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US, India strengthen cooperation
in countering terrorism

US-India cooperation in the field of counter terrorism has moved beyond simple exchange of information and sharing of ideas to institution building to combat international terrorism.

This was the outcome of the third meeting of the US-India Counter terrorism Working Group held in Washington on Tuesday, which was hosted by the acting coordinator for counter terrorism Edmund Hull.

The Indian delegation was led by Joint Secretary (Americas) in the ministry of external affairs Jayant Prasad. Both delegations also included an interagency group on counter terrorism and law enforcement officials.

Sources said the US had agreed in principle to assist India in the setting up of a 'Center for Counter Terrorism' and increase the level of cooperation in intelligence sharing to a higher plane.

One source said the cooperation would now be expanded into 'solid mechanisms' with the US and India working together in coordinating the actions of its various intelligence and security agencies to combat the forces of international terrorism.

The meeting on Tuesday was the first meeting of the Joint Working Group - established in January 2000 - since the advent of the Bush administration.

According to a joint statement issued at the end of the meeting by the US State Department, "The two sides expressed concern at the growing menace of international terrorism, extremism, and drug trafficking."

"The two sides unequivocally condemned all acts, methods, and practices of terrorism as criminal and unjustifiable, wherever and by whomever committed, and whatever the considerations that may be invoked to justify them," it said.

This was evidently a reference to the jehadi (religious war) movement worldwide.

The joint communiqué also noted that 'both sides agreed that the policies of the Taleban continue to foster terrorism that threatens the interest of both countries, as well as regional and international stability'.

It said both Washington and New Delhi had affirmed their support for the United Nations Security Council resolutions slapping sanctions on the Taleban 'for supporting terrorism, harboring Osama bin Laden, and failing to close down terrorist training camps in Afghanistan'.

The statement said both sides had 'agreed on the critical importance of the effective implementation of these resolutions, including through an appropriate monitoring mechanism. In addition, the two sides continued consultations on the India-proposed Comprehensive Convention against International Terrorism being discussed in the Sixth Committee of the United Nations General Assembly, and reiterated support for its early finalization'.

"The Indian side," the statement noted, "welcomed the US decision to qualitatively upgrade and widen the scope of the Anti-terrorism Training Assistance Program, in connection with which the two sides agreed to hold a joint survey later this year."

It also said that the Indian side had also 'welcomed the US offer to share experience and expertise in strengthening counter terrorism institutional structures in India'.

The statement added, "The Indian government accepted a US offer for a seminar to counter chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) terrorist threats later this year."

The next meeting of the JWG is slated to be held in New Delhi, but no dates have been nailed down yet.

Earlier in June, Indian police arrested four people on suspicion of involvement with a group linked to bin Laden and plotting attacks on US embassies in India and Bangladesh.

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