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Washington, April 24: Worried about a "blow up" between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan over Kashmir, the US is encouraging Islamabad to reach out to the Indian government and continue with previous confidence- building measures.
At the same time the US is working with the Indian government to make sure that they continue to exercise the kind of "remarkable" restraint they showed after the November Mumbai terror attacks, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told worried lawmakers Wednesday.
"We are also encouraging the Pakistani government to reach out, to the Indian government, and to continue some of those confidence- building measures that they were doing, like opening the bus routes in Kashmir and other things that did have some positive effect," she told a House panel.
"If Kashmir blows up, and insurgents come over that line of control, every day or at least every week, then all bets are off," Clinton said.
"But if the Pakistani army stays on the line of control and on the Indian border and doesn't turn their attentions to dealing with the insurgents, we've got a mess on our hands. So we do have to navigate through this."
"Now, that's part of what the highest levels of our administration are doing," Clinton said referring to among other things to visits by CIA Director Leon Panetta to both New Delhi and Islamabad.
One of the reasons US was so concerned was nuclear weapons possessed by Pakistan, Clinton said. "You know, we're-we spend a lot of time worrying about Iran. Pakistan already has them.
At the same time the US is working with the Indian government to make sure that they continue to exercise the kind of "remarkable" restraint they showed after the November Mumbai terror attacks, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told worried lawmakers Wednesday.
"We are also encouraging the Pakistani government to reach out, to the Indian government, and to continue some of those confidence- building measures that they were doing, like opening the bus routes in Kashmir and other things that did have some positive effect," she told a House panel.
"If Kashmir blows up, and insurgents come over that line of control, every day or at least every week, then all bets are off," Clinton said.
"But if the Pakistani army stays on the line of control and on the Indian border and doesn't turn their attentions to dealing with the insurgents, we've got a mess on our hands. So we do have to navigate through this."
"Now, that's part of what the highest levels of our administration are doing," Clinton said referring to among other things to visits by CIA Director Leon Panetta to both New Delhi and Islamabad.
One of the reasons US was so concerned was nuclear weapons possessed by Pakistan, Clinton said. "You know, we're-we spend a lot of time worrying about Iran. Pakistan already has them.
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