Press Conference

QUESTION: You have said that you are on a mission to reduce the tension between India and Pakistan but as soon as you left India, there was a very strong statement against Pakistan. The Indian leaders seem to be very belligerent about Pakistan. So do you think that your mission has been successful or you will achieve the objectives?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY ROCCA: I don’t want to characterize it like that. Let me put it to you a little differently. This is a situation that has been ongoing for a fair amount of time. It’s a situation in which we continue to urge both sides to reduce the rhetoric. We have been saying so all along. We also have been urging both sides to take whatever steps possible to reduce the tension and I don’t think this is the work of one trip. I think this is a work in progress. The United States government is very focused on the region. I want to quickly mention that, while I get the opportunity, because I have been asked a number of questions by a number of you and by others as well about whether the focus of the US government has been distracted by other events in the world. I want to say that it hasn’t and that if anything, it’s the media’s attention that has been distracted. But it is certainly not that of the administration. We are very focused on the problem and on the issues involved and we will continue to work them out. Thank you.

QUESTION: In your discussions with President Musharraf, did you mention specifically cross border incursions and do you believe that Pakistan is assisting militants in crossing into Indian Kashmir, and did you get any commitment to stop?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY ROCCA: I think I am not going to go into details of the discussions that we had but all issues on both sides and all the concerns on both the sides of this current confrontation have been raised on both sides of the border.

QUESTION: Has there been any effort to encourage or to initiate direct conversations between India and Pakistan? Is there any political plan that has been put forth at all to get them to take practical steps to reduce the tensions?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY ROCCA: The issue of dialogue is one that we have been talking about and we have been encouraging since the very beginning because ultimately it is our position that nothing can be resolved without dialogue. This is something which has been our policy since the very beginning. You had a second part of your question and I am sorry that I have missed it.

QUESTION: It was about the practical steps to reduce the tension.

ASSISTANT SECRETARY ROCCA: No, I think none that I would talk about here at this point but we certainly have been having very open and very frank discussions with both sides. Both countries are important to the United States. We have good relations with both countries and we hope that will be able to help defuse the tensions.

QUESTION: Did you discuss the subject of al-Qaeda members allegedly crossing from Afghanistan into Pakistani tribal areas? There were some reports that the United States is seeking to use some air corridor in the Northern Areas of Pakistan. Has this subject come out?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY ROCCA: I don’t have answers to your questions on the air corridors, you will have to ask the Department of Defense or the Embassy, because I don’t know the answer to that at all. We have had wonderful cooperation with the government of Pakistan on working against al-Qaeda. Some of this has come out in the press here. We have been working very well and we have been grateful to the government of Pakistan for the assistance that has been provided.

QUESTION: If there is some success in reducing tension, is there any plan to actually figure out the Kashmir issue?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY ROCCA: If we can get to dialogue, I am sure that both sides will discuss all the issues that exist between them including Kashmir. We would like to get both sides to talk about number of issues.

QUESTION: According to press reports George Fernandes refused to deescalate the situation on the borders and on the Line of Control. Did you take up this issue with President Musharraf and what was his response?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY ROCCA: I am not aware that Mr. Fernandes is refusing to deescalate. I have not heard that. So the statements that were made in the last few hours, I am afraid I am not up to speak on. But as I said earlier, we discussed all the issues between the two countries on both sides of the border.

QUESTION: You met the leadership in New Delhi and the leadership in Islamabad. What is your assessment? Are the two countries moving away from the conflict or they are moving close to the conflict?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY ROCCA: I don’t think I would characterize it either way. I think the fact that we can have good conversations about it is a good sign and as I said we remain hopeful that we will be able to defuse the tensions. I think this is a major focus of US government policy and we are going to continue to work the issue.

QUESTION: There was a statement yesterday suggesting that the FBI and French intelligence personnel are working together, rather investigating together, the incident that occurred in Karachi. There is a little difference and the French and the FBI now separately are moving in this regard. What are your comments on this? Secondly, are you leaving for Kabul this evening or tomorrow morning?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY ROCCA: The answer to your second question is no. The answer to your first question is that I couldn’t discuss on going investigations in any case.

QUESTION: Have you had discussions today with General Musharraf about an expanded role for the US in the Northwest territories against al-Qaeda?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY ROCCA: That’s an issue that the Defense Department deals with. We did not talk about it, other than I did thank him for the excellent support that he has been providing to the US government.

QUESTION: How do you view the India leadership’s reluctance to have negotiations with Pakistan?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY ROCCA: As I said we continue to work the issue. We are working with both sides to try to defuse the tension and ultimately no conflict gets resolved without dialogue in the end. So we continue to push the dialogue.

QUESTION: You have just mentioned that you held extensive talks on both sides. On the Indian side, what is the real bone of contention? Why do they not want to deescalate? They must have provided specifics.

ASSISTANT SECRETARY ROCCA: I think that the Indian government can speak for itself. I think it has made clear what its position is and what its concerns are. I don’t want to characterize it for them. They make it clear what their views are on the issue.

QUESTION: I just wanted to ask in terms of the nuclear confrontation. There was a report that in 1999 the State Department thought that Pakistan may have been getting ready to deploy nuclear weapons. How possible do you think it is that if there is a conflict, it could escalate into a nuclear exchange?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY ROCCA: You know that’s sort of a worst case scenario and it’s one that is sort speculative. We are trying to prevent any conflict. At this point I couldn’t even characterize that and give you a straight answer on that.

QUESTION: You said that both the issues have been, you raised the issues, you talked about the issues on both sides, but right now we are staring at a situation where the Indian Prime Minister said today in Parliament that India would retaliate. What can you tell us new that either side is offering or bringing to the table that is going to prevent the situation from escalating?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY ROCCA: New? I don’t think I have anything brand new to tell you that I could talk about in any public forum, but I think, as I said, we are going to continue to work the issue. It’s of major importance to our government and its one that we are not going to give up.

QUESTION: Is there any reason for optimism then?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY ROCCA: I would not even want to characterize it at all.

QUESTION: You said that it couldn’t be resolved in one trip and perhaps you were saying that there would be more trips to follow. But the situation is so volatile. Do you think we have the time for more trips? Do we have the time? Don’t you think its not a time bomb ticking away?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY ROCCA: We remain hopeful that we do have the time.

QUESTION: Has there been any discussion with either side about direct mediation by the United States?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY ROCCA: Direct mediation between the two? Both sides need to talk to each other. As I said before you know you cannot resolve anything without both sides talking.

QUESTION: Did the President raise his concern that he cannot monitor the border with Afghanistan because of tensions and deployments on the Eastern border?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY ROCCA: No we didn’t talk about that. Thank you.