The Hindu : 'Travel advisories were not warranted'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jun 28, 2002

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'Travel advisories were not warranted'

NEW DELHI JUNE 27. In a guarded welcome of the revision of travel advisories by the United States, Britain and some other nations, India today said these were not warranted in the first place, and added that ``such measures have failed to build any pressure on us''.

Official sources commenting on the decision of U.S, Britain, Japan and Australia to revise their travel advisories issued in view of the lessening Indo-Pak. tension, said: ``India is a safe and secure place for foreigners."

A report from Washington said the U.S. has withdrawn its month-long warning to citizens to leave India, citing the easing of tensions between India and Pakistan. But the State Department kept in place its advice to its citizens to leave Pakistan in view of the June 14 car bombing in Karachi and the ``ongoing concern for further terrorist actions against American citizens.'' The State Department had put out the advisory to the 60,000 Americans in India, including diplomats and their families, to leave the country at the end of May.

The U.S. State Department spokesman, Richard Boucher, told reporters that while tensions between India and Pakistan remained far from relaxed, they had recently eased somewhat. ``So we felt an adjustment in travel warnings was in order to reflect the recent positive steps taken by both countries to back away from an imminent escalation of armed conflict.''

Nevertheless, he said, the Department still advised Americans to defer non-essential travel to India. ``We also remind Americans that the terrorist threat in Pakistan remains very high and unchanged.'' — UNI

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