US President Bush appealed to the leaders of India and Pakistan Wednesday to use words rather than guns to resolve their differences. But with feelings still high, the State Department strongly urged Americans in those two nuclear-armed countries to leave and said Americans planning to travel to the region should postpone their trips.
Mr. Bush called Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee of India and President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan, urging them to "take steps that will ease tensions in the region and reduce the risk of war," Ari Fleischer, the chief White House spokesman, told reporters.
"Both leaders, the president stressed, need to choose the path of diplomacy," Mr. Fleischer said. He declined to discuss the reactions of Mr. Vajpayee or General Musharraf.
Mr. Fleischer said that the president had told General Musharraf that the United States expected Pakistan to live up to its commitment to end support for terrorism, and that Mr. Bush asked India to respond with "descalatory steps."
The State Department said that "tensions between India and Pakistan remain at serious levels, and the risk of intensified military hostilities cannot be ruled out."
The warnings about India and Pakistan superseded warnings issued in late May about each country. Today's warnings took on a new tone of urgency.
The latest warnings came despite guarded optimism expressed in London today by Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, who will visit India and Pakistan this week as part of his 10-day trip abroad.
Mr. Rumsfeld said it was "useful" that Mr. Vajpayee and General Musharraf, had both attended a meeting on Tuesday seeking solutions, even though they did not speak to each other. Mr. Rumsfeld's British counterpart, Geoff Hoon, said at first that it was "encouraging" that India was considering a joint monitoring arrangement with Pakistan of some disputed territory in Kashmir.
But India quickly emphasized that such patrols were out of the question under present circumstances, and would not be considered until India is satisfied that Pakistan really intends to stop terrorist attacks against Indian civilians.
The State Department said the situation is especially dangerous along the India-Pakistan border, particularly near Kashmir, the region that has long been in contention between the countries.
Terrorist attacks against Americans in India and Pakistan, including assaults by people belonging to or allied with the Al Qaeda network, cannot be ruled out, the department said.
India and Pakistan have long viewed each other with wariness, even in stretches of relative peace, and have gone to war three times.
(China Daily June 6, 2002)
