30 May 2002
White House Report: India/Pakistan, the Middle East
(Press Secretary Fleischer briefed morning, afternoon) (710)
WHITE HOUSE SAYS WAR WOULD NOT SERVE INTERESTS OF INDIA OR PAKISTAN
The White House May 30 urged India and Pakistan to take the necessary
steps to avoid war between them.
"A war in that region would not serve either country's purposes, short
term or long term," White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer told
reporters.
Fleischer confirmed that Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld is going
to the region next week as a follow-up to a series of visits that have
been undertaken there recently.
"There is a significant amount of concern, not only in the United
States but internationally, about reducing tensions between India and
Pakistan," Fleischer said.
"The European Union has sent officials into the area. Jack Straw of
Great Britain has just returned from the area. The Deputy Secretary of
State (Richard) Armitage will be heading to the area. And then
Secretary Rumsfeld will be heading there, as well. All of these visits
are part of the international community's ongoing diplomacy to work
with India and Pakistan to reduce the tensions in the area and to
convince both parties that war does not serve either of their
interests," the Press Secretary said.
"It's important for the international community and the United States
to work diligently with India and Pakistan to convince them that war
is not the answer, war will not solve the problems, that they have to
pursue a different path. Often at times like this, nations welcome the
participation of others to help them find a way out of a dangerous
spiral," Fleischer said. "And that's what he (Rumsfeld) will be doing
when he goes on the trip, so too Secretary Armitage, so too all the
other diplomats from around the world."
When asked about a USA Today newspaper report that a U.S. government
team is planning to evacuate thousands of American troops and citizens
from the region, Fleischer pointed out that the United States
routinely has a plan for moving Americans away from areas of potential
unrest, and "you can assume we have plans in place as well in that
area of tension."
TENET TO DISCUSS CREATION OF A SECURITY FORCE WITH PALESTINIAN
OFFICIALS
Asked if President Bush has any expectations that CIA Director George
Tenet's upcoming trip to the Middle East will lead to concrete
developments, Fleishcer said "there are concrete things that are
important to look at.
"And Director Tenet has been very involved over the years, working
directly with Israeli and Palestinian security officials. He's earned
their trust. He knows them. He knows the players up and down at
various levels. And there is a real focus now in the Palestinian
Authority in bringing reform to itself. This is something the
Palestinian people have been calling for, and the United States is
pleased to join in that call. So he'll be meeting with Palestinian
officials to talk about how to create a real security force."
Fleischer noted that part of the Oslo Accords said that if Israel
brought information to the Palestinian Authority saying they had heard
of potential attacks, the Palestinian Authority would have both the
will and the means to stop the attack from taking place.
"Clearly, this has not been happening. Attacks continue. And what's
important now is for the Palestinian Authority to focus on how to
prevent attacks if they're given information, if they're given
knowledge. That's part of what they pledged at Oslo. And Director
Tenet will be going there to help them," said Fleischer.
Other talks relating to ending the violence in the Middle East are
taking place as well, Fleischer said. "Secretary Burns from the State
Department is in the region now and, as you know, (Egypt's) President
Mubarak will be coming to Camp David the week after this to meet with
the President and to discuss peace efforts. And all of this will be
part of the mixture that Secretary of State Colin Powell will be
looking at in preparation for the conference that he will be holding
this summer, the White House Press Secretary said.
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
|
NEWSLETTER
|
|
Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list
|
|
|
