'We Look To India To Take Reciprocal Steps'

Relevant excerpts from the US State Department press briefing, June 6

Question: Richard, yesterday you issued and the State Department issued newwarning on India and Pakistan, but on one side you are discussing or Mr. Armitage in theregion, and on the other hand you are asking Americans to leave -- a strong warning andleave gently the area. That means you feel that after these two great leaders come backfrom the region, you think war is imminent between the two countries?

Richard Boucher: No. We made quite clear, I think, in our statements, and theSecretary made quite clear in his statement yesterday when he was asked about this onCapitol Hill, that the situation does remain very tense, that there are elements ofprogress, some marginal progress that can be recorded. And I think today that is describedby Mr. Armitage after his meetings in Pakistan, that he says he's got a very good basis togo work in India now on the issues. So he is trying to move forward, trying to take stepsto ease the tension.

As you know, President Musharraf has indicated he is stopping all activity across theline of control, all infiltration across the line of control, and he has reiterated to usthat he intends to do that on a permanent basis. So that is important, and we willcontinue to work on this and on the verifying, confirming that that's taking place, andthen looking for the reciprocal actions. So we are indeed working, and Deputy SecretaryArmitage is right in the center of this right now, working to defuse the tensions, workingto ease the tensions.

But even while that is going on, the tensions continue. It's still at -- the DeputySecretary described it as quite a complicated and quite volatile situation. So even asthat is going on, the situation remains volatile, the danger continues, and our advice toAmericans continues. And we are indeed strongly encouraging our own people to takeadvantage of the opportunities created by the voluntary departure in India.

So on the one hand you have a very tense situation that means that we strongly urge ourown people and other Americans to depart; at the same time, we are in there, DeputySecretary Armitage is in there trying to make it better.

Question: Home Minister of India Mr. Advani said that if the internationalcommunity, including the US, fails to stop terrorism from Pakistan, or General Musharrafdoesn't stop, then India will not leave it any option but a military option. Do you haveany comment on this?

Richard Boucher: I don't have a comment on everything that's said. I would say thatwhat we're working on with President Musharraf, and then tomorrow with the meetings thatthe Deputy Secretary will have in India, is to confirm that cessation, permanent cessationof activity across the line of control that President Musharraf has talked about and thathe has pledged; and that in that case, we look to India to take reciprocal steps.

So we think it's important for both sides to look at how to do that, how to deescalatethe tensions, how to ease off the confrontation rather than starting to plan for otheralternatives, which are not in anyone's interest.

Question: I'm sorry, one more. Last night Jim Lehrer show --

Richard Boucher: I guess we can go individual by individual and let everybody askall their questions.

Question: Last night on Jim Lehrer show, both ambassadors from India and Pakistanappeared, and she said that Pakistan is fighting terrorism, and is with the United States.But the Indian ambassador said that there is no proof, and that terrorism is stillcontinuing, and there are about 75 terrorist camps inside Kashmir -- Pakistan's Kashmir --and 3,000 to 4,000 terrorists, al-Qaidas are still under training going in Pakistan.

Richard Boucher: Thank you for the comment. Elise?

Question: Do you have any comments on that?

Richard Boucher: No.

Question: I have --

Richard Boucher: Let's let somebody else --

Question: I mean, same subject.

Question: I have two questions on India and Pakistan. If you're strongly urging USpersonnel to depart, and you think it's such a good idea that they leave, why are you nottelling them or doing an ordered departure, if the advice that you're giving them is thatthey should leave, rather than make it voluntary?

And also, on the -- there's been a lot of talk about possible joint patrols on the lineof control with India and Pakistan. Is this something that the US is advocating, and doyou think it's a good idea?

Richard Boucher: As far as the second part of that, the suggestion of jointpatrols, I don't really have anything to say at this moment. As you know, we have not goneinto much detail about the various ideas and subjects under discussion. And in order tolet the Deputy Secretary do his work, I don't expect to go beyond what he feelscomfortable saying himself, and he hasn't talked about it.

As far as the issue of when do you strongly urge and encourage, and when do youactually order people out, at this stage, we give our advice and encouragements to ouremployees and to others. We feel that people have to know what our basic view is of thesituation, but leave some room for them to make their own decisions based on their owncircumstances. If the situation were to become so critical that we don't want individualsto make their own decisions, then we would step up our category -- our status to orderingthe people to leave that we felt had to leave.

Question: Well, does the difference boil down to the fact that Americans werespecifically targeted in Pakistan, and that hasn't yet happened in India?

Richard Boucher: As you know, the ordered departure from Pakistan came because ofthe terrorist attacks, the attack at the church. And yes, that is one difference betweenthe two circumstances. So in Pakistan you have the additional danger of the terrorismthat's been there, in addition to the tensions that exist between India and Pakistan.

Question: If I could dig in a little more, please, on when the time is right to askIndia for reciprocity. You said you have to confirm that the infiltration has stopped.Now, the Secretary has also said he doesn't want to see a stop-and-go situation. So is onestop enough?

And what about my good friend's question there about other extremist actions: Must theycease those too, or is it sufficient to -- it sounds like we're talking about the MiddleEast, doesn't it? -- is it sufficient to stop terrorist activities for a few hours to tellIndia to pull thousands of troops from the border? Or do you need to see more things fromPakistan, and have you seen them yet?

Richard Boucher: I think we have made absolutely clear -- I did today, theSecretary did late last week, and President Musharraf has made clear -- that ceasinginfiltration across the line of control needs to be an action that is permanent, that hisbasic policy decision that there won't be this kind of support and activity. He has madeclear repeatedly that there won't be any support from Pakistani-controlled territory forterrorist activity. And so what we're talking to him about is how to make that effective,and in some ways how to make that evident to all of us that that kind of activity hasceased.

As far as what specific steps might be necessary to achieve that objective, I thinkthat's where I'll kind of cut off and say I leave that to the Deputy Secretary and othersto discuss at the appropriate time and President Musharraf to discuss at the appropriatetime what he might be doing specifically to achieve his objective.

But the goal, and the goal that affects the relationship and the situation in Kashmir,is to stop that infiltration across the line on a permanent basis. And as that becomesclear, as that becomes evident, we would look to the Indians to reciprocate.

Different topic? No. Elaine?

Question: Also on the question of patrols, I know you don't want to talk about it,but could you address a London independent article which specifically states that you areyou are putting a UK-US patrol in Kashmir?

Richard Boucher: No, I can't address that sort of question at this stage.

More on this, or can he change? Okay, go ahead and change.