The Hindu : Rumsfeld optimistic

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jun 06, 2002

International

International

Rumsfeld optimistic

By Hasan Suroor

LONDON JUNE 5. The U.S. Defence Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, who is to visit India later this week, said here today that although the situation in the subcontinent was "very dangerous'' there were signs that India and Pakistan were trying to reduce the risk of war.

Mr Rumsfeld, who was talking to mediapersons after meeting the British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, and the Defence Secretary, Geoff Hoon, said he was cautiously optimistic that a conflict could be averted.

``They may well be looking for ways to tamp things down,'' he said even as observers welcomed the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee's remarks that New Delhi was willing to consider joint patrolling to check cross-border infiltration. Mr. Rumsfeld, who was on his way to Brussels to attend a meeting of NATO chiefs, discussed the India-Pakistan standoff with Mr. Blair who has been closely involved with western diplomatic efforts to defuse the tension in the region.

Mr. Rumsfeld noted that despite indications of a lowering of temperature, the situation was still serious.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

International