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Friday, July 23, 2010
Militants looking to trigger Indo-Pak conflict: Mullen
* Militants will try another Mumbai-style attack to trigger war
* Obama admin has no choice but to ‘stay engaged’ with ISINEW DELHI: Admiral Mike Mullen, the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, warned on Thursday of fresh attempts by militant groups to push India and Pakistan into a military conflict.
Mullen said he feared extremists would attempt another operation similar to the 2008 Mumbai attacks in order to goad India into armed retaliation against Pakistan.
Mullen said the Mumbai attacks had demonstrated how a small group of extremists could have a “strategic impact”.
“One of the things that struck me then and is still of great concern is that those terrorists could bring two countries closer (to a possible conflict),” he told reporters on board his plane bound for New Delhi.
“I’ve worried a great deal about a repeat attack, of something like that,” Mullen said, adding that he wanted “to focus on making sure this doesn’t happen again”.
Mullen began a two-day visit to India on Thursday that coincided with a visit by the US special envoy to Pakistan and Afghanistan, Richard Holbrooke.
Working with ISI: Referring to the allegations against the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) that have surfaced recently, Mullen stressed that the Obama administration had no choice but to “stay engaged” with the ISI, given its crucial role in Pakistan.
The admiral was due to head to Pakistan after his two-day stop in India.
Referring to Lashkar-e-Tayyaba (LeT), which is blamed for the Mumbai attacks, Mullen said, “I see them starting to emerge as a larger regional to global — at least inspirational — global threat.”.”
Referring to the situation in Afghanistan, Mullen said it was “reasonable” to expect Afghan forces to take charge of security from foreign troops by 2014.
“I support the Afghan president’s efforts to present his country with a timetable for taking over from the NATO-led force,” he said.
“He, as a leader, has to send a message to his people that this is what we’re shooting for,” Mullen added. afp
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk