The Hindu : Straw `horrified' by attack on civilians

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jul 15, 2002

International

International

Straw `horrified' by attack on civilians

By Hasan Suroor

LONDON JULY 14. The British Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw, has strongly condemned Saturday's terrorist attack in Jammu widely seen here as a setback to international efforts to defuse Indo-Pak. tensions. A senior U.K.-based Kashmiri separatist leader from Pakistan admitted that it was a ``blow'' to attempts to initiate a political process.

Mr. Straw, who is to visit the region shortly, said he was ``horrified'' by the attack on innocent civilians. ``Terrorism, be it in Jammu, Kashmir or anywhere else, only serves to renew the determination of the free world to fight this evil.''

Mr. Straw, who only last week said that Pakistan needed to do more to clamp down on terrorist camps and cross-border infiltration, was likely to come under pressure from New Delhi during his coming visit to make sure that Pakistan delivered on its promise to put a ``permanent'' end to the infiltration of militants. India maintains that despite the Pakistani President, Pervez Musharraf's commitment to stop it completely, cross-border infiltration continues.

Observers noted that Saturday's attack was the most serious terrorist incident since the May 14 killings at a military base near Jammu and that it appeared designed to derail the fragile process of normalisation which started a few weeks ago. It was also seen to be aimed at disrupting the coming Assembly elections in the State.

Shabir Choudhury, head of the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front's diplomatic bureau in U.K. and Europe, said such actions did enormous harm to the ``cause'' of Kashmir.

``We condemn it in the strongest possible terms and whoever is behind the attack is clearly motivated by considerations which we do not share,'' he said adding that ``no religion allows taking innocent lives.''

Britain has consistently shared Indian concerns over cross-border militancy and though it believes that Islamabad needs to act more firmly to put an end to it, there is also the view that Gen. Musharraf does not have control over many of the terrorist groups operating from Pakistani territory.

For all his fault, he is still seen here as the most reasonable Pakistani leader to do business with and when he visits India, Mr. Straw is expected to urge New Delhi to continue to exercise restraint.

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