Obama, Singh Agree to Step Up Cooperation in Battling Terrorism

U.S. President Barack Obama and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh agreed to intensify cooperation to combat terrorism in South Asia.

Obama told reporters after yesterday’s talks in London that he and Singh discussed “terrorism emanating from Pakistan” and how they can “coordinate effectively on issues of counterterrorism,” according to a transcript.

Obama also raised the idea of easing tensions between Pakistan and India through a “more effective dialogue.” Singh said Pakistan must bring to justice the people responsible for attacks on Mumbai in November before peace talks between the neighbors can resume, Indian state-run broadcaster Doordarshan reported on its Web site.

Pakistan acknowledged in February its territory was used to plot the raid on Mumbai and said it has charged eight people. The 60-hour assault by heavily armed militants on India’s financial hub killed 166 people and injured 304.
source:http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601091&sid=a9VhfzZBZ4Wo&refer=india

India ordered a pause in its five-year peace process with the government in Islamabad after the attack, which it blamed on Pakistan-based militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba.

The Obama administration is aiming to revive the talks.

“To lessen tensions between two nuclear-armed nations that too often teeter on the edge of escalation and confrontation, we must pursue constructive diplomacy with both India and Pakistan,” Obama said March 27 as he announced his government’s plan for tackling terrorism in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

On the same day, Admiral Michael Mullen, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, said it was important to defuse tensions on the Kashmir border, so Pakistan can step up its fight against militants in the borderlands with Afghanistan.

Kashmir, a divided region claimed by India and Pakistan, triggered two of the three wars the nations have fought since independence from Britain in 1947.

The flashpoint has forced Pakistan to maintain a two-front military strategy that is diverting troops from fighting the Taliban and al-Qaeda, Mullen told Pentagon reporters.