TESTIMONY
of
Assistant Secretary of State Christina Rocca
at the
House International Relations Committee

September 25, 2001

U.S. Policy Toward South Asia After the Terrorist Attacks of September 11

      Mr. Chairman, distinguished Members of the Committee, it is my privilege to be with you today to discuss this issue of utmost gravity.   Our world today is not the same as it was just two long weeks ago, and, with your strong support, U.S. policy is rising to meet this new challenge.   Even as we continue to mourn our victims and comfort their families, we are moving with redoubled determination to defend our country and to root out the scourge of terrorism around the world.

As the President and Secretary Powell have said, our success will require long-term efforts on many different fronts. My colleague, Ambassador Taylor, has the honor of covering some of the specific terrorist threats and counter-terrorist measures we are engaged with today. I would like to complement that presentation with a discussion of our new diplomatic strategy in South Asia, where, to my profound sorrow, too much of this terrible problem has migrated in recent years – and where, for that very reason, some of the solutions to it must be found in the days and years ahead. 

My presentation will be very brief, both because my main message can be simply summarized, and because I hope to accommodate your desire to have ample time for discussion. Also, as I trust you will understand, I cannot go over many details in this setting during such a sensitive period. With your permission, then, I will now proceed to outline the key elements of our approach to South Asia in this new era that has been so suddenly and so cruelly thrust upon us all. After that, if you so desire, I will be pleased to exchange ideas and respond to your questions to the best of my ability.

Mr. Chairman: As the President and Secretary Powell have also made clear, we are engaged in a campaign against international terrorism – but not against any country, culture, or ethnic or religious community. On the contrary: we aim to forge the broadest possible international coalition of all those, from every country and indeed every continent, who are truly willing and able to join us in combating terror.   This applies as much in South Asia, actually perhaps more so, as in any other part of the world. In fact, it is precisely because a key part of the problem comes from this region, that we must now pursue—or even create--partners there who will help us find the solution.

Our focus here must be on the part of South Asia region most affected by the current crisis. As a quick aside, however, I should mention how heartening it is that the other countries of this region, from Bangladesh to Nepal to Sri Lanka to the Maldives, have offered us their full cooperation. They have done so despite an understandable preoccupation with their own pressing problems.   For this they deserve our enduring gratitude.   But I will now of necessity turn to our three major regional partners, or potential partners, in this campaign: the government of India, the government of Pakistan, and the people of Afghanistan.

India

Mr. Chairman: Our increasingly close friendship with India is an essential element of our strategy in the current crisis, and indeed of American foreign policy writ large.   Our government, and I personally, have only the highest praise to offer for the quick and complete cooperation that the government of India has provided in our hour of need. Almost literally within minutes of the tragedy, even before we asked for anything, India moved to make good on its generous pledge of unstinting partnership against the common threat of terror. Moving expressions of sympathy and support have come, not only from the entire government of Prime Minister Vajpayee, but also from the loyal opposition across the party spectrum, from opinion leaders of nearly every political hue, and from ordinary Indian citizens of all walks of life in that greatly diverse and democratic land.

India has agreed to provide some very practical as well as political forms of support. We are talking about everything from logistics to law enforcement, from information exchanges to leadership in international fora.   At the same time, the government of India has very wisely decided not to allow any other issue to sidetrack or qualify our immediate combined efforts to combat this terrorist plague. We will undoubtedly have other regional and global issues to work on together in due course, but for now our overriding priority is clear.    And we believe Indians understand and accept our desire to turn other countries in the region into partners in this common endeavor as well. 

Pakistan

That brings me to Pakistan, which has been the subject of much more media speculation recently. We welcome President Musharraf’s courageous decisions, at every stage of this crisis so far, to work with international efforts to counter terrorism. His government’s decision to send a delegation to Kandahar to press the Taliban on terrorism was an important first step. The international community now looks to Pakistan for help in rooting out the sources of terrorism, including those who in any way aided and abetted the inhuman attacks in New York and Washington two weeks ago.   We have asked the Pakistanis to take a number of steps that are vital to achieving this goal with the lowest possible cost in human lives.   With their cooperation, we can go a long way in dismantling the Al-Qaida terrorist network.

These decisions, we believe, are in Pakistan’s own national interest.   Pakistan has itself been the victim of Afghan-based terrorism.   Extremists trained there have committed horrible acts of sectarian and political murder inside Pakistan. And a tragically high number of Pakistani citizens were murdered by the terrorists at the World Trade Center in New York.    Moreover, Pakistan’s cooperation in fighting terrorism is fully consistent with its status as a leading Muslim nation.   The Organization of the Islamic Conference, and nearly every Muslim country, have denounced the outrages of September 11 and vowed to respect the sanctity of innocent human life.

Still, the steps that President Musharraf is taking may not be easy.   There are already signs of some internal unrest over them.   We are confident that the majority of Pakistanis shared the world’s revulsion over the terrorist attacks two weeks ago.   But the extremist fringes of Pakistan’s political and religious organizations have been influenced by the Taliban and bin Laden, and they have substantial numbers of weapons and supporters.

It is therefore in our own interest to see, as President Bush put it, how we can help give President Musharraf “a chance to perform.” So we are looking urgently at ways to assist Pakistan’s economy, and, more broadly, to rebuild a positive relationship that will long outlast the current crisis.

One of the fastest and easiest ways to do this, as I have previously discussed with many of you, is to move on lifting sanctions, including nuclear-related sanctions. If the President decides to take this step, this would enable us to bring additional resources to bear, when and where they are most needed. And, far from signaling a retreat on nonproliferation objectives, it would enable us to conduct a more productive dialogue about nuclear and missile restraint.   We have every intention of continuing our discussions on nonproliferation, as part of our response to current challenges in the region.

  These arguments, of course, apply just as much to India as to Pakistan.   The tragic events of September 11 have only magnified the importance and urgency of forging new partnerships with these two countries.   And over the longer term, if we do this properly, there is a reasonable prospect that it will help create win-win instead of zero-sum relationships, both within the region and beyond.

Afghanistan

There is one country in the region, however, where we must now look to the people, not the ruling regime, to be partners with us and with others--whether in ending terrorism or in any other worthwhile endeavor.   That country is Afghanistan. The Taliban and the foreign terrorists they harbor bear responsibility for the political decay, economic devastation, and international isolation of what was once a proud, tolerant, and fiercely independent land.   Every effort to talk to the Taliban about terrorism was rebuffed, with the horrendous consequences we saw two weeks ago. The time has come for this situation to change in a decisive fashion.

By contrast with the Taliban, the United States and the international community have absolutely no quarrel with the people of Afghanistan.   Quite the opposite. The U.S. has long been the lead donor of every kind of humanitarian aid to Afghans, whether inside their own country or in refugee camps elsewhere.    Our goal is to destroy the network of terrorist organizations that have occupied Afghanistan and waged war against all civilization, and to punish those who sponsor and harbor them. As we accomplish those objectives, we will look to the suffering people of Afghanistan to retake and rebuild their country. And we, along with the international community, will be prepared to help the people of Afghanistan in that daunting but necessary task.