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Clinton's visit in November unlikely

US President Bill Clinton's proposed visit to India in November is unlikely to materialise even if New Delhi's talks with key interlocutors on the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty progresses, official sources said Monday.

''It (the visit) may be further postponed,'' they said.

The sources cited two reasons for this: not much time is left to make preparations, and the ongoing problems in Pakistan due to the civil war in Afghanistan.

The US has always clubbed a presidential visit to New Delhi with one to Islamabad.

The sources said the president woulld obviously not like to visit Pakistan at this stage when neighbouring Afghanistan was in the thick of a conflict between the Taliban militia and the forces loyal to 'ousted' President Rabbani.

''Who will ensure the president's security?'' they asked.

UNI

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