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Report: India, Pakistan war this week

WASHINGTON, Dec. 31 (UPI) -- U.S. intelligence officers have told Washington Times that the war between India and Pakistan could start as early as this Thursday or even before.

Quoting intelligence officials, the newspaper said Monday India will have all its "forces ready to launch an attack as early as this week, with Thursday or Friday as possible dates."

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Pakistan, according to the report, could "launch its forces before those dates in a pre-emptive strike."

The report said the two neighbors are also reading their ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons for war. They already have moved thousands of additional troops to the border.

Pakistan has made large-scale troop movements and spreading its air force across the country for operational purposes, the newspaper said. Pakistan is also moving out its nuclear weapons from storage sites, it claimed.

India also is moving thousands of its troops near the border with Pakistan and has dispersed some aircraft to safer sites away from border airfields, the report said.

U.S. intelligence officials told the newspaper that Pakistan is moving the equivalent of two armored brigades -- several thousand troops and hundreds of tanks and armored vehicles -- near the northern part of its border with India.

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Officials say the most alarming signs are preparations in both states for the use of nuclear-tipped missiles.

Intelligence agencies have learned of indications that India is getting its short-range Prithvi ballistic missiles ready for use. The missiles are within range of the Pakistani capital, Islamabad.

Meanwhile, Pakistan is mobilizing its Chinese-made mobile M-11 missiles, also known as the Shaheen, which have been readied for movement from a base near Sargodha, in Pakistani Punjab.

The Prithvi has a range of about 155 miles, and the Indians are estimated to have some 75 Prithvis in their arsenal.

They also are working on longer-range Agni missiles.

U.S. intelligence officials believe India has about 60 nuclear weapons that can be delivered by missiles or aircraft.

Its nuclear-capable aircraft include Russian-made bombers, including 10 Tu-142 Bears and four Tu-22M Backfires, as well as several hundred MiG-27, MiG-29 and Su-30 fighter-bombers.

Pakistan's missile force consists of some 50 M-11s, which have a range of about 186 miles, enough to hit the Indian capital of New Delhi. Its medium-range Ghauri missiles have a range of about 800 miles, enough to hit most parts of India.

U.S. intelligence agencies have obtained reconnaissance photographs from one Pakistani missile base that show storage-shed doors open in preparation for the movement of missiles. One of the photographs shows a line of 47 rail cars on a track near the base in preparation for the movement of missiles and their warheads.

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The private Natural Resources Defense Council estimates that Islamabad has between 24 and 48 nuclear weapons.

Disclosure of the war preparations comes as President Bush on Saturday telephoned leaders of both nations, urging them to calm tensions.

The U.S. administration fears that a conflict between India and Pakistan would undermine its efforts to find terrorists in Afghanistan.

U.S. forces rely heavily on Pakistan to conduct overflights for bombing and other aircraft operations into Afghanistan, primarily from aircraft carriers located in the Arabian Sea.

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