October 10, 2002	Thursday	Sha’aban 3, 1423

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NEW YORK, Oct 9: A US State Department spokesman on Tuesday asked India and Pakistan to “find a way back to a dialogue” to resolve disputes in the region where prospects of a war, in which nuclear weapons could be used, looms large.

At a briefing of international press here, spokesman Philip Reeker, said United States had been urging both countries to restrain their nuclear and missiles programmes. He added: “We have particularly said that there should be no forward deployment of nuclear operative missiles.”

Reeker noted that now that the elections in the occupied Kashmir are over both countries should resume dialogue and undertake confidence-building measures in order to reduce the likelihood of nuclear weapons ever being used in the region.

He pointed out that US Secretary of State, Colin Powell, Deputy Secretary, Richard Armitage and recently US Assistant Secretary of State, Christina Rocca have visited the region several times urging restraint and asking both countries to lower tensions.

Saying that US has supported elections in Kashmir without outside interference, he underscored that “Kashmir elections alone cannot solve all the problems.” However, he added: “It is an important step towards opening a broader political dialogue,” adding, “the elections should pave way to such a dialogue.”

Asked to comment on the concerns of some Muslim countries that the US war on terrorism is being dubbed as a “clash of civilizations’, Reeker said: “We don’t subscribe to the theory of the clash of civilization, we support the coalition of the civilized world against terrorism.”

He pointed out that many Islamic countries are helping to combat terrorism worldwide.