Perspectives on Recent Developments in South Asia

By The Honorable Christina B. Rocca
Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs, U.S. Department of State

Washington, D.C., November 13, 2001

Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today. It is an honor for me to speak to you this morning and special thanks to Judith Sloan and the Asia Society for making it possible. The topic today is U.S. policy with regards to South Asia. I will be brief and leave as much time as possible for us to have a good exchange of views.

The world has changed dramatically in the last two months. When I first started at the State Department last spring, the South Asia Bureau was grappling with the issue of how to sustain the Administration's focus on this region. As you can guess, this is no longer an issue…

Let me start by saying that during this time of crisis, the U.S. has been most grateful for the support we are receiving from all the countries in South Asia. They have all stepped up to the plate and become key partners and they join a wider coalition of nations committed to stopping terrorism in its tracks.

I will be speaking mainly about the countries on the immediate frontlines of the war (Pakistan, Afghanistan and India), but I want to point out first the meaningful contributions that are also being made by the other countries in the region. Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal have proven themselves to be invaluable allies in this war.

Bangladesh has been steadfast and unequivocal in its support to the anti-terrorism coalition. Recently Foreign Minister Choudhury (who just became President of Bangladesh) paid a visit to Washington. In all his meetings he reiterated Bangladesh's commitment to fighting terrorism. As the worlds's third largest Muslim population, its voice and this message is vitally important as we continue to impress on people that this is NOT a war against Islam, but rather a war against terrorism.

In addition, with regard to regional security issues, Bangladesh is playing a key role in reinvigorating the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (or SAARC), which plans to meet for a summit in Nepal in early January. The U.S. strongly supports such a summit - if the SAARC (which has been dormant for the last few years) could be revived, it could play an important role in integrating the region economically and helping to ease tensions among its members.

Sri Lanka, which continues to face its own terrorist threat, also stands shoulder to shoulder with the U.S. President Kumaratunga, who has experienced terrorism personally, has committed to adopting all measures necessary to eradicate terrorism and to pursuing democratic options for the resolution of contentious issues.

The show of support from Nepal has been exceptional. As everyone knows, Nepal faced its own tragedy this summer with the massacre of many members of the royal family and has had an additional tragedy yesterday.

Despite this and other challenges however, this country has remained steadfastly committed to the path of democracy and recently established a ceasefire with Maoist rebels. The U.S. is encouraged by the opening of discussions between the government and the Maoists and the U.S. continues to urge both sides to seek a peaceful settlement of their differences.

Now, back to my original comment about our preoccupation with keeping the focus on the region before 9/11: the string of recent U.S. visitors to South Asia in recent weeks is testament to just how much things have changed. The list includes the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense, the Undersecretary for Economic Affairs, and the Commander in Chief of U.S. Central Command.

In addition, President Bush met with Prime Minister Vajpayee and President Musharraf just this past week. Discussions with both leaders centered on the progress and objectives of Operation Enduring Freedom. Of course, these exchanges also contributed to our sense of mutual resolve. Terrorism is in many respects a shared experience, and these meetings gave us an opportunity to reflect together.

U.S.- India Relations
With respect to U.S.-India relations, let me begin by saying that India's immediate and generous offers of cooperation to help the coalition have been greatly appreciated by this Administration. But let me also emphasize that we view counterterrorism cooperation with India as just one of many areas of common interest upon which we hope to build a long-lasting strategic relationship. The recent meeting between President Bush and Prime Minister Vajpayee, we hope, was another step in that direction.

With India, we explored practical ways to broaden and deepen the bilateral relationship. President Bush made it clear early in his term that transforming the U.S.-India relationship was one of his highest priorities, and this has not changed. In our conversations with India, we agreed to build our defense ties through resumption of the defense policy group meetings scheduled to start as early as December. This group also will take the lead in coordinating policies related to President Bush's New Strategic framework, which India was one of the first countries to endorse.

Recognizing that India has faced its own terrorist threat for many years, we agreed to provide increased funding and training for Indian counterterrorism programs. We also agreed to step up the level and tempo of our counterterrorism consultations. The recent sanctions waiver also has opened up possibilities for advancing relations in the areas of civilian nuclear safety and space cooperation.

Lastly, we have embarked on an ambitious economic dialogue encompassing broad-based public and private sector interaction, as well as cooperation in trade, finance, commerce, energy, and the environment.

U.S.-Pakistan Relations
As for U.S.-Pakistan relations, Pakistan has taken on a crucial role in support of our war in Afghanistan. And one should not underestimate the serious political risks President Musharraf is taking in doing this. His bold position at such a critical juncture in international history will be remembered and recognized for a long time to come.

The meeting on Saturday between President Bush and President Musharraf provided the American President an opportunity to personally thank the President of Pakistan for his unwavering support to Operation Enduring Freedom.

After September 11th, President Musharraf stepped forward immediately in support of the coalition against terrorism, despite the fact that there was risk of serious domestic backlash in Pakistan. He took this risk because it is the right thing to do, and he considers it the right thing to do for Pakistan.

President Musharraf and other top leaders in Pakistan recognize that their country is at a historical crossroads both politically and economically. They also see support of the coalition as a path to a revitalized and prosperous Pakistan. President Musharraf has expressed the desire to make sure that the economy is helped, particularly in the social sector, in order to bring some measure of prosperity and hope to the Pakistani people. Islamabad deserves the support of the international community in striving toward this goal. We and other friends of Pakistan are therefore providing substantial assistance, including debt relief and targeted financial aid.

Specifically, we plan to provide substantial economic aid to Pakistan during this fiscal year for budgetary support, border security, counternarcotics, food security and education. Pakistan has been a victim of Afghan-based terrorism. Radicals, influenced by Taliban extremism, have committed despicable acts of sectarian and political murder inside Pakistan. Dismantling the al-Qaeda network will help stabilize Pakistani society and reduce sectarian tensions.

India-Pakistan Relations
Although the dramatic events of September 11th have inspired greater cooperation among many nations, unfortunately this sentiment has not yet taken hold in Indo-Pakistani relations. Tensions between the two remain high, and clearly both nations are eyeing U.S. cooperation with their neighbor with some doubts.

The U.S. intends to continue to pursue relations with each country on its own merits. We hope that over time we can convince both countries that the U.S. does not view its relationships in the region in zero-sum terms.

In the meantime, the U.S. continues to urge restraint on both sides. During the recent meetings, the President reiterated the importance of dialogue and of each side showing willingness to address their concerns in mutually acceptable ways.

The changes wrought on the world by the terrorist attacks in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania have brought about a fundamental change in Pakistan's policy with regard to the Taliban. This change of policy raises new possibilities for recasting Indo-Pakistani relations and reducing tensions. We hope that this historic opportunity to bring peace to the region is not missed.

Afghanistan
Another important issue of discussion with both India and Pakistan is the future of a post-Taliban Afghanistan, and their role in helping the Afghan people establish a broad-based government that respects human rights and eliminates terrorism.

As you know events on the ground in Afghanistan are moving quickly and therefore comments on where we are now, would probably be overtaken by events as I speak to you this morning. Several principles remain constant however:

The U.S. views the elimination of bin Laden and his associates from Afghanistan as merely the first step in a longer U.S.-supported process that aims to rebuild and bring lasting stability to the war-torn country.

Ousting the Taliban leadership and helping to form a broad-based, representative government are high priorities in this process. These tasks will not be easy, and it is not for the U.S. to choose who rules Afghanistan, but we will assist those who seek a peaceful Afghanistan free of terrorism.

The U.S. is already the largest donor of assistance to the Afghan people and we will continue to help them, even when we have met our military objectives. The U.S. is committed to maintaining its humanitarian assistance as well as to assisting in a future economic recovery plan for Afghanistan. It is ironic that the U.S. and other countries have provided food, shelter, jobs and health clinics for needy Afghans while the Taliban and their foreign supporters have spent their resources fighting fellow Afghans and fellow Muslims.

Finally, let me end by saying that South Asia most definitely now has the world's attention and there is a very strong and clear U.S. focus on the region. This focus is not going to be a passing one: we do not intend to repeat mistakes of the past and you will hear not just from me, but also from other government officials, that the U.S. focus on the region will be long-term and sustained.

Thank you. I would be pleased to take any questions you might have.