[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 78 (Tuesday, June 16, 1998)]
[House]
[Pages H4615-H4616]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 NUCLEAR TESTS NOT A PRODUCT OF KASHMIR

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. LaHood). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to voice my concern over 
efforts to link Kashmir to the underground nuclear tests conducted by 
India and Pakistan.
  As my colleagues know, India and Pakistan conducted nuclear tests 
last month. The United States condemned the tests and immediately 
imposed economic sanctions on both countries. The United States has 
called for both India and Pakistan to stop further nuclear tests, not 
to weaponize their nuclear arsenal, sign nonproliferation treaties, and 
work towards easing tensions in South Asia. These are goals that I 
fully support.
  However, there seems to be a growing movement to link Kashmir to the 
nuclear tests, a linkage which makes no sense, in my opinion.
  Earlier this week, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright stated that 
the ``recent decisions by India and Pakistan to conduct nuclear tests 
reflect old thinking about national greatness and old fears stemming 
from a boundary dispute that goes back more than 5 decades.''
  In the Senate, there has been talk of a resolution that would call 
for U.N. mediation in Kashmir through a U.N. Security Council 
resolution. The resolution would also ask the United

[[Page H4616]]

States representative at the U.N. to hold talks with both Pakistani and 
Indian diplomats at the U.N.
  Mr. Speaker, I believe that third-party mediation with regard to 
Kashmir would be counterproductive. The conflict in Kashmir is 50 years 
old. It has plagued the 2 countries long before they developed their 
nuclear programs. Interference by the United Nations, the United States 
or any other country would not help. In fact, the 2 countries agreed to 
bilateral resolution of Kashmir, among other issues, through the 
similar accords that they signed in 1972.
  The State Department has a longstanding policy that India and 
Pakistan must resolve the Kashmir issue directly, and I do not want 
this to change.
  I was happy to read that the Indian Government earlier this week said 
that it would pursue efforts for a broad-based and sustained dialogue 
with Pakistan, and I would say that positive steps such as the 
resumption of talks between India and Pakistan can only help resolve 
this volatile issue. But as I have said previously, the nuclear tests 
were not a product of Kashmir. Instead, I would argue that the growing 
military and nuclear relationship between Pakistan and China pushed 
India to conduct these tests. Just one week after Pakistan conducted 
its nuclear tests, U.S. intelligence agencies boarded a Chinese ship 
carrying weapons materials and electronics destined for Pakistan. This 
ship was carrying arms materials that included special metals and 
electronics for the production of Chinese-designed anti-tank missiles 
made by Pakistan's A.Q. Khan Research Laboratories.
  Mr. Speaker, China's ballistic missile relationship with Pakistan has 
prompted more international concern than China's missile trade with any 
other country. The director of the CIA stated that ``The Chinese 
provided a tremendous variety of assistance to both Iran's and 
Pakistan's ballistic missile programs.''
  It has been reported that China has been working with Pakistan in the 
sales of M-11 missiles and related technology and equipment since the 
late 1980s. Earlier this year, Pakistan successfully tested the Ghauri 
missile. This missile has a range of 1,500 kilometers, and it is 
believed that the Chinese may have had a role in its development. The 
Ghauri missile can be fitted with a nuclear device.
  Last week, President Clinton stated that China must play an important 
role in resolving tensions between India and Pakistan. He stated that 
China must help ``forge a common strategy for moving India and Pakistan 
back from the nuclear arms race.''
  Now, I have to say that I applaud the President and the Clinton 
administration and my colleagues' desire to reduce tensions and bring 
peace to South Asia in response to the nuclear tests. However, and I 
stress, that asking China to play a major role as mediator in general 
makes no sense, given their role in Pakistan's nuclear development. I 
would suggest instead that the United States needs to continue a 
bilateral dialogue with the Indian Government and encourage the Indian 
Government to move away from nuclear proliferation. We, that is the 
United States, we are in the best position to work with the Indian 
Government ourselves to achieve this goal.

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