By NNN-APP,
Washington : Underscoring the need for Washington’s diplomatic engagement to address terrorism in the regional Pakistan-India-Afghanistan perspective, top US senators Sunday favored President-elect Barack Obama’s idea for appointing a high-level American envoy on resolving Pakistan-India tensions including Kashmir.
“I am m confident that there is a good opportunity at this point for the Indians and the Pakistanis to understand that this group that probably caused this could, cause harm to both of them,” Senator Richard Lugar, ranking Republican on the influential Foreign Relations Committee, told ABC’s programme This Week, discussing the regional situation in the wake of Mumbai attacks.
“But I think that the suggestion just made that President-elect Obama send a very high-level person to the situation, underlines the need for diplomacy on our part, as well as diplomacy in the Obama administration” added the Senator, who has sponsored a legislation on $ 15 billion socio-economic assistance for Pakistan over a decade.
Asked specifically about the idea of a high-level US negotiator, also welcomed by Pakistan’s ambassador Husain Haqqani in the same This Week program, he stated: “Well, I would think that might be a good idea, something—because, it appears to me, that we have an interlocking situation of Afghanistan, Pakistan and India.”
He also hinted at temptations in India to ratchet up rhetoric ahead of the Indian elections in May, saying “the Indians, given the election coming up in May, trying to show that they’re aggressive, can move right away.”
“We’re going to have to move very rapidly ourselves, the United States of America, to make certain that our forces in Afghanistan, quite apart from whatever we’re doing in Iraq, are protected, while the rest of this goes on, with two very high-level countries.”
Democratic Senator Jack Reed, who serves on the Armed Services Committee, also supported the idea of a high-level negotiator saying “if there’s a strong indication, on both sides, that they’re moving together, and that we can play a productive role, yes.”
“But I think you have to have the building blocks in place. I hope we can get those building blocks in place. And I would think, going forward, unless we include Pakistan-India, in a deliberate way, in our diplomacy, we won’t be able to, as Senator Lugar suggested, effectively protect our forces and carry out our mission in Afghanistan.”
Questioned if he saw a conflict in President-elect Obama having President Bill Clinton serve as a mediator between India and Pakistan over Kashmir (in view of Senator Hillary Clinton serving as Secretary of State), and whether the former president’s appointment is likely, Reed replied : “No, I think it’s entirely likely. And I don’t think there will be a conflict. And I think also, in terms of specific assignment, that, to your question, George, what more can be done? Well, in that context, there might be some arrangements that should be disclosed, some additional self-imposed restrictions that the president would take. But in the context of a specific mission from President Obama, I think that’s where these judgments could be made.
“I think he would be a superb addition to our international diplomacy.”
Senator Lugar concurred with the idea of Bill Clinton as envoy on India and Pakistan, saying “Yes, I think he could do a great job there. And for that matter, in lots of places. But, as I say, this is an unprecedented situation historically.”