Washington, May 13: The US State Department has again denied that the US has a target date for settling the Kashmir issue or that the US-appointee to rebuild post-war Iraq has made any statement regarding it. A report to this effect was carried by a Pakistani newspaper report. Asked about the report, which said US had decided to resolve the Kashmir issue by December, department spokesman Phil Reeker said, "that was a completely wrong statement. That was an erroneous press report because Garner is in Baghdad and has not said anything about Kashmir." "I am told he did not say it. He was asked about it and said he never had anything to do with that subject," he added.

Bureau Report