'Revising Our Travel Warnings To India'

Britain has issued a travel warning on India? Are you doing the same?

Richard Boucher: I'm not sure if the paper is out. I guess it's not. But we are indeed revising our Travel Warnings to India.We're revising our Travel Warning for India today. The one for Pakistan remains somewhat the same.

We do take very seriously our responsibility for the safety of Americans overseas. We constantly evaluatethe situation in every country in order to provide Americans with our best and most up-to-date assessment ofthe security environment.

While tensions between India and Pakistan remain far from relaxed, they have recently eased somewhat, sothat we felt an adjustment in travel warnings was in order to reflect the recent positive steps taken by bothcountries to back away from an imminent escalation of armed conflict.

Nevertheless, we still advise Americans to defer nonessential travel to India. We also remind Americansthat the terrorist threat in Pakistan remains very high and unchanged.

So the travel warnings will say that for India, we recommend that American citizens defer all but essentialtravel to India. And for Pakistan, given the different situation, the bombings and the threats there, wereiterate our warning to American citizens to defer travel to Pakistan and strongly urge American citizens inthat country to depart.

So you're not asking Americans in India to depart anymore?

Richard Boucher: No, we're advising Americans to defer all nonessential travel.

Hold on. Does that mean the authorized departure program is over?

Richard Boucher: No, the employees and family members who departed India remain out of the country. So we continue to operateon authorized departure.

On Pakistan, Richard, can I ask?

Richard Boucher: Yes.

The White House, either earlier today or late yesterday, sent up Nancy Powell's name to -- the nomination forher to be the Ambassador to -- the new Ambassador to Pakistan. I'm just curious as to -- if there was somereason why it was today or yesterday. Was it because she's been there for a while? And I --

Richard Boucher: She's been there as Chargé.

Yeah, exactly. But I know there has been speculation that she was going to get -- she was going to benominated back then. But was there some specific reason why you guys thought that it would be propitiousyesterday or today to do this?

Richard Boucher: Astrologically speaking? (Laughter.) Not another one of those questions?

No, I mean, was there a question about whether she actually really wanted the job? Did she want to go thereand see what it was like first?

Richard Boucher: No, I don't think it was timed to anything in particular. You all know that the process involves a lot offorms and a lot of careful checks by different agencies and ethics lawyers, and financial things as well. So Ithink this was one that they wanted to do as soon as possible, and as far as I know she got the forms filledout and they went through it and just got it up there as soon as they could.