08/01/2002
EDITORIAL NUMBER=0-10040

POWELL IN INDIA AND PAKISTAN

U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell visited India and Pakistan this past weekend. It was his third visit in less than a year. As Mr. Powell said, "the United States has good relations with all of the nations of south Asia, perhaps better than at any time in the last quarter century." And the U.S. is anxious to improve its relations with India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and other countries in the region.

If the U.S. is seen as a good partner with the south Asian nations, said Mr. Powell, "then we are in a position to, perhaps, from time to time, assist nations in resolving differences. . .not as an interfering friend, not as a mediator, but [as] somebody whose good offices can be used in order to bring people to the table."

Some weeks ago, as Mr. Powell pointed out, "the prospect of war between India and Pakistan was very real. Thanks to the efforts of the international community, but especially the efforts of the parties themselves, tensions have been reduced. Both sides have reaffirmed their desire for a peaceful political solution to the problems that exist."

Chief among those problems is the disputed territory of Kashmir. Kashmir has been a source of conflict between India and Pakistan for more than half a century. In May 1999, fighting flared up again along the line of control that separates the Indian- and Pakistani-controlled parts of Kashmir.

New unrest was sparked by terrorist attacks in Kashmir this past May. They included an attack by Muslim separatists that killed more than thirty people. But in recent weeks, the situation has become less tense.

The U.S. is looking to both India and Pakistan to take steps that begin to bring peace to the region and to ensure a better future for the Kashmiri people. In particular, the U.S. is counting on Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf to keep his pledge to end the infiltration of terrorists into the part of Kashmir controlled by India. And both sides need to create conditions that will permit peaceful, fair, and open assembly elections in Indian-controlled Kashmir beginning in September.

As Secretary of State Powell said, "The problems with Kashmir cannot be resolved through violence, but only through a healthy political process and a vibrant dialogue."