Statement of Rep. Gary L. Ackerman,
former co-Chairman of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans
June 6, 2002
Hearing on the Situation in South
Asia
Mr. Chairman, thank you for calling
today's hearing. Once again the world finds itself on the brink of war
between two nuclear neighbors. And once again we find ourselves here because
of actions, or lack thereof, by the Government of Pakistan. Back in January,
after the horrendous December 13 attack on the Indian parliament, General
Musharraf gave a speech that described his vision of Pakistan as a modern,
moderate, secular and democratic state. A state that rejected terrorism
and would not be used as a base for terrorist activity "anywhere in the
world." But no sooner did the international community hail General Musharraf
for his rejection of Islamic extremism, than he reverted to form in attempting
to describe the terrorist acts committed in India as those of "freedom
fighters." Apparently, his rejection of terror "anywhere in the world"
didn't include India.
General Musharraf seems not to have
learned the lesson of September 11: that terrorism, any terrorism, is unacceptable.
If Pakistan wants to remain a member of the international coalition against
terrorism, then support for terrorists in Kashmir must end -- completely
and permanently. That means no more infiltration across the line of control,
and no more terrorist training camps on Pakistani territory. This is the
minimum that the United States should expect from our ally in the war on
terror and I hope Secretary Rumsfeld and Deputy Secretary Armitage are
carrying that message to Pakistan this week.
To be fair, we should give credit
where credit is due. General Musharraf made a courageous decision on September
13 of last year and has supported Operation Enduring Freedom. Without that
support, we would have had a much more difficult time prosecuting the war
in Afghanistan. But in return for that support, the United States has provided
significant economic assistance including $600 million during the past
fiscal year. The Supplemental Appropriations bill that just past the House
has $40 million in additional aid and the Administration is requesting
another $250 million in economic and development assistance for the coming
fiscal year. And this doesn't even include the $73 million provided for
border security, the additional $75 million in Foreign Military Financing
in the Supplemental and another $50 million in military assistance for
the coming fiscal year. After all this, I think it's time to make clear
to General Musharraf that no further economic or military support will
go to Pakistan if he continues to support militant organizations. At the
very least no military assistance should go to Pakistan during the current
crisis.
What concerns me the most is not
that the Administration won't deliver the right message, it's that the
man on the receiving end of the message doesn't want to hear it or worse,
intends to ignore it. After all, General Musharraf is the architect of
the Kargil incursion that brought the subcontinent to the brink of nuclear
war in 1999. What makes anyone believe that a cause for which he was ready
to go to war three years ago is any less dear to him now? Our experience
so far is that he does not intend to call off Pakistan's support for the
terrorists in Kashmir. But instead intends to continue to use violence
in Kashmir to internationalize the issue and to push the international
community to intervene on his behalf. We have seen this strategy before.
It is the same one used by Yasser Arafat against the Israelis. And just
like the Israelis, India has a right to self-defense.
It is the same right that we assert
as we hunt the world over for terrorists with Aglobal reach.@ We have found
the next front in the war on terror, Mr. Chairman, and it is in Kashmir.
The bottom line is that General
Musharraf has to stop the infiltration across the line of control -- permanently
and verifiably -- and he has to dismantle the terrorist training camps
on Pakistani soil. Only after he has done these things can a dialog with
India begin about Kashmir as well as all the other issues that should be
discussed between two neighbors. Accepting anything less is simply rewarding
terror, and rewarding terror will only bring more violence. Thank you Mr.
Chairman and I look forward to hearing today's witnesses.
