‘India may lose patience in case of another 26/11’

Gates’ comments highlight widespread fears among many diplomats that a second attack could provoke India to retaliate against Pakistan,further destabilising the region and putting US plans for peace in Pakistan and Afghanistan in jeopardy.

Gates said that terror groups working together around the Afghanistan-Pakistan border benefit from each other’s success and pose a threat to the entire region.

He listed several terror groups that are operating under the umbrella of al-Qaeda,including LeT,blamed for last year’s deadly attack in Mumbai,and the Taliban.

“LeT is operating in league with Al Qaeda as part of a syndicate of terror groups,” Gates said. “The syndicate is dangerous for the whole region.”

Gates said that when one group succeeds in carrying out an attack,all of them gain in capability and reputation.

Gates also said that India and Pakistan should cooperate against a threat that affects them both but remarked that “it would be unreasonable to assume that India have unlimited patience in case it faces a 26/11 type terror attack.”