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As expected, the government is blame Taliban for the attack. The attack has killed 23 and injured hundreds of others. Amongst the confirmed dead include an Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agent and twelve police officers.

The most curious aspect of this attack lies in the state of the relationship between ISI and the Taliban. When the Afghan ambassador to the United Nations, Zahir Tanin, spoke at Seton Hall University, I asked whether he believed that ISI was involved in the Taliban sponsored attack on the Indian Embassy in Kabul. He indicated, in no uncertain terms, that he did indeed believe that ISI was involved. The Pakistani government has not been able to control ISI. The Prime Minister tried to bring the agency under the control of the government but the military would not let him.

Thus, a Taliban attack near an ISI building might lead to the speculation that there is fracture in the relationship between the two organizations. If true, this would be good news not only for the Pakistani government, but also India, the United States and NATO. It might also have been an error on the part of the individuals involved, but that does not seem as likely. Now, we must take a wait and see approach on how Pakistan and ISI responds to this attack.

After nearly a month of voting, the results of the election were finally announced, shocking most observers, as the Indian National Congress not only retained the government, but expanded its majority from 140 seats to 200, the largest total of any single party in 18 years.

Most observers counted on the traditional anti-incumbency sentiment of the Indian electorate, coupled with a slowing economy to argue that Congress will likely be pushed out of power. However, Congress Party’s massive jobs program and disillusion with the Communists and BJP (the other national party) allowed for a huge victory and potentially a stable coalition for the next five years.

The most important implication for the U.S. is that Congress will likely sustain its efforts in fighting terrorism and not antagonizing Pakistan. A host of economic reforms blocked by the Communists, whose numbers were reduced from 60 to 24 in the Parliament, will likely see the day of light again. Finally, the U.S. can build upon its relationship with India, now that a stable government will allow Congress much more leeway.

India, the world’s largest democracy has begun the process of voting to select a new government. The elections are a mammoth operation lasting over a month given that there are more than 700 million eligible voters choosing between a plethora of national and regional parties.

The two major national parties, Congress and BJP, have steadily declined in power and influence over the years and have been forced to rely on regional partners to hold together a government. The current ruling power, left wing Congress Party has worked in close conjunction with Washington on terrorism issues and has stayed relatively quiet given its nuclear armed rival neighbor has seriously destablized.

However, if the hawkish BJP were to win, the United States might have to reconstitute its South Asia policy as India might ready to show its teeth to Pakistan. The two nations have fought in several wars since partition including a brief conflict during the late 1990s under the BJP government. It is unlikely that India will immediately change its stance as BJP will face pressure from its allies and Congress, but if India steers away from its current direction and flexes its muscles at its neighbor, Pakistani government will quickly shift its efforts against Taliban to focus on India. This might be huge blow to U.S. policy in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Following intense pressure from the international community, the Pakistani government finally admitted that at least part of the Mumbai terror attacks of last November were planned on its soil. Additionally, Pakistan has also arrested several suspects including many named by India as the architects of the plot that killed 164 people.

Indians have called the move ‘positive’ but it is yet to determined whether this effort is the first step towards on a path to ending the sixty-year-old conflict or a momentary halt in the ongoing saber rattling. Indian officials are looking for Pakistan to dismantle its ‘network of terror’, but are prepared to take matters into their hands if they perceive collusion between the terrorists and the Pakistani government. According to the Indian army chief, surgical strikes (either by air or artillery) are a feasible option.

Given its position as an emerging economic and geopolitical power, its doubtful that India will engage Pakistan militarily unless there is another serious attack on Indian soil. However, Pakistan’s instability makes such an attack a definite possibility. If India and Pakistan enter another armed conflict, it could have devastating implications for the United States in Afghanistan.