The Hindu : Tough stand on terrorism will continue: Advani

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jun 08, 2003

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Tough stand on terrorism will continue: Advani

Mumbai June 7. The Deputy Prime Minister, L. K. Advani, said today that ``India will continue to deal sternly with terrorism, as it had done on several occasions,''

He told reporters here before embarking on his 10-day tour to the U.S. and the U.K. that it would work towards promoting world peace.

``We will continue to take up the fight against terrorism on our own,'' Mr. Advani said. However, the fight against terrorism had to be ``worldwide'' and he would talk to leaders in the U.S. and the U.K. about countries that aided terrorist activity.

Mr. Advani said relations between India and the U.S. had ``changed fundamentally'' since the end of the Cold War. ``Both the countries had borne the brunt of terrorist attacks and the cordial relations between the two countries could be used for promoting world peace,'' he said. — UNI

Sridhar Krishnaswami reports from Washington:

Mr. Advani arrives here tomorrow for two days of high-level, intensive discussions with Bush administration officials. He is expected to meet the Secretary of the newly-created Homeland Security Department, Tom Ridge, the Attorney-General, John Ashcroft, the President's National Security Adviser, Condoleezza Rice, and the Vice-President, Dick Cheney.

Mr. Advani is expected to meet the President, George W. Bush, but it is not clear if this will take place during the meeting with Dr. Rice or Mr. Cheney or if Mr. Advani will be taken to the Oval Office.

Mr. Advani is also expected to have a session with the Defence Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, another major player in the Bush administration. Mr. Advani's meeting on Capitol Hill with the top lawmakers is being finalised. He is also travelling to Chicago and Los Angeles. The visit is expected to be "very substantive'' and not "pro-forma''. In fact, Mr. Advani has the reputation of being a straight-talker, one who does not mince his words. The White House is in tune with this image and the administration as a whole has been quite receptive to the visit. The Bush administration has been encouraging India and Pakistan to take steps to push the peace process along. At the same time, it is aware of the things that could go wrong and hence has been keeping its fingers crossed. The hope is that hardliners in both India and Pakistan do not end up derailing the delicate process that has started showing signs of a forward movement.

Terrorism is expected to be the major agenda of the discussion. New Delhi, over time, has expressed unease with the Bush administration signing on to Pakistan as its ally in the war against terrorism. But in the immediate context and scheme of things, Washington cannot be expected to abandon Islamabad even as there is hope that this new-found relationship will have some beneficial fall-out as it pertains to terrorism in the subcontinent. After Mr. Advani's high profile visit to Washington, the Bush administration will get ready to receive the Pakistan President, Pervez Musharraf, who is being given a higher profile.

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