'Pak needs to take tough decisions'

'Terrorist outfits anathema for future peace and prosperity'

Asked whether the United States was firm in pressing Pakistan to deal with terror targeted against India, US National Security Advisor Gen James L Jones said: “We do not subscribe to the idea that a-la-carte terrorism (which allows one to choose) is a viable strategy.”

He said if Pakistan wants to show that it wants the “same thing we want”, it will have to “make the tough decision to go after” the terrorist organisations and state concretely and publicly that it is a policy matter which cannot be tolerated.

On a two-day tour to India for preparing the ground for US President Barak Obama’s visit in November, Jones said terrorist organisations are “anathema for future peace and prosperity, whether it is in this region, whether it is in our country, whether it is in Europe, whether it is in Africa or the Middle East”.

“They are not necessarily targeting one nation or the other. They are terrorist organisations that have nothing in mind but to disrupt India, to disrupt our way of life and are actively planning to do that,” he said.

Jones met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, his Indian counterpart Shivshankar Menon, Defence Minister A K Anthony and the service chiefs. Both sides reviewed the status of the strategic partnership between India and the USA and discussed preparations for Obama’s visit. Apart from bilateral relations, regional and global issues, including the situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan, international terrorism, the global governance architecture and emerging threats to international security were also discussed.