Pakistan does some PR, detains Azhar Masood

Pakistan does some PR, detains Azhar Masood
CHIDANAND RAJGHATTA

WASHINGTON, FEBRUARY 9: In a joint statement of far-reaching importance that is clearly and transparently aimed at Pakistan's provocations, India and the United States expressed "concern at the growing menace of international terrorism, extremism, and drug trafficking", and pledged to worked together to meet the challenge.

Pakistan was not directly named in the statement, but the implications of the unusually broad ranging and strongly worded declaration is unmistakable and startling.

Not only did the statement go beyond the working group's mandated topic of terrorism and criticise even "extremism", but it also "unequivocally condemned all acts, methods, and practices of terrorism as criminal and unjustifiable, whatever the considerations of a political, philosophical, ideological, racial, ethnic, religious, or any other nature that may be invoked to justify them".

The declaration was clearly aimed at Pakistan's move to make a distinction between what it calls jihad and terrorism. It alsochallenges Pakistan's assertion and justification for providing moral and diplomatic support to the insurrection in Kashmir with its reference to the "political, philosophical, ideological, racial, ethnic and religious" dimensions.

The statement is also a vindication of vigorous Indian efforts to establish that while there is unrest in Kashmir, Pakistan has injected violence and terrorism into what is essentially a peaceful and non-violent uprising by a benign people.

The joint statement followed day-long parleys between US and Indian officials led by the State Department's Director for Counterterrorism Michael Sheehan and the Joint Secretary of America in the External Affairs Minister Alok Prasad. As reported in this paper earlier, the two sides also took the significant leap of faith by agreeing to joint training and assistance programs at the initiative of the Americans. The Indian government agreed to the US offer of Anti-terrorism Assistance programs, the specifics to be determined in future visits.The group also decided to convene a meeting of each side's legal experts in April to discuss the Indian-proposed UN Terrorism Convention.

"Inter-agency teams from the two countries agreed on a range of measures to enhance cooperation between the two countries to combat international terrorism. The two sides would share experience, exchange information, and coordinate approaches and action," the joint statement said.

Significantly too, the two sides agreed to intensify their joint cooperation to ensure that the perpetrators of the hijacking of Indian Airlines Flight 814 are brought to justice.

"Both India and the United States have a shared interest in strengthening a regime to counter international terrorism. This working group is intended to enhance the effectiveness of our efforts to counter international terrorism worldwide," the statement said.

The next meeting of the US-India Counterterrorism Working Group will be held in India on mutually agreed dates, it was announced. With this formalisation,New Delhi and Washington now have an institutional mechanism to take up terrorism issues. The development represents an understated diplomatic triumph for India which has suffered the brunt of terrorism for over a decade.