The Hindu : Dialogue is the right solution: Powell

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Apr 16, 2003

International

International

Dialogue is the right solution: Powell

By Sridhar Krishnaswami

WASHINGTON APRIL 15. The United States Secretary of State, Colin Powell, has said that his country would continue to "do everything" it could to lower the temperature in the subcontinent and see whether or not opportunities could be created for India and Pakistan to enter into a dialogue.

Gen. Powell also stressed that only dialogue, not the resort to force, was the right solution to deal with the problems between the two South Asian countries.

At the Washington Foreign Press Centre, Gen. Powell was asked whether the American war against terrorism affected not merely terrorism in the U.S. but also against a democracy like India; and why every time New Delhi raised the issue of terrorism, Washington was calling for a "dialogue".

"We believe that terrorism is terrorism and it is not just an American phenomenon. It is a curse on the face of civilisation and affects nations throughout the world," Gen. Powell said.

"We have condemned terrorist attacks across the Line of Control on the subcontinent and we will continue to do so. We will continue to work with the Government of Pakistan and the Government of India as we move forward and we will continue to do everything we can to lower the temperature in that part of the world and to see whether or not opportunities can be created for the two sides to enter into a dialogue," Gen. Powell said.

"Dialogue has been difficult over the years. But to solve this kind of a problem, I think, dialogue is the right solution and the resort to force would not be the appropriate solution," he remarked.

Gen Powell, who fielded questions mainly pertaining to the developments in Iraq and the post-conflict phase, rejected the notion that the Bush administration had some kind of a "list" for regime change or that the U.S. was trying to be the "policeman" of the world.

"We don't wish to be the policeman of the world," Gen. Powell said and added that the agenda of the President, George W. Bush, was one of helping people for a better life; and also an agenda that is "based on principles".

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