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Pak an ally despite differences: US State Department official
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03 October 2011
Pakistan remains a strong ally in the "war on terror" for the US despite serious differences, according to Mr. David M. Luna, Director of Combating Transnational Illicit Threats in the U.S. Department of State. He made these observations during a round table discussion "Transnational Threats and Criminal Networks" organised at Observer Research Foundation on the September 29, 2011.
While discussing the ways in which the US was tackling terror outfits in Pakistan, he pointed out that a strong and frank dialogue was taking place between the two countries. Apart from the combat operations, he mentioned that campaigns to educate the population on alternatives were being undertaken to address violent extremism and ideology.
He noted that apart from the Afghanistan-Pakistan region, West Africa and Yemen were emerging as a new breeding ground for Al-Qaeda and its networks, creating security concerns for the US.
The issue of piracy in the Gulf of Aden was also discussed, where concerns about the increasing closeness between terrorist organisations and pirates in the region, emerged as a key concern. The lawless lands of Somalia that continues to be used by pirates as an operational base and its negative implications on maritime security were flagged as serious problems for international community. The role played by international navies was underlined as a vital step in providing security for the numerous merchant vessels crossing the region.
Issue of narcotics and other illicit drugs also figured during the discussion. The revenue from narcotics trafficking being used to finance terrorist outfits is a major concern for the US, said Mr. Luna. He stated that a part of his mission was to strengthen the capabilities of law enforcements to tackle the issue of transnational narcotics trafficking of the countries involved in such activities. Various agencies of the U.S were working together to dismantle the networks involved in such illicit businesses.
Talking about the new challenge of transnational cyber crimes, he pointed out that the cyber criminals engaged in such activities were highly sophisticated, thus making it difficult for government agencies to tackle the problem.
He also engaged in a discussion about India's lack of technology and equipment to fight terror which he believed was extremely critical. The scope for further deepening relations between India and the US was also discussed. Discussing the scope for transfer of advanced technology and equipments to India, he mentioned that India has been taken off a number of export control list. Mr. Luna also pointed out that both countries should not let the Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) deal become a thorn in the growing strategic partnership between the two countries.
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