Germany joins chorus of concern about Pakistan

New Delhi

27 May 2011

Germany added its voice Friday to the chorus of concern over Pakistan's

attitude towards terrorism by asking it to come clean on the extent of its links with

terrorist groups.

Talking to journalists ahead of Chancellor Angela Merkel's visit to India next week,

Germany's ambassador Thomas Matussek said there were worries about possible

collaboration of parts of Pakistan's security apparatus with terrorists.

In Islamabad, visiting US secretary of state Hillary Clinton asked Pakistan to take

decisive steps against terrorists operating from its soil. She said Osama bin Laden is

dead but Al Qaeda and its syndicate of terror remain a serious threat to world peace.

Mr Matussek said defence and security dialogue will be a part of what Germany calls

"inter-governmental consultations" with India. It will be the first of its kind with a non-

European country, with the exception of Israel.

The German ministers of foreign affairs, defence, transport, education, trade, and

environment, will join Ms Merkel in delegation-level talks and hold separate meetings

with their Indian counterparts.

Other bilateral issues such as trade, science and technology, vocational training, and

skills development, and regional and global issues such as Afghanistan, Libya, United

Nations security council (UNSC) reform, can be expected to be an integral part of the

discussions.

Germany and India are members of the Group of Four (G-4), along with Brazil and Japan,

which are jointly pushing for permanent UNSC seats.

External affairs minister SM Krishna was expected to participate in a conference on

Afghanistan to be held in Bonn on December 5.

Mr Matussek said the weakening of Al Qaeda after Osama bin Laden's death and the

reinforced political process provided a realistic chance for the international efforts in

Afghanistan to succeed.

India tells US: The "war on terror" cannot end with Osama's killing

New Delhi

4 May 2011

India has reminded the US, flush from its success in liquidating Osama bin Laden, that the war on terror cannot end without the elimination of terrorist safe havens inside Pakistan.

India was categorical that Osama's death was "not an end of what remains an ongoing war" against terrorism. More so because Al Qaeda's affiliates such as the Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) remain formidable and continue to espouse violent ideology.

At the same time, Osama's killing had brought home the cold reality that India was "alone" in its fight against terrorism: That Washington could not be expected to fight Delhi's battles, and that Pakistan's strategic value to the US will likely remain.

Another reality was that while Osama's killing would have brought closure for the 9/11 victims in the US, there could not be any for the 26/11 victims till the terrorist camps in Pakistan or Pakistani-held territory were dismantled.

An official source explained away the difficulties by saying that there will always come moments in the US' relations with Pakistan when certain decisions that will be taken will not be palatable to India.

However, the source was quick to point out that there were reasons for India to be "satisfied" with how its ties with the US had "matured" over the years, and that both sides were collaborating on issues of mutual interest or concern.

For instance, New Delhi would be looking to Washington for its views about whether and how "Operation Geronimo" would affect the balance of power between civilian government and the military in Pakistan.

New Delhi was assessing the impact of Osama's killing on the role of the "larger than life" institutions in Pakistan such as the army and the ISI as it could have a bearing on Pakistan's disposition towards India, and tied to it would be the fate of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's Pakistan initiative and the resumed peace process.

Another issue that will engage the attention of India going forward is Afghanistan, as the US prepares to draw down its forces there. New Delhi was against allowing Islamabad a veto over India's role in Afghanistan.

These, and other issues, were expected to come up in the second round of the India-US strategic dialogue, to be held in July, when US secretary of state Hillary Clinton will arrive here for talks with external affairs minister SM Krishna.