18 December 2001

U.S. Looks to Pakistan to Take Action Against Extremist Groups

State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said that in the wake of the attack against the Indian Parliament, the U.S. is keeping in close touch with both India and Pakistan. He said the U.S. is looking to Pakistan to take action against extremist groups that might be operating from within Pakistan. Boucher was speaking to reporters at the State Department on December 18.

As the Indians consider appropriate action to take to help protect their democracy against terrorism, Boucher said, the U.S. believes that "all countries have an obligation to work against terrorism within their borders, and that we look to the Pakistani government to work against extremist groups that operate out of Pakistan."

Responding to a question about Al Qaida leaders who may have slipped over the border from Afghanistan into Pakistan, Boucher said the Pakistani government had increased the level of vigilance along the border with Afghanistan. "It is a mountainous and inhospitable region," Boucher said, "but they've made a lot of additional efforts to try to make sure that that sort of thing doesn't happen, and we're fairly confident that, if it's possible to find people trying to slip across the border, that they're making every effort to do so."

Excerpts of the State Department briefing pertaining to Pakistan and India follow.

Question: Switching gears. Can you talk about the diplomatic situation between India, Pakistan and what the U.S. is doing at the moment to try and keep them from starting something?

Mr. Boucher: For the moment, we are keeping in very close touch with both India and Pakistan. The Secretary spoke yesterday evening with the Indian Foreign Minister, Jaswant Singh. And our Ambassadors in Islamabad and New Delhi are keeping in close touch with the governments there.

Our basic view has not changed. The basic view is the one that we stated yesterday. The Indians need to conduct their investigation, need to consider what the appropriate action might be to help protect their people against terrorism, to help protect their democracy against terrorism. But we think it is incumbent upon all to make sure that we pursue the overall effort against terrorism, and we have made quite clear in our discussions with the Pakistani Government that as we pursue terrorism next door, that all countries have an obligation to work against terrorism within their own borders, and that we look to the Pakistani Government to work against extremist groups that operate out of Pakistan.

Question: I think I got your message. Can I ask --

Question: Can I follow up? In terms of the Administration's involvement in Afghanistan, and needing Pakistan's support for that, how much of an added burden is this for the Administration to try and keep these two adversaries apart?

Mr. Boucher: I think the answer to that is really that we recognize that the fight against terrorism has many aspects and many facets. It is important for all of us to go after terrorism, period. The fight against al-Qaida and the people who have harbored them in Afghanistan still has a ways to go to make sure that al-Qaida can't operate in Afghanistan. But it is only part of this broader effort that the President has decided on. The President has made clear that we intend to go after terrorism wherever it exists. We intend to go after groups that are associated with al-Qaida. And we look to all the countries involved, all the countries who have made this basic commitment against terrorism to fight terrorism, to carry out steps to make sure that terrorism doesn't flourish within their borders. And so you see actions around the world in a whole variety of places against groups that might be supporting terrorism.

Question: Can I follow up on that? And you see action now in Yemen. Is it (a) part of the al-Qaida mop-up; (b), terrorism generally; or, (c), (a) and (b) combined?

Mr. Boucher: Or, (d); (a), (b) and (c) combined, possibly.

Question: If you wish.

Mr. Boucher: Possibly. I'm not quite sure what the choices are there. I don't have --

Question: Well, there is a general campaign against terrorism and there is a campaign against al-Qaida specifically.

Mr. Boucher: I think exactly what is -- what the Government of Yemen is doing and who the targets are of these efforts that they're making, I think that is a question you have to ask the Government of Yemen. I don't have the answer for that for you.

What I would say is that we just about two weeks ago we had a very, we think, important and useful visit from the President of Yemen. It is clear that he intends to go after terrorism, that he is committed to the fight against terrorism. We welcomed that. We offered our support, we offered our cooperation, and we will continue to work with them in the overall fight.

But as far as what specifically they are doing and who they are going after now and what their connections are, I think you have to get that from the Yemenis.

Question: And on Charlie's question, may I just ask one follow-up? India charged today, and I don't hear you dismissing the allegation, which is a message in itself, that the attack on the parliament was Pakistan's attempt to attack the leadership of the Indian Government.

Your statement is very strong on terrorism. Do you have any -- does the State Department have any basis for sharing India's suspicions?

Mr. Boucher: At this point, we understand the Indian investigation is still under way. So I know there have been a variety of statements and charges and other statements made by people, but I think we look to the Indians to complete their investigation and get -- see what information they come up with.

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Question: Getting back to Pakistan. Is there a concern that bin Laden or some other al-Qaida leaders that may have slipped over the border are in Pakistan, could somehow destabilize the government? Is that something that you have had conversations with --

Mr. Boucher: No. The Pakistani Government, as you know, has deployed a lot of troops. They have increased the level of their vigilance in the areas that abut Afghanistan, particularly those regions where there has been fighting, where the al-Qaida people have been reported.

I think they are making a lot of efforts along the border. It is a mountainous and inhospitable region, but they have made a lot of additional efforts to try to make sure that that sort of thing doesn't happen, and we are fairly confident that if it's possible to find people trying to slip across the border, that they are making every effort to do so.