S Rajagopalan | Washington
Laying itself open to the charge of double standards, the United States has declined to say if it would be ready to endorse an Indian commando strike inside Pakistan to get at the perpetrators of the Mumbai terror attacks.
Days after its own dramatic commando operation killing Osama bin Laden not far from Islamabad, a State Department spokesman took the stand that the US's was a "clearly unique" operation and that he wouldn't want to draw a broader picture.
Asked if the US believed that similarly-placed countries like India also had the right to go after high-value targets in Pakistan, spokesman Mark Toner said: "I don't want to speculate too broadly about an operation that was clearly unique in the history of the United States and the history of the world, where we had an individual who was possibly the most wanted man in the world and had perpetrated heinous crimes against not only American citizens but citizens around the globe."
"I don't want to draw too broadly a picture here," Toner said, adding: "What we've said all along is that this was an individual where, when we had actionable intelligence against him, we acted upon that because we believed he was a direct and imminent threat to the United States."
When reminded about certain individuals inside Pakistan who attacked the Indian Parliament and who were behind the Mumbai attacks killing hundreds of people, he said: "I'm aware of all those cases….our counterterrorism cooperation both with India and with Pakistan is ongoing and we believe that it's directed at exactly these kinds of elements."
As far as US is concerned, the spokesman made clear that it would again carry out a similar operation if needed, despite Islamabad's warnings that any more violation of Pakistani sovereignty would not be tolerated.
"I can just say our position has been quite clear in that we believe this individual was a direct threat to the United States and to United States citizens, as well as the world," Toner said. "And when we have that kind of intelligence, actionable intelligence, we're going to take action."
At the same time, he maintained that the US was committed to its relationship with Pakistan, saying: "It is in the fundamental interests of our nation to continue this kind of cooperation."
Asked about concerns voiced by lawmakers over Pakistan in recent days, Toner said the State Department shares those concerns. "I think we're committed to this relationship. We believe it's in our national interest. That said, we've raised our concerns quite clearly, and we're going to wait to hear the response."
At a Congressional hearing on Pakistan, several irate lawmakers made fresh demands for an explanation from Islamabad on how Osama bin Laden managed to live for years at a place so close to a military establishment. Some of them wanted to know if someone in the military protected the Al Qaeda chief.
"What did Pakistani's military and intelligence services know and when did they know it? Who did they think was living behind those 15-foot walls? Was there a level of curiosity? How could bin Laden have gone undetected living next-door to Pakistan's equivalent of West Point, where just last week General Kayani gave a speech celebrating the Pakistani military 'breaking the back' of terrorism?," asked committee chairman John Kerry.
Senior Republican Senator Richard Lugar said the operation has thrown up questions about Pakistan's reliability as an ally. "Pakistani officials have been accused of being complicit or incompetent, but in either case, some critics say it is time for us to wash our hands of the whole country," Lugar said.
Laying itself open to the charge of double standards, the United States has declined to say if it would be ready to endorse an Indian commando strike inside Pakistan to get at the perpetrators of the Mumbai terror attacks.
Days after its own dramatic commando operation killing Osama bin Laden not far from Islamabad, a State Department spokesman took the stand that the US's was a "clearly unique" operation and that he wouldn't want to draw a broader picture.
Asked if the US believed that similarly-placed countries like India also had the right to go after high-value targets in Pakistan, spokesman Mark Toner said: "I don't want to speculate too broadly about an operation that was clearly unique in the history of the United States and the history of the world, where we had an individual who was possibly the most wanted man in the world and had perpetrated heinous crimes against not only American citizens but citizens around the globe."
"I don't want to draw too broadly a picture here," Toner said, adding: "What we've said all along is that this was an individual where, when we had actionable intelligence against him, we acted upon that because we believed he was a direct and imminent threat to the United States."
When reminded about certain individuals inside Pakistan who attacked the Indian Parliament and who were behind the Mumbai attacks killing hundreds of people, he said: "I'm aware of all those cases….our counterterrorism cooperation both with India and with Pakistan is ongoing and we believe that it's directed at exactly these kinds of elements."
As far as US is concerned, the spokesman made clear that it would again carry out a similar operation if needed, despite Islamabad's warnings that any more violation of Pakistani sovereignty would not be tolerated.
"I can just say our position has been quite clear in that we believe this individual was a direct threat to the United States and to United States citizens, as well as the world," Toner said. "And when we have that kind of intelligence, actionable intelligence, we're going to take action."
At the same time, he maintained that the US was committed to its relationship with Pakistan, saying: "It is in the fundamental interests of our nation to continue this kind of cooperation."
Asked about concerns voiced by lawmakers over Pakistan in recent days, Toner said the State Department shares those concerns. "I think we're committed to this relationship. We believe it's in our national interest. That said, we've raised our concerns quite clearly, and we're going to wait to hear the response."
At a Congressional hearing on Pakistan, several irate lawmakers made fresh demands for an explanation from Islamabad on how Osama bin Laden managed to live for years at a place so close to a military establishment. Some of them wanted to know if someone in the military protected the Al Qaeda chief.
"What did Pakistani's military and intelligence services know and when did they know it? Who did they think was living behind those 15-foot walls? Was there a level of curiosity? How could bin Laden have gone undetected living next-door to Pakistan's equivalent of West Point, where just last week General Kayani gave a speech celebrating the Pakistani military 'breaking the back' of terrorism?," asked committee chairman John Kerry.
Senior Republican Senator Richard Lugar said the operation has thrown up questions about Pakistan's reliability as an ally. "Pakistani officials have been accused of being complicit or incompetent, but in either case, some critics say it is time for us to wash our hands of the whole country," Lugar said.
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