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NEW DELHI: Though the initial US response to Pathankot was seen as “tepid”, some quarters feel that the state department spokesman made an interesting point with a reference to the US’ long hunt for Osama bin Laden.Answering persistent questions on January 7 about America giving Pakistan a long rope years after the Mumbai attacks, spokesman John Kirby said “We obviously want to see all the perpetrators (of 26/11) to be brought to justice … We know that that can take a long time. It took an awful long time to bring Osama bin Laden to justice, but we did. So it can be hard.”The response was interpreted as not imposing a timeline on Pakistan, but the transcript of the media interaction is also open to interpretation with regard to just how US ultimately disposed of the Osama bin Laden threat when American intelligence did finally zero in on him.Unable to trust Pakistan’s military and worried that the 9/11 mastermind might even be tipped off that his stay has Abbottabad had been blown, US launched a successful undercover operation to eliminate the al-Qaida leader.Asked whether US expects Pakistan to act against those responsible for the Pathankot attack given that Pakistan condemned the 9/11 attacks just as it did Pathankot now and that bin Laden was found next to a military academy, Kirby side-stepped the question, saying Washington expects a fair and transparent investigation.While India’s limitations in carrying out any covert operations to settle scores for an attack on Pakistani soil are clear enough since it cannot command the military might and immunity from retaliation as the US does, the principle of justification is seen as important.Going by the “just war” principles of statecraft, the Pathankot attack does provide India with a “just cause” to rectify a wrong suffered. India would have the right intention and the measure of proportionality will be served if terror camps in Pakistan occupied Kashmir or key Jaish figures are targeted.However, possibility of the conflict spreading and nuclear sabre-rattling by Pakistan have always prevented Indian leaders from considering military retaliation. They have also seen merit in maintaining India’s record of not being an aggressor state. But going by the principle of justifiable retaliation, the Osama bin Laden parallel could, theoretically at least, offer a remedy.