground in wars. Look at USA mired in its war in Afghanistan, surgical strikes notwithstanding. Remember also the orignis of the first World War, through the angry and unrelenting response of the Emperor of Austria, after the assassination of his son in Serbia.Let politiicians, officials or citizens not glibly talk about surgical stirkes, without weighing their possible consequences.India has given a mature and measured response to the terrorist attack and rightly so. Let vigilance and internal security be strengthened using the best technological tools avaiilable, keeping our values intact. Let us also remember that India was the first nation to bring out a publication on the disasterous consequences of use of nuclear weapons, which are sometimes mentioned by the hawkish proponents of war-like actions.
What is wrong with your reporters? Do they understand nothing about accuracy in reporting?Aren't they concerned about correctness and truth in reporting?He said after the Mumbai attack, no deployment of additional troops had taken place on the border. "However, we are maintaining utmost vigil and closely (CLOSELY) monitoring the situation. Our current posture allows us to achieve full operational readiness at short notice." To a question, Kapoor said after the Mumbai attack no deployment of additional troops had taken place on the border. "However, we are maintaining utmost vigil and loosely (LOOSELY) monitoring the situation. Our current posture allows us to achieve full operational readiness at short notice," he said.
Well, Imran and M.A.Ayub Gohar, just to refresh your memory the Indian army has shown what it is worthy of in 47, 60, 71 and Kargil. It can still go out and kick the paki's wehre it would hurt them the most....between thier legs, provided they have any balls there! And with the paki army reduced to a bunch of jokers who are either killing their own people in Swat and Baluchistan or getting wacked by the taliban and US forces in NWFP, its should be a cake walk for us this time.
Action will speak for itself. Do it.
Thats the spirt and confidence of our Indian Army. Keep it up Bravehearts
Yap, yap, yap... is that all that you can do Sir? We dont expect any action from our eunuch politico’s but we look up to our brave men in olive green, to put an end to the common man’s recurring miseries. Or are you too waiting for this lame duck government to go and get one that has decisive leaders which take meaningful action instead of just mouthing platitudes, procrastinating hangings, and changing shirts..!!
Wonderful, India is soon going to have a Martial Law Administrator.
If surgical strikes are feasible, what is India waiting for before striking? Has there not been enough provocation? Is India wanting another 26/11? For goodness sake act and end all Paki deviousness and inane and insulting statements comiing out of the crooked mouth of the Paki PM and also end terrorism directed against India.
Sir, You do not have brahmos and agni missiles have failed. Your Arjun tanks are not fieldworthy! You have no flying birds either, so I am quizzed by your comment that "Surgical strikes are possible". Are we talking to throw stones on pakistan with hands?
Respected Kapoorji, I would like bring one point of operation to your view, though you are the master of your work, but in the interest of our country, I suggest the following. Our side of border, artilary bases should be positioned exactly opposit of all the air bases of other side of the border and continuously engage enemy targetting their air force bases till almost all the bases are destroyed.
the only choice india has is to prevent terror attacks by dramatically improved internal security measures which might mean increased coordination with other victim countries who are also facing similar threats from islamic fascists and fanatics. overt military surgical strikes is a as much a fantasy as it is unrealistic due to the nuclear dimension.
Sir,the Indian position post 26/11 is much talk work nil and scenario is quite bleak.Ourleaders talk a lot and media hype is created without any recourse to befitting reply tothe perpetrators of crime against humanity.Meda projects these villains like superheroeswhich cannot be contained by the sane world which is totally wrong and creates a demoralising effect on the public at large.Let the media be aware that a country like Indiais not afraid of fighting the evil as we believe in SATYAMEV JAYTE and will never give into desires of terrorist outfits.What is needed is not only talking about the flux but plan astrategy to crush the forces who are engaged in subversion and hatred of our age oldvalues.Let us unitedly reply to the divisive forces and support the nationalist forces whowant to see India a superpower despite the ill will of our detractors.Our armed forces arefully capable of tackling any situation that arises in the near future.
again he is talking ...............
First, ATTACK THE MILITANT BASE IN PAKISTAN SOIL RIGHT NOW. Second, CDS POST SHOULD BE CREATED AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE, better if the politician will deliver a time frame within which they will take a decision. IF fails to take a decision by automatic route the defence force will take the decision.
Is Kapoor Arora new Marshal Law Administrator of India????
During the reign of Bajpayee the hawkish home minister Advani had explored the possibility of attacking Pakistan but the army bosses informed him that the condition on the ground was not conducive to launching an attack.India is not USA and Pakistan is not Palestine.In 1971, India won the war not because of its might but only because of the support of Bengali Muslims who were brutalized by the so-called Muslim army of Pakistan and wholehearted support of the then mighty soviet Union, while Pakistan did not receive any support from USA.Also Indian army unlike those days now comprises cow-like Hindus who are tired of fighting the Christian rebels of north east and the Muslim rebels of Kashmir in addition to landless poor Maoists of central India.It is the RSS which exaggerates Indian military capability.As for India's so-called economic might, it is only because of the huge amount of Islamic currencies reaching India.Once Arab Muslim countries severe relations with the Hindu rashtra,
Its lucky that you disnt say that its your hard earned money because of India is economically strong.With regard to your comment on India's army- you are a silly chap and i dont take your comments seriously.I think you have to cross your age of 16 and then write all these comments or else check with your parents and they will guide you properly.To bring to your notice,its only India which is standing strong in this time of crisis when the islamic and the western coutries are crying and laying off employees.Go to India and you can earn your bread and butter.trust me..if you are from pakistan then I dont have to tell you anything cos my friends who are pakistanis keep sayin to me that they want to change their nationality and are ready to be even Bangladeshi...so that atleast some repect is left and got from others.
Mr Ayub if you are from India i wish you get deported to Pakistan as your views are distorted ,you dont deserve this country and its great army so get out
Surgical strikes are possible but will the US will authorise it?
The best thing Mr.Kapoor can do is to leave the talikng to FM , HM and PM . We have constitution based democratic system of governance (unlike that in Pakistan). So everybody including Mr.D.Kapoor must follow the rules.
Conrtitution which only serve hindus thats why we spit onyour faces at partition time.We know that there will be incidents like babri mosque and gujarat
This guy is also a dud.
I feel uneasy at our Generals taliking too much. Better that many of the things are left unsaid. One hopes that this habit of talking to the Press does not spread.
Come On you cowards and Barking dogs.We Are waiting
Poor Country; Bankrupt intellectually, formed on the basis of Hatred, Again disintegrating because of hatred among Punjabis, Baluchs, Mohajirs, already lost East pakistan long ago :), What now? We are cowards - what have you brave hearts done? Bombed innocents? Imran how Brave - how Stupid, in this knowledge era you dark ages fool will keep on waiting and see us progress ahead. While you are waiting if by any chance you recollect any of Paki bravery do post here.
I wonder whats behind all this B.S talk from politicians like Pranab Mukerjee and now the army. THe fact is that India is still does not have overwhelming superiority in the air, land or sea like the U.S. Just take a look at the airforce, which consists of aging soviet