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LeT as deadly as Al-Qaida, says Holbrooke
Ashok Tuteja
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 22
“The LeT is an equal threat along with Al-Qaida. The LeT, Al-Qaida and Taliban are all working closer together than ever before,” US envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke today.

US Special Envoy said the terror group is as dangerous as Al-Qaida and Taliban with which it is working closely with an objective of creating "maximum problems" between India and Pakistan. He said his country has raised the issue of ISI elements having links with terror groups and asked Pakistan to deny a foothold to LeT in that country.

Interacting with journalists here, he said the LeT was working in close coordination with Al-Qaida and Taliban and was "equally dangerous" and there was a need for working together against these outfits. He said the goal of LeT, responsible for 26/11, was to create "maximum problems" between India and Pakistan besides working against the interests of western countries.

He emphasised the need for "going to the bottom of" Mumbai attacks and bringing to justice those behind the carnage, saying Pakistan has taken "some steps" in this regard but these were "not enough".

The US envoy sought to allay India’s fears that its role in Afghanistan had ‘diminished’ to the advantage of Pakistan even as he acknowledged India’s efforts in reconstruction of Afghanistan.

Holbrooke, who reached here yesterday from Kabul after attending the Donors’ conference on Afghanistan, met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, National Security Adviser Shivshankar Menon and Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao. He is understood to have asked New Delhi to carry on with massive reconstruction programme in the war-ravaged nation.

Asked for his comment on the recent failure of India-Pakistan talks, Holbrooke stressed the importance of good relations between the two South Asian neighbours in the interest of peace in the region.

He emphasised that an improved relationship between the US and Pakistan was in New Delhi’s interest. “Increased interaction with Pakistan (on Afghanistan) does not mean we are against India’s role…I can’t imagine that India’s role will diminish in Afghanistan.’’

Although he did not spell out what gave Pakistan leverage over the evolving power equations in Afghanistan, the US envoy spoke about a growing coordination among terror groups in the region, saying their long-term objective was to destroy the Western civilisation and to create crisis between New Delhi and Islamabad. He was asked about the link between Pakistan-backed Haqqani network and the LeT.

Holbrooke ruled out any reconciliation with the terrorist groups. “You can't stabilise Afghanistan without Pakistan's support as a concerned, legitimate partner,” he said, but hastened to add: “India has a major role to play in stability in the region and in search for solutions in Afghanistan.”

(With inputs from PTI).