Author: Agencies
Publication: The Indian Express
Date: September 16, 2011
URL: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/us-should-confront-pak-on-antiindia-terror-groups-lawmakers/847612/0
Two top US lawmakers have questioned Pakistan's
"duplicative role" in the war against terror, blaming ISI for aiding
extremists, particularly against India, while criticising the Obama administration's
lack of assertiveness against Islamabad on the issue.
Congressman Brad Sherman said at a Congressional
hearing on India-US relationships yesterday that the US should confront Islamabad
on its duplicative role, pointing out that Pakistan-based terror groups with
links to al Qaeda, have inflicted a series of attacks on India.
"I've consistently called the State Department
and others in our government to call out Pakistan for its often duplicative
role in the struggle against terror. Pakistan's intelligence service, ISI,
has for too long aided violent extremists," he said.
"Several Pakistani groups including Lashkar-e-Toiba,
Jaish-e-Mohammed have links to al-Qaeda. These groups have launched numerous
attacks against the Indian population and government, including the deadly
assault against the Indian parliament in New Delhi in 2001," he said.
He recalled that Pakistan government's "hands"
were also seen in the Mumbai terror attack of November 2008, arguing that
a failure to point out the Pakistani connection to terrorism will only serve
to perpetuate it.
"We have to work with those we can work
in Pakistan, but we must be more effective in calling out, and, in the words
of Secretary Clinton, lean hard on Islamabad," he said.
"Simply put, the militants targeting
India are also the militants targeting us. Indeed, at a subcommittee hearing
on the future of al-Qaeda after bin Laden's death, many experts placed just
as much importance on Pakistan-based LeT as any al-Qaeda affiliate,"
he said, describing LeT as India's "mortal enemy" that has now gone
global with its sights on Western targets.
Congressman Ed Royce, who is also co-chair
of the Congressional Caucus on India, said the US does not seem to have emphasised
hard that Pakistan makes progress on bringing the Mumbai attackers to justice.
Seven accused in the Mumbai attack case are
presently undergoing trial in a Pakistani court but India has complained that
Pakistan has not taken action against Jamat-ud-Dawah chief Hafiz Saeed, whom
India regards as the mastermind of the Mumbai attack.
"This week Vice President Biden said
of Pakistan, they have to get better; we are demanding it. But are we?"
asked Ed Royce.
While pointing to a Wall Street Journal report
that said the US has begun to condition security assistance to Pakistan on
a secret scorecard of objectives to combat al-Qaeda and its militant allies,
Royce doubted the scorecard included against against Mumbai attackers.
"Although details are classified, from
the journal's reporting, it does not seem that the US has put emphasis on
Pakistan making further progress on Mumbai attackers or LeT in this scorecard,"
Royce said.
"I think this would be shortsighted if
it's the case. I think this has to do with tearing down barriers that might
be in the way of greater cooperation with India.
"As one witness will testify, the US
cannot allow its national security to be held hostage by nearly two decades
of unfulfilled expectations in Pakistan," the Congressman said.
He said over the past decade, US relations
with India have grown considerably but have been hit by a "lull".
"Counter terrorism cooperation is a way
to reinvigorate this relationship, and it's a way to better protect America,"
he said.
