09633

01/08/2002
EDITORIAL NUMBER=0-09633

TERRORISM AGAINST INDIA, PAKISTAN

The September eleventh attacks against the United States are proof that terrorism knows no boundaries. Other nations have suffered as well, including India and Pakistan.

President George W. Bush condemned last month’s suicide attack against the Indian parliament and the October attack on the Kashmir legislature. As Mr. Bush said, "These attacks were meant to strike at India’s democracy and kill its leaders, but [they] were also intended to undermine Pakistan, harm the rapidly improving U.S.-Pakistan relationship, and destabilize the global coalition against terrorism."

Pakistan has known since September 11^th that it needs to take decisive action against terrorist groups because they are a threat to it, as well as to its friends and neighbors. Pakistan has been taking steps since September and, since the attack on the Indian parliament in December, it has done a great deal more. Pakistan has arrested leaders of Lashkar-e-Tayiba [LAHSH-kahr-ay-tie-ee-BAH] and Jaish-e-Mohammed [jeh-shay mo-HAHM-med]. These two terrorist groups are closely linked to the perpetrators of the attacks in India and Kashmir. Pakistan has also arrested a number of other individuals who might be associated with terrorist actions and is continuing to do so.

U-S Secretary of State Colin Powell said that Pakistan’s leader, General Pervez Musharraf, has made "a number of bold statements with respect to moderation and going after extremist elements within Pakistani society." Mr. Powell said he is also encouraged that on the Indian side, even though India mobilized its forces, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee "is anxious to find a political and diplomatic solution."

Secretary of State Powell said it is important to channel the anger that exists between India and Pakistan into what he called "a campaign against all forms of terrorism, wherever it exists around the country, or around the world. . .in India, in Pakistan, and go after terrorist organizations that are trying to go against democratic nations."

A worldwide coalition is now fighting terrorism. As Secretary of State Powell put it: "We are encouraging India and Pakistan to work within this coalition to fight against terrorism, and not fight against each other." It is in everyone’s interest to reach a solution through diplomatic and political means.