Excerpt from interview of US National Security Advisor James L Jones by CNN-IBN:
Rajdeep Sardesai: What we have gathered from the confessions of David Coleman Headley has suggested that Pakistani state actors were involved in 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. Have these concerns been registered by Washington with Islamabad because India has registered them. But has Washington also registered those concerns with Islamabad?
James Jones: First of all Headley interview with India are a manifestation of the growing good state of relationship between our two countries We have to have more co-operation on intelligence matters so that we can be successful in defeating terror where ever it presents itself. In our bilateral relationship with Pakistan, we have expressed our strong concerns over the existence within the borders of Pakistan of terrorist organisation that goals to destabilize and attack our way of life, your way of life, to prevent our strategic goals from being achieved in Afghanistan. This is in violent conflict with how we see the world collectively and bilaterally in the 21st century. Pakistan must recognise that it is a contrary to their own interests for the future in the stability of the region to continue to tolerate the existence of insurgents within their borders. So, the first means of correcting that and as a first means of showing that Pakistan wants the same thing that we want they have to make a tough decision to go after these terrorist organisations. Moreover, they need to state concretely and publicly that this is a matter of policy and this cannot be tolerated.
Rajdeep Sardesai: India has made Hafeez Saeed, the Lashkar chief - the one of the most wanted as a test case; for Pakistan's ability to act on terror. Headley specially named Saeed as the mastermind behind the 26/11 attacks. He is roaming freely in Pakistan and he is making anti-India speeches. Would that be a test case also in a sense when we say Pakistan should also act against terror and stop making it an instrument of state policy in any form, must address India's concern. Would that be a test case to you that if Pakistan wants to act against someone like Saeed? Would that reassure Washington that Pakistan is serious. Would you like to see Pakistan do that?
James Jones: Yes. We want to see a more comprehensive programme that addresses all aspects of terrorism. Because all of these groups that we are finding out are linked. They are not necessarily targeted one nation or the other. They are terrorist organisations that have in mind to disrupt India, to disrupt our way of life and they are actively planning to do that.
CNN-IBN
