Pakistan using militant groups to counter Indian forces, says Pentagon
4/11/14 Washington:
In a
blunt assessment of terrorist safe havens in Pakistan, the Pentagon has told
the US Congress that the country is using militant groups as proxies to counter
the superior Indian military.
"Afghan
and Indian focused militants continue to operate from Pakistan territory to the
detriment of Afghan and regional stability. Pakistan uses these proxy forces to
hedge against the loss of influence in Afghanistan and to counter India's
superior military," the Pentagon told the Congress in its latest six-monthly
report on the current situation in Afghanistan.
"These
relationships run counter to Pakistan's public commitment to support Afghan-led
reconciliation. Such groups continue to act as the primary irritant in
Afghan-Pakistan bilateral relations," the Pentagon said in the report
running into more than 100 pages.
Referring
to the attack on the Indian Consulate in Herat, the Pentagon said this was done
just ahead of the swearing-in ceremony of Narendra Modi as the Prime Minister
of India. "In May of this reporting period, the Indian consulate in Herat
Province was attacked by a group of four heavily armed militants. The attack
came three days prior to the swearing-in of the new Indian Prime Minister,
Narendra Modi. Prime Minister Modi is perceived as being close to Hindu
nationalist groups, a fact that may have played into the timing of the
attack," it said.
"In
June, the US Department of State announced that the terrorist group
Lashkar-e-Taiba was responsible for the attack. Following the attack, former
Afghan President Karzai denounced the attack and made strong statements
supporting relations with India," the report said.
The
Pentagon informed the Congress that India continues to support Afghanistan,
believing a secure and stable Afghanistan will benefit the region and
facilitate economic corridors into Central Asia.
"India and
Afghanistan signed a strategic partnership declaration in 2011, which
formalised cooperation on governance, economics, commerce, education, public
administration, and security and law enforcement," it said.
Subsequent engagements
are reinforcing the positive relationship between Afghanistan and India,
the report said. "India supports a variety of high-visibility
projects and initiatives in Afghanistan. These ventures are
focused primarily on major infrastructure projects,
including electricity generation and transmission, road
construction, and mining," it said.
"India has shown
increased interest in Afghan security assistance, though activities in
this area remain limited. India currently offers India based training to
ANSF personnel across a number of specialties and the Indian
government committed to expand this programme. India does not
provide direct military support or training in Afghanistan,"
the Pentagon said.
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