US needs to take 'very hard line' on Saeed's release: Riedel

Lalit K Jha

Washington, Jun 5 (PTI) Asking the Obama administration
to take a "very hard line" on the release of JuD chief and
"mastermind of the Mumbai massacre" Hafiz Mohammad Saeed, the
co-architect of the US' Af-Pak strategy today demanded that
"jihadist Frankenstein" infrastructure in Pakistan be crushed.

"I think the Administration should take a very hard line
about the release of the mastermind of the Mumbai massacre and
needs to be very clear with Pakistan that it cannot pursue a
policy of selective counter-terrorism," said Bruce O Riedel, a
former CIA official who co-chaired the inter-agency committee
which formulated the Af-Pak policy.

"Selective counter-terrorism is weak counter-terrorism.
We can't tolerate terrorists, who murder in Mumbai any more
than we can't tolerate terrorist who murder anywhere else in
the world. Washington ought to make that position extremely
clear in Islamabad," he told PTI in an interview.

Riedel's remarks follow the Lahore High Court order
releasing Saeed from house arrest on Tuesday last, nearly six
months after he was detained in the wake of the Mumbai
attacks.

Riedel said a very strong message" needs to be sent to
the Pakistani government, army and especially its intelligence
service that they should deal with terrorism firmly.

Observing that ISI continued to maintain links with LeT
and JuD, he said that Pakistan was not taking enough steps
to dismantle terrorist networks.

"I think, Pakistan has taken a few steps, but they are
very small, and much more needs to be done. The entire
infrastructure of the jihadist Frankenstein in Pakistan needs
to be broken and dismantled, not just because that is in the
interest of America and India, but because it is in the
interest of Pakistan," Reidel said.

"Because if the jihadist Frankenstein in Pakistan is not
dismantled and defeated there is a very real possibility that
they would take over the State of Pakistan and that would be
the end of Pakistani freedom," he said replying to a query.

When asked how does the Obama administration plan to make
Pakistan's establishment be tough on anti-India terror
elements, Riedel said "...the only way that we can get
Pakistan to focus on the reality of the threat from within is
by engagement -- constant and consistent and enforceable.

"I think that we have to deal directly with the elected
Pakistani leadership, starting with President (Asif Ali)
Zardari and then all the aspects of the Pakistani State in a
clear, consistent and enforceable way and make clear to them
that the United States sees the creation of this jihadist
infrastructure in Pakistan as a global security problem and a
threat to Pakistan itself.

"There are really no other options. We can't try to
ignore the problem and we can't try to coerce Pakistani
behaviour. We tried those options before, but it did not work.
The only option that would work is constant, consistent, hard
and forceful engagement with a very tough and clear message,"
he said.

Asked about the ISI's links with the extremist elements,
Riedel said the Pakistani intelligence agency continues to
have relations "with groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba, with
whatever its new name is and with the Afghan Taliban."

"It is a very complex picture. It's selective-counter
terrorism. What we need is uniform counter-terrorism," he
said.

On whether the Obama Administration is aware of it and is
taking steps in this regard, he replied: "Absolutely."

About the strain in the Indo-Pak ties, Riedel said "the
critical first step ... is for Pakistan to take steps to bring
to justice the masterminds who murdered a 160 people in Mumbai
last November. That is the first step, without that it would
be very very difficult to see a reduction in tension between
Islamabad and New Delhi."

When pointed out that India would not resume peace talks
with Pakistan unless Islamabad takes action against those
responsible for the Mumbai attacks, Riedel said "I can't see
how any Indian government could or should simply forget what
happened last November in Mumbai. Those responsible for that
massacre have to be brought to justice."

"The Pakistani government has been asking for evidence. I
think, India has provided the evidence. Now it is time to take
some action against Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jamaat-ud-Dawa and those
who perpetrated this terrorist outrage," he said. PTI LKJ
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