CIAO DATE: 02/03

American Diplomacy and the 1999 Kargil Summit at Blair House

Abstract

July 4^th, 1999 was probably the most unusual July 4^th in American diplomatic history, certainly among the most eventful. President Clinton engaged in one of the most sensitive diplomatic high wire acts of any administration, successfully persuading Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to pull back Pakistani backed fighters from a confrontation with India that could threaten to escalate into a nuclear war be-tween the world’s two newest nuclear powers. The events of that 4^th accelerated the road to a fundamental reconciliation between the world’s two largest democra-cies, India and the United States, but also set the scene for another in the series of military coups that have marred Pakistani democracy. As the President’s Special Assistant for Near Eastern and South Asia Affairs at the National Security Council I had the honor of a unique seat at the table and the privilege of being a key adviser for the day’s events.

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