'Pakistani Actions Go Beyond Words'

Relevant excerpts from the US State Department press briefing, June 4

Richard Boucher: Sorry I'm late folks. But good afternoon, and it's a pleasureto be here. And I don't have any statements or announcements, so I would be glad to takeyour questions.

Question: Well, I know the State Department likes to engage in temperature-taking,but I wonder what you make of the India-Pakistan situation. Indian defense officials aresaying, hey, we're not pulling troops back. They don't seem to see a quo for the quid ofgetting the Pakistanis to restrain terrorists. They don't think they have to do anythingto reciprocate.

But generally, is there any calming of the situation? Or is it getting worse?

Richard Boucher: I would say at this moment that the situation remains largelyunchanged. It continues to be very, very tense in the region. And as you know, we'vecontinued our contacts with senior Pakistani and Indian officials and other parties to tryto head off any escalation further. We have been watching the situation very carefully. Wedo have some indications that Pakistani actions go beyond words, but I would say it's tooearly for us to say that there's been a cessation of infiltration.

You know that President Musharraf and Prime Minister Vajpayee are both in Almaty at themeeting, these next few days for meetings with their regional counterparts. We certainlywelcome the efforts of President Putin and others there are making to foster discussionsaimed at reducing tensions and lowering the risk of war.

Deputy Secretary Armitage travels today. He will have meetings Thursday in Islamabadand with Indian officials on Friday in New Delhi. And Secretary Rumsfeld will be thereafter that. So that's pretty much where we are.

Question: You say his actions go beyond words; has something new developed in thelast few days?

Richard Boucher: I would say we have watched this very carefully. I think we toldyou the other day there were indications of instructions being issued. And I would justgenerally characterize it in a sense that we have continued to watch this, we continue tofollow it very closely, and we see that there is more than just statements. But at thispoint, we are not prepared to say that we have seen the cessation that we are all lookingfor and that President Musharraf has promised.

Question: Can you talk about possible imminent new travel warnings coming out? Irealize they're never a done deal until we get them, but --

Richard Boucher: No, I can't announce anything until we're ready to announcesomething. Really, people have to understand; the situation is very serious, and we keepthis under very constant review, very careful review, both in terms of our own employeesand in terms of private Americans. We already have advice to private Americans that theyshould defer travel to India and Pakistan, that they should consider departing or in somecases in India we are saying that we urge them to depart the country.

So we are always looking at that. We are always looking at how we express our advice toAmericans, and that's something we are doing on a regular basis. But I don't have anythingnew for you today.

Question: Can you tell us how well the American citizens have been heeding thatadvice? Have they been leaving in numbers that you're comfortable with?

Richard Boucher: I would say that we have seen some of the reporting. I think it'sstill partial reporting at this point. And we don't really track individual Americans. Sowe're not in a position to say how many have departed at this point.

Question: What about the diplomats? Have they been leaving --

Richard Boucher: Again, there have been some departures; there may be more, aspeople who last week got the advice made their plans, and as school finished, and thingslike that. So I don't have any assessments at this point. I think we're in the middle ofdepartures at this point for most people.

Question: Without getting into any specific travel warning or numbers or anything,do you think that Americans are taking your advice seriously enough? Do you think thatAmericans in India and Pakistan understand that there is a serious, real threat of theoutbreak --

Richard Boucher: That's the same question I was just asked, about how many aredeparting. If they take our advice seriously, they leave.

Question: Well, but based on conversations with embassy --

Richard Boucher: So without being able to assess how many are leaving --

Question: -- but, I mean, certainly Americans must be calling it --

Richard Boucher: I don't want to try to make an assessment at this point. We know alot of people have either left or are making plans. But it's too early to say what kind ofimpact our advice might have had. And in the end, people have to make their own decisions.

Question: Did you know that President Putin was going to invite the two leaders toMoscow? And where, if any, would such a visit slot into the international diplomacy?

Richard Boucher: Well, I think those are questions you'll have to ask the Russians.We certainly have been in touch with the Russians. The Secretary talked to ForeignMinister Ivanov on Friday. We are coordinating with the Russians as we are coordinatingwith many others who have a strong interest in seeing the easing of tensions between Indiaand Pakistan. So we have been talking to them about the meetings in Almaty. And as far aswhere the meeting, the invitation to go to Moscow might fit, you would have to ask theRussians. We know what the next few days or week or so of meetings is.

Question: May I follow up briefly? Did the United States know that he was going toextend this invitation?

Richard Boucher: I don't know about that specific one, whether we knew about thatin advance. I would have to check. But in the end, it's up to the Russians to extendinvitations. But what I said applies to this as well as to what they're doing currently,what they and others are doing in Almaty. We welcome the effort that Russia is making,along with other members of the international community. We have been in close touch, asyou know, throughout this effort with the British, with various people in Europe, alsowith the Russians. The Secretary has spoken to Chinese Foreign Minister Tang about thesituation between India and Pakistan. So there is a lot of coordination in theinternational community because everybody wants to see tensions ease and everybody wantsto make sure the message is absolutely clear, that there should be no escalation and nowar.

Question: Could you flesh out what you mean by saying that there are someindications that Pakistan's actions go beyond words?

Richard Boucher: No.

Question: I mean, you're talking about moving in a positive rather than a negativedirection, right?

Richard Boucher: Yes.

Question: Thank you.

Richard Boucher: It's not quite the same as fleshing it out, but that much I can dofor you.

Question: Maybe you could elaborate a little bit if asked -- you're not sayingbodies are moving, I take it, but there is communication going on --

Richard Boucher: I'm not -- Barry, you know we follow this in a whole variety ofways, but I'm not in a position to give you any more specifics than I had. I'm trying togive you a characterization, because I knew you would want one, and that's about as goodas I can do for what we know to be the truth today.