Pakistan Rattles Its Sword
After trading angry accusations with India's leader, seated at the same conference table, Pakistan's president said Tuesday that having atomic weapons implies they will be used — once again raising fears that the conflict over Kashmir could explode into a nuclear war.
Musharraf, asked at a news conference to state Pakistan's nuclear policy and explain why it will not renounce first use of nuclear weapons as India has, said, "The possession of nuclear weapons by any state obviously implies they will be used under some circumstances."
He said, however, that it would be irresponsible for a leader to discuss such things, and that Pakistan's "deeper policy" is for denuclearization of South Asia.
Efforts by Russia, China and other regional nations failed to get Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf and Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to hold direct talks Tuesday. But Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed to see progress toward such negotiations, and Indian officials said they saw signs that the situation in Kashmir was becoming calmer.
In a speech at an Asian security conference both South Asian leaders attended, Putin likened the explosive impasse over the Himalayan province to the 1961 Cuban Missile Crisis, which put the world at risk of nuclear war. Today, as then, world leaders have to take responsibility to quash that risk, Putin said.
After holding separate talks with Musharraf and Vajpayee, Putin said he saw progress.
"In any case, both leaders expressed their interest in direct contacts, even though they still see the conditions for organizing such meetings differently, but both sides have the desire for such contacts," Putin told reporters after the meetings.
"No less important, both leaders of both states underlined that they do not intend to use force to solve their problems," Putin said.
Vajpayee said his country was ready to talk, but he insisted cross-border incursions had to stop first.
"We have repeatedly said that we are willing to discuss all issues with Pakistan, including Jammu and Kashmir, but for that, cross-border terrorism has to end," Vajpayee told the opening of an Asian security summit in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
Earlier, Musharraf pledged his country would not start a war with India.
"We do not want war. We will not initiate war. But if war is imposed on us, we will defend ourselves with the utmost resolution and determination," he said while sitting about 15 feet across from the Indian leader at a U-shaped table in the Kazakh city of Almaty.
Musharraf, who has been pressing for talks, said Tuesday he accepted an invitation to go to Moscow for talks with India's leader. Musharraf told a news conference, "India is continually threatening Pakistan for an attack and also refusing dialogue." There was no immediate response from India.
Russia and China pressed the nuclear-armed neighbors to enter face-to-face talks to prevent the Kashmir conflict becoming war. But the tone of the leaders' remarks at an Asian security summit in Kazakhstan made dialogue appear remote.
Meanwhile, fresh gunfire and shelling was reported in Kashmir, where the rivals have deployed about 1 million troops along both sides of the 1,800-mile frontier. There were no immediate reports of casualties; eight civilians died in shelling Monday.
The two leaders listened to each other speak with pursed lips and stony stares. With the 14 other delegates, they signed a declaration condemning "all forms and manifestations of terrorism" and promising "to strengthen cooperation and dialogue."
When the session ended, Vajpayee and Musharraf remained at opposite sides of the ornately decorated room and did not interact.
Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev held separate meetings with the two leaders on Monday, the eve of the inaugural meeting of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Jiang Zemin were to meet separately with Musharraf and Vajpayee later Tuesday.
India says Islamic militants crossing the frontier from Pakistan have carried out terror attacks, including a deadly assault on the Indian Parliament in December and on an Indian army base in Kashmir last month, which left 34 dead, mostly wives and children of army officers.
Musharraf said Monday he was ready for "unconditional talks" with Vajpayee. The Indian leader insists that before any talks take place, he must see proof that Pakistan has withdrawn support from Islamic militants who have fought a 12-year insurgency for the independence of India's portion of Kashmir, or its merger with Pakistan.
Secretary of State Colin Powell said he had encouraged Musharraf this weekend to "restrain all activity across the Line of Control." Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld is expected in the region this weekend, and Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage is due to visit both nations this week.
Altogether 16 nations are taking part in the three-day Almaty Conference on Interaction and Confidence-building Measures in Asia (CICA). The group includes Russia, China, Afghanistan, Israel, Iran, Turkey and the Palestinians. The United States, Australia and Japan have observer status.