18 December 2001
Excerpt: U.S. Looks to Pakistan to Take Action Against Extremist Groups
(State's Boucher says U.S. in touch with India and Pakistan) (1150)
State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said that in the wake of
the attack against the Indian Parliament, the U.S. is keeping in close
touch with both India and Pakistan. He said the U.S. is looking to
Pakistan to take action against extremist groups that might be
operating from within Pakistan. Boucher was speaking to reporters at
the State Department on December 18.
As the Indians consider appropriate action to take to help protect
their democracy against terrorism, Boucher said, the U.S. believes
that "all countries have an obligation to work against terrorism
within their borders, and that we look to the Pakistani government to
work against extremist groups that operate out of Pakistan."
Responding to a question about Al Qaida leaders who may have slipped
over the border from Afghanistan into Pakistan, Boucher said the
Pakistani government had increased the level of vigilance along the
border with Afghanistan. "It is a mountainous and inhospitable
region," Boucher said, "but they've made a lot of additional efforts
to try to make sure that that sort of thing doesn't happen, and we're
fairly confident that, if it's possible to find people trying to slip
across the border, that they're making every effort to do so."
Excerpts of the State Department briefing pertaining to Pakistan and
India follow.
(begin excerpt)
QUESTION: Switching gears. Can you talk about the diplomatic situation
between India, Pakistan and what the U.S. is doing at the moment to
try and keep them from starting something?
MR. BOUCHER: For the moment, we are keeping in very close touch with
both India and Pakistan. The Secretary spoke yesterday evening with
the Indian Foreign Minister, Jaswant Singh. And our Ambassadors in
Islamabad and New Delhi are keeping in close touch with the
governments there.
Our basic view has not changed. The basic view is the one that we
stated yesterday. The Indians need to conduct their investigation,
need to consider what the appropriate action might be to help protect
their people against terrorism, to help protect their democracy
against terrorism. But we think it is incumbent upon all to make sure
that we pursue the overall effort against terrorism, and we have made
quite clear in our discussions with the Pakistani Government that as
we pursue terrorism next door, that all countries have an obligation
to work against terrorism within their own borders, and that we look
to the Pakistani Government to work against extremist groups that
operate out of Pakistan.
QUESTION: I think I got your message. Can I ask --
QUESTION: Can I follow up? In terms of the Administration's
involvement in Afghanistan, and needing Pakistan's support for that,
how much of an added burden is this for the Administration to try and
keep these two adversaries apart?
MR. BOUCHER: I think the answer to that is really that we recognize
that the fight against terrorism has many aspects and many facets. It
is important for all of us to go after terrorism, period. The fight
against al-Qaida and the people who have harbored them in Afghanistan
still has a ways to go to make sure that al-Qaida can't operate in
Afghanistan. But it is only part of this broader effort that the
President has decided on. The President has made clear that we intend
to go after terrorism wherever it exists. We intend to go after groups
that are associated with al-Qaida. And we look to all the countries
involved, all the countries who have made this basic commitment
against terrorism to fight terrorism, to carry out steps to make sure
that terrorism doesn't flourish within their borders. And so you see
actions around the world in a whole variety of places against groups
that might be supporting terrorism.
QUESTION: Can I follow up on that? And you see action now in Yemen. Is
it (a) part of the al-Qaida mop-up; (b), terrorism generally; or, (c),
(a) and (b) combined?
MR. BOUCHER: Or, (d); (a), (b) and (c) combined, possibly.
QUESTION: If you wish.
MR. BOUCHER: Possibly. I'm not quite sure what the choices are there.
I don't
have --
QUESTION: Well, there is a general campaign against terrorism and
there is a campaign against al-Qaida specifically.
MR. BOUCHER: I think exactly what is -- what the Government of Yemen
is doing and who the targets are of these efforts that they're making,
I think that is a question you have to ask the Government of Yemen. I
don't have the answer for that for you.
What I would say is that we just about two weeks ago we had a very, we
think, important and useful visit from the President of Yemen. It is
clear that he intends to go after terrorism, that he is committed to
the fight against terrorism. We welcomed that. We offered our support,
we offered our cooperation, and we will continue to work with them in
the overall fight.
But as far as what specifically they are doing and who they are going
after now and what their connections are, I think you have to get that
from the Yemenis.
QUESTION: And on Charlie's question, may I just ask one follow-up?
India charged today, and I don't hear you dismissing the allegation,
which is a message in itself, that the attack on the parliament was
Pakistan's attempt to attack the leadership of the Indian Government.
Your statement is very strong on terrorism. Do you have any -- does
the State Department have any basis for sharing India's suspicions?
MR. BOUCHER: At this point, we understand the Indian investigation is
still under way. So I know there have been a variety of statements and
charges and other statements made by people, but I think we look to
the Indians to complete their investigation and get -- see what
information they come up with.
-----------------
QUESTION: Getting back to Pakistan. Is there a concern that bin Laden
or some other al-Qaida leaders that may have slipped over the border
are in Pakistan, could somehow destabilize the government? Is that
something that you have had conversations with --
MR. BOUCHER: No. The Pakistani Government, as you know, has deployed a
lot of troops. They have increased the level of their vigilance in the
areas that abut Afghanistan, particularly those regions where there
has been fighting, where the al-Qaida people have been reported.
I think they are making a lot of efforts along the border. It is a
mountainous and inhospitable region, but they have made a lot of
additional efforts to try to make sure that that sort of thing doesn't
happen, and we are fairly confident that if it's possible to find
people trying to slip across the border, that they are making every
effort to do so.
(end excerpts)
(end excerpt)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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