While the Democrats are busy deciding which candidate will face President Bush in November, most Americans will have their eyes on the economy and Iraq. Both are important issues for Bush, because many analysts are saying that this election will be “for Bush to lose.” Either the situation in Iraq or the economy has to weaken, and the president may face the same ousting that took his father out of office.

There are other international affairs the United States desperately needs to take a hand in, however, and we should judge the administration based on their efforts over these issues.

A major one is the conflict over Kashmir between India and Pakistan.

Conflict over that region has spawned two of the three wars between the countries since 1947. Now, after two years of hostility following attacks on the New Delhi Parliament in 2002, leaders on both sides have agreed to begin peace talks in February. Diplomats involved in the negotiations have already admitted that there has been a general loosening of tension between the two countries.

America needs to take part in this peace process between India and Pakistan. There are several international issues at stake in the outcome of peace talks between the two countries.

First of all, in a post-Sept. 11 world, the United States needs to be as peace-loving as possible. Yes, we are the most powerful country in the world on several levels. However, we as Americans must recognize that the rest of the world is all that much stronger, and that our power is only effective when it is used justly. If we become the taskmaster of the world with our military power, we will inevitably devolve into the kind of nation that our forefathers hoped to fight against in creating our Constitution. We must use our influence for a good greater than ourselves or we will become tyrannical.

Second, as a matter of security, the world as a whole would benefit from peace between India and Pakistan. Both countries are nuclear powers. India is poised to have a strong economy in the 21st century, and Pakistan is now a haven for al-Qaida and other terrorists.

In the long run, maintaining good relations between ourselves and each country and avoiding further conflict will benefit the security of American citizens. We must put our money where our mouth is when we say the war in Iraq or the war on terrorism is not about West vs. East and Christianity vs. Islam by giving all diplomatic aid we can to ensure the future of this peace process.

Let’s be honest; terrorism starts small. Terrorists draw from multitudes of disenfranchised citizens and marshal their unrest into violence against other people. We need to stop using so many bombs and start using negotiations and good international public relations to take the wind out of terrorist sails before they recruit more members.

Third, the peace talks between India and Pakistan are no less important than the talks between the Israelis and the Palestinians.

The last few years have been traumatic for international relations across the globe. It does not take a veteran political analyst to realize that with the entire world drawing up sides, averting those situations that have the greatest potential to erupt into full wars involves the whole world.

The conflicts over the lands of Kashmir have been as protracted and as deadly as those in Israel. Both conflicts have a lot in common: a religious basis, conflict over sovereignty of land, terrorism and possession of nuclear weapons.

We need to be a part of an international community that supports these actions taken by India and Pakistan to begin peace talks. We as citizens also need to be aware of the administration’s actions involving this situation.

The president will do everything he can to use Sept. 11, the war on terrorism and the war in Iraq to his advantage in the upcoming election.

Regardless of our actions, the situation between India and Pakistan is an important issue for the world at large, and we would be doing wrong by simply not being a part of it.