South asia earthquake's political ramifications

Wfae

South asia earthquake's political ramifications"


Play all audios:

Loading...

STEVE INSKEEP, host: Saturday's earthquake struck hardest a short distance away from Andrew North in Kashmir. It wrecked a region that India and Pakistan have battled over for decades.


To learn more, we've called Stephen Cohen, a senior fellow at The Brookings Institution here in Washington. Good morning. Mr. STEPHEN COHEN (The Brookings Institution): Good morning.


INSKEEP: So how will a disaster like this affect relations between India and Pakistan? Mr. COHEN: Well, it could have significant impact because, as you said, the quake hit exactly in an


area that's very contested. It's administered by India on one side and Pakistan on the other. And early news reports indicate that certainly both Indian and Pakistani politicians


are concerned about putting on a good show and getting up there and demonstrating that they're active. But it also may have affected some of the Pakistani-based terrorist groups that


have--militant terrorist groups that have operated in Indian-administered Kashmir. And it has also, in fact, taken down the Peace Bridge that the peace bus went over between two parts of


Kashmir. So it could have considerable political impact, especially if the Kashmiris themselves feel they've been neglected by the Indians and the Pakistanis. INSKEEP: So the link


between the two parts of Kashmir is physically broken, at least for the moment? Mr. COHEN: Well, the bus link. You can get around--apparently the bridge, according to press reports--the


bridge is down but you can certainly get around it and ford across the river. INSKEEP: Now the United States is reaching out with some aid here. We'll hear more about that in a second.


Is this in some ways an opportunity for the United States to improve relations in this part of the world, the same way the Asian tsunami turned out to be an opportunity for the US? Mr.


COHEN: I think so. The trouble is our forces and our resources are stretched because of Iraq and Afghanistan. We may have to divert some helicopters and some other equipment to Pakistan.


They've already announced that eight helicopters are heading towards Pakistan. The US Embassy has announced $100,000 in aid immediately, but I'm sure it will be a much larger


contribution from the United States. INSKEEP: Mr. Cohen, thanks very much. Mr. COHEN: Thank you. Bye. INSKEEP: Stephen Cohen is a senior fellow in foreign policy at The Brookings


Institution. He's at his home in Washington, DC. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.


Trending News

Deluded rejoiners crushed as doomed eu plot ‘off agenda’ for ten years

Britain left the EU on December 31 following the end of an 11-month transition period that saw the two sides agree a las...

Don segall; veteran tv scriptwriter, emmy nominee

Don Segall, 60, a veteran episodic television writer. Segall began in the industry as a page at NBC in New York and then...

Labour's barry gardiner spotted partying at tory conference bash

The Brent North MP was seen mixing with Tories at a reception organised by the 1922 committee. The powerful backbench gr...

Nikki & ian have a dinner date in paris, plus shailene woodley, mandy moore & more

FACE OFF Nikki Reed and husband Ian Somerhalder cozy up for a photo at the Giambattista Valli dinner during Paris Fashio...

Hyderabad terror conspiracy case: nia files chargesheet against 3 let operatives

The NIA filed the chargesheet under sections 120B and 153A of the Indian Penal Code, sections 4, 5, 6 of the Explosive S...

Latests News

South asia earthquake's political ramifications

STEVE INSKEEP, host: Saturday's earthquake struck hardest a short distance away from Andrew North in Kashmir. It wr...

Tory clashes over putin ‘plan’ to infiltrate uk via refugee system

Mark Harper appeared on BBC Politics Live to discuss concerns that Vladimir Putin may send over Russian agents using the...

Sturgeon’s Indyref2 hope shot down by Opik in damning cash flaw ‘Will she give it back?!'

Lembit Opik appeared on GB News to discuss Scottish independence and rejected the decision by Nicola Sturgeon to hold an...

Managing educational financial uncertainty during economic downturns

Education is the foundation of economic growth and social progress, yet it remains highly vulnerable to financial uncert...

Britain asks citizens to review travel plans to Pakistan

The British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has advised its citizens to review their planned trips to Pakistan in ...

Top