Speaking at a news conference after meetings with Prime Manmohan Singh, Defence Minister A K Antony and External Affairs Minister S M Krishna, Gates, who is on a two-day visit to India, said: “After the attacks in Mumbai, India had responded with great restraint and statesmanship. But, if attacked again, the response is a question. I leave this question to the Indian government. It would not be unreasonable to assume that India’s patience would be limited.”
Gates, who was Director of Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) during the presidency of George W Bush, will visit Pakistan on Friday. He emphasised the need for a “high level of cooperation” from all countries in the region to defeat the “syndicate” of terror, which included the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), Taliban and Tehreek-e-Taliban under the “umbrella” of al-Qaeda.
“It’s dangerous to single out any one of these group. The success of any one of these groups leads to new capabilities and a new reputation for all,” he said.
Gates said the LeT was a part of the al-Qaeda-led terror syndicate that wanted to destabilise the region “by provoking a conflict perhaps between India and Pakistan through some provocative act.” India could be “an anchor for regional and global security.”
India’s military role
Gates lauded India’s role and support to the war in Afghanistan. Gates rejected the idea of deployment of Indian troops in Afghanistan to assist the war against the Taliban.
“Let us be honest here. There are real suspicions in both India and Pakistan about what the other is doing in Afghanistan,” he said, in response to a query if the US wanted India to be in a military role in Afghanistan.
Both India and Pakistan should continue “to focus on development and humanitarian assistance and, perhaps in a limited way, in training, with a bit of transparency.”
Gates termed the assistance provided by India in rebuilding strife-torn Afghanistan “ideal.” He said greater transparency on the part of New Delhi and Islamabad on the projects being undertaken would allay their “suspicions” about each other.
