'War Could Be Catastrophic But Is Not Inevitable'

Q: Ari, thank you. What is your assessment now of the prospects fornuclear war between India and Pakistan? And does the U.S., Russia, China have enoughleverage to use on these countries to dissuade them?

Ari Fleischer: Well, the situation remains tense, the situationremains delicate and our diplomacy is ongoing. Secretary Armitage is leaving today forIndia and Pakistan; there will be meetings on the 6th and on the 7th of this month. AndPresident Putin has recently held meetings. As you know, the Europeans held meetings; JackStraw of Britain held meetings. There will be -- I think you are continuing to see aworldwide effort to use diplomacy to reduce the tension in the region, and that's going tobe ongoing.

These problems have been with the region for decades; they were with us andparticularly sensitive and delicate moment several months ago. People thought at the sametime violence may have erupted, war may have erupted. It was successfully handled throughdiplomacy then, and that's the President's goal, to do it once more.

Q: Meetings are one thing, but what about leverage? Is there anythingwe can do, other than talk?

Ari Fleischer: Well, the most important thing is India and Pakistan,they don't need leverage to recognize that war would be bad for both of them. Diplomacy isnot always about leverage. Often, diplomacy is about logic; diplomacy is often abouthelping, by a third party's presence giving two parties who might otherwise disagree witheach other a way out. And that's the essence of diplomacy.

Q: Ari, a day or two after President Bush left Russia, President Putinannounced that he was going to get involved in trying to mediate the India-Pakistandispute. Was that discussion --

Ari Fleischer: Actually, not quite. It was discussed by the twoPresidents, yes. That was a previously planned conference that was held in that regionthat brought together numerous Asian nations, including India and Pakistan. And PresidentPutin discussed it with President Bush and President Bush told him he was grateful forRussia's ongoing diplomacy in the area.

It's another sign of a constructive relationship with Russia, in which the issues wesee similarly are increasing. That's part of the rejection of the old zero-sum game, whereif there was turmoil for one superpower, it was good for the other. Those days are over,and President Putin's help is noted.

Q: Gracias. My question is related to Connie's. Both sides, India andPakistan, are still refusing to meet face to face. Does the President believe that bysending Armitage and Rumsfeld to India and Pakistan, war there can be avoided?

Ari Fleischer: The President does believe that that can be the case,and that's exactly why the President has been do deeply involved in the ongoing diplomacy.And that's why other nations of the world have been involved in the diplomacy. War wouldbe -- could be catastrophic if it takes place between India and Pakistan, but war is notinevitable.And that is why the United States has been working so hard to work with theparties to convince them that war is not in their interests, let alone the region's or theworld's.