US, India talks to focus on choking off terrorists' lifeline

From Lalit K Jha
Washington, May 23 (PTI) Keen to choke off the life
line of terror groups, the US will open a dialogue with India
for evolving more effective steps for cyber security and
monitor illicit financial transactions, Secretary of Homeland
Security Janet Napolitano said Monday.
On the eve of her first-ever official visit to India,
Napolitano said illegal smuggling of cash, financial fraud,
counterfeiting, illicit movement of money are some of the
major items on the agenda as it pertained to terrorism.
"...to choke off the life line of some of these
terrorist organizations... to open a dialogue that includes
cyber security which is necessary to protect the networks that
are critical infrastructure," she told PTI.
"Both of our countries are very concerned on how we
can confront issues like critical internet response in a
terrorism operation, in a counter-narcotics operations,
disaster management," she said ahead of her three-day visit
from May 26.
Intelligence sharing and co-operation between the US
and India may be at a nascent stage, but the continuing
dialogue will help the two countries in a number of areas, she
maintained.
"...it is wide ranging, we are bringing a large
delegation with us including experts in all of these areas.
So it is really intended to open up, open the door on a number
of important topics," she said.
"I would expect that in many of these areas one of the
things that they would decided is how they need to proceed, in
other words this would be the beginning of the on going
process... the US is very committed for cooperation and
support in the ongoing terrorism investigations. That being
said, I think it would be inappropriate for me to discuss
specific information that is being shared or has been shared,"
she said.
Brushing aside the notion in some quarters in India
that Washington is not as forthcoming as it should be in
sharing intelligence material with New Delhi as it pertained
to terrorism in Pakistan directed against India, Napolitano
said that the United States is indeed committed to sharing
information with close allies to help protect security.
"We have a joint interest in this. That being said, we
do not discuss publicly, the details of this co-operation
because protection of sources, investigation is very important
to us," she said.
Asked about the Mumbai 26/11 attacks, and if
Pakistan's ISI was involved against the backdrop of what has
been transpired in the FBI chargesheets in Chicago, Napolitano
argued that there was an "international responsibility" to
bring those involved in the heinous crime to book. "Let me address it this way: after the Mumbai attack,
the United States made very clear that there is international
responsibility to cooperate and bring the perpetrators to
justice," Napolitano said.
Asked about the ongoing trial of Mumbai attack suspect
Tahawwur Rana in a Chicago court, she said, "I think that
given that the federal trial of Rana is currently under way in
Chicago, it would be inappropriate for me to comment on any
names that would be coming up in that trial."
The Secretary of Homeland Security will have high
level talks as a critical component of the bilateral strategic
dialogue on counter-terrorism and other issues pertaining to
security issues and will be meeting top level officials in
India, including Home Minister P Chidambaram.
Given the sensitivities of the goings on, Napolitano
parried a question on whether New Delhi can have a favorable
response to a request on access to Rana.
"You know what. I think that's really not a question
that I can answer. That is a Justice Department question," she
said.