Author: Chidanand Rajghatta, Times
News Network
Publication: The Times of India
Date: September 26, 2001
The United States has assured India
that it shares New Delhi's concern about terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir
and its war against the scourge will continue beyond the immediate task
of nailing the perpetrators of the carnage in America.
Assurances to this effect were conveyed
by top Bush administration officials in separate meetings they had with
National Security Advisor Brajesh Mishra on Monday and Tuesday, allaying
some of the concern in India that this was a US-specific mission with no
regard to New Delhi's trauma with terrorism.
"They have told us this will not
be the end of the story...they will go after other terrorist groups once
they are through with this immediate mission," sources privy to the meetings
said.
The Bush administration is also
making it clear that there would be no change in the Indo-US relationship
in the wake of US seeking Pakistan's support for possible military operations
against bin Laden and his network in Afghanistan. "In all the meetings
it was conveyed to us that there is no change in Washington's India policy,"
Indian sources said.
State Department spokesman Richard
Boucher endorsed both the joint concern about terrorism in the region and
the long-term nature of the relationship.
"US relationship with India is one
of the most important ones that we have," he said. "They themselves have
experienced terrible acts of terrorism...So there is a great deal to talk
to India because of the role they play."
The pronouncement is significant
because New Delhi has been miffed in recent days that Washington has not
publicly expressed concern or support for India's terrorism battle.
Mishra met his US counterpart Condoleeza
Rice, Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, his deputy Paul Wolfowitz, Deputy
Secretary of State Richard Armitage and a host of lawmakers in a two-day
swing through Washington that is in the heat of battle preparation.
He reiterated India's unconditional
offer of assistance to the global coalition against terrorism. The offer
includes logistical support, including overflight and refuelling facilities
in India.
US officials are also said to have
indicated that the administration will drastically prune the so-called
Entities List - which puts a crimp on export of dual-use high-tech equipment
over the next few days.
As reported in this paper Tuesday,
Mishra's talks with his interlocutors revolved around emphasising the common
nature and ideological grounding of the entire spectrum of terrorist groups
operating across South Asia and now spreading its tentacles around the
globe. The US should not make a distinction between Osama bin Laden and
his Al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups operating in Pakistan, Egypt, or
Phillipines because they all had intimate lines of connection.
Any distinction Washington made
now would lead to more difficulties in the future, was the Indian message.
Indian diplomats said the point was "well-taken" by US officials and they
felt Washington would be extending its battle against terrorism beyond
the immediate impending strikes against Osama bin Laden, or OBL in American
bureaucratic parlance.
"We understand perfectly well that
their first priority is to go after the perpetrators of the carnage in
America. But we are also assured that they recognise groups such as Lashkar-e
Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohamed as terrorist outfits," one Indian official said.
