Author:
Publication: CNN News
Date: November 9, 2001
URL: http://www.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/asiapcf/south/11/09/india.vajpayee/index.html
Washington (CNN) -- Indian Prime
Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee Friday expressed his "sympathy, solidarity
and support" with the United States in its war against terrorism.
Visiting the White House for talks
with President Bush, Vajpayee also stressed his belief that countries must
help rebuild Afghanistan -- the target of U.S. airstrikes -- once the war
is over.
Bush acknowledged that was part
of the discussion with the prime minister, although he did not commit the
United States to any specific reconstruction effort in Afghanistan during
brief comments to reporters.
"We discussed a post-Taliban Afghanistan
that enables the country to survive and move forward," the president said.
Bush also repeated his comment of
recent days that U.S. allies must do more than offer words of support.
"The time of sympathy is over,"
Bush said." We appreciate the condolences. Now is the time for action."
He said the prime minister understood
that point and is responding.
Observers also noted that Vajpayee
was likely to show Bush evidence linking terrorists being pursued in Afghanistan
with the militants attacking Kashmir, the territory disputed between India
and Pakistan.
The meeting came on the same day
that Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf arrives in the United States.
He is also expected to hold talks
with Bush -- an occasion that will be used by both sides to set the seal
on the recent thawing of ties between Islamabad and Washington resulting
from Pakistan's support for the U.S. action in Afghanistan.
On Thursday Vajpayee held meetings
on Capitol Hill with members of Congress who assured the Indian leader
of his country's role as a strong American ally -- despite the strengthening
ties between the United States and Pakistan, which is a traditional rival
of India.
U.S. lawmakers also welcomed India's
strong commitment to fighting terrorism.
Following the meeting with Bush,
Vajpayee will travel to New York, where he will attend the U.N general
assembly session.
But the diplomatic tour will not
include a meeting with Pakistan, after Vajpayee ruled out talks with Musharraf
in the near future.
"There is no conducive atmosphere
for talks and till a proper climate is created, there can be no talks,"
Vajpayee was quoted as saying by the Hindustan Times as he was leaving
Moscow for Washington on Thursday.
Vajpayee argued that talking with
the Pakistani president at this point would be inappropriate due to the
escalating violence along the Muslim-dominated territory of Kashmir in
the recent weeks.
India has also sought to widen the
global war on terrorism to include the rebels in Kashmir.
Pakistan's central role in the U.S-led
coalition against terrorism has also caused stirrings of discontent in
India.
Request for talks
India and Pakistan are under pressure
by the U.S. administration to continue dialogue between all parties on
the disputed territory of Kashmir, where tensions continue to mount.
But U.S. officials in Pakistan have
declined to say whether the United States planned on taking on a greater
mediating role on the issue.
Like Vajpayee, Musharraf is also
due to address the U.N. assembly and is scheduled to meet separately with
Bush and U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan.
Observers noted the Bush administration
was likely to reiterate its request for Indo-Pakistan talks.
Vajpayee and Musharraf held a summit
in the north Indian city of Agra in July, but it ended in stalemate.
