Was Mumbai simply all about Kashmir?

I purposefully refrained from mindlessly "condemning" the terrorist attacks in Mumbai last week. I see very little productive value to such condemnations. Unless, the motivations are strictly political in nature. Now, as more details become clarified, the attacks are being attributed to a group based in Pakistan that is simply seeking to drive India out of Kashmir. In other words, this is a land dispute that has nothing to do with Islamic radicalism or al Qaeda or... 9/11... and everything to do with Kashmir, a small piece of land disputed by Pakistan and India.

Just as with Israel and the Palestinians, the "terrorist" label is being dragged out and used as a flag to salute and to rally so-called "good" against so-called "evil" rather than working to get the parties to agree to get together and resolve their disputes through diplomacy. And, once again, this is about the U.S. being all too quick to cry "Terrorism!" rather than roll up our sleeves and work as a mediator and facilitator to resolve the underlying land dispute.

Sure, it may be viscerally satisfying to battle terrorism with dramatic military force, but it would be so much more productive to address the underlying problem that led to the rise of terrorism.

-- Jack Krupansky