The Hindu : Lawmaker asks Bush to be forceful with Pakistan

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Mar 29, 2002

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Lawmaker asks Bush to be forceful with Pakistan

New Delhi March 28. Expressing concern over the prospects of the Pakistani nuclear arsenal falling into the hands of dangerous elements, the U.S. Congressman, Jim McDermott, today asked the U.S. President, George W Bush, to be more forceful in his dealing with Islamabad on the issue of terrorism.

``The U.S. has a delicate role to play. It has to keep some stability in Pakistan and at the same time get them to stop things that have been going on. But the President will have to be more forceful in his dealing with Pakistan,'' Mr. McDermott, Chairman of the India Caucus of the U.S. House of Representatives told reporters here.

He said the killing of the American journalist, Daniel Pearl, and the recent attack on a church in Islamabad in which two U.S. nationals were killed, was ``evident provocation'' for the U.S. to act.

``It is inconceivable that Pakistan did not know where Pearl was being held. It strains their credibility that despite having Omar Shiekh in their custody, they could not figure out where Pearl was being kept.'' — PTI

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