IndiaPost.com - India successful in tackling terror: us

WASHINGTON: India has achieved major success last year in countering terrorism by effecting numerous arrests and confiscation of explosives despite challenges associated with its law enforcement and judicial systems, a US report on terrorism has said.

The report was released even as the fifth meeting of the India-United States Global Issues Forum got under way here with the formal start of talks between India’s Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon and the Under Secretary of State for Democracy and Global Affairs Paula Dobriansky.

The Country Terrorism Reports prepared by the US State Department, said, "Terrorists staged numerous attacks in India, including a series of commuter train bomb attacks in Mumbai which killed over 200 people and injured more than 700." "Despite challenges associated with its law enforcement and judicial systems, India achieved major successes this year including numerous arrests and the confiscation of explosives and firearms," it said.

The report said that as in previous years, terrorists staged hundreds of attacks on people and property in India. "The most prominent terrorist groups were violent extremists operating in Jammu and Kashmir; Maoists operating in the "Naxalite belt" in eastern, southern and central India; and ethno-linguistic nationalists in India’s northeastern states," it said.

The report said the federal and state governments tried various strategies to address some of these grievances within the context of Indian democracy. "But the government was firm: groups must cease violence before negotiations can begin, and the government will not entertain territorial concessions," the State Department said in its report.

The report noted that US Government and military cooperation with India on counter terrorism continued to expand. "In October, a company of US Marines traveled to India for a counter terrorism exercise with the Indian army. In September, the Indian Army sent a company to Hawaii to train with US Army Pacific forces.

"In August, the Indian Army sent two experts to observe a military exercise in Hawaii," the report said pointing out that the Indo-US Counter terrorism Joint Working Group (CTJWG) has met eight times since its creation in 2000. The State Department has said that India’s counter terrorism efforts were hampered by its "outdated and overburdened" law enforcement and legal systems.

"Despite these challenges, India scored major successes this year, including numerous arrests and the seizure of explosives and firearms during operations against Lashkar-e-Taiba and other terrorist groups," it said. Generally the Bush administration has maintained that terrorism remained a problem in South Asia "directly and indirectly threatening" American interests and lives.

"To varying degrees, US cooperation with regional partners on counter terrorism issues continued to increase, but much is left to be accomplished," the State Department said.