Clinton may skip Pakistan during South Asia tour?

WASHINGTON, Jan 29: US President Bill Clinton may skip Pakistan during his upcoming South Asia visit citing new security issues, a media report said today, reports PTI.

A White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity, insisted that a visit to Pakistan is still an open question and an announcement on a visit to South Asia would be made soon, the Washington Times said.

However, it quoted James Clad, professor of Asian Studies at Georgetown University, as saying that Clinton had been told by the secret service that his personal security could not be guaranteed inside Pakistan, where tens of thousands of armed militants had issued threats against the US.

The secret service, Clad said, has told the White House that any normal visit through the streets was extremely problematic from a security point of view.

The White House declined to confirm Clad's assertion.

However, some analysts have speculated that Clinton, anxious to be a peacemaker between India and Pakistan, might choose to make a stopover in Islamabad and meet General Pervez Musharraf in the airport's VIP lounge.