US envoy says Mumbai-style attacks must be stopped

Thursday, June 25, 2009 at 9:13 PM Posted by Beijing News


ISLAMABAD – The U.S. national security adviser said Thursday that attacks like last year's deadly siege in Mumbai must be prevented and vowed to help Pakistan and India improve their relations to combat the militant threat.

Gen. James Jones held talks in the Pakistani capital on Thursday with President Asif Ali Zardari and other top government and military officials on topics ranging from Afghanistan to Pakistan's domestic fight against the Taliban and Islamabad's relations with New Delhi.

"We want to make sure that to the extent that we can be helpful, we will helpful to both our friends in Pakistan and in India," Jones told television network Express 24/7 after the meetings. "We have to understand that the severity of the threats of extremism, of the possibility of another Mumbai style attack cannot be allowed to happen."

The nuclear-armed South Asian rivals have fought three wars since gaining independence from Britain in 1947, and India alleges militants trained in Pakistan were behind attacks including last November's Mumbai assault that killed 166 people.

Talks aimed at improving ties between the two countries were suspended after the Mumbai attack, though tentative moves were made last week to resume them. The rapprochement is threatened, however, by disagreements over how to deal with suspects in the attack.

An Indian court this week issued arrest warrants for 22 Pakistani suspects in the attack and said they should be extradited to face trial. Islamabad has signaled it will not hand over any suspects but will try them in Pakistan if India delivers sufficient evidence against them.

Jones, who visited Afghanistan before coming to Pakistan, is in India on Friday.







Glastonbury Festival in England on June 25.REUTERS/Luke MacGregor

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