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Bush expects Musharraf to take all steps against terrorism
By Sridhar Krishnaswami
The Home Minister, L.K. Advani (left) watches as the U.S. Secretary of State, Colin Powell, speaks to the media, following a meeting between the two at the State Department in Washington on Wednesday. - Reuters
WASHINGTON, JAN. 10. The U.S. President, George Bush has told the Union Home Minister, L.K. Advani, that he expected Pakistan and its President, Pervez Musharraf to take ``all necessary steps'' in fighting terrorism. Mr. Bush ``dropped by'' at the meeting between Mr. Advani and the U.S. National Security Adviser, Condoleezza Rice, here today.
``He (meaning Gen. Musharraf) has done it in the case of the Taliban and the President expects him to do it in the case of India also. Abandon terrorism as an instrument of state policy'', Mr. Advani told reporters after his meeting at the White House.
Calling the conversation with Mr. Bush as the ``most important discussion of my tour'', Mr. Advani said that he felt satisfied ``the United States is determined to see the end of terrorism everywhere''. He said he repeated what he had been saying that Pakistan's actions ``will not be judged by the statements it makes but by actions''.
``By and large I would say that this most important meeting of my trip (with Mr. Bush) brought me immense satisfaction. The President is determined to see that what he has been saying since September 21 is actually implemented'', Mr. Advani told the media. ``I did find the President very forthcoming and very firm on all that he has said in the past'', he said.
Asked by The Hindu whether Mr. Bush had once again asked India to ``take note'' of the steps put in place by the Pakistani leader, Mr. Advani said ``At least today nothing was said in this manner but by and large India has to take note of everything, whatever has been happening''.
In all the meetings Mr. Advani has had in this town over the last two days, the impression is that the Bush Administration has been making the point that while it is prepared to lean even harder on Pakistan on the terrorism front vis-a-vis India, there would have to be some reciprocity as well.
``...our concern has been that even after September 21, in so far as India was concerned, there has been no let-up in the terrorism from across the border. And if a change comes about that change will be judged not by the statements made by President Musharraf but by the action of the Government. I don't have anything further to add'', Mr. Advani said.
The White House spokesman, Ari Fleischer, once again said that Mr. Bush ``is appreciative'' of the steps taken by Gen. Musharraf and that the Pakistani leader was indeed moving forward.
``President Musharraf has taken some positive steps. He has condemned the terrorist attacks, he has arrested leaders of the Jaish-e-Mohammad and the Lashkar-e-Taiba, he has closed their offices. The President believes there is additional work and President Musharraf is moving forward. And the President reminds all in the region, the war there is against terrorism and not a war between India and Pakistan'', Mr. Fleischer said during the course of the regular briefing.
Mr. Advani came to the White House this morning accompanied by the Indian Ambassador, Lalit Mansingh, the Home Secretary, Kamal Pande and the Joint Secretary for the Americas in the Ministry of External Affairs, Jayant Prasad.
`We won't take another betrayal'
Earlier Mr. Advani said here that the time had come for Pakistan to act ``sincerely, decisively, demonstrably and speedily'' and that India shall not take ``another betrayal''. He conveyed this message to senior members of the Bush Administration during the first day of talks, even while appreciating what Washington had done thus far to make Pakistan abandon its policy on terrorism.
``The touchstone of Pakistan's sincerity will be in its positive response'' to the four ``legitimate'' demands of India, he told correspondents at the Indian embassy, following his meetings with the U.S. Attorney-General, John Ashcroft, and the Secretary of State, Colin Powell.
India's demands, Mr. Advani reiterated, were the handing over of 20 terrorists, many of whom were Indian nationals being sheltered by Islamabad; closure of facilities, training camps, arms supply, funding and all direct and indirect assistance; stoppage of infiltration of arms and men from Pakistan into Jammu and Kashmir; and a ``categorical and unambiguous renunciation'' of terrorism in all its manifestations.
Mr. Advani, during his interaction with the press corps, took the position that he remained unconvinced that Islamabad had taken sufficient steps but held out the prospect of a peaceful resolution of the current tension.
``Pakistan has so far neither shown any sincerity in wanting to end cross-border terrorism against India, nor taken adequate, demonstrable and effective steps in that direction.'' He reiterated that India had been patiently waiting for Islamabad to act, but could not say how long this could last.
Criticising Pakistan's double standards in dealing with terrorism and ridiculing the distinction being made between terrorists and freedom-fighters, Mr. Advani noted,``we fully agree with President Bush's exhortation that there cannot be good terrorists and bad terrorists. Obviously, President Musharraf seems to think otherwise,'' he said and added that to call a terrorist a freedom-fighter was really ``incomprehensible and unacceptable''.
Elaborating India's demands, Mr. Advani argued that Pakistan could not have terror as an instrument of state policy.``Even after September 11, every month we have hundreds of terrorists crossing the LoC or the International Border, infiltrating into India to carry out what we describe as a proxy war whose essential ingredients are sabotage and terrorism''.
``This has been happening even though on both sides of the border we have armies positioned... a situation in which infiltration is impossible unless it is facilitated by one side. Not even a stray dog can come across the LoC or the International Border unless the State that side facilitates its crossing over,'' Mr. Advani said.
`We will not abandon restraint'
India was looking forward to its own diplomacy and that of the international community to make Pakistan abandon terror as an instrument of state policy, Mr. Advani said, but ``I am not that confident.'' Asked about the deep concern in this part of the world about something terribly going wrong in the subcontinent that would result in a nuclear showdown, he said India ``will not abandon restraint'' and the country would stand by its assertion of no-first-use of nuclear weapons.
Maintaining that he had not come to Washington to ``seek any assurances'' but to share information, resolve and determination, the Minister characterised his meetings with Mr. Ashcroft and Gen. Powell, Richard Haass, Director of Policy Planning at the State Department, and with George Tenet, Central Intelligence Agency Director, as ``very satisfactory and strengthening the resolve of the two countries, India and the United States, to carry on a concerted battle against international terrorism''.
``I could also perceive that the United States appreciated our concerns with respect to terrorism,'' Mr. Advani said making the point that he felt optimistic that the purpose for which he came _ stamping out the global menace of terrorism _ could be achieved. The December 13 attack on Parliament was a ``real traumatic experience'' and a turning point in India's history and determination to fight terrorism, he said.
While a good portion of Mr. Advani's talks with Mr. Ashcroft and Gen. Powell on Wednesday related to terrorism, global and regional _ including fine-tuning the several bilateral measures that have been put in place over the last two years _ he discussed the broader aspects of the growing Indo-U.S. relations. Mr. Ashcroft has accepted an invitation to visit India.
On Wednesday evening at an Indian American Community reception hosted by the Ambassador, Lalit Mansingh, Mr. Advani once again sharply criticised Pakistan for trying to make a distinction between terrorists and freedom-fighters and expressed doubts whether Pakistan would change its approach.
Calling the Jammu and Kashmir issue a continuing history of missed opportunities, he reiterated that the State was an ``inseparable part of India'', his definition of the area being Jammu, the Valley, Ladakh, the Pakistan-occupied areas and the portions that Pakistan gave to China.
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