By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : Condemning the terrorist attacks in Mumbai, both houses of US Congress have asked Pakistan to root out all extremist groups in the country and prevent its territory from serving as a safe haven and training ground for terrorists.
A bipartisan Senate resolution introduced by Democrat Bob Casey and Republican George Voinovich strongly urges the Pakistani government to root out all extremist groups operating on its territory.
A similar House resolution calls upon Pakistan to work in full cooperation with India “to ensure all those responsible are brought to justice and prevent its territory from serving as a safe-haven and training ground for terrorists”.
Both resolutions applaud the restraint exhibited so far by the Indian government and ask Pakistan to aggressively investigate the possible connection of groups based in Pakistan to the attacks.
The Senate resolution passed Wednesday affirms that the US stands in unison with the people of India in the aftermath of the horrific attacks and that the US government will provide any assistance the people of India might need.
The resolution encourages the Indian government to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the attacks and applauds India’s tone of moderation and restraint in reaction to the attacks.
It also urges bolstered US efforts to develop and implement policies and projects to combat all forms of religious extremism, including anti-Semitism, in order to deter targeted attacks like that waged against the Chabad Lubavitch centre in Mumbai.
It strongly encourages president-elect Obama to consider ways in which the US government can expand counter-terrorism cooperation to provide relevant equipment and training to the Indian government.
The House resolution vows its support and readiness to provide all appropriate assistance and resources to Indian government as it works to bring the terrorists responsible for the Mumbai attacks to justice and expresses its desire for improved coordination between the US and India, with the goal of combating terrorism and advancing international peace and security.
It also calls upon the government of Pakistan to work in full cooperation with the government of India to ensure all those responsible are brought to justice and prevent its territory from serving as a safe-haven and training ground for terrorists.
The House resolution calls upon nations around the world to renew and strengthen efforts to defeat terrorists by dismantling terrorist networks, restricting the financing of such networks, and exposing the violent and intolerant ideology of terrorism.
It also wants all appropriate international law enforcement, intelligence, and other resources to be made available to the Government of India to support a full investigation of the horrific terror attacks according to international legal standards.
“If anyone has forgotten the horrors of international terrorism, the savage attacks in Mumbai are yet another tragic wake up call,” said Casey.
“This enemy, whether it strikes in Mumbai, Jakarta, London or New York City, is savage and seeks to undermine the progressive and tolerant values that unite nations like India and the United States,” he said.
“America is standing with the people of India and our support is strong. These attacks underscore that we are indeed in a war against terrorism with an enemy that is bound and determined to wage war against any that share our values,” said Voinovich..
“As evident in the terrorist murders of Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and his wife Rivka in Mumbai, the United States must bolster efforts to develop and implement policies and projects to combat anti-Semitism,” he added.