The US president tells Pakistan premier Yousuf Raza Gilani to do more to bring attackers to justice.
It is no secret that prime minister Manmohan Singh knows how to get his point across to US president Barack Obama in a quiet, measured but effective way.
The relationship between the United States and India, which had recently showed signs of stress, was revamped on Sunday after Singh met Obama and gained traction on thorny issues that were causing a diplomatic rift.
Indian officials have bristled at being kept at a distance from 26/11 plotter David Coleman Headley, but Obama assured Singh that India would gain access to him.
Foreign secretary Nirupama Rao, who briefed reporters on the Obama-Singh meeting in Blair House, said the US president assured Singh that “they were working through the legal system” on the issue of unfettered access to Headley. “He was fully supportive of our request for provision of such access,” Rao told reporters.
Obama assured Singh the US would press Pakistan to rein in the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), responsible for the Mumbai attacks.
Rao said Singh spoke to Obama about LeT’s founder-ideologue Hafiz Saeed and Ilyas Kashmiri, another Pakistani terrorist linked to Headley.
“Unfortunately, there is no will on the part of Pakistan to punish those responsible for the terrorist attacks in Mumbai,” Rao quoted Singh as telling Obama.
After listening to Singh for an hour, Obama used his follow-up meeting with Pakistani prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani to urge Pakistan to act fully and transparently to bring the Mumbai attackers to justice.
Obama told Gilani and the Pakistani delegation — foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Pakistani ambassador to the US Hussein Haqqani and Pakistani ambassador to China Masood Khan — that Singh was sincere in improving ties with Islamabad, but wanted Pakistan to first take action against those responsible for the Mumbai attacks.
At the Obama-Gilani meeting, a diplomat said Obama drove home the point that Pakistan had a “responsibility to act”. Obama said Pakistani action “would be a very positive thing”.
Gilani made a strong pitch to secure a nuclear deal on a par with India’s, but Obama ignored the appeal. The US side has told Pakistan it needs to first have a good track record in non-proliferation. Obama accepted an invitation from Gilani to visit Pakistan, though no dates have been announced.
Obama is already scheduled to visit India with his family.
The Pakistani camp was predictably glum when Obama lauded India’s role in the reconstruction of Afghanistan and assured Singh that the US would strictly monitor military aid to Pakistan.
“There was absolutely no disconnect. President Obama was very appreciative of India’s contribution to the reconstruction of Afghanistan and enormous sacrifices made by India,” Rao said, adding the US wanted India to continue its role in Afghan’s reconstruction.
Pakistan, which has seen an expanded role over the last six months, has been piling pressure on the US to scale down India’s presence. Singh made it clear that India would not cut and run from Afghanistan.
“In New Delhi, Pakistan’s role as a central go-between, to promote reconciliation with elements of the Taliban, is widely seen as a fool’s errand. Many believe the (Obama) administration’s effort will fail. They believe — deeply — India will be left holding the bag once US forces begin to withdraw in 2011,” said Evan A Feigenbaum, senior fellow for East, Central, and South Asia in the Council on Foreign Relations.
The US is slowly recognising that Delhi will do whatever it takes to safeguard its interests in a tough neighbourhood and it has no choice.
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