'Both Sides Need To Continue Lowering Tensions'

Relevant excerpts from the daily press briefing on June 10, 2002.

Richard Boucher: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. I don't have any statementsor announcements. I'd be glad to take your questions on everything but the Middle East.

Question: Could you update us on India and Pakistan, please?

Richard Boucher: Yes, be glad to. We welcome signs that tensions are beginning tolessen. These include positive statements by the leadership of both countries, and nowIndia'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 tolower tensions. We welcome reports that additional measures are being considered to lowerthe threat of an escalation of armed conflict.

Following Deputy Secretary Richard Armitage's positive meetings in Pakistan and Indialast week, he met with Defense Secretary Rumsfeld in Estonia on Saturday to brief him inpreparation for Mr. Rumsfeld's meetings in South Asia, in New Delhi and Islamabad, laterthis week.

US diplomatic efforts are being coordinated with the international community in orderto help defuse tension between India and Pakistan. The crisis, though showing signs ofabating, is not yet over.

I would note that the Secretary talked to President Musharraf and Foreign SecretarySingh on Saturday in order to continue the work that Deputy Secretary Armitage has beendoing with them, and he is coordinating closely with the British Government. He talked toForeign Secretary Straw on Saturday and again on Sunday.

Question: So it's too early to call the crisis over, and you're not tellingAmericans that they should leave, they can come back?

Richard 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 arebeginning to lessen, the crisis isn't over. The forces, as I said, remain mobilized, andwe 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 fromtheir border?

Richard Boucher: Without going into specific detail, I would say that the DeputySecretary talked in some considerable detail with both sides about the kinds of steps theycould take in order to lower tensions: first, to end the infiltration across the line ofcontrol; and second, then to reciprocate on the Indian side and start taking steps, bothsides start taking steps by both sides to lower the tensions.

Question: If you have spoken to Mr. Armitage, does he believe that still that warclouds are still there, or no possibility of war between the two countries?

Richard Boucher: No, as I said, the crisis is not over, even though it does showsigns 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 bothsides remains, and that can always be dangerous.

Question: Richard, you said that Deputy Secretary Armitage did suggest some stepsthat the Indian side could take. Was the permission for flights by Pakistani planes overIndia one of those steps that he suggested?

Richard Boucher: As I said before, I'm not going to go into any specifics --

Question: Mr. Armitage already --

Richard Boucher: Well, that's great, but no, I'm not going to go into anyparticular detail. He discussed with both sides specific measures that they could betaking. And these steps -- the step that we've seen we welcome, and we look for additionalmeasures.

Question: One more. Your counterpart in Delhi, Mrs. Nirupana Rao, told me thatunless Pakistan takes concrete steps to stop terrorism into Kashmir, there is not going tobe peace between the two countries. Now, what if Mr. Armitage has asked forcefully toGeneral Musharraf to stop what --

Richard Boucher: I think we made quite clear -- didn't you quote that to me againalready 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 statementsthat there was not and would not be infiltration across the line of control -- these areimportant statements; they need to be carried out, and we look forward to him implementingthose and making it visible in fact.

But as that was implemented and became visible, we also looked to India to start takingsteps 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-warpact that Pakistan has said it's willing to sign? Is that -- has that come up in USinitiatives at all, and can you explain anything more about it?

Richard Boucher: I'm not inclined to go into specifics, but I don't know anythingabout that. I hadn't heard that one.

Question: Yes, Pakistan says it would be willing to sign one, first I've heard ofone --

Richard Boucher: Without going into any detail at this point, it's hard for me totry to comment one way or the other.

Question: Do you have anything more to say about infiltration? Or is it as it waslast week?

Richard 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 ofcontrol? Has the US offered to put monitors in along with the British?

Richard Boucher: As I think the Deputy Secretary mentioned while he was out in theregion, monitoring of various forms is something that was discussed during the course ofthe discussions that we've had with the Indians and the Pakistani Government. But there isnothing new today on that to announce.

Question: With respect to India and Pakistan, would there be any plans, forinstance, of putting in some sophisticated equipment, whether cameras or other typedetection equipment, and broadcast it or let both governments look at it simultaneously tohelp ease the situation?

Richard 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 onor announce at this point.

Question: And sort of a new theme, subject, kind of. Can you say whether Pakistanwas at all helpful in the arrest that we are now hearing today was made last May inChicago?

Richard Boucher: No. I don't know of any involvement from this part of thegovernment, so I don't think it would be for me to comment on that. My understanding isthat the intelligence and law enforcement agencies did a fine job, and leave it to them tocomment as to who they might have worked with.

Question: Yes, please, one more. If this monitoring by India and Pakistan wasdiscussed or came during Mr. Armitage's visit or not that India and Pakistan jointlyshould monitor the border?

Richard Boucher: I just said three times, various kinds of monitoring werediscussed.

Question: -- that was by the -- not by the US or UK, but India and Pakistan.

Richard Boucher: As I said, various kinds of monitoring were discussed. I'm not ina position now to say that we settled on anything or we have anything to announce.