Q.2508 Statement by US Secretary of State on terrorism

Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

(a) whether US Secretary of State has called Pakistan a chief collaborator in war against terrorism;
(b) whether keeping this in view we expect US support to our policy of considering Pakistan a stronghold of terrorism;
(c) the place of terrorism to which India considers the US in referring Pakistan as a collaborator; and
(d) whether any response of Afghanistan and Iran has come to the knowledge or has been received in this regard?

ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS (SHRI E. AHAMED)

(a) to (c) During her visit to India from 18 to 21 July, 2011, the U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton described Pakistan as a key ally in the context of the U.S. campaign against Al-Qaeda and its affiliates. Secretary Clinton also called on Pakistan to confront violent extremism of all sorts. She emphasized that no terrorists should be given safe havens and free pass by any government.

The United States shares India’s views, as reiterated during the second India-U.S. Strategic Dialogue held in New Delhi on 19 July, 2011, that regional and global security requires elimination of safe havens and infrastructure for terrorism and violent extremism in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Condemning terrorism in all its forms, the two sides reiterated that all terrorist networks must be defeated and called for Pakistan to move expeditiously in prosecuting those involved in the November 2008 Mumbai terror attack.
India and the United States have a deepening cooperation in counter-terrorism, including intelligence sharing, cooperation in investigation and capacity building. The ninth meeting of Joint Working Group on Counter-terrorism was held in March 2011 in New Delhi and the two sides launched the Homeland Security Dialogue in May 2011 in New Delhi.

(d) Afghan Government has stated on a number of occasions that the source of terrorism/terrorist sanctuaries lies across the border in Pakistan.
http://www.mea.gov.in/mystart.php?id=220118167