Press Trust Of India
New Delhi, Jan 23: US President Barack Obama sent a stern message to Pakistan, saying that safe havens of terrorism within that country are “not acceptable” and that those behind the Mumbai attack must face justice.
Ahead of his visit here, Obama said the US will keep working with India for a future that delivers greater security, prosperity and dignity for all people.
Obama asserted that his country has been unrelenting in its fight against terrorist groups.
“I’ve made it clear that even as the United States works with Pakistan to meet the threat of terrorism, safe havens within Pakistan are not acceptable and that those behind the Mumbai terrorist attack must face justice.”
His comment assumes significance as India has recently had renewed questions over Pakistan’s sincerity in ensuring punishment to the perpetrators of Mumbai attack of November 2008. The questions arose after attack mastermind Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi was granted bail in the case.
Obama noted that like Indians were tragically killed in the 9/11 attack in New York, Americans were also killed in the 26/11 attack in Mumbai.
To send a strong message to the Indian people that “we stand together in defence of our security and our way of life”, he had made Taj hotel in Mumbai his first stop during his first visit to India in 2010, he said in an e-mail interview to a leading magazine.
Upbeat about his upcoming three-day visit to India, which he described as a “natural partner”, Obama said he was proud to be the first US President to visit this country twice.
He said he saw it as an opportunity to work with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to make concrete progress and to “hopefully begin a new era in the history between our countries”.
“Sometimes India and the United States will disagree. But I believe that we can work through any differences in a spirit of mutual respect,” he said.
