Kabul bomb shows dangers India faces in Afghanistan

By Krittivas Mukherjee

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - The bombing of the Indian embassy in Kabul highlights the dangers of India's growing role in Afghanistan, whether from the Taliban or a Pakistan worried about ceding strategic space to its nuclear-armed rival.

The suicide car bomb on Monday that killed 41 people, including an Indian defence attache and a diplomat, was blamed by Afghan authorities on a regional intelligence service, a likely reference to Pakistan.

Both Pakistan and the Taliban have denied a hand in the attack that analysts say not only challenges the effectiveness of international security operations in Afghanistan, but carries a more specific message for India.

"The gloves are off. The attack is telling India to get out or scale down its activities in Afghanistan," Ashok Mehta, a retired Indian army commander and defence expert, told Reuters.

"It underlines the dangers India will face in helping in the reconstruction process because every positive act by India undermines the efforts of Taliban and their backers."

India and Afghanistan share close ties and New Delhi is involved in reconstruction projects worth hundreds of millions of dollars there, angering the Taliban who attack Indian workers. Two have been taken hostage and found killed since 2005.

Analysts also say that as India widens its reach in the region -- building an air base in Tajikistan and helping build highways linking Afghanistan with Central Asia to access ports there -- Pakistan watches warily.

The Afghan government has hinted at Pakistan being behind the bombing, a suspicion echoed across India's media on Tuesday.