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Mission to continue: Powell
TACOMA (WASHINGTON), JAN. 21. The U.S. Secretary of State, Colin Powell, flying home from a one-week tour of Asia, today said he would resume work on reducing tension between India and Pakistan after a few days of diversions.
Gen. Powell visited Islamabad and New Delhi last week. But, speaking to reporters on his plane between Tokyo and the United States today, he said he would not rest there and turn his back on the issue.
``I have no illusions and I need more movement there before something (happens)... To have us sliding backward,'' he said.
The U.S. strategy has been to persuade the Pakistan President, Pervez Musharraf, to crack down on militant groups, especially those operating in Kashmir, while simultaneously urging India to give Gen. Musharraf more time.
Gen. Powell said he last addressed the Indo-Pakistani confrontation on Friday when he called Musharraf from Kathmandu and urged him to look at additional information from India on a list of 20 terrorists.
The United States says Gen. Musharraf does not rule out extraditing at least the non-Pakistanis on the list.
Gen. Powell said: ``as soon as I get back to Washington, I will re-engage as fast as I can with both the Indians and the Pakistanis.'' In the meantime, the U.S. Ambassadors in Islamabad and New Delhi have been active, he added.
- Reuters
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