US doesn't intend to meddle in Kashmir: Key Obama aide

Lalit K Jha

Washington, Jun 7 (PTI) The US does not intend to "meddle"
in the Kashmir issue, but will support any effort by India and
Pakistan to reduce their tensions, a key aide to President
Barack Obama says while pressing Islamabad to take the "first
step" to bring to justice the Mumbai attack masterminds.

Allaying apprehensions in some quarters in India that US
Special Envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke's
mandate may also include Kashmir, Bruce Riedel, who co-chaired
the inter-agency committee which formulated the Af-Pak policy,
said: "I do not think, the Obama Administration intends to
meddle in Kashmir."

Riedel, a former CIA official, said it is in the interest
of the US to see tension between India and Pakistan be reduced
and diminished and see a resumption of the bilateral composite
dialogue and a back channel between India and Pakistan that
produced some significant result between 2006 and May 2007.

"But at the end of the day it is fundamentally up to the
Indians and Pakistanis to make those decisions, and change
those policies that way. United States can be a supporter and
it should be, but it is up to Indians and Pakistanis to find a
way to reduce tensions between them," Riedel told PTI here.

"The critical first step in that regard that is for
Pakistan to take steps to bring to justice the masterminds who
murdered a 160 people in Mumbai last November. That is the
first step, without that it would be very very difficult to
see a reduction in tension between Islamabad and New Delhi,"
he said.

"I can't see how any Indian government could or should
simply forget what happened last November in Mumbai," Riedel
said, insisting that those responsible for that massacre have
to be brought to justice.

"The Pakistani Government has been asking for evidence. I
think, India has provided the evidence. Now it is time to take
some action against Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jamaat-ud-Dawa and those
who perpetrated this terrorist outrage," he said.

Commenting on bilateral ties, Riedel noted that there was
a bipartisan consensus in the US that India would be one of
the most important partners and friends to the United States
in the 21st century.

"On every issue that matters to America, from
international terrorism to global warming, to arms control,
the future of democracy; India is a critical player and the US
and India have fundamentally similar interests and values.

"And I think, across the political spectrum in the
United States there is a recognition (about) that. This is an
unusual area of consensus in American politics. I expect the
Obama Administration to continue what the Clinton and Bush
Administrations began, which is strengthening US-Indian
relations," he said.

When asked whether the fizz in Indo-US ties that was
witnessed during the previous Bush era was missing after
Barack Obama became US President this year, Riedel replied in
the negative.

Riedel said: "The Obama Administration has rightly given
India a chance to conduct its own political process. India has
been in a process of a very important election and has come
out with a very important result – the return of the Congress
Government.

"By definition during that electoral period, US-Indian
bilateral relations were on the back-burner, while India put
its own political house in order."

With the Congress-led UPA back in power, Riedel said he
expected bilateral diplomatic ties to regain the tempo and
take a "significant uptick."

He also noted that Washington has rightly focused on the
war in Afghanistan, and the deteriorating situation in
Pakistan. At the same time, he made it clear that the Obama
Administration intends to consult closely with New Delhi at
every stage it moves forward on the new Afghanistan-Pakistan
strategy.

"I think, that makes perfect sense as the Government in
New Delhi very much wants those consultations," he said.

Describing India as a "key player" in Afghanistan, Riedel
noted that New Delhi has provided over USD 1 billion as aid to
the Afghan Government. PTI LKJ
AM
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