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'No change in US Kashmir policy'

Aziz Haniffa in Washington

Senior US bureaucrats have cautioned against any runaway perceptions that the Bush Administration's policy on Kashmir was a radical shift from earlier policy.

The warning follows a statement by the new Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs Christina Rocca, that "Our position now is that the issue of Kashmir should be resolved between India and Pakistan, taking into account the wishes of the Kashmiri people."

She was answering questions at the her first formal news conference at the Foreign Press Center here before she departs this weekend on a 18-day trip to the India, Nepal and Pakistan.

The officials pointed out that even the Clinton Administration's policy on Kashmir was interpreted as a significant shift of policy, whereas actually it was simply a reiteration of a long-held US perception that Kashmir was a disputed territory, and that the imbroglio has to be resolved bilaterally by India and Pakistan taking into account the wishes of the Kashmiri people.

Rocca's answer came after a journalist asserted that dwhen former President Bill Clinton was in India last year, he had articulated what had subsequently come to be known as the four pillars of America's Kashmir policy. These pillars were: Respect for the Line of Control, ending support for third-party violence, negotiations between India and Pakistan, and finally addressing the concerns of Kashmiris by the Indian government.

The journalist argued that before that, for 36 years, the US position on Kashmir had been that it is disputed terrritory and that the wishes of the Kashmiri people must be taken into account in any settlement and that it should be settled bilaterally between India and Pakistan.

Claiming that there is a significant difference between these two positions, the scribe wanted to know which one the Bush Administration subscribes to or if it had a new formulation.

Rocca, perhaps aware that a similiar question tripped one of her predecessors--Robin Raphel--who had asserted that the US does not recognize the legitimacy of the instrument of accession of Kashmir to India--replied:"I don't see them as being mutually exclusive."

The senior officials noted that Rocca was simply articulating a policy that had remained nchanged and that even the Clinton Administration policy was not any different from earlier US policy on Kashmir, and reiterated that the new Assistant Secretary's statement should not be interpreted as anything but just that.

Rocca in her answers to questions if the Bush Administration intended to play a more pro-active role in resolving the India-Pakistan dispute over Kashmir was scrupulous in saying that, "We--the United States does not--is not involved in these negotiations and won't unless invited to by both sides, and that's still the position."

She was also circumspect when asked if Washington either endorsed or subscribed to Pakistan's fixation with Kashmir to the exclusion of all other isues,which New Delhi has said was what led to the breakdown of the recent Agra summit.

"We're not taking a position on the agenda of the discussions between India and Pakistan.We think the fact that the discussions are taking place are progress and should help relations in the region and resolve the issues, the oustanding issues between the two countries."

Rocca also refused to be drawn into any controversy when pressed on the issue of cross-border terrorism that India has consistently accused Pakistan of fomenting, which New Delhi had wanted included in the joint statement that was never to be and led to declarations that the summit was a miserable failure.

Rocca, a former Congressional aide and an ex-veteran of the CIA's Operations Division for over 15 years, was the quintessential diplomat, saying:"Terrorism worldwide is,obviously,of great concern to the United States.Terrorism in South Asia is an issue of great concern as well,and we're talking with all the governments in the region, and we want to work with all the governments in the region to counter terrorism."

"We think it's in the interests of Pakistan to work with us as well,and they do,"she added.

But emphasizing the nature of the advanced stage of dialogue Washington was having ith New Delhi on this issue,Rocca noted, "With India specifically, we have a counterterrorism working group, which is very efficient and which is effective and is moving forward very nicely."

Meanwhile, when asked if the burgeoning strategic relationship between India and Pakistan was an attempt by Washington to make India a potential counterweight against China, Rocca asserted that "the paradigm now is that our bilateral relationships are truly bilateral.We are not--improved relationships with one country will not be at the expense of another one, and that applies in this situation as well."

"We have serious strategic and economic and natural ties with India....which it's taken us too long to pick up on,"she said.

But she said the process to change that which had "started in the previous administration;we want to continue that transformation in the relationship,and it is not directed at any other country,it is just a natural evolution of two democracies who have a lot in common."

On sanctions against India, Rocca expressed confidence that they are likely to be lifted soon, once the ongoing review is completed. But in the case of Pakistan, the sanctions issue is much more complicated and according to law, cannot be lifted until that country reverts to civilian rule.

She asserted that Washington has not gone soft on Islamabad, and would keep pressing Pakistan's military leader, Gen.Pervez Musharraf, to restore democracy as soon as possible.

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