Afghan, Indian leaders discuss south Asian militant threat
Tuesday, 27 April 2010
NEW DELHI, Apr 26 (AFP): Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Afghan President Hamid Karzai met in New Delhi Monday and vowed to tackle the militant violence that threatens regional stability.
The talks came two months after nine Indians were killed in a suicide attack in Kabul that Indian officials blamed on Pakistan-based militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
India is heavily involved in reconstruction and aid efforts in Afghanistan and has provided more than a billion dollars in assistance since the fall of the Islamist Taliban regime in 2001.
"We discussed the issue of terrorism, which threatens our region," Singh said. "President Karzai assured me that the government of Afghanistan will take all possible measures for the security of Indians in Afghanistan."
Officials in New Delhi say groups such as the LeT have the tacit support of Pakistan's military and have accused the militants of mounting attacks against Indians in Kabul as part of a south Asian "proxy war."
Without mentioning Pakistan by name, Singh said the attacks in Kabul in February "were the handiwork of those who do not wish to see the emergence of a strong, independent and pluralistic Afghanistan."
He stressed that the attacks would not undermine India's commitment to the country.
India is also increasingly concerned over plans to open talks with "moderate" Taliban -- a policy being pushed by many within the international coalition engaged in Afghanistan.
Karzai, en route to a meeting of South Asian leaders in Bhutan starting Wednesday, said the two leaders had talked about the "peace jirga" planned in late May to bring together all of Afghanistan's tribal leaders.
India, which maintained warm relations with the United States under former president George W. Bush, has strong doubts about US President Barack Obama's plans to withdraw from Afghanistan from next year.
It fears the United States is concentrating more on Pakistan's stability rather than the security threat that Pakistan poses to India.
The talks came two months after nine Indians were killed in a suicide attack in Kabul that Indian officials blamed on Pakistan-based militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
India is heavily involved in reconstruction and aid efforts in Afghanistan and has provided more than a billion dollars in assistance since the fall of the Islamist Taliban regime in 2001.
"We discussed the issue of terrorism, which threatens our region," Singh said. "President Karzai assured me that the government of Afghanistan will take all possible measures for the security of Indians in Afghanistan."
Officials in New Delhi say groups such as the LeT have the tacit support of Pakistan's military and have accused the militants of mounting attacks against Indians in Kabul as part of a south Asian "proxy war."
Without mentioning Pakistan by name, Singh said the attacks in Kabul in February "were the handiwork of those who do not wish to see the emergence of a strong, independent and pluralistic Afghanistan."
He stressed that the attacks would not undermine India's commitment to the country.
India is also increasingly concerned over plans to open talks with "moderate" Taliban -- a policy being pushed by many within the international coalition engaged in Afghanistan.
Karzai, en route to a meeting of South Asian leaders in Bhutan starting Wednesday, said the two leaders had talked about the "peace jirga" planned in late May to bring together all of Afghanistan's tribal leaders.
India, which maintained warm relations with the United States under former president George W. Bush, has strong doubts about US President Barack Obama's plans to withdraw from Afghanistan from next year.
It fears the United States is concentrating more on Pakistan's stability rather than the security threat that Pakistan poses to India.