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Chidanand Rajghatta
WASHINGTON/NEW DELHI, JULY 21: In the strongest ever condemnation of cross-border terrorism affecting India, the US today said such acts would make the Kashmir conflict more difficult to resolve.
Asked at a State Department briefing about the continued killing of innocent civilians in Jammu and Kashmir, including the recent massacre in Doda, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said the US had noted reports of the killings and ``we condemn attacks against civilians and those who perpetrate them and those who give assistance to the perpetrators.''
``Acts of terrorism must stop immediately because such actions make the Kashmir conflict more not less difficult to resolve,'' she said.
This is the first time Washington has issued such a strong condemnation of cross-border terrorism with particular reference to Kashmir. Otherwise, the State Department routinely deplores international terrorism while painting the events in Kashmir in a different hue.
Albright said she was looking forward to meeting India'sExternal Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh in Singapore over the weekend to discuss the prospect of India and Pakistan resuming talks under the Lahore process.
``He is someone that I've known for a long time and that has really been important in the dialogue we had on the nuclear issues as well as on the Lahore process,'' she said.
This came even as President Bill Clinton telephoned Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee today in continuation of the direct high-level dialogue the two have been having over the past two weeks.
The call, which is said to have lasted nearly 20 minutes, is said to be part of the ongoing process aimed at ``correcting'' the relationship between two like-spirited democracies.
According to informed sources, the President has now revived his plans to visit India without any pre-conditions or non-proliferation initiatives. US officials have been giving indications to this effect while suggesting Washington would still like to see India sign the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. Clinton'scall to Vajpayee might have something to do with this.
US officials feel the best window of opportunity for the President to visit India may be later this year after the Indian elections in September throw up a new government.
Of course, the assumption here is that the BJP will return to power. Any change of government will probably mean a change in the dynamics of the inter-governmental ties.
That the two sides have mended their ties after last year's nuclear tests by India was evident in the warm remarks made by Albright ahead of her meeting with Jaswant.
The Indian Government is setting great store by the ``understanding'' for India's position expressed by Clinton in his conversation with Vajpayee this evening.
India, however, is in no hurry to start talking to Pakistan again and Jaswant Singh made this clear again today when he told an audience at the IIC that talks are futile unless unless Pakistan gives a ``practical demonstration of abjuring cross-border terrorism''.
While there was noconfirmation whether the question of resuming the Lahore process came up during the Clinton-Vajpayee conversation, official sources emphasised the formulation used by the US President of ``understanding India's position''. They saw it as significant because it was made in the context of Vajpayee's assertion that Pakistan must take specific steps to reaffirm the sanctity of the Line of Control, including the cessation of cross-border terrorism.
While briefing the US President on the situation in Kargil, Vajpayee also reiterated that Pakistan must withdraw all its Army regulars from Indian territory.
The conversation between the two leaders also touched on bilateral issues with Clinton expressing his desire to visit India in the ``near future''. Vajpayee replied that a warm welcome awaited him and talked of the need to deepen the cooperation between India and the US.
Copyright © 1999 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
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