Press Availability in New Delhi, IndiaRichard Boucher, Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian AffairsNew Delhi, India May 3, 2006 ASSISTANT SECRETARY BOUCHER: Good afternoon. It was a pleasure to be here to meet with Mr. Karan Singh and first, given his background, I took the opportunity to express our shock and our horror at the massacre that occurred in Mostly we discussed QUESTION: Both India and the United States have invited criticism on intervening in the Nepal matter pretty much into the final hours. Do think if something had been done earlier lives could have been saved? ASSISTANT SECRETARY BOUCHER: I think we have been very concerned about the situation there all along. We had constantly and consistently urged the King to listen to the voice of the people and to allow the political parties to take over. So ever since February 1st of last year we have said that the solution was the restoration of democracy. I think we have in fact spoken out clearly and for a long time and we have continued to be interested. But it was in the end, it was the people on the streets who made the change in the situation. And it was their strong voice that got a restoration of politics in QUESTION: Death of an Indian in ASSISTANT SECRETARY BOUCHER: We have, I think, very much expressed our view about the Taliban. I don’t think there’s any question but that they represent a threat, both to I’ve really got to go. Thank you. Released on May 3, 2006 |