Washington, November 9
In an oblique reference to Pakistan, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee told U S Congressmen and the India Caucus here that countries which promote and encourage international terrorism cannot become partners of the coalition of democracies in fighting this menace.

Mr Vajpayee’s message to the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the India Caucus yesterday was that New Delhi would increasingly be pro-active in dealing with Pakistan’s continued sponsorship of State terrorism. At the same time New Delhi would strengthen the coalition’s fight against all forms of terrorism.

He said public opinion in India as in the USA or anywhere else sought action from its elected representatives in the face of stepped up cross-border terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.

The Prime Minister stressed that obviously the battle against terrorism could not end in Afghanistan. At the same time India needed to be assured that its security was not affected. The US-led coalition against international terrorism had to address similar manifestations elsewhere. Simultaneously, it had become imperative to take action against those states instigating terrorism as state policy.

Mr Vajpayee told the India Caucus that even though the ghastly airborne terrorist strikes in the USA on September 11 would have unpredictable consequences in international relations, he had no doubt that the emerging new challenges “will draw our two countries into a more cooperative partnership.”

The co-chairman of the India Caucus, Mr Jim Mcdermott, said it was his personal opinion that there should be no future arms sales to Pakistan. At the same time he was not averse to the USA providing economic assistance to Pakistan. However, he wondered if giving arms to the Pakistan army was in anybody’s best interests.

Expressing India’s outrage at the terrorist strikes in September, Mr Vajpayee noted at the India Caucus luncheon that “our response was not motivated by tactical or foreign policy considerations. It was spontaneous and emanated from our fellow feeling for you and from the pain of our own experience with terrorism.”

He commended the India Caucus for its vision and said it had opened new avenues of Indo-US cooperation and reinforced mutual trust and confidence between the two countries. He impressed upon the USA to seriously explore the possibilities of strengthening bilateral linkages with India through trade and investment. India, he assured, would facilitate such cooperation and further strengthen Indo-US trade and economic ties.

India has also said that it is not perturbed by the growing ties between Washington and Islamabad following the September 11 terror strikes in New York and Washington. External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh conveyed this to his American counterpart Colin Powell here yesterday.

Mr Jaswant Singh emphasised that India’s fight against terrorism did not hinge on US assistance. “If the USA chooses to help India, very good and our commitment to Indo-US relations is on the basis of values. If the USA chooses not to join the fight against terrorism in India, then fine. India will continue the fight,” he told a press conference here late yesterday.

He said there was increasing recognition that the menace of terrorism was really global in dimension and hence needed to be addressed globally. He dismissed suggestions that Indo-US relations had deteriorated. “Relations don’t deteriorate on account of a third country. This is a relationship that is based on values,” he added.

The US House of Representatives adopted a resolution welcoming Mr Vajpayee to the USA and commending India for its support against international terrorism. The resolution was sponsored by Congressman Tom Lantos and 43 others.