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| India-Pakistan |
| Russia criticizes Pakistan |
| 2002-06-03 |
| En route to a regional summit in Kazakhstan, where he arrived Monday, Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf insisted that Pakistan would not start a war with India. "Pakistan's president has clearly said ... that no country will be thinking of this kind of thing to settle the dispute," Pakistani Information Minister Nisar Memon told reporters in Almaty. However, he refused to say why Pakistan would not rule out the first use of nuclear weapons as India has. On the eve of talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and the leaders of India and Pakistan, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov accused Islamabad of allowing terrorists from Afghanistan to cross into India. He assailed Pakistan for conducting missile tests that further exacerbated the crisis, which has pushed nuclear-armed India and Pakistan to the brink of war. "Armed terrorists and extremists from Pakistan keep infiltrating into Indian territory," Ivanov said. "This is a fact you can't turn a blind eye to. Moreover, terrorists who are entering India previously have been ousted from Afghanistan." Ivanov also said the recent test-firing of nuclear capable missiles by Pakistan had further escalated tension over Kashmir. "Against the background of the conflict, the nuclear missile tests conducted by Pakistan were a provocative gesture," Ivanov said. "Any nuclear weapons tests conducted in an atmosphere of extreme tension and suspicion ... is wrong and provocative," he said. "This will definitely push New Delhi to take proportionate retaliatory measures." Since we're "allied" with the Paks, Russia might be acting as our proxy in beating them up on the diplo front. They could be doing it because they're allied with India, but I'd guess that the criticism has been vetted with the U.S. |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |