04 January 2002

Powell Seeks End To India-Pakistan Crisis

Speaking with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) on January 4, Secretary of State Colin Powell said he hoped India and Pakistan could avoid military confrontation and work together to fight against terrorism, and not against each other. Powell also said he believed India and Pakistan would eventually have to open a political dialogue over Kashmir.

He commended Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf and Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee for steps taken and statements made by both to avoid military confrontation in retaliation for the terrorist attack on the Indian parliament December 13.

Asked if the U.S. shouldn't be tackling the Kashmir issue, Secretary Powell responded, "Kashmir is a difficult issue. It has been for many, many years. And I think it's going to have to be part of a dialogue between the two nations in due course. But right now we have to focus on the dangerous situation that is before us, and that is the mobilization of forces that are in close proximity to one another, with the possibility of some sparks setting that off. And then we are into a conflict between the two nations, two nuclear-armed nations".

In answer to a question about a possible special envoy to India and Pakistan, Powell said that appointment of a special envoy to the region was "under consideration."

Powell said the U.S. would try to be helpful, and would encourage the two countries to talk to one another. The Bush Administration, he said, has been in daily contact with Pakistani and Indian leaders since the December 13 terrorist attack on the Indian Parliament.

While the situation remains very dangerous, Powell noted "It is in everyone's interest to try to solve this through diplomatic and political means, and there have been some encouraging signs in recent days, and we are going to build on the progress that I think we have seen."

The transcript of Secretary Powell's full interview follows.

Question: Mr. Secretary, I know you have been closely watching the India-Pakistan situation. Do you believe that Pakistan has done enough now to reign in the militant or terrorist groups operating from its soil?

Secretary Powell: Well, I think Pakistan has done a great deal since this crisis started on the 13th of December, first by arresting the leaders of the two terrorist organizations most closely linked to being the perpetrators of this act, the JEM and the LET. Pakistan has also arrested a number of other individuals who might be associated with terrorist activities. So they have done quite a bit.

But beyond just arresting people, I think President Musharraf has made a number of bold statements with respect to moderation and going after extremist elements within Pakistani society. And it just didn't start since the 13th of December; he has indicated since the beginning of the campaign against terrorism that he would be moving in this direction.

So he has done quite a bit, and I expect him to do more. I expect him to make other statements when he gets back from the SAARC meeting in Katmandu, and in due course we will see whether or not we have found a political and diplomatic solution to this crisis.

I am also encouraged that on the Indian side, even though they have mobilized their forces, and even though I know how shocked they were by this horrible attack against their democracy, a strike against the Parliament of India, where the terrorists came in to try to destroy the leadership of this democratic nation, and they have mobilized in response to that, I also take note that the Prime Minister of India is anxious to find a political and diplomatic solution, as he has said almost every day in the past week.

Question: Was Pakistan supporting terror before this?

Secretary Powell: I think the question is terrorist organizations in general. Both of these nations have suffered from terrorist attacks against them; we all have. And what we are trying to do now is to channel the anger that exists, channel whatever effort there now exists -- and there is considerable effort -- into a campaign against all forms of terrorism, wherever it exists around the country, or around the world -- not here in the United States, but around the world -- in India, in Pakistan, and go after terrorist organizations that are trying to go against democratic nations, going against nations that are trying to move forward into the 21st century.

And so we are encouraging all nations to do that. We are encouraging India and Pakistan to work within this coalition to fight against terrorism, and not fight against each other.

Question: Well, you, the United States, are open to charges of hypocrisy. You have asserted the right to go into Afghanistan to root out the terror that attacked you; why can't India not do that now?

Secretary Powell: Well, India is mobilizing because they are concerned about what happened, and deeply concerned, and they felt a need to mobilize. What we are saying to the Indians, and to the Pakistanis, is that there are other ways to solve this problem. And one way that we are all working toward now is to get the Pakistani Government to take action against these terrorist organizations, and President Musharraf is doing so. Is there more he can do? Yes, I'm sure there is, and I expect him to do more.

Every day for the past week or so, he has taken a step or more in that direction, and I think we should take note of that. The Indian Government has taken note of it. And I think both the Indian Government and the Pakistani Government realize that it is not in anyone's interest for a war to break out in South Asia. It is in everyone's interest to try to solve this through diplomatic and political means, and there have been some encouraging signs in recent days, and we are going to build on the progress that I think we have seen.

Prime Minister Blair is in the region now, and I'm sure he will have constructive discussions with both sides in this vein.

Question: Is this the moment for the leaders of the two countries to meet at the summit they are both attending?

Secretary Powell: Well, they are both there. They are both in the same room. The rules for SAARC, as I understand them, is that you do not talk about bilateral issues; you talk about economic issues affecting the whole region. But perhaps there will be an opportunity for the two leaders to have a word about this, and I hope if that opportunity presents itself, they will take it.

But that's up to them. They are leaders of two sovereign nations, and they will make their own judgment as to whether it is appropriate for them to talk in Katmandu or not. But you can be sure that the rest of us -- the British Government, the United States Government, the Russian Government, the United Nations -- all of us have an interest in what is happening in South Asia; all of us have an interest in bringing this dangerous situation to an end; and we all have a common goal of doing it through political and diplomatic means, and not resorting to war.

Question: You are dealing with the symptoms here; why not really tackle the cause, which surely is Kashmir? Is it not time for a really deep initiative on the political situation there?

Secretary Powell: Well, Kashmir is a difficult issue. It has been for many, many years. And I think it's going to have to be part of a dialogue between the two nations in due course. But right now we have to focus on the dangerous situation that is before us, and that is the mobilization of forces that are in close proximity to one another, with the possibility of some sparks setting that off. And then we are into a conflict between the two nations, two nuclear-armed nations.

And so we have to use all of our political and diplomatic efforts now to solve this immediate short-term problem, and then deal with the long-term issues that exist between the two nations.

Question: Well, will you push them into that dialogue in due course?

Secretary Powell: Well, it's not a matter of pushing them. They are nations that are well aware of their respective interests. We will try to be helpful. We will encourage them to talk to one another. And to the extent that outside nations can assist and the United States can assist in encouraging such a dialogue, we will do so.

Question: There has been talk of your sending an envoy, or the President sending an envoy. Is that under discussion?

Secretary Powell: Well, we have two excellent envoys there now, Ambassador Blackwell in India and Ambassador Chamberlain in Islamabad. Both of them have done a superb job. They are in constant daily, almost hourly, contact with their Pakistani and Indian counterparts. To some extent, I have been an envoy by phone, speaking to the leaders on a regular basis, and the President has also been in touch. As far as somebody actually going there to add to our efforts, this is under consideration, and we will take a hard look at this at the beginning of next week, after the leaders have returned from Katmandu. They are all in Katmandu right now, so there wouldn't be much point in sending an envoy right now, or for additional presence. We are being well represented by Ambassadors Chamberlain and Blackwell.

Question: What about the nuclear issue? If the worst comes to the worst, have you any kind of assurances from the two governments that they wouldn't let a war go to that terrible strait of going nuclear?

Secretary Powell: Prime Minister Vajpayee said yesterday, in clarification of remarks he had made a day earlier, that India would not resort to first use of nuclear weapons. The Pakistani does not have such a declaratory policy, but I think both nations recognize that this is not something we want to even give consideration to. We have got to make sure that we don't start down this road. And that's why we are anxious to see the situation stabilized, and then start moving in the other direction.

Both nations are mobilizing. We hope that those mobilization efforts can come to a halt quickly, and not go any further toward actual clashing of forces, and that we can start finding ways to de-escalate, both militarily and diplomatically and politically. And there are some encouraging signs out there, but I don't want to overplay this. This is still a very dangerous situation.

Question: Well, how confident are you that this can be resolved peacefully? And how important is it to the United States?

Secretary Powell: I think it is important not just to the United States; it's important to India and Pakistan to find a diplomatic solution. It's important to our international campaign against terrorism to have had almost four months now of considerable success in that part of the world, with our campaign against al-Qaida and bin Laden in Afghanistan, to suddenly find that the situation gets out of control because of this crisis between India and Pakistan. It is important for all of us to find a political and diplomatic solution. It is the interest of the United States, the United Kingdom, the international community at large, and of course, I think it is in the interest of Pakistan and India.

Both of the leaders -- both President Musharraf and Prime Minister Vajpayee -- had said, have both said they are looking for a political and diplomatic solution. And so far that quest continues, and there has been some success. But we are far away from a solution, but we are trying to reach that solution.

Question: Mr. Secretary, thank you very much for your time.

Secretary Powell: You're quite welcome. Thank you, sir.

11:43 a.m. EST