U.S.: Terrorist Violence in Kashmir Continues

July 25, 2002

U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said Thursday that there has been a reduction in infiltrations across the line of control in Kashmir but unfortunately the "terrorist violence" has continued.

Talking to reporters outside the State Department with the visiting Afghan Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah, Powell said he was going to India and Pakistan to review America's bilateral relations with those two countries, but "I will also talk about the current tension in the region."

Powell leaves for South Asia on Friday on a two-day visit, arriving first in New Delhi and then flying over to Islamabad on Sunday for talks with Pakistani leaders.

"There has been some reduction in infiltrations across the line of control, but it is still unfortunately the case that there is violence. There is terrorist violence that takes place," he added.

In June this year, the United States solicited a pledge from Pakistan that it will permanently stop cross-border attacks by Kashmiri militants into Indian-held Kashmir.

While Pakistan says it has stopped the infiltrations, India complaints that Islamabad has failed to fulfill its pledge.

In May this year, South Asia's two nuclear neighbors appeared close to yet another war. They already have fought three wars, two of them over Kashmir, a Himalayan valley disputed between them since their independence in 1947.

U.S. mediation and constant engagement have prevented a potential war but more than a million troops still face each other across the tense border.

Powell said as secretary of State it was important for him to "regularly travel to those two very important countries to review the state of our relations."

He said that in his conversations with Indian and Pakistani leaders he would "see if there are any other actions that can be taken that will reduce the level of violence or the potential for violence."

"And I'm sure we will have discussions on the possibility of a dialogue at some point in the future between the two sides that will deal with the question of Kashmir," he added.

Invited to comment on the India-Pakistan tensions, the Afghan foreign minister said, "As a country which has been ravaged by war, we would like to see tensions decreased in ... our neighboring countries."

He said the reduction of tensions between India and Pakistan was not only in the interest of both the countries "but also in the interest of the whole region as we will also be affected by the rising of tensions between the two countries."

"We would like to see an end to the conflict in that part of the world and an end which will be acceptable to both sides," he added.

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