'India-Pak Tension Easing'

Revelant excerpts of the News Briefing by Secretary Rumsfeld and General Richard Myers, Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff

And last, we visited India and Pakistan. The military situation on the ground and therespective levels of alert has really not changed notably. However, there is a clearperception that tensions are easing and that the likelihood of a conflict is lessening.Both nations have taken some initial steps that, while not definitive, are having apositive effect. The leaders of both countries are increasingly aware that tension in theregion is hurting them economically, and there is no question but that that's the fact.Fear of war discourages international investment, to the detriment of the economies ofboth country (sic) and certainly the people of both countries.

There are several risks ahead in the period we're now entering, including thepossibility, of course, of a terrorist act beyond the control of either party, which couldbe misunderstood and conceivably provoke a reaction. I -- we raised that issue with bothcountries, and I think they're sensitive to it. Both India and Pakistan indicate a desirefor continued U.S. involvement and appreciated the efforts that President Bush and PrimeMinister Blair and others have been making.

Q: Mr. Secretary, some of my caustic brethren are accusing the Bushadministration of checkbook diplomacy in trying to defuse the tensions between India andPakistan, sort of a one-two punch; Deputy Secretary of State Dick Armitage went over withforeign aid books in his pocket. What did you offer in the way of military hardware toboth countries? And what is it going to cost us in terms of U.S. dollars? And thatincludes sensors, if you will.

Rumsfeld: There's no decisions with respect to sensors. That'ssomething that I believe was raised in another country. I was asked about it. It wasdiscussed. To the extent that it's possible -- and that's a technical question thatremains very much open -- to the extent it's possible to do something useful in thatregard, I suppose people might be wiling to do so. But checkbook diplomacy, I think, isessentially an inappropriate comment. I don't know that Rich Armitage went over with acheckbook, and I know I didn't. So I think it's a misunderstanding or mischief, one of thetwo.

Q: Can you tell us what you offered, though, in the way of hardware,if any, to both countries?

Rumsfeld: Absolutely nothing. To the extent any hardware is beingdiscussed, it's being discussed at a lower level; it was not part of my agenda.