'Looking For Reciprocating Steps By India'

Relevant excerpts of the press briefling by Richard Boucher, Spokesman of the US State Department on theArmitage visit -- Washington, DC, June 7, 2002

Question: India-Pakistan? Could you update us on Under Secretary Armitage's talks -- sorry, Deputy Secretary Armitage'stalks? And also, on comments made by Indian officials after he left, saying that they haven't seen anynoticeable decrease in infiltration. I wonder if our continuing assessment provides any different information.

Richard Boucher: I didn't see those comments. Were those on the record by specific people?

Question: Yeah. Indian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nirupana Rao held a separate briefing, blah, blah, blah.

Richard Boucher: Okay.

Question: They have not -- there's no established trends to suggest there has been a change in the situation on theground.

Richard Boucher: All right. I'll give you our best assessment, but let me first describe the meetings Deputy SecretaryArmitage had today in New Delhi. He met with Indian Prime Minister Vajpayee, with Minister for ExternalAffairs Jaswant Singh, and with other officials. These were good and very thorough discussions with the IndianGovernment today. He continues to work in some detail with these governments on the issue of defusing tensionsbetween India and Pakistan.

He conveyed to the Indian leaders the full tone and tenor of his discussions in Islamabad, includingPresident Musharraf's commitment to the United States to stop infiltration across the line of controlpermanently. We welcome Foreign Minister Singh's statement that his government is committed to carry forwardon the path of peace, and we look forward to India taking visible and concrete steps to lower tensions.

We would support any mechanisms agreed to by India and Pakistan to reduce tensions. This could includemethods to monitor the line of control. And I realize there are various specific proposals out there about howthat might be done; at this point I'm not prepared to commit to any particular method of doing so. But ifthat's what the parties agree upon, that might be helpful.

In terms of what we see going on, I would say that we have growing indications that infiltration across theline of control is down significantly. But I would also say at this point we can't at this point say that thischange has been done on a permanent basis. And that's what President Musharraf has promised; that's what we'relooking for.

Question: How do you -- I'm sorry, just how would you know whether or not the decrease or the indications -- growingindications of decrease in infiltration would be permanent as opposed to temporary, given that you can't seeinto the future?

Richard Boucher: That's not something I'm in a position to go into.

Question: Well, I mean, you understand that it's hard -- how would you ever know it was permanent?

Richard Boucher: We have excellent capabilities. We may be able to see into the future. (Laughter.) Just to keep the otherside guessing about what we can actually do.

No, again, I'm not in a position to get into it. But that's our best -- that's our assessment at --

Question: I mean, but you're talking about --

Richard Boucher: I'm not talking about anything specifically, Eli. I'm sorry. This is our conclusion; I'm not able to provideyou the details of those conclusions, but I can just tell you that we have looked at the situation verycarefully. We continue to look at the situation very carefully. We continue to look at all possibleinformation on what's going on, and that is our sort of snapshot assessment of where things stand at themoment.

Question: When you say "permanent," do you mean things like destroying camps, putting people in prison,killing them? What do you mean?

Richard Boucher: Why don't you talk to him, and I won't comment on any of the details.

Question: No, you're saying you can't tell us the details of --

Richard Boucher: No, I'm not in a position to --

Question: -- how you know, but I'm asking what your definition of permanent means.

Richard Boucher: I know, and I'm not able to tell you. I'm just able to give you our assessment without going into the detailsof what we may or may not be seeing.

Question: May I ask another question?

Richard Boucher: Yes.

Question: You said that Deputy Secretary Armitage conveyed the full tone and tenor of his conversations in Islamabad tothe Indian Government. Do you mean he told them he read them the riot act? Or what do you mean?

Richard Boucher: I'm saying he conveyed the full tone and tenor of his discussions in Islamabad. I highlighted in particularthe commitments that President Musharraf has made, and that President Musharraf made to him to ending theinfiltration on a permanent basis.

Question: Is what you've seen so far enough to trigger your expectation that India take a step on its part to lower thetensions?

Richard Boucher: I'm not quite in a position to say that at this point. As I said, Deputy Secretary Armitage remains outthere. He is working this, as I said, in some detail with both parties. He is reporting back regularly to theSecretary. We are looking with an end to infiltration across the line. We'll be looking for reciprocating steps by the Indian Government.And that's the way we're talking about -- we look forward to India taking these kind of steps at theappropriate time. I'm not prepared to get into the details of how that might work at this point.

Question: What are the things that he needs to do to convince India to accept what you're calling a snapshot ofreduction, reduction in infiltration, rather than saying we need to see in advance, as Eli was saying, thatthis is permanent? I mean, is that one of the things the US wants, is to see a step just in reaction to asnapshot view?

Richard Boucher: I'm being asked the same question in some other way. The question, again, is what you've just shown us, isthis sufficient basis for saying now the Indians have to do something. I --

Question: No, not that they have to, but is that one of the things you're trying to convince them to do, to take a stepjust in response to a temporary decrease?

Richard Boucher: I think it boils down to the same situation. The best way I can characterize it for you is to say, first ofall, that we are discussing with both sides the steps that they can take to defuse tensions. We have saidrepeatedly that the Pakistani side needs to stop infiltration across the line of control permanently. We arelooking to them to do that. That is indeed what President Musharraf has said he intends to do. And we arelooking to confirm that and we are looking for that to happen.

We are also looking to the Indian side to take visible and concrete steps to lower tensions. So that is thesubject of discussion. But in order to conduct the diplomacy, we would hope more successfully, we're not goingto be able to go into the details of what moment, what steps. And that's kind of where we stand right now.

Question: When will he be returning? Is it over the weekend, or is it undefined so far?

Richard Boucher: The Deputy Secretary?

Question: Yes.

Richard Boucher: I think it's over the weekend. I don't know when final arrival here is, but he's also scheduled to do arefueling stop in Estonia so that he can meet with Defense Secretary Rumsfeld and give him a readout on wherewe stand as he leaves the region and as the Defense Secretary goes towards the region.