Devil Soul
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US sees no role for India
Published: October 06, 2011
WASHINGTON - The United States Tuesday ruled out any mediatory role for India in the Afghan peace process as it welcomed the New Delhi-Kabul strategic partnership agreement.
The State Department said that Washington believes that the trilateral structure already in place engaging Afghanistan, Pakistan and the United States provided a valuable platform for the way forward.
With regard to playing a mediating role, I dont think thats what were looking for here. We do believe this trilateral structure is of value and we should continue it, Spokesperson Victoria Nuland remarked, when asked if Washington saw a mediatory role for India in Afghan reconciliation process.
Referring to reports about a strategic partnership between India and Afghanistan and Indias likely participation in the New Silk Road Initiative, she said: Those are both things that we very much welcome.
The United States also supported any and all warming between Pakistan and India, Nuland said. Weve been strong supporters of the dialogues that the two governments have been having. Asked about recent reports from Kabul that indicated President Hamid
Karzai stopped talks with the Taliban, the spokesperson said the US special envoy Marc Grossman would be discussing the subject with the Afghan leadership during his upcoming visit. Weve seen the public statements, President Karzais speech and other things. Weve had our own conversations. I think this is one of the subjects that Ambassador Grossman will want to talk about when hes in Afghanistan. You know that we continue to believe that this trilateral structure is of value to all three of us, so we will have that conversation when hes out there.
Grossman, who is on a long trip to Central and South Asia, meeting leaders on the Silk Road Initiative event in November, would be visiting both Afghanistan and Pakistan. Obviously, he will seek to have intensive conversations with both governments on the full range of issues.
The spokesperson would not speak specifically to reports that Islamabad has indicated its willingness to enter into talks with militants who lay down arms but thought the same conditions would be applied to militants everywhere wishing to join reconciliation talks (that they must give up violence and sever any links with Al-Qaeda).
I had not seen that. Again, our position on reconciliation is that if youre going to reconcile, youve got to meet these criteria. Our hope would be that those are the same criteria that would be expected in this instance. But if theres a chance to make those clearer, thats a good thing.
Speaking generally, the spokesperson referred to conditions for Afghan militants wishing to join reconciliation in response to an earlier question but declined to speak specifically of any contacts as part of the process.
Questioned about reports that the US had a meeting with the Haqqani militants with the help of Pakistans intelligence agency, the spokesperson replied: Let me start with where we are on reconciliation. Our position here hasnt changed. We support an Afghan-led process of reconciliation. So our efforts are in support of what the Afghans are up to. But we insist, as do the Afghans, that anybody who is reconciled or who is pursuing reconciliation has to renounce violence, they have to abandon their ties, cut their ties with Al-Qaeda, they have to abide by the laws and the constitution of Afghanistan, including respecting the rights of women and ethnic minorities.
Now, Im not going to talk about any specifics and meetings and this and that. Within that umbrella this is an Afghan-led process. I will say to you, again, what weve been saying for some two weeks very firmly with regard to the Haqqani Network. Job one in our relationship with Pakistan is for us to work on the terror and the problem that they are posing to Pakistan, to the US, to Afghanistan.
The only other thing I would say here is its patently ridiculous to think that the American government would be dictating to any other government who should or shouldnt join its ranks.
When asked if a member of the Haqqani militant group were to renounce violence and meet criteria, could he be part of reconciliation, the spokesperson said: These are the Afghans criteria, these are our criteria, but Im not going to comment on any specific conversations that are going on under that umbrella. But those are the criteria that we require, yes, and the Afghans require.
Asked if India had asked the US to help bring to justice perpetrators of the November 2008 Mumbai terror attacks in Pakistan, she said: Well, I think now that India and Pakistan have renewed their bilateral talks, I would expect that this is a subject between them.
US sees no role for India | Pakistan | News | Newspaper | Daily | English | Online
Published: October 06, 2011
WASHINGTON - The United States Tuesday ruled out any mediatory role for India in the Afghan peace process as it welcomed the New Delhi-Kabul strategic partnership agreement.
The State Department said that Washington believes that the trilateral structure already in place engaging Afghanistan, Pakistan and the United States provided a valuable platform for the way forward.
With regard to playing a mediating role, I dont think thats what were looking for here. We do believe this trilateral structure is of value and we should continue it, Spokesperson Victoria Nuland remarked, when asked if Washington saw a mediatory role for India in Afghan reconciliation process.
Referring to reports about a strategic partnership between India and Afghanistan and Indias likely participation in the New Silk Road Initiative, she said: Those are both things that we very much welcome.
The United States also supported any and all warming between Pakistan and India, Nuland said. Weve been strong supporters of the dialogues that the two governments have been having. Asked about recent reports from Kabul that indicated President Hamid
Karzai stopped talks with the Taliban, the spokesperson said the US special envoy Marc Grossman would be discussing the subject with the Afghan leadership during his upcoming visit. Weve seen the public statements, President Karzais speech and other things. Weve had our own conversations. I think this is one of the subjects that Ambassador Grossman will want to talk about when hes in Afghanistan. You know that we continue to believe that this trilateral structure is of value to all three of us, so we will have that conversation when hes out there.
Grossman, who is on a long trip to Central and South Asia, meeting leaders on the Silk Road Initiative event in November, would be visiting both Afghanistan and Pakistan. Obviously, he will seek to have intensive conversations with both governments on the full range of issues.
The spokesperson would not speak specifically to reports that Islamabad has indicated its willingness to enter into talks with militants who lay down arms but thought the same conditions would be applied to militants everywhere wishing to join reconciliation talks (that they must give up violence and sever any links with Al-Qaeda).
I had not seen that. Again, our position on reconciliation is that if youre going to reconcile, youve got to meet these criteria. Our hope would be that those are the same criteria that would be expected in this instance. But if theres a chance to make those clearer, thats a good thing.
Speaking generally, the spokesperson referred to conditions for Afghan militants wishing to join reconciliation in response to an earlier question but declined to speak specifically of any contacts as part of the process.
Questioned about reports that the US had a meeting with the Haqqani militants with the help of Pakistans intelligence agency, the spokesperson replied: Let me start with where we are on reconciliation. Our position here hasnt changed. We support an Afghan-led process of reconciliation. So our efforts are in support of what the Afghans are up to. But we insist, as do the Afghans, that anybody who is reconciled or who is pursuing reconciliation has to renounce violence, they have to abandon their ties, cut their ties with Al-Qaeda, they have to abide by the laws and the constitution of Afghanistan, including respecting the rights of women and ethnic minorities.
Now, Im not going to talk about any specifics and meetings and this and that. Within that umbrella this is an Afghan-led process. I will say to you, again, what weve been saying for some two weeks very firmly with regard to the Haqqani Network. Job one in our relationship with Pakistan is for us to work on the terror and the problem that they are posing to Pakistan, to the US, to Afghanistan.
The only other thing I would say here is its patently ridiculous to think that the American government would be dictating to any other government who should or shouldnt join its ranks.
When asked if a member of the Haqqani militant group were to renounce violence and meet criteria, could he be part of reconciliation, the spokesperson said: These are the Afghans criteria, these are our criteria, but Im not going to comment on any specific conversations that are going on under that umbrella. But those are the criteria that we require, yes, and the Afghans require.
Asked if India had asked the US to help bring to justice perpetrators of the November 2008 Mumbai terror attacks in Pakistan, she said: Well, I think now that India and Pakistan have renewed their bilateral talks, I would expect that this is a subject between them.
US sees no role for India | Pakistan | News | Newspaper | Daily | English | Online