Obama Administration says no to Kashmir By Lalit K Jha

Washington, Mar 28 (PTI) The US has categorically ruled
out involving itself in the Kashmir issue but expressed desire
to help India and Pakistan build more trust and confidence,
hours after favouring use of "constructive diplomacy" with the
two countries to ease tensions between them.

"Kashmir is a separate issue," National Security Adviser
General James Jones told foreign correspondents at a briefing
here Saturday.

He was responding to a question from a Pakistani
journalist, who wanted to know if the US would address the
issue of Kashmir in the context of the latest statement from
President Barack Obama about indulging into constructive
diplomacy between the two countries.

"We don't intend to get involved in that (Kashmir) issue,
but we do intend to help both countries ... build more trust
and confidence so that Pakistan can address the issues that it
confronts on the western side of the nation," Jones said.

"...we think that the times are so serious that we need
to build the trust and confidence in the region," Jones
maintained.

Earlier in the day, Obama favoured using constructive
diplomacy with India and Pakistan so as to reduce tensions
between the neighbours.

"To lessen tensions between two nuclear-armed nations
that too often teeter on the edge of escalation and
confrontation, we must pursue constructive diplomacy with both
India and Pakistan," Obama said while announcing his new
policy on Afghanistan and Pakistan. PTI LKJ KIM
HMK