Be prepared for a long haul in Afghanistan

"The United States fully recognises that India has legitimate interests in Afghanistan. It appreciates the development work we do there... It appreciates that we are force of stability and moderation in our region. We are not scaling down in Afghanistan," she said.

India has made it clear that it will not be scaling down its operations in Afghanistan notwithstanding a spate of recent attacks targeting its citizens, including the one on two guest houses in central Kabul in which seven Indians were killed.

Nuclear plants need real security

An interest in nuclear power plants by al Qaeda or another terrorist group is not theoretical. Among the targets considered for the 9/11 attacks were nuclear power plants.
Yemeni security forces recently captured a suspected member of al Qaeda, a New Jersey native named Sharif Mobley. Between 2002 and 2008, he worked at several U.S. nuclear power plants. It does not take a counterterrorism expert to imagine what al Qaeda might be able to do with the knowledge supplied by an individual who had spent the better part of six years inside nuclear facilities.

We feel it is vital for the international community to stay the course in Afghanistan.

Despite the provocations we have faced constantly from terrorists whose linkages we have traced back to Pakistani soil, we have not abandoned the path of dialogue,' Rao said in an address Monday at the Woodrow Wilson Centre, a renowned Washington think tank. 

India will also not scale down operations in Afghanistan despite terror attacks on its intetests, she said. 'We feel it is vital for the international community to stay the course in Afghanistan.' 

India's approach has been to deal with terrorism with restraint, she said. 'However, our restraint should not be confused with weakness or unwillingness to act against those that seek to harm our people, create insecurity, and hamper our developmental goals. 

'We are a strong country and we possess the capacity to deal effectively with those that pursue destructive agendas against India and its people.

'We have, time and again, made genuine attempts to address outstanding issues, most importantly, the issue of terrorism through dialogue with Pakistan,' she said, referring to her meeting in New Delhi with Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir of Pakistan.

'But it continues to be our conviction that for this dialogue to really make progress, Pakistan should take meaningful steps to address our concerns on terrorism, and cease the encouragement of terrorism targeted against India.'

Rao said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh would participate in the Nuclear Security Summit to be hosted by Obama next month. 'We believe the summit can be milestone in addressing the threat of nuclear terrorism.' 

Referring to the latest attacks on Indians in Kabul Feb 26, she said: 'The international community should understand that such attempts, if unchecked, will only embolden the forces that held sway in Afghanistan in the 1990s and caused the tragedy of 9/11.' 

JihadJane, an American woman, faces terrorism charges

J. Patrick Rowan, former chief of the Justice Department's national security division, said the LaRose indictment is "another indication of how the threats come from all directions."

Terrorist groups had used the Internet to recruit members and to plan attacks

Robert Mueller, FBI Director, has warned that, in addition to the danger of foreign states making cyber attacks, al-Qaeda could in the future pose a similar threat.

In a speech to a security conference last week, Mueller said terrorist groups had used the Internet to recruit members and to plan attacks.

I would urge the opposition not to spread disinformation on sensitive matters. Whatever our problems, we must learn to talk to each other and to solve our problems in a peaceful manner using our own creative genius______Manmohan

The prime minister also maintained that not talking with Pakistan would not solve any problem and dialogue was the only way forward. “But for any meaningful talks, terrorism must end,” he said.

 The prime minister also used the occasion to deny the charge that talks are being held under pressure from Washington. “I think we do a disservice to any government if we say such fundamental policies are based on anything but on supreme national interest,” the prime minister said.

Making it clear that India did not want any foreign power to get involved in mediatory efforts in South Asia, he said: “I would urge the opposition not to spread disinformation on sensitive matters. Whatever our problems, we must learn to talk to each other and to solve our problems in a peaceful manner using our own creative genius,” Mr Singh said.

I did not ask His Majesty to do anything, but use his good offices to persuade Pakistan to desist from this path_______Manmohan

Islamabad must deal with terrorist elements who target India.

I hope that the world community gets the right message that India is a victim of terrorism. That we have a situation where our neighbour has promised, unambiguously, not to allow its territory to be used for perpetrating terrorist acts directed against India and yet on the ground progress has been rather nil,” he said in reply to a question by this correspondent.

Emphasising that India sought cooperation with Pakistan , Dr. Singh told the Shura members that India’s objective was permanent peace because it recognised that both countries were bound by a shared future. “If there is cooperation between India and Pakistan, vast opportunities will open up for travel, trade and development that will create prosperity in both countries and in South Asia as a whole. But to realise this vision, Pakistan must act decisively against terrorism.”

China welcomes India-Pakistan talks

The improvement and progress of India-Pakistan relations are conducive to the peace, stability and development not only in South Asia, but also in the Asian region as a whole.

There is no alternative to dialogue to resolve the issues that divide us: Manmohan

NEW DELHI, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Saturday that India is ready to talk all issues with Pakistan, including Kashmir, in an atmosphere free from terror, reported the Press Trust of India.
This is his first comment on the Indo-Pakistan foreign secretary-level talks held earlier this week in New Delhi.
Before his departure for Saudi Arabia, Singh told a group of Saudi journalists that there was "no alternative" to dialogue to resolve issues which "divide us," said the report.
Singh said India seeks "peaceful and normal relations" with Pakistan and "in that quest we have consistently sought to engage those in Pakistan who are ready to work with us," according to the report.
The prime minister said it was in the common interest of India and Pakistan to cooperate in fighting the menace of terrorism which is a threat for both countries.

"There is no change in our position. ... We should be good neighbors. There is no alternative to dialogue to resolve the issues that divide us," he was quoted as saying.