Clinton mediating on Kashmir

[DoYouEverWonder]

http://www.dawn.com/2003/12/25/top6.htm

25 December 2003

ISLAMABAD, Dec 24: President Gen Pervez Musharraf has told the Kashmiri leaders that former US president Bill Clinton has been unofficially mediating between India and Pakistan to help them hold talks early next year to resolve the dispute.

At a meeting with the Kashmiri leaders on Monday, the president hoped to see Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee on Jan 6 in Islamabad, an informed source told Dawn on Wednesday.

Officials are working on a plan under which either the president would invite Mr Vajpayee for informal talks over tea or the Indian primer would call on Mr Musharraf under the conventional protocol. The president said Mr Clinton was in "regular contact" with him and Mr Vajpayee, and was keeping the Bush administration abreast of the situation.

<snip>

The president quoted Mr Clinton as having said that he had been asked by the Indian prime minister whether Gen Musharraf could be trusted. "The reply by Mr Clinton was that the Pakistani president could be trusted as he sincerely wanted to push forward the peace process for the resolution of the Kashmir dispute," the source said.



How nice to see a real President working with other countries to make the world a more peaceful place. Kashmir has been a mess for way too long. 1000's of people have died in this conflict has a result. Let's hope that Clinton is successful in helping to resolve this conflict.

Merry Christmas and Peace Be With Everyone at DU.

PBWY
DYEW

[Alexander]

1. Could anyone here see Bush doing this after he leaves office?

Of course not. Clinton, in my opinion, is a statesman - something Bush will never be.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

4. First Bush would have to know the definition of 'mediate'

and be able to use it in a sentence.

[Lisa]

25. "Mediate -- ain't that a hippie thing where you sits cross-legged?"

"An' burns that smellin' stuff ... 'insensitive', or somethin' like that?"

[jamesinca]

11. His dad is not doing this and neither will little Geo.

The older Bush is working for Carlyle and getting defense contracts set up, not out being a statesman. You can bet the younger Bush will go back to eating pretzels, making fundraisers for the GOP, pressing congress for more tax cuts to his business etc.. He will not go about helping other countries like Carter and Clinton. Bush may even go back to ethyl once he has no need to keep up the charade of Christianity.

[Wetzelbill]

19. Bush thinks Kashmir is a sweater

[are_we_united_yet]

20. Or an old Zepplin tune

[magnolia]

21. Ah...those words...

"after he leaves office" are music to my ears. I don't give a flying f*ck what he does! As long as he is no longer president, the world will be a brighter place.

[madrchsod]

2. isn`t that a

zepplin tune? oh by the way, hillary`s book is a best seller in china

[Gloria]

3. No wonder things have suddenly gotten better!!

Seriously, all of a sudden they were talking, flights were going back and forth, the troops along the LoC put down there arms, as if by magic...

except it was Bill Clinton all along.

Oh, and just before that he convinced foreign drug cos. (many Indian cos.) to manufacture generic AIDS drugs, lowering their costs...and thereby gave 2-3 million people a chance at a life!

God, this man is awful!!! What a disgrace to America!! I'm sure Bush will devote himself to good works like these after he leaves office...not!

[mouse7]

5. Seriously... I wondered where that conflict went to

Those two were threatening to nuke each other a few months ago. The rhetoric was flowing at late 50's/early 60's Cold War levels for a long time. Then it just vanished.

I should have known Clinton or Carter was involved.

Kashmir has been a disaster for almost a half-century. If Bill Clinton solves this one, a Nobel Peace Prize is in the bag.

[Catherine Vincent]

6. Presidents of other countries requests the Big Dog to mediate.

That probably won't happen when shrubnuts is out of office.

[pfitz59]

7. Clinton for UN Secty General!

Wouldn't that make the wingnuts froth at the mouth!

[tritsofme]

12. Citizens of the permanent 5 cannot be Sect General IIRC

Although I may be wrong.

[loudnclear]

23. Please, you want Clinton in a position that the US and Israel won't block

No one can be successful at the UN, thanks to the US and Israel.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

8. If anyone can get a message to him, please ask him to be

very careful on planes in that area.
Especially if they are provided by *.

[MetaTrope]

9. Kashmir? Wow. Wow.

The Big Dog doesn't think small, does he. Best of luck to him.

[lumpy]

10. This is good news indeed.

President Clinton has had good diplomatic experience and he has respect with many nations. I hope he gets dramatic results from his efforts. God bless the man for trying to bring some good into this world instead of the diet of death and destruction Bush cooks up.

[Maccagirl]

13. Freepers will accuse him of interfering

or grandstanding etc. No matter. Everyone with opened eyes and gray matter will understand the significance.

[0007]

14. That's a given. If anyone can pull it off, it will be Clinton.

[Gin]

15. Merry Christmas Big Dog....you are missed more than you know.

gin

[patricia92243]

16. Wouldn't anybody have the current administration's permission to negotiate

[DoYouEverWonder]

17. According to the article

the Bu$h administration is being kept informed and does approve of Clinton's efforts in finding a solution to this conflict.

[chromotone]

27. Mediating for world peace...

No wonder the GOP had to call in someone from the outside. They don't have the knowledge or expertise to do it themselves!

[SayitAintSo]

18. Could Bush be trying to co -opt.... You know, keep your friends close...

and your enemies closer ?


Just a thought .... :)

[0rganism]

22. Clinton could get elected President of the World

if there were such an office.

He has the respect of the people worldwide. A little shakey on the home front tho, he might not carry his own state.

[Bandit]

24. What an odd and unique idea ~ Working towards peace

How can the GOP Profit from that? :shrug:

[Lisa]

26. in the old days, the US would often be called upon to arbitrate disputes

Americans were trusted by many nations to be fair and even-handed, and not grab things for themselves a la Halliburton.

There is a state in Paraguay named "Presidente Hayes" in honor of the American leader because his administration was called in to mediate in the war between Paraguay and Bolivia. Former President Clinton is attempting to continue in this tradition (as is his predecessor, Jimmy Carter).

But at the rate things are going, Bush is going to ruin this for everyone. Alas, nobody will trust the US even to divide up the lunch bill at an international summit! Not as long as he and his cronies are in charge.