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Special to The Tribune
Trust deficit not only about terror: Pak
Space shuttle Atlantis lands
for final time
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YouTube ban lifted
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Special to The Tribune
The US has reacted with disappointment to the Pakistani Supreme Court’s decision to allow Lashkar-e-Toiba founder Hafiz Mohammad Saeed to remain free.
US and Indian intelligence officials say the LeT was behind the November 2008 attacks in Mumbai that left 166 dead. A US official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said, “While we recognise the independence of the Pakistani judiciary, we are disappointed by this development. We urge Pakistan to follow through on its commitment to combat all forms of terrorism.” Noting that international terrorism poses a “common threat to us all, both regionally and globally,” the official added that Pakistan had publicly committed to prosecute the Mumbai attackers and prevent Pakistani soil from being used to wage attacks on India. “For the sake of stability and justice, we want to see the Mumbai attackers held accountable for their actions and we encourage Pakistan to move forward on these commitments. Without progress on these outstanding issues, we fear that the recent resumption of Indian-Pakistani talks will be at risk,” the official said. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday told reporters in New Delhi that an intensive effort was under way to rebuild trust with Pakistan. Ashley Tellis, a senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said US officials are worried about LeT’s activities. “The US is deeply concerned about this problem in part because the LeT has now become a threat to US security directly, even though the Pakistani intelligence services do not believe that the LeT undermines their own interests,” Dr. Tellis said. “The LeT represents the exemplar of the challenges facing US-Pakistani counter-terrorism cooperation: if a group does not threat the Pakistani state directly, it usually ends up being exempted from Pakistani interdiction despite the fact that it threatens Pakistan’s allies and its neighbours and, lest it be forgotten, Pakistan itself.” Analysts said the court decision sent a clear message that terrorist groups can continue to operate freely in Pakistan. “The court’s decision sends a signal that LeT is above the law in Pakistan and will not be effectively controlled,” said Bruce Riedel, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution’s Saban Center for Middle East Policy. “This suggests we are heading for another Mumbai sooner or later.” Riedel said such an attack would have a catastrophic impact on the strategy US President Barack Obama has tried to implement for Afghanistan and Pakistan. Lisa Curtis, a senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation, said the Supreme Court’s endorsement of the Lahore High Court decision and “Sayeed’s continued ability to make speeches calling for further attacks on India demonstrates there is little appetite in Islamabad to shut down LeT activities.” “If the Pakistani leadership was serious about cracking down on LeT, we would see them closing training facilities, restricting Hafez Muhammed Sayeed’s ability to hold public rallies, and fully prosecuting those found guilty of involvement in the 2008 Mumbai attacks,” Curtis said.
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Trust deficit not only about terror: Pak
Pakistan has urged the United States to nudge India to address contentious issues for bridging the trust deficit instead of looking at the distrust solely through the prism of terrorism. “We want the US to encourage India to take steps to improve the human rights situation in Kashmir, moving forward on Siachen and Sir Creek and agreeing to arbitration on the Kishanganga hydropower project,” English daily Dawn quoted an unnamed senior diplomat as saying. “It is key for both of us to first agree on the cause of trust deficit before we find ways to deal with it,” the diplomat said. He warned that India’s tendency to see terrorism as the only cause of distrust could complicate matters. “It is a self-delusional approach.” The diplomat said the realisation in India that confrontation with Pakistan was hurting its own development was a positive sign and could expedite the normalisation of bilateral relations. Pakistan wants India to end the exercise of Armed Forces Special Powers Act in Kashmir and release all political prisoners. The message has been conveyed by the Pakistani leadership to the Obama administration through diplomatic channels as Pakistan and India move towards the phased process worked out by their Foreign Ministers early this month for building trust and confidence before revival of peace talks suspended in the aftermath of the 2008 Mumbai attacks. “Our two countries do need to build mutual trust and confidence. It is, therefore, necessary that we engage each other with sincerity of purpose with a view to settling our differences and disputes and achieving peace and prosperity in the region,” Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit said, adding that Pakistan looked forward to a meaningful engagement with India for freeing bilateral relations from disputes. India has always denied entertaining US pressure in its ties with Pakistan, but analysts believe that the February 25 Foreign Secretary-level talks in Delhi and meetings between Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and his Indian counterpart Dr Manmohan Singh in Washington and Bhutan had US support. Discussions on rebuilding trust will begin with a meeting between Interior Ministers of the two countries on June 26, on the sidelines of the SAARC Home Ministers’ Conference. The same day, the Foreign Secretaries will meet in Islamabad. The Foreign Minister-level dialogue will be held on July 15.
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Space shuttle Atlantis lands
for final time
Cape Canaveral, May 26 The space agency would like Atlantis to return to the International Space Station next June. But that’s not in the cards unless the White House grants a reprieve. The space station construction mission boosted Atlantis’ mileage to just over 120 million miles (193 million km), accumulated over 32 flights. It was a successful last ride for Atlantis. The shuttle and its astronauts left the outpost bigger and more powerful, adding a new compartment and fresh batteries. — AP
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Cape Canaveral, May 26
