He considers Bill Clinton as special envoy on Kashmir

C. Raja Mohan Tags : Obama, Bill Clinton, Jammu and Kashmir Posted: Wednesday, Nov 05, 2008 at 0941 hrs Singapore, November 4::

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Sensing the opportunity for a path-breaking peace initiative in the subcontinent, Senator Barack Obama, widely expected to win the US presidential elections, might consider the appointment of former President Bill Clinton as a special envoy on Jammu and Kashmir.

In a recent expansive interview to Joe Klein of 'Time' magazine, Obama said he has sounded out Clinton, who has had first-hand experience dealing with the Subcontinent. Clinton had played a role in ending Pakistan’s occupation of the Kargil heights in J&K in the summer of 1999.

Clinton’s visit to India in 2000 March marked a positive turn in bilateral relations, and the former President has maintained warm relations with the Indian leadership through frequent visits to New Delhi since he stepped down in January 2001.

When asked specifically about Clinton playing a role in redefining Pakistan’s relations with India, Obama said, “Might not be bad. I actually talked to Bill, I talked to President Clinton about this when we had lunch” at Harlem in New York recently.

While Obama’s destination of a peaceful subcontinent is not very different from that of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the two could easily fall out of step on mapping the appropriate pathway.

India has never been comfortable with third-party mediation in Kashmir, and will not embrace the idea of a high profile Special Envoy, even if the job goes to a friendly Clinton.

If Obama does get elected tonight, the PM might have a chance to engage him during his visit to Washington later this month to join the international summit on the global financial crisis convened by the outgoing President George W. Bush.

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KASHMIRBy: JITENDRA SINGH | 07-Nov-2008 Reply | Forward FRANKLY, I BELIEVE THE US OF A SHOOULD BE KEPT OUT OF ALL MATTERS REG. KASHMIR. THEY AND THE BRITISH HAVE NOT RESOLVED NOR BEEN KIND TO MATTERS IN OTHER COUNTRIES. LET THEM LIVE THEIR LIFE AND LET OUR GOOD, HONEST LEADERS HANDLE THESE MATTERS, AND IF PAKISTAN DOES NOT LIKE WHAT IS HAPPENING LET THEM LIVE WHERE THEY WANT TO, AND KASHMIR HAS NEVER BELONGED TO THEM AS THEY WERE NOT A STATE NOR A NATION WHEN THE BLOODY BRITISH LEFT. BRITIAN AND THE US HAVE NOT BEEN KIND TO THE PALESTIIANS NOR OTHER COUNTRIES WHCIH HAVE BEEN DIVIDED UNDER THEIR RULE OR HAVE ASKED FOR THEIR HELP, SO LET THIS CARRY ON AS SOME DAY SOME WILL HAVE SENSE ENOUGH TO LIVE IN PEACE AND BREAK-UP AREAS THAT HAVE BEEN THEIRS FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS AND WHICH HAVE CULTURAL AND TRADITION TIES. THE US HAS A MADE A MESS OF EVERYTHING IT HAS DONE IN THE PAST 8 YEARS AND EVEN BEFORE THAT, AND BRITIAN HAS BEEN A VERY CLOSE ASSOCIATE TO THAT. WE NEED TO BE PART OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL OF THE UNITED NATIONS AND THAT IS NOW.

kashmir special envoyBy: Capt. R.K. Honawar | 06-Nov-2008 Reply | Forward I would like to remind Mr. Raja Mohan that it was not Bill Clinton who made Pakistan vacate the Kargil Heights. It was done by the bravery of the soldiers of the Indian Army who kicked out the enemy from their entrenched positions. Mr Raja Mohan please get yor facts right before you write such nonsense Dont insult our proud and wonderful Army.

Kashmir EnvoyBy: Faiz Hakim | 06-Nov-2008 Reply | Forward What a piece of speculative nonsense? First of all if one notices carefully one can see that Clinton as an envoy to India is not mentioned in context with Kashmir. Although Kashmir could be on the agenda. Bill Clinton is the smartest politician on the planet. Can one see him taking on the responsibility for resolving Kashmir? He would never waste his political capital on this issue when he could do so much more improving business relationship between the two countries and earning loads of money. India has to simply tell Obama that we are not going to give US or any other country any space at the negotiating table and the subject is dead. Why do we Indians continue to behave as if we are a small island nation that cannot assert itself? And why do these professors write such speculative pieces that then gets published? Obama is smart and will work hard to improve business relationship with India and not waste time on matters that even he is incapable of resolving.

KASHMIR THE LAND MINEBy: JATI HOON | 05-Nov-2008 Reply | Forward TWO IS A COMPANY, THREE IS A CROWD.INDIA SHOULD KEEP THAT IN MIND.

Bill Clinton as Special Kashmir EnvoyBy: Johnson Thomas K | 05-Nov-2008 Reply | Forward Third Party mediation is a dangerous game not only in Indo-Pak dispute but also in the Israeli-Palestine dispute. Ultimately the settlement must come from both sides and if the mediators were to behave like umpires in cricket and the ICC and were to side with one side against the other it would weaken the current peace initiatives between India-Pakistan both governmental and people to people. India and Pakistan must believe that they have a stake in each others' peace and prosperity and until this happens no mediation or medlling would work. Until this realisation dawns on both sides in the sure belief that they cannot change their neighbours but only friends; all peace initiatives would have little impact. The educated section in india and Pakistan ought to be weaned away from the colonial baggages of Divide and Rule. If US were to repeat the mistakes of colonial Britain either in Indo-Pak ties or in Israel-Palestine and apply the British tilt here things would get worse.