Author: Times News Network
Publications: The Times of India
Dated: September 13, 2001
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Atal Behari
Vajpayee has assured U.S. President George W Bush that India is willing
to cooperate with the U.S. in the investigations into the terrorist strike
and expressed the desire "to strengthen our partnership in leading international
efforts to ensure that terrorism never succeeds again".
In a letter to Mr. Bush, written
on Tuesday night, immediately after a meeting of the Cabinet Committee
on Security (CCS), Mr. Vajpayee has said the terrorist strike "sends a
strong message to democracies to redouble our efforts to defeat this great
threat to our people, our values and our way of life".
Saying that the people and the government
of India share the sense of outrage with the American people and "condemn
this heinous crime," Mr. Vajpayee said, "This dark hour is a stark and
terrible reminder of the power and reach of the terrorists to destroy innocent
lives and challenge the civilised order in this world."
At its meeting on Tuesday night,
the CCS reviewed the security environment in the country following terrorist
strikes in the U.S. The meeting decided to strengthen security measures
at all sensitive installations as well as at American missions in India.
The CCS will meet again on Thursday to review the emerging situation and
discuss matters in the light of Indian security needs, sources
said. Indian-missions in Washington and New York have also been asked to
send their inputs.
Meanwhile, visiting Israeli National
Security Adviser Major-General Uzi Dayan, who met Mr. Vajpayee for half
an hour here on Wednesday, discussed the terrorist strikes in the U.S.,
India and Israel and how to develop effective like- minded responses to
the global threat of terrorism. It was felt that as democracies having
shared values, "we need to develop effective responses to the global threat
of terrorism," an external affairs ministry spokesperson said.