Pubdate: Mon, 30 Jul 2001
Source: Times of Central Asia (Kyrgyzstan)
Section: Asia
Copyright: 2001 The Times of Central Asia
Contact:  http://www.times.kg/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1202

UN DRUG AGENCY FIASCO EXPOSED

ISLAMABAD. Pakistan will urge the United States to play an even hand in 
South Asia during Assistant Secretary of State Christina Rocca's visit this 
week, officials and analysts said.

Rocca, in charge of the South Asia desk of the State Department, is 
expected to arrive in the eastern city of Lahore on Sunday in her first 
visit to the region since assuming her post with the Bush administration.

Her discussions with top officials will provide the raw material for a 
State Department review of policy toward South Asia, with US-Pakistan 
relations the most problematic.

Bilateral ties have been dogged by US sanctions over Islamabad's nuclear 
programme, the military coup here in October 1999 and Pakistan's support 
for the Taliban militia in neighbouring Afghanistan.

The military-led government under President Pervez Musharraf is concerned 
that Washington is moving toward closer ties with India, the world's 
largest democracy with a massive developing market, at the expense of its 
old Cold War alliance with Pakistan.

"Pakistan would like the US to continue to maintain a balance in relations 
with Pakistan and India," foreign policy analyst Mushahid Hussain said.

During her stay in India last week, Rocca indicated that Washington was 
prepared to ease sanctions imposed against India and Pakistan over their 
nuclear programs, which culminated in 1998 tests.

But Pakistan has been subject to additional US curbs since the bloodless 
military coup here almost two years ago, and there is no sign that 
Washington is prepared to relax these as well.

"The Americans are reviewing sanctions and Pakistan will be keen to press 
the point that whatever the US does it should be even-handed," said Riffat 
Hussain, head of the defense and strategic studies unit at Islamabad's 
Quaid-i-Azam University.

"Her visit is very significant. It is occurring against the immediate 
backdrop of the Agra summit and a keen US interest in seeing a continuation 
of the dialogue process between India and Pakistan.

"She is a point person in terms of getting the Bush administration to focus 
on South Asia."

Rocca will meet Musharraf and Foreign Minister Abdul Sattar on Tuesday.

Musharraf and Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee met in the Taj 
Mahal town of Agra earlier this month in the first summit between the 
nuclear rivals for more than two years.

US officials have hailed the talks as a good start to a new dialogue 
process, even though the two leaders could not agree on a final joint 
declaration.

In Islamabad Rocca is expected to raise strong US concerns about Islamic 
extremism and alleged terrorism emanating from Afghanistan, which is ruled 
by the Pakistan-backed Taliban fundamentalist militia.

The Taliban featured in discussions between Sattar and US national security 
advisor Condoleezza Rice when the foreign minister visited Washington last 
month.

Pakistan is accused of ignoring a United Nations arms embargo against the 
Taliban regime, which has refused to extradite one of the United States' 
most wanted men, indicted terrorist Osama Ben Laden.

Some US officials also believe Pakistan is not doing enough to fight 
"terrorist" groups based on its soil and has failed to use its influence 
with the Taliban to secure bin Laden's extradition.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Beth