To the Point

India and Pakistan Clash over Kashmir

When the Indian subcontinent won independence from Great Britain, the Hindu ruler of Jammu and Kashmir couldn't make up his mind about whether his mostly-Muslim state should be part of India or Pakistan. The consequences of that indecision have echoed through the past half century, turning the once tolerant borders of a an amazingly beautiful land into the source of bitter conflict between two countries that both have a hand on the nuclear button. What are the forces that are driving the conflict? What can the US do to help resolve the tensions? We hear from a journalist who's just returned from the region, a former US ambassador to South Asia, a UN advisor and political scientists from India and Pakistan. Sara Terry of the Christian Science Monitor guest hosts. Newsmaker: Italian Wiretaps on Possible Al Qaeda Attacks The Los Angeles Times reports that it has obtained transcripts of wiretaps that apparently refer to planned terrorist attacks involving airports, airplanes and the US. Taps of suspected al Qaeda terrorists were made by Italian police in the 13 months preceding September 11. Sebastian Rotella, Paris bureau chief for the Los Angeles Times, broke the news. Reporter's Notebook: The Future of Ground Zero Tomorrow, the last truck will roll out of the World Trade Center, bearing the last piece of remains from the September 11 attack. Rescue workers will say goodbye to the site that has become a sad home for them, and thousands of Americans will join them in-person or on television in this final farewell. Paul Goldberger, architecture critic for The New Yorker, has written about the site and its cultural impact.