US Secretary of State Mr Colin Powell left for South Asia today in an attempt to strike a delicate balance between nuclear rivals India and Pakistan as well as explore options for post-Taliban Afghanistan.
With the week-old military component of the US-led war on terrorism continuing to pound targets in Afghanistan prompting violent anti-US protests and exacerbating IndiaPakistan tensions over Kashmir, the State Department has classified Mr Powell's itinerary as "secret."
Reporters accompanying the secretary have been given only the barest outline of his stops and have been warned that security concerns may force last-minute changes in the schedule.
In the interest of the anti-terrorism coalition as well as regional stability, Washington wants both Islamabad and New Delhi to lower the temperature over the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir, the object of two of the three wars between India and Pakistan.
Both nations have committed themselves to the anti-terror alliance Washington set up after the September 11th terrorist attacks in the United States and have been rewarded by the lifting of sanctions imposed after their 1998 tit-for-tat nuclear tests.
At the same time, however, they have infused their support for the coalition with mutual accusations over Kashmir, where a 12-year-old Muslim insurgency in the Indian-controlled zone has claimed more than 35,000 lives.
AFP