No US mediation on Kashmir : Obama

Lalit K Jha

Washington, June 20 (PTI) Firmly ruling out any US
mediation on the Kashmir issue, President Barack Obama has
said that dialogue between India and Pakistan, "maybe not
starting with Kashmir", is the best way to reduce tensions
between them.

Describing both India and Pakistan as "great friends"
of the US, he said Washington wants to be "helpful" in that
process and can't dictate to them how they should resolve
their differences.

"I believe that there are opportunities, maybe not
starting with Kashmir but starting with other issues, that
Pakistan and India can be in a dialogue together and over time
to try to reduce tensions and find areas of common interest,"
Obama said in an interview to Pakistan's Dawn TV.

The answer from Obama came in response to a question
as to why his Administration has been silent on Kashmir, after
he had initially mentioned it.

"Well, I don't think that we have been silent on the
fact that India is a great friend of the United States and
Pakistan is a great friend of the United States, and it always
grieves us to see friends fighting. And we can't dictate to
Pakistan or India how they should resolve their differences,
but we know that both countries would prosper if those
differences are resolved," Obama said.
Ruling out any US mediation between India and
Pakistan, Obama said: "We want to be helpful in that process,
but I don't think it's appropriate for us to be the mediators
in that process. I think that this is something that the
Pakistanis and Indians can take leadership on."

Quizzed whether the US has asked India to resume
dialogue with Pakistan, Obama said: "Well, what we have said
is that we think that all of South Asia would benefit by
reduced tensions between India and Pakistan."

On a visit to Delhi earlier this month, Under
Secretary of State for Political Affairs, William Burns had
suprised the Indian government in remarks at a press meet
when he resonated Pakistan's view that resolution of the
Kashmir issue should take into account the "wishes" of the
people of the state.

Burns, who had handed over Obama's letter to Singh,
had gone on to say that the "pace, scope and character" of the
Indo-Pak dialogue, suspended since the Mumbai terror attacks,
be decided by the leaders of the two countries.

In his interview, Obama said, "I think that dialogue
is the best way to reduce tensions. And so, you know, we're
hopeful that Prime Minister Singh and President Zardari --
they recently had an opportunity to meet briefly. It wasn't an
extensive conversation but it was the start of what may end up
being more productive conversations in the future," Obama
underlined.
Taking on board concerns voiced by lawmakers that the
new financial aid should not be used for building up the
Pakistan army against India, Obama made it clear that such
assistance had to be used against extremism.

"We have in the past supported Pakistan militarily. I
think it is important to make sure that military support is
directed at extremists and our common enemies," he said.

Many US lawmakers in the past have expressed concern
that Pakistan has used American financial aid to build up its
army, rather than fight extremism in its restive tribal areas.

The Obama Administration has increased the
non-military aid to Pakistan to USD 1.5 billion a year for the
next five years.

Asked about concerns of Pakistan's nuclear weapons
falling into the hands of extremists, Obama said, "I have the
confidence that the Pakistani government has safeguarded its
nuclear arsenal".

Dwelling on the situation in Afghanistan, the
President hoped that the US will not have to send more troops
there.

"Now, the United States, we do not want to be in a
position where we're having to send troops to Afghanistan, for
example. We would love the Afghan government to be secure and
stable so that it can ensure that it does not become a safe
haven for organizations like al Qaeda," he said. PTI