MORE PAKISTAN KASHMIR REBELS ENTER INDIA AREA - US ENVOY

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL ^ | September 19, 2002 6:42 a.m. EDT

[Annakin]

NEW DELHI (AP)--Infiltration of militants from Pakistan's portion of Kashmir into Indian territory has increased in the past two months, the U.S. ambassador said Thursday.

"Infiltration is going on and in our judgment it increased in August and September," Ambassador Robert Blackwill told reporters.

[Annakin]

The issue of Pakistani-supported terrorists infiltrating into and causing havoc in the Indian State of Kashmir (or Jammu & Kashmir, to give the State its full name) has been receiving a great deal of administration, congressional, academic and media attention in the United States in recent months.

In a no-nonsense interview to a local television channel in India, the American Ambassador Robert Blackwill has completely rejected Pakistan's claim of the Assembly elections in the state being a sham, saying, "I will tell what we think, and we do not think it is a sham." Echoing Washington's immediate reaction, he said that the first round of the polls had got off to a good start. (In Washington US state department spokesperson Richard Boucher applauded the "courage of the voters who have chosen to participate in the voting" despite the threats and the violence unleashed by the Pakistani infiltrators).

The Ambassador also confirmed the view expressed by New Delhi that cross-border infiltration from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir into the Indian State of Jammu and Kashmir has gone up, instead of going down. He said: "infiltration is going on, and in our judgment it increased in August and September."

Musharraf "gave a commitment to the international community to permanently end infiltrations across the Line of Control" that divides Kashmir, Blackwill said. "We continue to expect him to live up to that."

He said that U.S. President George W. Bush had raised this issue again during his meeting with Musharraf on Sept. 12.

[Mitchell]

Ping.

[AM2000]

Musharraf is reneging on his promise to disassociate himself from the terrorists.

[Dog Gone]

He certainly doesn't seem to be using the same best efforts to stop it here as he is in Kirachi. At some point, you have to assume that's intentional.

[swarthyguy]

Sigh, promises, promises -

Only if you believed him in the first place.

[Aaron_A]

Pakis are probably scared of the Kashmir elections...especially when compared to their own. This interview with Blackwill seems to have caught a few people off-guard as they were probably expecting the usual American ambiguity.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/753988/posts

And then there are articles like these:
http://www.time.com/time/asia/magazine/article/0,13673,501020923-351277,00.html
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20020920/ap_wo_en_po/kashmir_guerrilla_s_tale_3

[operation clinton cleanup]

J-K polls a chance to establish peace: US

The United States on Monday said the coming Jammu and Kashmir assembly election was an opportunity for separatists to help establish peace in the state.

"We see an opportunity in the elections. It can be part of the larger process to establish peace," Lisa Curtis, a senior Asian affairs advisor to the Bush administration, said after meeting All-Party Hurriyat Conference leader Mirwaiz Omer Farooq in Srinagar.

Curtis said she held discussions with several separatist leaders, including Hurriyat chairman Abdul Gani Bhat and acting Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front chairman Javid Ahmad Mir, and impressed upon them to avail the opportunity for establishing peace in the state.

Asked if she had any special message from Washington, Curtis said, "We came with the message that the US does care about Kashmir and Kashmiris. The problems have to be resolved peacefully."

"We don't have a magical solution. We urged them to see an opportunity in these elections," she said.

Asked about the purpose behind meeting Hurriyat constituents separately, an aide to Curtis from the US embassy in New Delhi, Sheetal Patel, said it was a normal practice.

"We meet them individually to know their viewpoints."

The Mirwaiz told reporters after a 90-minute meeting with Curtis: "The US does have an interest as far as Kashmir is concerned. We have certain suggestions for [US] envoys which they said they will consider."

He said that the Centre would have to clarify the status of elected representatives and give an assurance that it would hold talks with them to resolve the Kashmir issue.

"Whether Pakistan will be involved in the dialogue process has to be made clear," he said.

He said the Hurriyat wanted a political solution to the Kashmir issue and "we are ready for talks".

"We will meet tomorrow [Tuesday] to decide on Government of India's offer of talks," the Mirwaiz said.

On his talks with Kashmir Committee chairman Ram Jethmalani, he said, "As responsible citizens of India, they feel they have duty towards Kashmiri people."

"We will take ten steps if they take one," he added.

Massive Lisa Curtis bump!

[ValerieUSA]

I'll tell Lisa you said she's MASSIVE!

[operation clinton cleanup]

It was the bump I intended to be massive. Lisa is just massively talented and smart.

[ValerieUSA]

Nice save! Think it will work?

[operation clinton cleanup]

If we trade off bumping every few hours, we may just keep this thing alive until she sees it!

[swarthyguy]

From TIME--

In jail, Siddique and Mahmood remained fully committed to militancy. They spouted the usual radical rhetoric: the West was trying to crush Islam, Osama bin Laden was a hero, martyrdom led to everlasting life. Their only regret, said the men, was that they were caught alive. "Mujahedin wait for justice and reward in the other world," intoned Siddique.

He and the others got their wish. A few days after Time saw them, the three jihadis were shot dead by Indian authorities, who said they were trying to escape. It's not clear if their families know yet, and what their reaction will be. But even before his cousin's death, Zahid had made up his mind to join him: "I need to know what to do to go to Kashmir. I want to go on jihad."

All's well that ends well. Good Riddance, scumbags.

[ValerieUSA]

I refuse to bump this.

[operation clinton cleanup]

Your refusal is dully noted.

[Annakin]

Is everything squared away?

[bonesmccoy]

Hi... i'm new to this massive thread. I hope your day is largely peaceful. :)

[Bobby777]

I think Musharraf's got guts to do what he has done ... however, he knows he has a limited life-span being Islamic and in da hood ... he has done some cooperation but looking at the large number of Islamic terrorists in Pakistan I think he's either trying to stay alive or keep from civil war ...

either way, regardless of his intentions, these attacks don't bode well for him ... a few more and India is going to start rumbling her military ...

I shudder to think who would rise to power in nuclear capable Pakistan should Musharraf get killed or thrown out ... Pakistan can't reach the USA but there are many things they could do with those weapons ... like transport them to Iraq ...

[swarthyguy]

I think the USA has every nuke in Pakistan pinpointed and targeted for destruction or removal in case events warrant.

[swarthyguy]

I question his overall sincerity in the War against alqaeda. I don't think he has any.

Nevertheless, the US and Pakistani troops have scored some huge and notable successes recently. So even if he's using alqaeda types as strategic trading cards, he's being forced to turn over more jihadis than he would like to ideally, thereby stoking the mullahs anger against him.

But i don't really care; if he goes the situation is clarified.

As it is, this slow, steady rational approach is accompanied by the steady drip, drip, dripping, of blood.
The blood of innocents, women, boys and girls. Blood that Mush doesn't care about. And also of Muslims in Kashmir, but Musharraf could care less. It achieves his hearts desire of messing with India as much as he can.
Because despite his uniform, his heart is islamic.

He is a bloodthirsty jihadi; but he's our bloodthirsty jihadi.

[Bobby777]

I think many of them are on mobile launchers though ... sometimes they can have time to move them ... I fear some could be "spirited away" if Musharraf fell ... and we'd have the decision of pre-emptive strikes on an "ally" ... I have been concerned about this country ever since the military overthrew the civilian government a few years ago ...

[Bobby777]

which is why limited conventional war between India and Pakistan would mitigate some of the threat ... however, should it go nuclear it will be a very different world very quickly ... no doubt there are many Al-Qaeda and others of their ilk that would love to "push the button" ...

[swarthyguy]

At some point, India will have to call Pakistan's bluff.

[ChadGore]

Musharraf has a huuuuuge problem. Religion of peace my A** !!

[varon]

"Infiltration is going on and in our judgment it increased in August and September," Ambassador Robert Blackwill told reporters................./snip/................... He said that U.S. President George W. Bush had raised this issue again during his meeting with Musharraf on Sept. 12. "This is a matter on which we are working very hard," Blackwill added.

Oh, how noble of Ambassador Blackwil and President Bush to be so greatly concerned about Pakistani infiltration of India.

My question to ambassador Blackwil and President Bush is when in the hell are you going to show as much concern about Mexico’s infiltration of The United States of America and the sanctity of our borders overall?

[aristeides]

Does this explain what happened at Gandhinagar today? Have the perps been identified as Moslems yet?

[cake_crumb]

"He said that U.S. President George W. Bush had raised this issue again during his meeting with Musharraf on Sept. 12"

HEY...all the enlightened ones on earlier threads about today's terrorist attack on a Hindu temple told me that President Bush could care less about India...I'm SOOOOOOO confused!

[cake_crumb]

"Musharraf is reneging on his promise to disassociate himself from the terrorists"

Which brings me to a question I've been trying to find a place to pose:

The official word in India on the ongoing (as far as I know, not being there physically) Gujarat temple siege, is that it is still unknown at this time WHO the terrorists in the temple are or what they represent...

So why has Pakistan's government already - starting way early in the seige - made several official statements regarding the seige, to the affect that the seige is the result of Hindi intolorance (LOL) and is warning that the attack will straing Inda/Pakistan relations???

Rhetorical question. I just went and checked for updates...no one seems to have pointed out the discrepancy yet, so I thought maybe I would.

[RightWhale]

The high rate of infiltration was stopped for a couple of months to give India a chance to cool off during the monsoon and runup to elections. India cooled off, but they are still ready as ever to make a major military move. Now infiltration is increased again. India doesn't have a short attention span. This cannot go on forever.

[AM2000]

So why has Pakistan's government already - starting way early in the seige - made several official statements regarding the seige, to the affect that the seige is the result of Hindi intolorance (LOL) and is warning that the attack will straing Inda/Pakistan relations???

Because the Pakistanis know they will be blamed, whether they did it or not. My personal feeling is that blaming Pakistan for this is inappropriate, since there are plenty of Indian Muslims who would be more than happy to kill a few Hindus. They've been at it for centuries, what makes us think that there's suddenly a difference between the radicals among Pakistani Muslims and Indian Muslims?