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A clear break with the past: U.S.
By Sridhar Krishnaswami
WASHINGTON, JAN. 12. The United States has welcomed the speech of the Pakistan President, Pervez Musharraf, promising to get tough with militants suspected of committing acts of terror against India.
A senior State Department Official has been quoted in an agency report as saying that the speech ``provides a basis for both sides to ratchet down the tension''. The speech ``marks a clear break with the violence of the past in Kashmir and Pakistani society as a whole''.
The Bush administration has been urging Pakistan to come down really hard on the terror outfits hurting India and had been hoping that Gen. Musharraf's speech will show a way out of the rising tensions in the sub-continent.
Let's wait, says Powell
Earlier, on Friday, the Bush administration asked India not to pin all hopes on the speech of Gen. Musharraf and to give him time to crack down on Kashmiri militants.
``The Indians are looking for action and substance as well as the right policy statements and so tomorrow is an important day,'' the U.S. Secretary of State, Colin Powell, had told agency reporters.
``I think it's also important to note that you can't expect every action to be taken at the same time you're giving a speech which is a policy statement and so I've been saying to the Indians, let's see what President Musharraf says and let's see what actions are taken at the time of the speech and also after the speech,'' he said. ``And so don't judge the speech in and of itself as a total response on the part of President Musharraf.''
Gen. Powell is travelling to Asia next Tuesday and will make stops in Afghanistan, India and Pakistan. The crux of the message to both Islamabad and New Delhi will be that war over Kashmir is ``unthinkable'' and a ``disaster.''
After both sides got through the immediate crisis, Washington would encourage India and Pakistan to start the dialogue ``which ultimately must include Kashmir.''
Staying in line with the administration stand that Gen. Musharraf has started moving in the direction of cracking down on terrorism after September 11, Gen. Powell once again urged India to give him more time. ``President Musharraf started moving in this direction ... and I think he will continue to move in that direction...The best solution right now is to pursue this in political and diplomatic channels because it is unthinkable that we should abandon the political and diplomatic track in order to see a conflict break out in the region.
``With all the success we have seen in the last four months with respect to the campaign against terrorism in that part of the world, it would be a disaster if this now were fought out on the field of battle,'' he said, adding that though New Delhi and Islamabad were saying they wanted a diplomatic solution, ``we have forces that are in proximity with one another and it is a very tense and dangerous situation.''
However, India had been patient in spite of having every right to be ``outraged'' at the attack on Parliament on December 13. ``So far they have responded with patience even while they're mobilising and I hope they will continue to use every political and diplomatic avenue that is open to us,'' Gen. Powell said.
Meanwhile the White House has reiterated that the U.S. President, George W. Bush, believes that Gen. Musharraf has taken action against terrorists. ``The President believes that President Musharraf has made important progress in cracking down. It's important for more activity to be undertaken and the President is looking forward to listening to the speech,'' the spokesman, Ari Fleischer, said.
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