After drone strikes, nuclear jitters and a ceasefire, the latest fighting between India and Pakistan reveals how peace dies by routine <\/p>\n
\u201cThe arms race between India and Pakistan poses perhaps the most probable prospect for future use of weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear weapons,\u201d James Woolsey, the CIA director, told<\/a> Congress in 1993. That assessment is relevant now, after days<\/a> of escalating conflict that included missile and drone strikes on military bases. It is a uniquely modern arms race: high on nationalist fervour and habitual mistrust, choreographed so that each clash is always just one provocation away from becoming the last.<\/p>\n On Saturday, Donald Trump<\/a> announced a \u201cfull and immediate\u201d ceasefire between India and Pakistan. The truce, brokered by US officials, came amid speculation<\/a> by military analysts that Pakistan was edging closer to using nuclear weapons. It was met with cautious optimism \u2013 not least as both sides accused each other of violating<\/a> the agreement within hours, with reports of cross-border shelling in Indian-administered Kashmir. Should the ceasefire pause the missiles, it won\u2019t resolve the deeper dispute<\/a> at the roof of the world.<\/p>\n