The Henry L. Stimson Centre, founded in 1989, is a non-profit, non-partisan, institution specialising in threat reduction and international security issues where policy, technology and politics intersect. Earlier, Dr. Krepon worked at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, the US Arms Control and Disarmament Agency during the Carter Administration, and the US House of Representatives, assisting Congressman Norm Dicks.
Dr Krepon's areas of interest are South Asia and the Kashmir dispute, nuclear risk reduction, strategic arms control, missile defences, and the utilisation of confidence-building measures to alleviate tensions and promote reconciliation. His most recent books are ‘Cooperative Threat Reduction, Missile Defence, and the Nuclear Future’ (Palgrave Macmillan, 2003), and ‘Space Assurance or Space Dominance? The Case Against Weaponising Space’ (Henry L. Stimson Centre, 2003). Dr Krepon travels regularly to India, Pakistan, China, Japan and Russia.
Dr Krepon’s presentation on ‘Peace Process in South Asia: Reality or Illusion’, indicated possible ways to move forward. Dr Krepon seemed cautiously optimistic saying that while ‘bad news can lead to good outcomes, good news rarely lasts'. The A. Q. Khan affair was clearly bad news but this might give the Pakistani government an impetus to prove that it is a responsible country. According to Dr Krepon there is a year long window of opportunity until President General Musharraf is due to step down as chief of the army. Even though long-term solutions take time, Musharraf needs to make a strategic opening and show that he is committed to finding solutions, and in turn India needs to test this.
Instead of looking for tactical manoeuvres, Musharraf should send positive messages. Dr Krepon suggested a broad ‘bridging strategy’ for adoption and more people-to-people contacts between the two countries. The fact that the two parties might not be ready for a final settlement does not rule out the possibility of achieving substantive engagement and movement in different smaller fronts. Dr Krepon emphasised the need to take humanitarian measures, for example, to unite divided families, re-establish transport links and encourage trade. While doing this, the two parties should avoid 'linking' and 'selecting' these measures, because this will only hurt the peace process. Dr Krepon had faith in the two parties’ ability to manage the peace process, even without significant involvement from Washington.
