And When You Thought India Couldn't Get Any Cooler

I had a few minutes to look over the Times today and was reading about the horrific massacre in Mumbai. However, I was able to glean something I didn't know about India, the world's largest democracy:

India has never persecuted Jews. Of all of the countries on the planet, how many have not oppressed or repressed their Jewish community. And Jews have been on the Subcontinent for over two thousand years.

What a good record:

“This is the first time when a Jew has been targeted in India because he is a Jew,” said Jonathon Solomon, a Mumbai lawyer and president of the Indian Jewish Federation. “The tradition of the last thousand years has been breached."

So God bless India again. We're pulling for you.

Pakistan Offers "Joint Investigation"

Today, Pakistan offered a "joint investigation" into the Mumbai attacks. However, Pakistan is demanding that India show proof that the terrorists that struck Mumbai "were Pakistanis" before he would "arrest and extradite the list of terror suspects."

For India and Pakistan, it is a start. India must show it's resolve in hunting down terrorist scum by showing Pakistan proof that the terrorists were Pakistani. Pakistan, in turn, must help India track them down and send them to India.

It seems like progress is being made between the two countries, and I pray that progress continues.

India Needs to Send Troops to Afghanistan

Days after the horrific attacks in Mumbai, new evidence is coming to light. There is proof now that elements of the Pakistani government were involved in the attacks. However, it appears very unlikely that the civilian government had a hand in the attack. These troubling signs may be pointing towards war. Instead, India should work to assault the terrorists by joining forces with ISAF in Afghanistan.

The terrorist group that carried out the assault cooperates with al Qaeda against U.S. and Allied forces in Afghanistan. If India were able to join the upcoming surge of forces in Afghanistan, many jihadists will pay the price. India has cooperated with the U.S. in the War on Terror and this action would further solidify unity against terror.

Indians, and the people of the free world are calling for actions against the terrorists. A war against a nuclear-armed Pakistan would be a catastrophe, even if India won. Thousands would die and even if Pakistani Kashmir is taken, Waziristan will not be. By placing 5,000 to 25,000 troops in Helmand and surrounding provinces, the terrorists will know that they will not get away with cowardly attacks like the one in Mumbai.

The United States Stands with India

Today, disgusting acts of terror shook the great city of Mumbai, known once as Bombay. At least 78 are dead in the carnage and more deaths may come. In this time of national tragedy, we cannot look at political borders or boundaries; there should be little distinction between the United States and our ally India. We are all members of the same international community, and we must stand together for justice.

Seven years ago, India was one of the first nations on Earth to offer support and assistance to the United States after September 11th. The United States should do the same. Although I cannot speak for the higher-ups in my country, I offer my condolences to India. But no matter what, terrorists will never be able to take away from India's greatness, terrorists will never shake India's morals, and India will never back down from terrorists.

God bless you, India. We stand with you.