06 June 2002
U.S., Pakistani Goal Is to Permanently Stop Infiltration
(Boucher says Armitage visit has accelerated progress) (1550) State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher said the situation between India and Pakistan remains "very tense," but that some "marginal progress" has been recorded as a result of Deputy Secretary Richard Armitage's talks in the region. Speaking to reporters at the June 6 State Department briefing, Boucher said the goal held by both the United States and Pakistani leader Pervez Musharraf is to stop terrorist infiltration across the Kashmiri line of control "on a permanent basis." "And as that becomes clear, as that becomes evident," said Boucher, "we would look to the Indians to reciprocate." "[W]e think it's important for both sides to look at how to do that, how to de-escalate the tensions, how to ease off the confrontation, rather than starting to plan for other alternatives which are not in anyone's interest," said Boucher. The spokesman said Armitage was "right in the center" of efforts to ease tensions. The Deputy Secretary is scheduled to arrive in India June 7 to continue his talks on the crisis. Following is an excerpt from the June 6 State Department briefing with Richard Boucher: (begin excerpt) QUESTION: Richard, yesterday you issued and the State Department issued new warning on India and Pakistan, but on one side you are discussing or Mr. Armitage in the region, and on the other hand you are asking Americans to leave -- a strong warning and leave urgently the area. That means you feel that after these two great leaders come back from the region, you think war is imminent between the two countries? MR. BOUCHER: No. We made quite clear, I think, in our statements, and the Secretary made quite clear in his statement yesterday when he was asked about this on Capitol Hill, that the situation does remain very tense, that there are elements of progress, some marginal progress that can be recorded. And I think today that is described by Mr. Armitage after his meetings in Pakistan, that he says he's got a very good basis to go work in India now on the issues. So he is trying to move forward, trying to take steps to ease the tension. As you know, President Musharraf has indicated he is stopping all activity across the line of control, all infiltration across the line of control, and he has reiterated to us that he intends to do that on a permanent basis. So that is important, and we will continue to work on this and on the verifying, confirming that that's taking place, and then looking for the reciprocal actions. So we are indeed working, and Deputy Secretary Armitage is right in the center of this right now, working to defuse the tensions, working to ease the tensions. But even while that is going on, the tensions continue. It's still at -- the Deputy Secretary described it as quite a complicated and quite volatile situation. So even as that is going on, the situation remains volatile, the danger continues, and our advice to Americans continues. And we are indeed strongly encouraging our own people to take advantage of the opportunities created by the voluntary departure in India. So on the one hand you have a very tense situation that means that we strongly urge our own people and other Americans to depart; at the same time, we are in there, Deputy Secretary Armitage is in there trying to make it better. QUESTION: Home Minister of India Mr. Advani said that if the international community, including the US, fails to stop terrorism from Pakistan, or General Musharraf doesn't stop, then India will not leave it any option but a military option. Do you have any comment on this? MR. BOUCHER: I don't have a comment on everything that's said. I would say that what we're working on with President Musharraf, and then tomorrow with the meetings that the Deputy Secretary will have in India, is to confirm that cessation, permanent cessation of activity across the line of control that President Musharraf has talked about and that he has pledged; and that in that case, we look to India to take reciprocal steps. So we think it's important for both sides to look at how to do that, how to deescalate the tensions, how to ease off the confrontation rather than starting to plan for other alternatives, which are not in anyone's interest. QUESTION: I'm sorry, one more. Last night Jim Lehrer show -- MR. BOUCHER: I guess we can go individual by individual and let everybody ask all their questions. QUESTION: Last night on Jim Lehrer show, both ambassadors from India and Pakistan appeared, and she said that Pakistan is fighting terrorism, and is with the United States. But the Indian ambassador said that there is no proof, and that terrorism is still continuing, and there are about 75 terrorist camps inside Kashmir -- Pakistan's Kashmir -- and 3,000 to 4,000 terrorists, al-Qaidas are still under training going in Pakistan. MR. BOUCHER: Thank you for the comment. Elise? QUESTION: Do you have any comments on that? MR. BOUCHER: No. QUESTION: I have -- MR. BOUCHER: Let's let somebody else -- QUESTION: I mean, same subject. QUESTION: I have two questions on India and Pakistan. If you're strongly urging US personnel to depart, and you think it's such a good idea that they leave, why are you not telling them or doing an ordered departure, if the advice that you're giving them is that they should leave, rather than make it voluntary? And also, on the -- there's been a lot of talk about possible joint patrols on the line of control with India and Pakistan. Is this something that the US is advocating, and do you think it's a good idea? MR. BOUCHER: As far as the second part of that, the suggestion of joint patrols, I don't really have anything to say at this moment. As you know, we have not gone into much detail about the various ideas and subjects under discussion. And in order to let the Deputy Secretary do his work, I don't expect to go beyond what he feels comfortable saying himself, and he hasn't talked about it. As far as the issue of when do you strongly urge and encourage, and when do you actually order people out, at this stage, we give our advice and encouragements to our employees and to others. We feel that people have to know what our basic view is of the situation, but leave some room for them to make their own decisions based on their own circumstances. If the situation were to become so critical that we don't want individuals to make their own decisions, then we would step up our category -- our status to ordering the people to leave that we felt had to leave. QUESTION: Well, does the difference boil down to the fact that Americans were specifically targeted in Pakistan, and that hasn't yet happened in India? MR. BOUCHER: As you know, the ordered departure from Pakistan came because of the terrorist attacks, the attack at the church. And yes, that is one difference between the two circumstances. So in Pakistan you have the additional danger of the terrorism that's been there, in addition to the tensions that exist between India and Pakistan. QUESTION: If I could dig in a little more, please, on when the time is right to ask India for reciprocity. You said you have to confirm that the infiltration has stopped. Now, the Secretary has also said he doesn't want to see a stop-and-go situation. So is one stop enough? And what about my good friend's question there about other extremist actions: Must they cease those too, or is it sufficient to -- it sounds like we're talking about the Middle East, doesn't it? -- is it sufficient to stop terrorist activities for a few hours to tell India to pull thousands of troops from the border? Or do you need to see more things from Pakistan, and have you seen them yet? MR. BOUCHER: I think we have made absolutely clear -- I did today, the Secretary did late last week, and President Musharraf has made clear -- that ceasing infiltration across the line of control needs to be an action that is permanent, that his basic policy decision that there won't be this kind of support and activity. He has made clear repeatedly that there won't be any support from Pakistani-controlled territory for terrorist activity. And so what we're talking to him about is how to make that effective, and in some ways how to make that evident to all of us that that kind of activity has ceased. As far as what specific steps might be necessary to achieve that objective, I think that's where I'll kind of cut off and say I leave that to the Deputy Secretary and others to discuss at the appropriate time and President Musharraf to discuss at the appropriate time what he might be doing specifically to achieve his objective. But the goal, and the goal that affects the relationship and the situation in Kashmir, is to stop that infiltration across the line on a permanent basis. And as that becomes clear, as that becomes evident, we would look to the Indians to reciprocate. (end excerpt) (Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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