December 9, 2002	Monday	Shawwal 4,1423

New Delhi, Dec 8: US Ambassador Robert Blackwill flew over the Line of Control (LoC) earlier this week to verify Indian claims of Pakistan’s complicity in alleged cross-border terrorism, reports and officials said on Thursday.

But they said it was not clear if the United States had found anything from Blackwill’s visit to justify New Delhi’s persistent expressions of annoyance with Islamabad over the alleged terror groups.

There have been unconfirmed reports that Blackwill did not deliberately meet any member of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference during his three-day tour of the disputed region.

One report said the APHC leaders were left red-faced by the alleged snub ostensibly to signify Washington’s disapproval of their boycotting the recent Indian-backed polls in the state.

A Kashmir Times report said the state chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed on Thursday described Blackwill’s visit as a ‘U-Turn’ in the Kashmir policy of the US. He did not elaborate what that change was.

“The visit of Blackwill had a clear message for India as well as Pakistan and his recent visit was a bit different from his previous tours to the state,” the Mufti said.—JN