Obama should not link Kashmir with Pak`s problems: NSA

New Delhi, Feb 2 (PTI) Coming out strongly against any
attempt to link Kashmir issue with turmoil in Pakistan's
tribal areas, India's National Security Adviser M K Narayanan
has said that US President Barack Obama would be "barking up
the wrong tree" if he holds such views.

Narayanan said India had made it known to the Obama
team at the outset that it would not like Indo-Pak relations
to be on the agenda of Richard Holbrooke, special envoy of the
US for Pakistan and Afghanistan.

"References made by President Obama did seem to
suggest that there is some kind of a link between the
settlement on Pakistan's western border and the Kashmir issue.
Certainly that had caused concern," he told Karan Thapar's
'India Tonight' programme.

He was responding to reported suggestions by Obama
during his campaign that Pakistan's fight against Taliban on
the western front is linked to resolution of Kashmir issue.

The NSA pointed out that such references were made by
Obama when he was in the campaign mode or when he was
president-elect.

"We tend to sort of say lets wait and see what he does
when he come into office," Narayanan said, adding "I don't
think we had any major exchanges with members of the Obama
administration later on" though the US President had made
courtesy call and discussed bilateral ties.

"I do think that we could make President Obama
understand, if he does have any such views then he is barking
up the wrong tree," he said.

Narayanan noted that there could be some "elements" in
the Obama administration "who are harping back to a pre-2000
era" and giving such briefings to the President.

"The point I am making is that the team with Obama must
realise that a great deal has happened in the decade that is
gone by. Let them come and see and discuss with us what has
happened rather than decide without consulting. This is what
needs to be done," he added.

Pointing out that India is not making "a big issue" right
now, he said, "I think, its possible to convince them.. I
don't think, it is going to be an insurmountable issue."

He underlined that Kashmir today has become "one of the
quieter, safer places in this part of the world" and if Obama
visits the state, "he would see the kind of things that people
want -- they want electricity, better connectivity of the
internet, you know well the usual kind of stuff".

Making it clear that India does not want "anyone to come
to us for Kashmir", Narayanan said "anything will happen by
misguided (persons) or sort of misplaying".

On Holbrooke's visit here expected soon, he said the
envoy would be welcomed here as India has "vital interest" in
what he would say about Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Underlining that India has reservations about somebody
being a special envoy for Kashmir, Narayanan said "If he
(Holbrooke) brings up Kashmir, we will explain to him what the
position is, what we obtain to do."

He said, "we are willing to discuss that this has
happened in the past. I mean, there have been special envoys
who had come and discussed with India issues in this part of
the region."

Elaborating on India's objection to anyone trying to
mediate on Kashmir, Narayanan said, "There are competent
people who will try again and create problems in Kashmir. That
is the only problem that we have and that is not anybody can
discuss Kashmir with us. We don't want anyone to come to us
for Kashmir."

The NSA said that there have been special envoys who had
come here and discussed with India issues in this part of the
region.

"If you have a special envoy it could give an
opportunity. That kind of thing. Like that we would be
interested in things that are happening elsewhere also," he
said.

Narayanan said after the latter part of the Clinton
regime and the eight years of Bush's rule, India figures much
more prominently in the calculations of the United States than
Pakistan or the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

Asked whether it would have been easy to deal with Bush
administration rather than Obama on the issue of terrorism and
bringing Lashkar-e-Toiba to justice, he said he did not think
so.

"As far as this area is concerned, I think in fighting
terrorism, he (Obama) will be guided principally by top part
of the administration which we were associated with in the
recent years. I don't see any problem," he said.

"I think both the countries have started a course
which cannot be easily reversed," he added.

On strengthening NPT and possibility of increased
international pressure on India to sign it, he said, "I
presume that instead of ratifying CTBT and NPT, I think there
would be more pressure on us. I think we will solve the
problem when it comes to us. We had pressure in the past too".

Narayanan said the world would be having a "re-look" at
the NPT as across the world, experts are looking at the treaty
in a different manner.

"As of now we are a nuclear weapons power and nobody can
prevent us and come and say that we are not a nuclear power,"
the NSA said.

Asked if he expects Obama to make any changes in the
civil-nuclear deal, he said, "I don't think he will have some
reservations in a deal which was signed by his predecessor. I
don't think he will make changes. That is not the way
democracy works and that is not the way US democracy works".

Asserting that after the civil nuclear initiative, the
relationship between India and US is strongly bound, he said,
"we do have differences with America. On certain issues
related to West Asia, we have differences with the US and also
regarding the CTBT and NPT". PTI