Author: Amit Baruah
Publication: The Hindu
Date: October 30, 2002
URL: http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/2002/10/30/stories/2002103004661400.htm
The United States believes that
it is "`undesirable'' for the India-Pakistan relationship to be as "thin''
as it is and favoured a ``bottom-up approach'' to "strengthen'' the ties.
Speaking to a group of presspersons
this morning, Richard Haass, director (Policy Planning Staff) in the U.S.
State Department, said that even at the height of the Cold War, American
and Soviet diplomats had extensive exchanges on a daily basis.
Calling for practical ways to increase
the relations between Indian and Pakistani societies, economies and the
Governments, Mr. Haass wanted the official dialogue between the two countries
to include infiltration across the Line of Control (LoC), but not limit
the talks to the issue.
"Clearly, infiltration across the
Line of Control is continuing,'' he said, maintaining that it was a cause
of "considerable concern'' to the U.S. and would figure in his talks with
the Pakistani leadership tomorrow. Infiltration, he stressed, must stop
completely.
Mr. Haass made it clear that the
U.S., gently, but consistently, would seek the resumption of talks between
India and Pakistan and differed with the Indian view that dialogue should
resume only after cross-LoC infiltration ended completely. This was not
a time for "ambitious diplomacy,'' he said.
In the American view, it would be
best if the dialogue took place parallel to the steps to end the cross-LoC
infiltration and this was something that India had to "mull over''.
"We are going to have the formation
of a new Pakistani Government. Let's see what it looks like... '' he said,
calling for a "bit of space and time.'' Asked whether the Prime Minister,
A.B. Vajpayee, should travel to Islamabad for the SAARC summit, Mr. Haass
said it was not appropriate for him to comment on the issue.
``That's a decision for the Prime
Minister and his Government to make. Obviously, they have got to determine
whether it will be a constructive use of his time,'' he said. ``We clearly
support efforts to bring about greater discussions between the two Governments,
greater interaction... ''
Mr. Haass was of the view that de-mobilisation
of some troops along the border provided some "breathing space'' and hoped
that elections in Jammu & Kashmir would lead to better governance.
The elections in Pakistan, he said were a step in the right direction.
Differing diametrically with the
stand taken by New Delhi on the Pakistani polls, Mr. Haass said the U.S.
looked forward to working with a Government in Pakistan whatever be its
complexion or composition.
Asked whether the U.S. was concerned
by the rise of Islamist elements in Pakistan, he said America as a democracy
had to respect the preferences of the people. So long as the people who
did well by the ballot box respected the standards of democracy and pluralism
afterwards, the U.S. would not have any problems.
"What matters to us are the policies
they (a reference to the Islamists in Pakistan) advocate, whether they
are members of a Government or not,'' he said, choosing not to go into
specifics when asked about the fact that groups like the Jamaat-I-Islami
and the JUI (F) were the principal sources of "jehadi cadres'' operating
in Jammu & Kashmir.
Stating that he was not going to
"pre-judge'' the Pakistani Government, he said, "`we look forward to working
with them. We'll make clear what our priorities are... we'll make clear
what we feel strongly about... the question of support for terrorism in
any form will be one of the issues that will arise.''
On why the Bush administration,
unlike the Clinton one, had stopped stressing the sanctity of the LoC and
an end to "map-making'', Mr. Haass said it was not the time for "final
status issues."
Choosing not to answer the question
directly, he said the time was not ripe for a final settlement between
India and Pakistan and called for more "modest thinking'' to end infiltration,
promote dialogue, establish economic and transport lines and go for cultural,
sporting and parliamentary exchanges.
Mr. Haass, who referred to a meeting
with Indian Muslim leaders yesterday, said his feedback was that matters
were going on smoothly for the Muslim minority in India, even though there
had been some unfortunate incidents. Muslims here, he said, were not tempted
to think of alternative routes, including terrorism, adding that India
was a society, where everyone, regardless of religion, had opportunities.
On his discussions with the External
Affairs Minister, Yashwant Sinha, on Iraq, he said there was understanding
that Iraq should abide by obligations to the U.N. on weapons of mass destruction
and that any action against Iraq should take place on the basis of the
U.N. resolutions. The U.S. he said, had no desire to go to war in Iraq,
and if it had to, the force of the U.N. resolutions would be behind America.
The U.S. had the tools to deal with
multiple challenges like Iraq and the Al-Qaeda and there had been no "cooling
off'' in the hunt for Osama bin Laden.
On Afghanistan, he said the country
had travelled quite far and quite fast, but it would be years before it
achieved any kind of self-sufficiency. The U.S. was in Afghanistan for
a long haul, adding that when States fell into disrepair they posed not
just a humanitarian problem, but a strategic one too.
Describing terrorism as the "dark
side of globalisation,'' he said the international community's response
had to be global. There was no "exit strategy'' in the war against terrorism,
only an endurance strategy.
