Rumsfeld, Blair debate Asia crisis

Rumsfeld has stopped off in London on his way to South Asia

LONDON, England -- The dispute between India and Pakistan is dangerous, but there may be signs the two sides are seeking ways to reduce the risk of confrontation, U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld says.

Rumsfeld, speaking in London on Wednesday after meeting British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon, was cautiously optimistic that conflict could be avoided.

"There's no question that when you have two nations that have nuclear weapons and the situation is as it is between India and Pakistan today, that it's a dangerous situation," he told reporters.

But he said both countries would make judgments about what was in their best interests and he added: "They may well be looking for ways to tamp things down."

Speaking before he left a South Asia Security Summit in Almaty, Kazakhstan, Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee said he was prepared to consider working with Pakistan to jointly monitor the Line of Control in the disputed region of Kashmir to end cross-border attacks.

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However, the suggestion was given a cool response by officials in Islamabad. (Full story)

Hoon said India's offer was "encouraging because it shows the Indians are showing a first step back from the brink."

"Both sides clearly have to see -- as we see -- real advantage in stepping back from the brink and preparing to discuss the issues of Kashmir and the issues that divide them," he said.

"There is not a formula in what is a rapidly changing situation. What we do have is arguments we can put to both sides to prevent that first step from which we are concerned there can be very significant escalation."

The feuding neighbors have massed a million troops on their border, and there are regular exchanges of fire.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has separately invited both Musharraf and Vajpayee to Moscow although no face-to-face meeting between the two leaders has been agreed. (Full story)

The U.S. defense secretary's London talks also covered the coalition fight against al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan, as well as the battle against terrorism.

Rumsfeld will be heading to South Asia soon, and U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage was to arrive in Pakistan Wednesday.

The US defence secretary was in London on his way to attend a NATO summit in Brussels on Thursday.

Rumsfeld said he would emphasise to fellow NATO defence ministers the importance of working to keep weapons of mass destruction out of the hands of anti-Western "terrorists."

He told reporters he also planned to discuss the South Asia tension with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov in Brussels.

Rumsfeld will also visit several Gulf countries including Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar, during his 10-day tour.