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India, Pakistan Turn Up War Talk
Tuesday, May 28, 2002
By Beth Duff-Brown
Associated Press

Pakistan on Tuesday test-fired a missile that could be capable of carrying nuclear warheads into Indian territory, the third and final launch in a series of much-criticized tests.
Image Credit: AP/Defense Ministry.

After a NATO luncheon in Italy, Secretary-General Lord Robertson said President Bush, Putin and 18 other alliance leaders "share a deep common concern" and urged India and Pakistan "to de-escalate and resume talking together." Indian Foreign Minister Jaswant Singh repeated India's claim that Musharraf has done little to curb cross-border infiltration by militants and called his Monday night speech "disappointing and dangerous."

NEW DELHI, India -- AP
India sharply criticized a speech by Pakistan's military leader as "disappointing and dangerous" on Tuesday and asserted that al-Qaida terrorists now are in disputed Kashmir.

The nuclear-armed South Asian rivals also cranked up their war rhetoric after Pakistan test-fired another missile capable of carrying nuclear warheads into India. The HatfII, or Abdali, missile was the third such missile tested by Pakistan since Saturday.

Despite international pressure, India said Tuesday it was unlikely that Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee would hold peace talks with President Gen. Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan.

"You cannot put a pistol of terrorism to my temple with the finger on the trigger and say, 'Dialogue with me, or I will release this trigger of terrorism,'" Indian Foreign Minister Jaswant Singh said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin offered to bring Vajpayee and Musharraf together during an Asian summit in Kazakhstan next week. Pakistan has accepted, but Singh reiterated India would not resume dialogue until Pakistan stopped attacks in India-controlled Kashmir by Pakistan-based Islamic militants.
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2002 © The Associated Press.

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