Showing posts with label kerry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label kerry. Show all posts

Hope US changes its relative neutrality policy with Pakistan: JD (U)

Hailing the joint statement of US Secretary of State John Kerry and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on the involvement of Pakistan in encouraging terrorism, the Janata Dal (United) on August 31 expressed hope that America changes its relative neutrality policy with Islamabad.

“I don’t know whether the assurances Kerry gave were equivalent to the emphasis with which the matter seems to have been made by Sushma Swaraj. I hope the United States changes its policy of relative neutrality as far as Pakistan is concerned, without understanding that terrorism is terrorism and is a danger to the world…be it India or the United States,” JD (U) leader Pawan Verma told ANI.

Expressing happiness that Swaraj spoke “bluntly” on the question of terrorism, Verma said this is a subject that India needs to discuss with the United States frankly and seek US intervention in leveraging and pressuring Pakistan to stop its support to terrorism.

Resonating similar sentiments, another JD (U) leader KC Tyagi also welcomed the joint statement.

“I welcome the joint statement of John Kerry and Sushma Swaraj. Through Kerry, I would like to request the US Government to be careful while helping Pakistan so that it does not fall into bad hands,” Tyagi told ANI.


The United States and India have agreed to boost counter-terrorism cooperation by expanding intelligence sharing about known or suspected extremists and terrorist threats.

Speaking after conclusion of the second US-India Strategic Dialogue in New Delhi with visiting US Secretary of State John Kerry, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj yesterday said both countries also renewed their commitment to track down and prosecute perpetrators of several terrorist attacks on Indian soil, including the 2008 strike in Mumbai and a January 2016 attack on the Pathankot Air Force base. India has blamed Pakistan-linked groups for the attacks.

Swaraj said the two sides had agreed on the “urgent necessity for Pakistan to disable safe havens and terrorist networks” and “on the need to Pakistan to do more to bring the perpetrators of (the two attacks) to justice quickly.”

“We reaffirmed the urgent necessity for Pakistan to dismantle safe havens for terrorists and criminals networks, including LeT, JeM and the D-Company,” she said.

On his part, Kerry said, “The US continues to support all efforts to bring the perpetrators of 2008 Mumbai and 2016 Pathankot attacks to justice.”

Echoing the Indian foreign minister’s remark, Kerry also said that the US can’t and won’t make a distinction between good and bad terrorists.

“US stands with India on all matters of terrorism, no matter where it comes from; it’s crystal clear we are on the same view over it,” he said.

But he did say he had spoken recently with Pakistani officials about “the need for Pakistan to deprive any (terrorist) group of sanctuary.” He specifically named the Haqqani network that operates in Afghanistan as well as the Lashkar-e-Taiba, which has been blamed for attacks in India.

“It is vital that Pakistan join with other nations in tackling this challenge, and in fairness, in recent weeks and months they have been moving more authoritatively,” Kerry said.


Source:-indianexpress
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On terror & Pak, meeting of minds with US: Sushma Swaraj

challenge, and in fairness, in recent weeks and months, they have been moving much more authoritatively in the western part of their country on some groups and the Haqqani network,” he said.
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Addressing the press with Kerry who is in New Delhi for the second Indo-US strategic and commercial dialogue and will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi Wednesday, Swaraj said: “I am happy to note that there was a meeting of minds on this issue (of terrorism). I briefed Secretary Kerry on the continuing problem of cross-border terrorism that India and the larger region face from Pakistan.”

“We both agreed that nations must not maintain double standards, such as the categorisation of good and bad terrorists, nor must they act as sanctuaries and safe havens for terrorist organisations. We reaffirmed the urgent necessity for Pakistan to dismantle safe havens for terrorists and criminal networks including Lashkar-e-Toiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad and D Company,” she said.

Kerry said, “I have recently spoken to the (Pakistan) Prime Minister (Nawaz Sharif) and General Raheel Sharif regarding the need for Pakistan to deprive any group sanctuaries… It is well known that the Haqqani network and others operated out of the western part of the country. LeT, we all know and we all spoke out against, had an impact on India, directly.”

Asked about the escalating tension between India and Pakistan and if dialogue between the two sides would resume, Swaraj reiterated the Indian position that “terror and talks will not go hand in hand”.

She said India remains ready for talks with Pakistan but there are legitimate expectations that it will act against terror groups which have carried out attacks against India, including at Pathankot airbase. “And the talks can only resume if these expectations are met,” she said.

“Secretary Kerry and I also agreed on the need for Pakistan to do more to bring the perpetrators of the 2008 Mumbai and 2016 Pathankot terrorist attacks to justice quickly.”

Indo-US meet, John Kerry visit, Sushma Swaraj, Kerry-Swaraj meet, terrorism, Pakistan, India, US, Indo-US relations, India news

Kerry echoed her: “Let me be clear, the United States continues to support all efforts to bring perpetrators of Mumbai and Pathankot attacks to justice… We stand fully behind the Indian demand that there be justice… We have had conversation with all members of the region frankly about the efforts they need to take to curb terrorism that comes out of their countries. That is true of everybody. Anywhere in the world. I think it is crystal clear that US and India are exactly in similar mind with respect to the issue of terror and the need to not only prevent it but to bring those to justice who perpetrate it.”

The two countries also agreed to boost counter-terrorism cooperation by enhancing intelligence sharing, screening of terrorists, exchange of information on known or suspected terrorists.

They also agreed to continue to work closely to get terrorist entities listed by the UN system, by coordinating the approach to the UN 1267 Committee. This assumes significance in the light of Indian efforts to get Masood Azhar designated as an international terrorist — a move being blocked by Beijing on technical grounds.

India and the US also agreed to resume a three-way dialogue with Afghanistan next month on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. The India-US-Afghanistan trilateral talks started in 2012, took place a second time in 2013 but were not held in 2014 and 2015.

Asked if close consultation with India on Afghanistan under the trilateral framework may result in Pakistan feeling isolated, Kerry said US appreciates India’s involvement in the war-torn country and “Pakistan will not feel isolated but encouraged” and work out a roadmap for itself in that country.

Swaraj thanked Kerry for his reiteration of continued US support to India’s bid for membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group and permanent membership of the UN Security Council. “We both agreed that India’s enhanced global role is in mutual interest,” she said.



Source:-indianexpress
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There is evidence to link attacks in Bangladesh to IS, says Kerry

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Monday there was evidence to link the extremists behind a recent series of deadly attacks in Bangladesh to the Islamic State (IS) group.

Bangladesh’s government has staunchly denied that IS or any international jihadist network has gained a foothold in the country.

Instead it has blamed local extremists for a deadly siege at a cafe in Dhaka last month and a series of killings of liberal activists and people from religious minorities. But speaking after meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on a one-day visit to the capital, Dhaka, Mr. Kerry said there was “no argument” that extremists operating in Bangladesh had links to counterparts in Syria and Iraq.

Mr. Kerry, however, defended Hasina’s administration against accusations that it is in denial about the nature of the extremist threat it faces. He said the United States stood firmly behind Bangladesh in its fight against Islamist militants, and both countries have agreed to increase cooperation between their respective intelligence agencies.

Mr. Kerry was speaking just hours after Bangladesh police shot dead two suspected members of the local militant Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) group during a gun-battle with security officers.

The shootings came just two days after police killed the suspected mastermind of the cafe attack during a gun-battle outside Dhaka.

Police named the suspect as JMB leader Tamim Chowdhury, a Bangladeshi-born Canadian. — AFP


Source:-thehindu
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