WASHINGTON: The United States has said that it was trying to work constructively with both India and Pakistan to see if they can reach some resolution of the long standing Kashmir problem.
The Secretary of State Warren Christopher told the House of Representatives International Relations Committee that we have had in these last two or three years a resolution or near resolution of problems that seemed to be intractable, It gives us some hope that we will find some approach to Kashmir which will be useful there.”
He was replying to Congressman James Moran who said: “The First Lady has been visiting India and Pakistan and Mrs. Bhutto will be over here but we seem to have a situation that is not getting better in that part of the world. What are your views on the Kashmir situation?”
In reply a question about the efforts o he US Administration to urge the khlistan Government to extradite Aimal Kansi and get him to the US for prosecution for the murder of CIA officials, he said the US is making very strong efforts to obtain the cooperation of the Pakistani Government (with regard to the location and extradition of Kansi). I must say in many cases we have very good cooperation from the Pakistani Government.”
He cited the case of Ramzi Yousef, the alleged mastermind of the Now York trade center bombing, who has been extradited to the US.
Asked whether any progress had been made in identifying those responsible for the killing of two consular officials in Karachi, Christoper said that the case has not been resolved. The FBI has begun its proceedings. “We are working on it with diligence,” he said.
The US Secretary of State said in a prepared statement introduced into the committee’s records:”the deadly militant attack on American personnel in Karachi is only the most recent example of the threats and hardships that these public servants (foreign service and other US personnel posted abroad) face.”
Another witness, Director of the Defence Security Agency, Lt Gen Thomas Rhame, said in reply to Congressman Doug Bereuter, chairman of the Asia and Pacific Sub-committee, that he would welcome any initiative to include Pakistan in the expanded international military education and training program. Grants under the program are now barred for Pakistan under the Pressler Amendment Pakistan ca still take advantage of the program if it is prepared to pay for it but the cost will be very high.
Meanwhile, eight Democratic and Republican Congressmen introduced. a resolution urging the US to “take into consideration the wishes of the people of Kashmir” and called upon the Clinton Administration to “work with the United Nations and the international community to facilitate a meaningful negotiation.”
The resolution was welcomed by Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai, who heads the Kashmiri-American council.
Article extracted from this publication >> April 7, 1995
