Mumbai Motivation

At Counterterrorism blog there is an interview discussing the motivations behind Mumbai. I don't know this guy's reputation, so, just skimming it I don't know how authoratative he is, but his analysis is very plausible. I should have seen it, knowing what I know from my class: First, this is about sparking a war between Pakistan and India. Second, this is about sparking such a war so that pressure is relieved from Pakistan's Western front, where Pakistani soldiers are fighting jihadists. Third, Al-Qaeda is probably involved in this at some level -- if not at the operational, planning level, then at the inspirational, global strategy level. This kind of attack, whether directed by Al Qaeda or not helps its overall mission, and, as I mentioned, helps its current state of health in Pakistan by potentially making the Pakistani forces that are fighting it withdraw to go fight along Pakistan's Eastern border in a conflict with India. The whole point of terrorism is to create an overreaction from the countries involved.