Those who target the innocents they are for nothing but death and destruction

We will call out those who suppress ideas, and serve as a voice for the voiceless

United Nations, Sep 23 (IANS) Hailing India for peacefully throwing off colonialism and establishing a 'thriving democracy' of over a billion people, US President Barack Obama has pledged to support free flow of information to promote democracy around the world.

'There is no right more fundamental than the ability to choose your leaders and determine your destiny,' he said at the opening of the UN General Assembly here Thursday but stressed democracy would not succeed because America dictates it.

'Make no mistake: the ultimate success of democracy in the world won't come because the United States dictates it; it will come because individual citizens demand a say in how they are governed,' the president said.

At the same time, he believed 'There is no soil where this notion cannot take root, just as every democracy reflects the uniqueness of a nation,' said Obama citing several examples including India, that he is set to visit in early November.

'Later this fall, I will travel to Asia. I will visit India, which peacefully threw off colonialism and established a thriving democracy of over a billion people,' he told the annual gathering of world leaders.

'I will continue to Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim-majority country, which binds together thousands of islands through the glue of representative government and civil society.

'I will join the G-20 meetings on the Korean peninsula, which provides the world's clearest contrast between a society that is dynamic and open, and one that is imprisoned and closed,' he said.

'I will conclude my trip in Japan, an ancient culture that found peace and extraordinary development through democracy.'

'Each of these countries gives life to democratic principles in their own way,' said Obama describing civil society as 'the conscience of our communities'.

Vowing to always extend American 'engagement abroad with citizens beyond the halls of government', Obama said: 'We will call out those who suppress ideas, and serve as a voice for the voiceless,' said.

'We will promote new tools of communication, so people are empowered to connect with one another - and, in repressive societies, to do so with security,' he said.

The United States 'will support a free and open Internet, so individuals have the information to make up their own minds,' said Obama calling it a 'time to embrace - and effectively monitor - norms that advance the rights of civil society, and guarantee its expansion within and across borders.'

Pakistan government has taken steps and it needs to take further steps to reduce terrorism in Afghanistan, India and the streets of London.

Addressing a joint press conference with Prime Ministr Manmohan Singh at the end of their discussions, visiting British PM David Cameron said, "We want to work with Pakistan to make it fight LeT and Afghan or Pakistan Taliban. Pakistan government has taken steps and it needs to take further steps to reduce terrorism in Afghanistan, India and the streets of London." 


"We believe that Pakistan should be as serious in tackling terrorism on its western border as on the eastern borders. I sincerely hope that the world community would use its good offices to promote this," Singh said.

U.S. would never be soft on terrorism.

Mr. Blake further noted, “We take extremely seriously the threats against both of our countries because we believe increasingly that there is a syndicate that is operating in countries like Pakistan that threatens both of our countries.”

This syndicate of terror networks also threatens Pakistan itself, he added, noting that it was “in the interests of all three countries to address this very critical problem, to work together”.

Mr. Blake also emphasised that the U.S. had been at “the forefront of countries urging Pakistan to not only continue the progress it has been making in Swat and South Waziristan, but also to address the problem in the Punjab, namely the Punjab-based groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba, that are operating against India, that have also targeted the U.S., in the Mumbai bombings and elsewhere.”

He said this would remain a “very, very high priority for us, and you should not doubt the sincerity of that statement”.

On India’s work in Afghanistan he said, “We have welcomed the very important role India has played so far. It is really up to India to decide where it wants to take its cooperation but we commend the steps it has taken so far and we had a discussion on ways that we might be able to cooperate together.” He added that such joint projects may be a promising new area of cooperation between the two countries.

 


 

 

It's not always easy to get access to terror suspects

"President (Barack) Obama requested me that we show respect to the great people of India, to the 18 police officers who gave lives for their country," Roemer said, explaining the reason for his visit to the 26/11 martyrs' memorial, erected outside the Police Gymkhana. 

Roemer said two policemen had laid down their lives in the US while protecting those working at the Capitol Hill during an attack. India is one of the most indispensable allies to the United States, Roemer said. 


"When we sought access to 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, we could not get it," he said, apparently referring to how difficult at times it was to secure access to those accused of involvement in international terror plots.

Pakistan must act in an expeditious and transparent manner against all those responsible for the Mumbai terrorist attack

Taking note of the spike in the 'level of infiltration' in the last few months, Rao added that 'the infrastructure of terrorism and activities of terror groups operating from the territory of Pakistan is a cause of serious concern.' 

Krishna told parliament that India has made it clear to Pakistan to 'take effective action to ban the anti-India activities of organisations such as Jamaat-ud-Dawa and their leaders, including Hafiz Saeed.' They have openly and blatantly espoused an agenda of violence and terrorism against India, Krishna said. 

Pakistan-based groups posed as much threat to the West as they did to India______Chidambaram

“The camps must be closed. Training must come to an end.''

He said it would be “naïve” for Western countries to think that terrorists operating from Pakistan posed a threat to India alone.

“Once you allow these terror groups to train, recruit and build capacity to strike, they can strike in India, they can strike in the U.K., they can strike in Denmark as they were planning out of the Karachi project,” he said.

He added: “No country is truly safe...Don't think that India alone is under threat. Every country is under threat from these groups and the Lashkar-e-Taiba today is like the Al Qaeda, a multi-country group.”

India has been a consistent advocate of complete and universal global nuclear disarmament.

During the recently concluded nuclear security summit, which was attended by both Dr.Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Yousuf Raza Gilani, Washington stressed on the need of reducing the nuclear stockpile across the globe.
It particularly expressed concerns over the extremist threat looming large over Pakistan's nuclear arsenals.

Dr. Singh, while leaving for Washington for the summit, had said that India has been a consistent advocate of complete and universal global nuclear disarmament.
"We were among the first countries in the world to call for a world free of nuclear weapons. I am encouraged by the fact that this approach is finding greater resonance today. We will continue to call for more meaningful progress in this direction," he had said.

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.

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.' 

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.

India has a "stake" in Afghanistan: NATO chief

Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Rasmussen said that a key lesson of the alliance's troubled mission in Afghanistan is that NATO "needs an entirely new compact between all the actors on the security stage."


He noted that in an age of global insecurity, the threats to Europe and North America, including terrorism, cyber attacks, energy cut-offs, piracy and climate change, come from far beyond NATO borders.


Thus, Rasmussen said that NATO should become "the hub of a network of security partnerships and a center for consultation on international security issues" with countries such as India and China.


In order to tackle these threats effectively, NATO should create "a stronger, more inclusive security coalition, with NATO as the hub," he said.


"Against such threats, the approaches of a bygone era simply no longer work. Static, heavy metal armies are not going to impress terrorists, pirates or computer hackers," he said. 

Headley planned synchronised attacks on Jewish houses in India

Obama believes Headley's indictment an 'important day'

"Obviously, I continue to say, and the president does too, that we have taken and will continue to take every step necessary to protect the American people. Today was an important day in doing that," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs told reporters at his daily press briefing.

Headley was charged by the FBI and the US department of justice for his involvement in the planning of the Mumbai terrorist attack that killed about 166 people, including half a dozen American nationals.

In documents filed before a Chicago court, federal prosecutors charged that Headley conducted extensive surveillance of targets in Mumbai for more than two years prior to the 26/11 attacks by terrorists trained by militant outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba.

US, India to seal anti-terror pact

US and India will sign a pact on intelligence sharing and counter-terrorism during the Prime Minister's visit, one of nearly a dozen agreements to be inked during the visit. Details of the pact are not being disclosed yet, but such was the importance of the agreement that CIA Director Leon Panetta flew down to New Delhi last week to discuss details with his Indian counterparts before the fine print could be drawn up. The agreement could involve exchanging and stationing more intelligence personnel in the two countries, including mobile units, to facilitate better interaction.

Kashmir borders can't be redrawn, says PM Manmohan

"I have publicly stated that there can be no redrawing of borders (in Jammu and Kashmir)," the Prime Minister said.

"...but our two countries can work together to ensure that these are borders of peace, that people-to-people contacts grow in a manner in which people do not even worry whether they are located on this side of the border or that side," he told CNN in an interview aired yesterday.
"If trade is free, if people-to-people contacts (are there) and our both countries competing with each other to enable people on both sides to lead the life of dignity and self respect. Those are issues, which we can discuss, we can reach agreement," he said.

FBI shared information about LeT plot against India: Chidambaram

FBI foils LeT plan to carry out major terror attack in India