Matthew Parris

In 2002 many feared that war would break out between India and Pakistan over the disputed territory of Kashmir as troops from both countries were mobilized and the country’s leaders issued threats of attack. In the following viewpoint, Matthew Parris argues that the possession of nuclear weapons by both sides prevented this state of hostilities between India and Pakistan from erupting into war. War between India and Pakistan would be far more likely if neither possessed nuclear arms, he contends. In addition, he asserts that nuclear weapons have given both India and Pakistan greater attention and deference from the United States and other nations. Parris is a political columnist for the London Times newspaper.

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1. What two levels of argument...