Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live Today

State Department Issues Alert to Embassy Personnel in India

Aired May 31, 2002 - 12:19   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Danger is deepening in India and Pakistan. The State Department issued an alert today, urging all nonessential U.S. embassy workers to leave India under the possibility of war. And now, London has warned Britons to consider leaving as well.

CNN senior White House correspondent, John King, joins us for more on this, and how the administration is trying to diffuse tensions between the nuclear rivals -- John.

JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Carol, good afternoon to you from the White House. Those travel warnings and advisories to diplomats and their families in India come as the administration plans a new diplomatic push. Mr. Bush discussed all that here at the White House in a cabinet meeting yesterday. It was at that meeting where he said one of his top priorities was getting advice from the secretary of state and the secretary of defense about the safety of Americans in the region -- 1,100-plus U.S. troops in Pakistan, more than 60,000 U.S. citizens in India, some of them beyond the government's control, the vast majority, working, living in India, but they are U.S. citizens.

The travel warning that went out today puts them on notice that the United States government believes it would be best for them to leave right now because of the escalating tensions. The specific order affecting diplomats affects the U.S. embassy in New Delhi and three other consulates across India. There are no orders for U.S. personnel to leave, but the government today saying it is voluntarily opening the doors for any non-essential personnel and their families on the government payroll there to leave. They should leave via commercial air traffic, if necessary.

This is a voluntary step right now. Orders could be issued if the situation gets any worse. If that becomes the case, it is possible the government would have to make plans to get Americans out in a hurry. Over at the Pentagon yesterday, the number-two man on the joint chiefs of staff, General Pete Pace, saying there are such plans in place.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEN. PETER PACE, JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF VICE CHAIRMAN: Each embassy worldwide has plans that they have developed over the years to evacuate U.S. citizens and others. We routinely, as part of that planning along with the country team and the ambassador, go in with the U.S. military planners on occasion to assist and just reviewing the plans, to make sure they're solid. That is happening now in both Pakistan and in India and in many other places in the world to make sure that all of those plans are current.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: As those plans are considered, the advisory is so far voluntary. A diplomatic effort about to begin that also involves the defense secretary, Donald Rumsfeld. Already Secretary of State Powell's number-two was heading to the region, now Secretary Rumsfeld as well. His mission, first and foremost, to try to convince these nuclear rivals, India and Pakistan, to stand down their military, to take steps back from the brink of military conflict and to communicate with each other so that there are no miscalculations or misunderstandings.

Also, Secretary Rumsfeld is charged with to get a sense of how all this effects the U.S.-led war on terrorism. Again, 1,100 U.S. troops in Pakistan. Pakistan now moving troops away from the Afghan border, up toward the disputed Kashmir region, part of Secretary Rumsfeld's charge is to decide how that tactically affects the hunt and the search for al Qaeda on the ground and whether U.S. military personnel in Pakistan need to be moved or evacuated or protected, and whether the battle plans inside Afghanistan need to be changed as well because of all this -- Carol.

LIN: All right, thank you very much, John King live at the White House.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com