10 June 2002
India-Pakistan Crisis Shows Signs of Abatement, Boucher Says
(Welcomes decision on Pakistani flights, but warns that crisis is not over) (1200) While the India-Pakistan crisis is not yet over, the United States welcomes signs that it is abating, said State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher. Briefing reporters June 10, Boucher cited several positive developments in the region, including India's announcement that Pakistani aircraft can resume flights over Indian territory and statements by the leaders in both countries aimed at lowering the threat of an armed conflict. "Armies on both sides remain mobilized, however, and both sides need to continue to seek to lower tensions," he said. The spokesman described Deputy Secretary Richard Armitage's meetings in Pakistan and India as "positive" and noted that Secretary of State Colin Powell talked to Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf and Indian Foreign Secretary Jaswant Singh by phone June 8 "in order to continue the work that Deputy Secretary Armitage has been doing with them." Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is scheduled to meet with Indian and Pakistani leaders later this week. Following is an excerpt of Boucher's remarks from the June 10 State Department briefing regarding the India-Pakistan crisis: (begin excerpt) QUESTION: Could you update us on India and Pakistan, please? MR. BOUCHER: Yes, be glad to. We welcome signs that tensions are beginning to lessen. These include positive statements by the leadership of both countries, and now India's announcement that Pakistani aircraft can resume flights over Indian territory. Armies on both sides remain mobilized however, and both sides need to continue to seek to lower tensions. We welcome reports that additional measures are being considered to lower the threat of an escalation of armed conflict. Following Deputy Secretary Richard Armitage's positive meetings in Pakistan and India last week, he met with Defense Secretary Rumsfeld in Estonia on Saturday to brief him in preparation for Mr. Rumsfeld's meetings in South Asia, in New Delhi and Islamabad, later this week. US diplomatic efforts are being coordinated with the international community in order to help defuse tension between India and Pakistan. The crisis, though showing signs of abating, is not yet over. I would note that the Secretary talked to President Musharraf and Foreign Secretary Singh on Saturday in order to continue the work that Deputy Secretary Armitage has been doing with them, and he is coordinating closely with the British Government. He talked to Foreign Secretary Straw on Saturday and again on Sunday. QUESTION: So it's too early to call the crisis over, and you're not telling Americans that they should leave, they can come back? MR. BOUCHER: No, at this point we haven't changed our advice to Americans. We're still strongly urging that they depart. Although we do note that tensions are beginning to lessen, the crisis isn't over. The forces, as I said, remain mobilized, and we need to see further steps from both sides to try to lower the tensions. QUESTION: If Mr. Armitage asked Pakistan and India to pull back their forces from their border? MR. BOUCHER: Without going into specific detail, I would say that the Deputy Secretary talked in some considerable detail with both sides about the kinds of steps they could take in order to lower tensions: first, to end the infiltration across the line of control; and second, then to reciprocate on the Indian side and start taking steps, both sides start taking steps by both sides to lower the tensions. QUESTION: If you have spoken to Mr. Armitage, does he believe that still that war clouds are still there, or no possibility of war between the two countries? MR. BOUCHER: No, as I said, the crisis is not over, even though it does show signs of abating and we've seen some positive discussions, and now some positive movement. But we need to continue to be careful. The basic situation of mobilized armies on both sides remains, and that can always be dangerous. QUESTION: Richard, you said that Deputy Secretary Armitage did suggest some steps that the Indian side could take. Was the permission for flights by Pakistani planes over India one of those steps that he suggested? MR. BOUCHER: As I said before, I'm not going to go into any specifics -- QUESTION: Mr. Armitage already -- MR. BOUCHER: Well, that's great, but no, I'm not going to go into any particular detail. He discussed with both sides specific measures that they could be taking. And these steps -- the step that we've seen we welcome, and we look for additional measures. QUESTION: One more. Your counterpart in Delhi, Mrs. Nirupana Rao, told me that unless Pakistan takes concrete steps to stop terrorism into Kashmir, there is not going to be peace between the two countries. Now, what if Mr. Armitage has asked forcefully to General Musharraf to stop what -- MR. BOUCHER: I think we made quite clear -- didn't you quote that to me again already last Friday or Thursday? I'll give you the same general kind of answer. We have made absolutely clear that the statements that President Musharraf has made, his commitment to stop any terrorism from territory controlled by Pakistan, his statements that there was not and would not be infiltration across the line of control -- these are important statements; they need to be carried out, and we look forward to him implementing those and making it visible in fact. But as that was implemented and became visible, we also looked to India to start taking steps to lower the tension. And that's why we welcome the steps that were announced today. QUESTION: This may follow on no specifics, but do you know anything about a no-war pact that Pakistan has said it's willing to sign? Is that -- has that come up in US initiatives at all, and can you explain anything more about it? MR. BOUCHER: I'm not inclined to go into specifics, but I don't know anything about that. I hadn't heard that one. QUESTION: Yes, Pakistan says it would be willing to sign one, first I've heard of one -- MR. BOUCHER: Without going into any detail at this point, it's hard for me to try to comment one way or the other. QUESTION: Do you have anything more to say about infiltration? Or is it as it was last week? MR. BOUCHER: Nothing new to say since we discussed it last on Friday. QUESTION: What is the status of efforts to increase monitoring along the line of control? Has the US offered to put monitors in along with the British? MR. BOUCHER: As I think the Deputy Secretary mentioned while he was out in the region, monitoring of various forms is something that was discussed during the course of the discussions that we've had with the Indians and the Pakistani Government. But there is nothing new today on that to announce. QUESTION: With respect to India and Pakistan, would there be any plans, for instance, of putting in some sophisticated equipment, whether cameras or other type detection equipment, and broadcast it or let both governments look at it simultaneously to help ease the situation? MR. BOUCHER: As I said, monitoring of various kinds and types was discussed. There have been various ideas out there, but I don't have anything particular to settle on or announce at this point. (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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