Mishra makes his point on terrorism in J&K

By Sridhar Krishnaswami

WASHINGTON, SEPT. 25. The National Security Advisor and Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, Mr. Brajesh Mishra, who met senior Bush administration officials and law-makers here, is said to have pointed out in a quiet but forthcoming way India's stand on terrorism. He said that in spite of all the immediate concerns and objectives, the long-term implications should not be ignored or brushed aside. In particular, Mr. Mishra is said to have drawn attention to the networking of the Al Qaeda as it pertains to the ongoing terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.

Mr. Mishra, it appears, discussed a broad range of issues with officials and law-makers, especially in the context of the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington on September 11.

The response from the international community, including India, has been described here as overwhelming; and the administration has made it known that different countries will be involved in different ways in the fight against terrorism.

To say that India is totally out of the loop in the fight against terrorism is exaggerating things. But at least in the short term the focus here is quite limited as far as the Bush administration is concerned. Senior officials have made no bones of the fact that the prime attention right now is on Osama bin Laden, his network and training camps.

Among Mr. Mishra's high profile meetings include those with the President's National Security Advisor, Dr. Condoleeza Rice, and the Deputy Secretary of Defence, Mr. Paul Wolfowitz. Today Mr. Mishra will be at the State Department to meet the Deputy Secretary of State, Mr. Richard Armitage. He will have a session with the U.S. Trade Representative, Mr. Robert Zoellick, as well before winding up his two-day visit.

On Capitol Hill Mr. Mishra has had meetings, among others, with the Chairman of the House International Relations Committee, Mr. Henry Hyde, and the Ranking member, Mr. Tom Lantos. Mr. Mishra also met the Republican Senator, Mr. Sam Brownback, a key architect on the Hill for the lifting or waiving of sanctions against India.

India's National Security Advisor is in town at a time when the Bush administration has just lifted the sanctions imposed on India and Pakistan in the wake of the nuclear tests of 1998. Officials of the two countries are said to be studying the nature and scope of the President's waiver of sanctions.

As far as India is concerned the State Department has maintained that the situation is back to the pre-Glenn Amendment sanction days of 1998. As far as Pakistan is concerned the Bush administration is said to be studying seriously a bi-partisan Congressional request for the lifting of democracy-related sanctions as well.

Mr. Mishra is here also at a time when there has been a tremendous amount of support and political sympathy for the President of Pakistan, Mr. Pervez Musharraf, for his decision to fully align with the U.S. in targetting the Taliban and Osama bin Laden. The political support to Islamabad aside, Washington, along with international financial institutions are putting together a hefty ``goodies bag'' as well.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Front Page
Previous : Uzbek-U.S. deal over base
Next     : 'Kashmir struggle not terrorism'