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Still a force for peace

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Why you can trust SCMP

Diplomacy is not often the military's strong suit, and of late the US military's image, as a result of the Iraqi prisoner abuse scandal, has taken some serious hits. But the fact is that the best American warriors regard the use of force as the final, almost always undesirable, option.

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Historically, some of the best US diplomats have been soldiers, for they have the ultimate motive to succeed: to preserve the lives of the people with whom they work.

'Everyone in uniform was absolutely appalled by the prison scandal,' US Air Force General William Begert told me recently. This anguished veteran combat pilot understands that the misconduct, televised throughout the Arab world, has made terrorist recruiting easier, thus prolonging the war.

General Begert is one of those quiet soldier-diplomats working behind the scenes in Asia. The commander of all US air forces in the Pacific hangs his four stars at Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii. In the last several years he has travelled to Asia almost monthly.

Military diplomacy is generally military-to-military. General Begert says his most interesting assignment recently has been the time spent with officers of the Indian air force. The Indians and the Pakistanis are starting to talk again about serious issues. For the first time in years, they are discussing their nuclear arsenals and one of the oldest South Asian tension points, Kashmir.

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The new discussion arises primarily out of each government's calculation that reducing the risk of war on the subcontinent is in both countries' national interests. Additionally, India and Pakistan's neighbours have been urging them towards reconciliation, and that pressure has helped bring the two nations together.

Some of the most persistent pressure has come from the far-off US Pacific Command in Hawaii, where the top people have been working hard to bring India and Pakistan together.

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