Operation Sindoor was not a move of aggression against the country of Pakistan, but a selective action against terrorism.
Viewpoint
byIshanee Chaliha
India started Operation Sindoor on May 7, 2025, as a retaliatory action against the Pahalgam attack on April 22, 2025, that massacred 26 civilians. The attack was a massive blow to the Indian nation and the world in general.
Operation Sindoor was initiated as a retaliation with precision and hit nine targeted terrorist camps- four within Pakistan and five within Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The operation was tactically commanded and guided by Wing Commander Vyomika Singh and Colonel Sofia Qureshi, and its successful accomplishment was greeted with overwhelming national admiration.
International responses to the operation were highly polarized. Israel expressed unambiguous support to India, labeling the operation as a rightful act of self-defence. Its Indian ambassador stated that “terrorists must know there is no hiding from their atrocious act against the innocents.”
On the contrary, countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, China, and Germany called for restraint and the resumption of diplomatic talks. U.S. President Donald Trump even went to the extent of condemning the operation as a “shame,” whereas the foreign secretary of the U.K. warned that "if this escalates further, nobody wins." Likewise, a Taliban statement from Afghanistan called for restraint and diplomatic talks on both sides.
These reactions have, however, raised some serious questions regarding the double standards of international diplomacy. Historical experiences indicate that terrorist attacks against Western countries frequently trigger massive military interventions under the pretext of an international war against terror.
However, when identical events take place in non-Western nations, particularly those in the Global South, response measures are most often termed as unwarranted or shameful. In addition, nations like China, which were accused of giving military aid to Pakistan, are now emerging as impartial intermediaries, contributing to the intricacies and perceived paradoxes of the international reaction.
Operation Sindoor was not a move of aggression against the country of Pakistan, but a selective action against terrorism. By limiting itself to targeting militant infrastructure and avoiding civilian casualties, the operation helps underline India's long-standing role as a country that never seeks war, yet has the will and ability to finish it once provoked. The international community's disparate responses to the operation lead one to pose the following critical question: Are such reactions based on genuine diplomatic concern or part of a larger trend of geopolitical hypocrisy?
Ishanee Chaliha a student studying political science at Christ University in Bangalore. In her free time she enjoys learning new languages and is currently working toward proficiency in Korean and German. She believes the key to a good life starts within yourself which is to find your individuality and cultivate on it and later contribute to the society through it.
The shocking events of Jan. 6, 2021, signaled a major break from the nonviolent rallies that categorized most major protests over the past few decades.
My co-authors and I, a media and disinformation scholar, call this networked incitement: influential figures inciting large-scale political violence via social media. Networked incitement involves insurgents communicating across multiple platforms to command and coordinate mobilized social movements in the moment of action.
The reason there was not more bloodshed on Jan. 6 emerged through investigation into the Oath Keepers, a vigilante organization composed mostly of former military and police. During their trials for seditious conspiracy, members of the Oath Keepers testified about weapons caches in hotels and vans, stashed near Washington, D.C. As one member described it, “I had not seen that many weapons in one location since I was in the military.”
The Oath Keepers were following Washington law by not carrying the weapons in the district, while waiting for Trump to invoke the Insurrection Act, which gives the president the authority to deploy the military domestically for law enforcement.
The militia was waiting for orders from Trump. That was all that kept U.S. democracy safe from armed warfare that day.
Social media as command and control
What happened in D.C. on Jan. 6, 2021, does not easily fit into typical social movement frameworks for describing mobilization. The insurrectionists behaved akin to a networked social movement, with online platforms forming the infrastructure to organize action, but its leaders were politicians and political operatives as opposed to charismatic community leaders. On that day in particular, the insurrectionists, who are closely aligned withMAGA Republicans more broadly, functioned like Trump’s volunteer army rather than a populist movement.
Even with the availability of social media, networked social movements still need mainstream media coverage to legitimize their cause. Typically, community organizers push a particular issue – for example Black Lives Matter and #MeToo – into the media spotlight to get the public to care about their issue. Social movements tend to struggle for exposure and to frame favorable narratives.
Illustration: Gerd Altmann/Pixabay
The insurrectionists had the advantage of betting on mainstream media coverage for Jan. 6, so they focused on gathering resources and coordinating attendance. As a result, Trump’s supporters did not need to expend much effort to bring attention to the event and, instead, concentrated on organizing ride-shares and splitting hotel costs. As in prior social movements, the networking capacity of social media proved to be an important conduit to bring strangers together for the occasion. What the insurrectionists failed to do was convince key stakeholders, such as mainstream media, Vice President Mike Pence and the U.S. Capitol Police, to join their fight.
Networked incitement is different from the legalistic understanding of incitement, where an inflammatory statement immediately precedes unlawful acts or creates a dangerous situation. The call to action for Jan. 6 came from the president himself in a series of social media posts enticing supporters to come to D.C. for a “wild” time.
Tweets like these from a prominent figure became social media’s equivalent of shouting fire in a crowded theater.
Mobilizing for violence
My colleagues and I sought data to better understand what motivated everyday folks to storm the Capitol that day under great personal risk. Using the method of qualitative content analysis, we assembled 469 charging and sentencing documents for 417 defendants and coded them for the stated reasons for attending the event. We chose these court documents because they represented the fullest narrative accounts available. The purpose of these documents was to explain the rationales and mental states of the accused, while also offering a defense or explanation for their actions.
We analyzed the documents, looking at the multiple motivations for the insurrectionist mobilization. Overwhelmingly, insurrectionists said they were motivated by a desire to support Trump, which was equally split with a rationale to stop a rigged election. In sum, we concluded that disinformation mobilizes and incites political violence under specific conditions, such as a popular public figure calling for help.
No sitting president before Trump had exploited the capacity of social media to directly reach citizens to command specific actions.
For example, the court documents also directly reference social media posts of the accused. On Dec. 22, 2020, Kelly Meggs, an Oath Keeper who was later convicted of seditious conspiracy and sentenced to 12 years in prison, wrote on Facebook:
“Trump said It’s gonna be wild!!!!!!! It’s gonna be wild!!!!!!! He wants us to make it WILD that’s what he’s saying. He called us all to the Capitol and wants us to make it wild!!! Sir Yes Sir!!! Gentlemen we are heading to DC pack your sh*t!!”
The reference to “it’s gonna be wild” was a rejoinder to the now infamous tweet Trump sent after a reportedly difficult six-hour meeting the president had with staff about how to proceed with the fraud inquiry and undo the election results. Oath Keeper Meggs’ tweet illustrates that even before Jan. 6, militia groups were looking for signs from Trump about how to proceed. An investigation by NPR also illustrated how Trump’s messages emboldened participants and ignited the events of that day.
A dark future
No sitting president before Trump had exploited the capacity of social media to directly reach citizens to command specific actions.
The use of social media for networked incitement foreshadows a dark future for democracies. Rulers could well come to power by manipulating mass social movements via social media, directing a movement’s members to serve as the leaders’ shock troops, online and off.
Clear regulations preventing the malicious weaponization of social media by politicians who use disinformation to incite violence is one way to keep that future at bay.
Joan Donovan, Assistant Professor of Journalism and Emerging Media Studies at Boston University, is on the board of Free Press and the founder of the Critical Internet Studies Institute.
by Glenn Mollette, Guest Commentator
Prayers for the devastated people in the Middle East.
Prayers for the families who have had loved ones murdered before their very eyes.
Prayers for the families who have loved ones held as hostages. We pray for their safety and release.
Prayers that hate filled terrorists may be overcome. Why do we have such evil on this planet? Why is there so much hate tied to a religion? Why is religion used to carry out barbaric acts of murder and violence? Because evil is an unrelenting force. Evil can make anything bad. The goal of any religion should be connecting people to God and bringing about meaningful lives filled with love, peace and a higher purpose.
The goal of cancer is to destroy and kill. Evil is a cancer that is progressive and terminal unless it is totally eliminated. Any cancer in your body is not good for you. No one can live peacefully with cancer. Cancer finds a way to grow, disable and kill. We cannot coexist with cancer nor can we coexist with mentalities who live to brutally kill others. The goal of hate filled groups such as Hamas is to eliminate Jewish people and then anyone connected to the United States and the Western world.
You can’t coexist with rattlesnakes and copperheads. They are poisonous.
Israel has no choice but to defend themselves and put an end to Hamas. Do we have to be in the middle of this mess? We have been since World War II. Israel has been the number one benefactor of American foreign aid. We are the Santa Claus of the world when it comes to giving away your money. America’s foreign aid contribution reached $66 billion in 2022. This was the first time we had given this much to other nations since 1949. While that amount was staggering, our foreign aid to Ukraine and Israel will make that amount look like a paltry sum.
We have already given Ukraine over $75 billion in their fight against Russia. Now, President Biden is proposing to give Ukraine and Israel $105 billion in aid. Also, America’s border security has been mentioned in this proposal. Probably the only reason our border security is tied to this proposal is because voting Americans are desperate for border security. The manufacturers of war weapons and their investors, such as many politicians, will have a nice Christmas.
Since World War II America has given Israel $260 billion. Jordan, Egypt and some other countries receive a lot of our money.
Countries That Received the Most Foreign Aid from the U.S. in 2021: (Stats from US News and World Report)
1 Israel ($3.3B)
2 Jordan ($1.6B)
3 Afghanistan ($1.4B)
4 Ethiopia ($1.39B)
5 Egypt ($1.29B)
6 Yemen ($1.04B)
7 South Sudan ($954M)
8 Congo (Kinshasa) ($825M)
9 Somalia ($790M)
10 Syria ($782M)
Try to keep working if you can. Somebody has to pay for all of this.
He is the author of 13 books including Uncommom Sense, the Spiritual Chocolate series, Grandpa's Store, Minister's Guidebook insights from a fellow minister. His column is published weekly in over 600 publications in all 50 states. The views expressed are those of the author and are not necessarily representative of any other group or organization. We welcome comments and views from our readers. Submit your letters to the editor or commentary on a current event 24/7 to editor@oursentinel.com.
by Glenn Mollette, Guest Commentator
What would happen if several thousand members of ISIS or a group similar to Hamas invaded our Southern border? What if a group of 5,000 terrorists with semi-automatic weapons stormed our border? What would it look like? It might look like the Southern border of Israel – horrific.
We were totally caught off guard on September 11, 2001. That was a horrific day for America and the world. The terrorist group who attacked us brought about much death and suffering for our nation. Israel, totally caught off guard, will forever be scarred by the recent surprise attack led by Hamas that resulted in the horrific slaughter of families.
We must wake up in America. We do not have a secure border. Hundreds of thousands are coming every month into our nation. How many of these people are members of ISIS? How many of them are members of hate-filled terrorist groups? Their only mission is do whatever it takes to bring about mass casualties and to inflict as much pain and suffering as possible.
They have proven to us that they will bide their time. They are patient. Hamas reportedly has been planning this attack on Israel for two years. How many people are already in the United States who are waiting for a command from someone to go into action?
We must fortify our border and stop the siege of our nation. We must secure our border and allow only an orderly, legal entrance into our nation.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called Hamas, ISIS. We have seen what ISIS is all about. They want to cut people’s heads off and broadcast it on social media and world-wide television. They want to mutilate women and children and burn people alive. We must be committed in America to doing whatever it takes to keep our freedom. There is a satanic mentality in the world that is like a slithering poisonous serpent waiting to strike our country just as Hamas has struck Israel.
Any form of religious expression that binds or enslaves people is evil. There is nothing good about any religion that oppresses people. Jesus said, “And you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.” John 8:32. The true heart of God is love and freedom in Christ. It does not seek to bring about enslavement, torture or pain. This is the work of Satan.
There are innocent civilians in Gaza. Let’s hope that they find a way to escape. Let us pray that as few lives as possible are killed in this Israel, Gaza war. By the time you read this there may not be much of Gaza left as Israel will not play patty cake with Hamas. We pray for the innocent to escape and the hostages to survive and be freed. We must surely also pray for the success of Israel to root out and eliminate Hamas. The only cure for such evil is for it to be eliminated.
He is the author of 13 books including Uncommom Sense, the Spiritual Chocolate series, Grandpa's Store, Minister's Guidebook insights from a fellow minister. His column is published weekly in over 600 publications in all 50 states. The views expressed are those of the author and are not necessarily representative of any other group or organization. We welcome comments and views from our readers. Submit your letters to the editor or commentary on a current event 24/7 to editor@oursentinel.com.
The ongoing conflict in the Middle East has left lives shattered with tragic images everywhere, and kids are watching.
News that could be confusing at best – or scary at worst – is circulating on-air and online, and many parents are left to wonder how to talk to their children about unsettling current events.
“The conversation really should be about the child. Give them permission to express their feelings. Make sure that they understand it’s important for them to be expressing their opinions, their viewpoints, their feelings. We want to make sure that they are hearing from us as the parent that we care about what they think. We care about what they are feeling,” explains Kyle Boerke, PsyD, an OSF HealthCare clinical child psychologist.
As information comes in, children may misinterpret what they hear, and might be frightened by something they don’t understand. Dr. Boerke says the first step parents should take is to simply ask kids what they know, and then talk about it truthfully, in a way that is appropriate for the age and developmental level of their child.
“We want them to know the information that I am giving to them is something that they can trust that is accurate. So if they are hearing me fiddle with the truth one way or another and they have a teacher at school that is having a conversations with them, that is going to put kind of a doubt in their head. So it is important to be open and honest with them at that age appropriate level. That way they know that they can trust you as a parent and your discretion,” he says.
And while the topic of the day might be divisive, parents can use the current environment as a teaching opportunity. Dr. Boerke reminds us that our kids are watching our reactions to current events and how we treat those with differing opinions or outlooks.
“We have the ability to model how we agree with or how we disagree with something in an appropriate way, and especially in a time like this when the country is so divided, that is a really important thing for us to model – appropriate ways to disagree or have different opinions from other people,” urges Dr. Boerke.
And Dr. Boerke says one of the most important things a parent can do is to reassure kids that they are safe.
During unsettling times, sometimes kids can have trouble coping. Dr. Boerke says signs of that include changes in behavior like nightmares, a child not sleeping, new fears, a lack of concentration or unusual moods.
If a parent notices these changes are ongoing, and talking with the child doesn’t seem to alleviate the fear, Dr. Boerke suggests speaking to your child’s pediatrician to get a referral to a behavioral health provider.
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Afghanistan has guns but they are in the hands of the wrong people.
Television news reports have confirmed the Taliban has our helicopters, our tanks, our trucks, along with billions of dollars of our American tax payer bought military weapons and more.
Afghanistan already had a strict gun policy. The Taliban’s is stricter. You aren’t allowed to own automatic weapons or handguns. Thus, while the Afghan citizens have struggled for defense weapons, the Taliban and other terrorists have had access to any and all they have wanted. The bad people have guns. The good people do not have guns. The bad people have taken over the country, murdering and raping as they do what they want to do without anyone interfering or fighting back.
We can only imagine the pain and heartache of the Afghan women. The previous Taliban rule enforced a strict fundamentalist style of Islam religion that confined women to their homes, banned television and music and held public executions. Women were relegated to a dress code that required a burka or similar clothing that covers the woman’s face. Women were treated as slaves and sex objects. Their every move was controlled by the Taliban’s interpretation of an oppressive Islam religion. The Taliban has not changed their ways. Why would you think they have? They continue to kill, plunder weapons and take over government buildings or whatever they want for their own use.
In a nation where guns are restricted the Afghan women have no way to protect themselves. They have no one to protect them.
The Taliban has the finest American tax payer bought weapons in the world. The everyday citizens of the country and the helpless women of the country aren’t allowed to own guns. This means they aren’t allowed to protect themselves. Attackers, rapists, evil men can come and go as they please assaulting the average citizen, the women and children and no one has access to guns to utilize for protection.
What if all the women in Afghanistan had access to automatic rifles? Our military should assign our guns to the citizens including all the women of Afghanistan. Their army won’t protect them, they have no one to protect them. Give the women of Afghanistan a fighting chance.
Can you imagine if America begins to restrict our guns? What happens if we aren’t allowed to have guns or it becomes so restrictive that people give up trying to own guns? We become as vulnerable as the Afghan people. We have zero ability to take care of ourselves.
It’s very troubling and America hasn’t made it any better. Equipping Terrorists with guns only breathes more years of life into their evil mission.
Give our guns to the desperate citizens of Afghanistan and make sure every woman and teenager has a gun. The young girls of Afghanistan do not want to be raped and married off to men to become part of a slave harem. They have a right to fight.
Dr. Glenn Mollette is a syndicated American columnist and author of American Issues, Every American Has An Opinion and ten other books. He is read in all 50 states. The views expressed are those of the author and are not necessarily representative of any other group or organization.
This article is the sole opinions of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of The Sentinel. We welcome comments and views from our readers. Submit your letters to the editor or commentary on a current event 24/7 to editor@oursentinel.com.
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Prayers for the devastated people in the Middle East.
Prayers for the families who have had loved ones murdered before their very eyes.
Prayers for the families who have loved ones held as hostages. We pray for their safety and release.
Prayers that hate filled terrorists may be overcome. Why do we have such evil on this planet? Why is there so much hate tied to a religion? Why is religion used to carry out barbaric acts of murder and violence? Because evil is an unrelenting force. Evil can make anything bad. The goal of any religion should be connecting people to God and bringing about meaningful lives filled with love, peace and a higher purpose.
The goal of cancer is to destroy and kill. Evil is a cancer that is progressive and terminal unless it is totally eliminated. Any cancer in your body is not good for you. No one can live peacefully with cancer. Cancer finds a way to grow, disable and kill. We cannot coexist with cancer nor can we coexist with mentalities who live to brutally kill others. The goal of hate filled groups such as Hamas is to eliminate Jewish people and then anyone connected to the United States and the Western world.
You can’t coexist with rattlesnakes and copperheads. They are poisonous.
Israel has no choice but to defend themselves and put an end to Hamas. Do we have to be in the middle of this mess? We have been since World War II. Israel has been the number one benefactor of American foreign aid. We are the Santa Claus of the world when it comes to giving away your money. America’s foreign aid contribution reached $66 billion in 2022. This was the first time we had given this much to other nations since 1949. While that amount was staggering, our foreign aid to Ukraine and Israel will make that amount look like a paltry sum.
We have already given Ukraine over $75 billion in their fight against Russia. Now, President Biden is proposing to give Ukraine and Israel $105 billion in aid. Also, America’s border security has been mentioned in this proposal. Probably the only reason our border security is tied to this proposal is because voting Americans are desperate for border security. The manufacturers of war weapons and their investors, such as many politicians, will have a nice Christmas.
Since World War II America has given Israel $260 billion. Jordan, Egypt and some other countries receive a lot of our money.
Countries That Received the Most Foreign Aid from the U.S. in 2021: (Stats from US News and World Report)
1 Israel ($3.3B)
