Bush steps into S. Asian conflict

Indian soldiers wait for deployment in Srinagar

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bush directly stepped into the conflict between India and Pakistan, making phone calls to the leaders of both countries "urging them to take steps that will ease tensions ... and reduce the risk of war," his spokesman said.

The president stressed to both leaders on Wednesday "the need to choose the path of diplomacy," Ari Fleischer, White House press secretary, told reporters.

Bush "reiterated" his call on Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf "to live up to the commitment to end all support for terrorism" and "emphasized" to Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee "the need for India to respond with de-escalatory steps," Fleischer said.

Asked later whether removing troops from the border would constitute a "de-escalatory step," Fleischer said, "Clearly, one way to reduce the risk of war is to de-emphasize the instruments of war, and that includes troops."

U.S. officials have repeatedly said they want to see Musharraf do more to stop incursions by militants into Indian-controlled Kashmir and would like to see India respond by taking steps to reduce tensions.

The Bush spokesman refused to characterize if the two leaders responded favorably to the president's call.

"I think time will tell," Fleischer said. "They both understand the president's message and the president's message is strongly that war doesn't serve either party."

Fleischer said the president's calls did not include any discussion about the United States providing monitors to patrol the Line of Control in the disputed Himalayan territory of Kashmir.

A senior administration official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the United States had not volunteered to provide any monitors. There were reports Wednesday suggesting the United States and Britain offered to provide such monitors as a way of reducing cross-border tensions.

"We are not anywhere near contemplating" monitors, the senior official said, emphasizing there had been no discussions about the issue.

Asked if the United States is ruling out providing monitors in the future, the senior Bush adviser said monitors are "not on the table" as something "concrete."

The senior official said "there are ideas there" and the administration would "look at any idea," but added that the focus now is on working with the British and the Russians to bring an end to infiltration across the Line of Control and to ease tensions between India and Pakistan.

As part of the diplomatic efforts, Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld are heading to the region this week.

Bush last spoke to the two leaders sometime before his recent trip to Europe and Russia, Fleischer said. He said the calls Wednesday by the president were not a sign that Bush thinks things are getting worse between India and Pakistan.

"I think it's part of ongoing efforts in a tense region, a region that remains tense and delicate, and a region that the president will remain personally engaged in and involved in. So, too, will his government," Fleischer said.