US admits to limited influence on Pakistan

NEW DELHI: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Tuesday said it was made “forcefully clear” to Pakistan that it has to bring the perpetrators of 2008 Mumbai attacks to justice, but noted that there was a “limit” to US and India’s pressure tactics.

Speaking to reporters after the second round of India-US Strategic Dialogue, Clinton noted that there was an “absolute international responsibility to bring the perpetrators (of the Mumbai carnage) to justice”. She said, “We have made that equally forcefully clear to Pakistan that it has a special obligation to do so transparently—fully and urgently.”But, in the same breath, she pointed out that pressure tactics may not work with Pakistan. “Obviously there is a limit to what both the United States and India can do, but we intend to continue to press as hard as possible,” she added.In her opening remarks at the joint press conference, Clinton said emphasis was placed on counter-terrorism and security in the talks which was “first and foremost on all of our minds after the bombings in Mumbai last week.”She also expressed condole­nce and “outrage” on the seri­al bomb blasts in Mumbai on July 13 that has left 20 dead.External Affairs Minister S M Krishna also said that both sides had agreed to intensify cooperation to fight terrorism. “Both sides remain committed to comprehensive sharing of information on the Mumbai terror attack of 2008,” he said.Clinton acknowledged that this close cooperation in counter-terrorism has been highly beneficial “because a lot of the terrorist networks that threaten you, also threaten us.”She continued, “We have made the point repeatedly to our Pakistani colleagues that terrorists threaten both of us and terrorists have actually killed more Pakistanis...than Americans. And so we recogni­se that Pakistan must act on its own behalf first, foremost to protect its own territory and sovereignty and to protect the lives of people of Pakistan.”