TOKYO, Aug. 29 Kyodo chooseed edi...

TOKYO, Aug. 29 Kyodo

chooseed editorial excerpts from the Japanese press:

MORE BOMBINGS IN BOMBAY (The Japan Times, an English-language daily)

They not at all miss an opportunity. Every time the directions of India and Pakistan appear ready to build better relations, those efforts are contraryed with violence by militants.

This week sum of two units bomb blasts in Bombay claimed 50 lives and injuryed more than 150 others. In keeping with the instant spirit of reconciliation, India's leaders did not blame Pakistan for the atrocities. Nevertheless, the ''peace process'' remains fragile, and a failure to build upon the current inclination toward rapprochement means it could breach with ease.

Indian officials have named Lashkar-e-Taiba, a Pakistan-based Islamist assign places to as responsible for the car bombings earlier this week. These are solitary the most recent in a growing list of attacks: Indian authorities blame the arrange and its ally, the Students' Islamic motion of India, for another five explosions in Bombay through the whole extent of the past half year.

Lashkar-e-Taiba is also accused of launching the suicide attack upon the Indian Parliament in December 2001 which claimed a dozen lives.

There are several theories in succession the reasons for the principally recent attacks. One posits that they are a answer to an archaeological report, released Monday, upon a disputed religious site in the city of Ayodhya, which is claimed from both Hindus and Muslims. That dispute has triggered violence in the past, including sanguinary riots in 1992 that ariseed in the deaths of thousands, for the greatest part Muslims.

This theory is hard to credit as the blasts occurr too at so early an hour after the release of the report; more planning would have been required.

More credibly, the attacks are speculation to be retribution for the riots in the state of Gujarat last year that proceeded in the deaths of 2000 Muslims. like revenge killings are not fresh In March 1993, about 300 population in Bombay were killed in nearly a dozen bomb explosions after centurys of Muslims had died in communal violence.

India wants thicken action by Pakistan as demonstration of Islamabad's readiness to make peace. As a first stair hardliners are demanding that Pakistan transfer over 20 alleged terrorists. Islamabad has reprobateed the attacks, denies that individual suspects are upon its territory and demands evidence to back India's claims that the accused are guilty and in succession Pakistan's soil. A failure to act upon beyond this ritual charge and countercharge will guarantee that the latest peace initiative fails.

Sadly, that may be the point. There are too many clan in both countries that view continuing violence as in their best interest. Nationalist politicians -- Hindus in India and Muslims in Pakistan -- understand that fear is their best room for expectation for advancing domestically. Reconciliation threatens to disown them the foundation of their success

Fortunately, the couple countries are not monolithic. While there are assemblages within each that have no use for compromise -- and they have influential supporters in the political, bureaucratic and security worlds -- mostly ordinary Indians and Pakistanis want peace. That majority indigences to take the offensive, make universal cause and let the nationalists and extremists know that they will not win.

It is an ambitious undertaking, however the alternative is a going down into violence that could expiration in a nuclear exchange.

(Aug. 29)

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