‘Pak can and must dismantle all terror networks’
26 Jan 2016 3:49 AM IST
Hailing Prime Minister Narendra Modi for reaching out to his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif after the Pathankot attack Obama said, “both leaders are advancing a dialogue on how to confront violent extremism and terrorism across the region”.
Terming the Pathankot terror strike as “another example of the inexcusable terrorism that India has endured for too long”, US President Barack Obama on Sunday demanded of Pakistan that it “delegitimise, disrupt and dismantle” terrorist networks that operate from its territory.
In a tough message, Obama said that Pakistan “can and must” take more effective action against terrorist groups based there, emphasising that “there must be zero tolerance for safe havens and terrorists must be brought to justice.”
“Pakistan has an opportunity to show that it is serious about delegitimising, disrupting and dismantling terror networks”, Obama said in an interview here during which he answered a wide range of questions covering Indo-US ties, terrorism and outcome of the Paris climate change summit.
Obama gave credit to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for reaching out to his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif after the Pathankot attack and said, “both leaders are advancing a dialogue on how to confront violent extremism and terrorism across the region.”
Voicing his belief that the Indo-US relationship can be one of the defining partnerships of the century, Obama said that Modi shared his enthusiasm for a strong partnership and “we have developed a friendship and close working relationship, including our conversations on the new secure lines between our offices”.
Asked if the relationship has achieved its full potential, the President replied, “Absolutely not.”
On the Pathankot attack, Obama said, “We join India in condemning the attack, saluting the Indians who fought to prevent more loss of life and extending our condolences to the victims and their families.
“Tragedies like this also underscore why the US and India continue to be such close partners in fighting terrorism.”
Obama was of the view that Sharif recognised that insecurity in Pakistan is a threat to its own stability and that of the region. After the December, 2014 school massacre in Peshawar he had vowed to target all militants, regardless of their agenda or affiliation.
“That is the right policy. Since then, we have seen Pakistan take action against several specific groups. We have also seen continued terrorism inside Pakistan such as the recent attack on the university in north west Pakistan.”
The President said that he still believed that “Pakistan can and must” take more effective action against terrorist groups that operate from its territory.
“In the region and around the world, there must be zero tolerance for safe havens and terrorists must be brought to justice,” he asserted.
Referring to bilateral ties with India, Obama said his visit last year reflected how the ties between the two countries have been transformed.
“Since I took office, I have worked to deepen our cooperation with India across the board and I continue to believe that the relationship between India and the United States can be one of the defining partnerships of this century.
“However, common values--two democracies, two innovative economies, two diverse societies--make us natural partners. We are linked by the ties of family--millions of Indian Americans,” the US President said.
He said his hope was that his visit could help spark a new era of cooperation between the two countries and “I believe it did. The past 12 months have been a year of progress across the three priorities that I identified in my speech to the Indian people at Siri Fort. “We’re deepening our partnerships to promote the development that lifts up our people, including rural Indians- helping farmers, boost their yields and working expanding access to electricity and clean water,” Obama said.
He said both the countries continue to expand the economic partnerships that help reduce poverty and create opportunity, pushing bilateral trade to a record levels, expanding hi-tech collaborations and increasing students exchanges, including for girls and women who deserve the same education and opportunities and boys and men.
Obama said the two countries were doing even more as global partners including more military exercises, greater cooperation in the Asia Pacific and Indian Ocean region and working together to confront climate change.
“I continue to believe that America can be India’s best partner. So I hope future generations can look back at this moment and see that this was the time when the world’s largest democracy became true global partners.
“In my final year as President, continuing to deepen our ties will continue to be one of my foreign policy priorities,” Obama said.
Countries should play by same rules in South China Sea: Obama
In a clear signal to China, US President Barack Obama on Sunday said all countries should play by the same rules in international law including freedom of navigation in the South China Sea while India can be an anchor of stability in the Asia Pacific and Indian Ocean region.
He also said India and US will continue to expand their military exercises and maritime cooperation so that the two forces become "interoperable". Obama said during his visit to India last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and he agreed to a new joint vision for the Asia Pacific and Indian Ocean region. "It's rooted in our shared interests in a region that's peaceful and prosperous and where all countries play by the same rules, in accordance with international law and norms, including freedom of navigation," Obama said in an interview to PTI. The Asia Pacific region has witnessed tension after China flexed its military muscle in the resource-rich South China Sea. The South China Sea is also a major shipping lane. Over half of the world's commercial shipping passes through the Indo-Pacific waterways. China claims almost the whole of the South China Sea, resulting in overlapping claims with several other Asian nations like Vietnam and the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei. They accuse China of illegally reclaiming land in contested areas to create artificial islands with facilities that could potentially be for military use. The US has criticised Beijing for building artificial islands in the disputed sea, and has flown a B-52 bomber and sailed a guided-missile destroyer near some of the constructions China has made in recent months.
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