The US Defence Secretary, Mr Donald Rumsfeld, yesterday backed India's claims that al-Qaeda militants are operating near the line of control dividing the disputed Kashmir state between India and Pakistan, as he discussed ways to reduce tension between the two nuclear rivals.
"I have seen indications that there are al-Qaeda operating near the line of control, but I do not have hard evidence of precisely how many or who or where," Mr Rumsfeld told a news conference in Delhi, after day-long talks with Indian leaders to try to defuse the military standoff that has brought the neighbours close to war.
"We held discussions on the global war on terrorism, and the US and India have identified various ways of working together," he added, but he did not elaborate.
India's Defence Minister, Mr George Fernandes, recently declared that al-Qaeda cadres had moved to Pakistan-administered Kashmir after being forced out of Afghanistan by the US-led war on terrorism. Along with more than 3,000 trained Muslim insurgents, they were waiting to cross the frontier to join the 13-year civil war raging in the Himalayan region, he said.
South Asia "has been tense and continues to be tense," Mr Rumsfeld said, adding that the US acknowledged the positive measures taken by India to reduce tension with Pakistan. These included the resumption of overflights, the designation of a new high commissioner or ambassador to Islamabad and the withdrawal of a naval task force after Delhi had received US assurances that Pakistan's President, Gen Musharraf, had ordered a permanent halt to militant infiltration across the Kashmir frontier.
Mr Rumsfeld admitted that installing electronic sensors to monitor militant infiltration from Pakistan into Indian-administered Kashmir featured in his talks with Indian leaders. "But we came to no conclusions. It is something that needs to be discussed and thought about," Mr Rumsfeld said, after meeting the Indian Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee.
Indian military sources admitted that advanced negotiations were in progress with the Los Angeles-based Co-operative Monitoring Centre of Sandia Laboratories to install satellite-linked ground sensors and electronic fencing, along the line of control, that are sensitive enough to pick up the sound of a footstep. Pakistan is reportedly engaged in similar discussions with the US electronics firm.
Security officials in Kashmir's summer capital, Srinagar, said militant infiltration was continuing across the line of control as was Pakistani artillery fire that provided insurgents cover to cross into India.
"There is little evidence on the ground of cross-border crossings reducing despite placatory statements emanating from Delhi and Islamabad," a senior police officer said, declining to be named.
The 14-party Unified Jihad Council, based in Muzaffarabad, capital of Pakistan-administered Kashmir, has openly expressed anger over Gen Musharraf's withdrawing, under US pressure, his support to its cause and reiterated its determination to continue fighting. More than 10,000 supporters of Kashmir's jihad held a rally at Muzaffarabad on Tuesday vowing to continue the fight against India.
Intelligence officials fear Gen Musharraf may not be able to keep his promise to India as more than 30,000 Islamic mercenaries, trained in guerrilla warfare with sophisticated weapons, are unemployed in Pakistan, waiting to be transported to the next jihad.