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| India-Pakistan |
| Militants warn of counter-attack on Bhutan |
| 2003-12-22 |
| Anti-India militants facing a military offensive in Bhutan on Sunday warned they could launch a counter-attack, claiming they still controlled many of their bases in Bhutan. "We have not lost our strength yet and are only in a self-defence mode," Paresh Baruah, military commander of the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), told reporters here by telephone from an undisclosed location. "Bhutan should be aware of the fact that we have enough strength to attack the kingdom as and when the situation warrants." "We’re just waiting for the right time to stop you killing us" The rebels have also threatened retaliation against Bhutanese nationals residing in Assam. "All Bhutanese nationals residing in Assam should quit immediately and from now on we are severing all ties with Bhutan," Arabinda Rajkhowa, the ULFA chief, said in a statement received by IANS. Civilians don’t put up as much fight against freedom fighters as soldiers do This is Bhutan’s first military operation against a foreign force since 1865, when the kingdom lost part of modern day Assam to Britain in the five-month Dooar War. The largely Buddhist, peace-loving kingdom had long hesitated to make good on its threats of military action, fearing the rebels would retaliate against Bhutanese civilians. Over 10,000 people have died in insurgency in Assam during the past two decades. |
| Posted by:Paul Moloney |
| #1 The "Terrorism for Dummies" definition of Terrorism is, when attacked by a real military, retaliate by attacking civilians. |
| Posted by: Ptah 2003-12-22 5:22:27 AM |