Indian MPs asks US not to withdraw from Afghanistan

Highly placed sources in the delegation which is led by Congress spokesman Abhishek Manu Singhvi,which among others briefly met the Secretary of State,Hillary Clinton,and had an intensive discussion with a team of top State Department officials led by the Deputy Secretary of State,Bill Burns.

India,being in the immediate neighbourhood,would be immediately affected,the MPs felt that the western countries including Europe and the US would experience a sudden increase in terrorist activities emanating from that part of the world.

They clearly told top Obama Administration officials and US lawmakers that they believe that it would be nothing less than devastating for the US as well for the region if America withdraws from Afghanistan without substantial victory against the Taliban and al-Qaeda.

About a dozen Indian MPs were in Washington,as part of their last leg of their India-Yale Parliamentary Leadership Programme organised by the Yale University in partnership with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).

Meanwhile,the White House reaffirmed that it will begin draw down of its troops from Afghanistan as scheduled from July 2011.

“The reason the timeline is in place is to give some urgency to the folks planning in the US government to Afghanistan and to our partners around the world who are helping in that effort,” White House Deputy Press Secretary,Bill Burton,said.

Other members of the delegation were two Union Ministers of State Ajay Maken and Agatha Sangma,besides Anto Antony,Gaddam Vivekanand,Pradeep Majhi from the Congress,Jyoti Dhurve and Janardhana Swamy from the BJP.

Harsimrat Kaur Badal (Shiromani Akali Dal),Bhartruhari Mahtab (Biju Janata Dal),Asaduddin Owaisi (All India Majlis-e Ittihad al-Muslimin) and Neeraj Shekhar (Samajwadi Party) were other MPs in the delegation.

It is understood that the Union Minister of State for Home Affairs,who was part of the delegation in his capacity as the Member of Parliament,gave a detailed account of how extremist organisations would benefit the most,if the United States withdrew from Afghanistan at this point of time.

Meanwhile,the White House yesterday said that there is no change in its time line.

“Keep in mind that what July 2011 is,is the date at which we start to draw down our forces. There’s not a prescribed amount that we’re drawing them down. It’s an inflection point in where we are in that conflict.

But what’s important about it is that it helps to provide the urgency that we think is necessary in order to hand over the safety and security to the Afghan government,” Burton added.

Besides attending classes on leadership at the Yale University,the delegation also had interaction with the FBI officials on counter terrorism in New York,met Congressmen and officials of the Obama Administration including the Secretary of State,Hillary Clinton.