Thursday, Jun 27, 2002
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By C. Raja Mohan
Australia moved first when, earlier this week, it announced a positive revision of its previous travel advisories. Today Japan, Britain and New Zealand followed suit. The Bush administration is expected to announce its relaxation late tonight.
US eases advisory on India, but not Pakistan WASHINGTON, JUNE 26. The United States late tonight withdrew a warning that strongly urged Americans to leave India because it might go to war with Pakistan. But despite reduced tensions in South Asia, the State Department still recommends that Americans leave Pakistan because of a high threat of militant attacks against them there. "The department notes that the very high level of tension between India and Pakistan that existed at the end of May and the beginning of June has subsided somewhat," it said in a revised travel warning on India. However, Americans should defer all but essential travel to India, however, the State Department said. It made the same warning in a separate advisory on Pakistan that also urged Americans to leave that country. "Tensions between India and Pakistan remain at serious levels, and the risk of intensified military hostilities cannot be ruled out," the warning on Pakistan said. It noted a June 14 car bomb attack at the U.S. consulate in Karachi, a March attack on a church in Islamabad and the killing of American journalist Daniel Pearl earlier this year. "There is a growing possibility that as security is increased at official U.S. facilities, terrorists and their sympathisers will seek less well-protected targets," it said. "These may include facilities where Americans are generally known to congregate or visit, such as clubs, restaurants, places of worship, schools or outdoor recreation events," it said. The earlier travel warnings on India and Pakistan were issued June 5 amid heightened tensions between the nuclear rivals. - Reuters The Western travel advisories have only been eased partially. Until now, the Western capitals were advising their citizens to avoid travelling to India. Now they are saying "travel to India, if you must.'' The lifting of the negative travel advisories and decisions to bring back the diplomatic staff and their dependents are expected to come only after a substantive de-escalation of tensions between India and Pakistan. Late last month, as the military standoff between New Delhi and Islamabad appeared to move towards hostilities, the U.S., many European countries and Japan advised their residents in India to go home and citizens not to travel to India. As the Western expatriates began to leave in droves and business travellers cancelled their plans to visit India, there was a strong concern in the Government at the economic consequences of the negative travel advisories. The latest travel advice from Japan, Britain, Australia and New Zealand are similar in content, suggesting political coordination between the U.S. and its allies. Three features stand out. One, the Western Governments are no longer advising their citizens resident in India to leave the country. But they are suggesting that the residents monitor the situation closely and be prepared to leave at short notice. Two, they are telling their citizens at home to avoid travelling to India for "non-essential'' and "holiday travel.'' Three, the restrictions on travelling to Jammu and Kashmir and the border regions stay in place. The Bush administration is slated to review by the end of this month the instructions to its non-essential diplomatic staffers and their dependents to leave India. Analysts here say this decision is unlikely to be reversed in a hurry given the apprehension in Washington that tensions between India and Pakistan could easily re-ignite, and the logistical problems of repeated shuffling of the staff.
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