India an indispensable ally: US ambassador

Fighting terrorism was “a challenge” for both the US and its “indispensable ally” India, US Ambassador to India Timothy J. Roemer said Tuesday, adding that the 26/11 Mumbai carnage reminded him of the 9/11 terror attack in New York.“India is one of the most important allies of the US, and an indispensable one for the US. I want to reinforce our commitment to the US-India strategic co-operation, which is an important pillar of our indispensable partnership,” said Roemer.Roemer said that as part of this co-operation, the US will help India by giving it access to David Headley, the Pakistani-American Lashkar-e-Taiba operative who has admitted his role in planning the 2008 Mumbai attacks.The ambassador said he was reminded of the 9/11 terror attacks that targeted the twin towers of World Trade Centre in New York.“Back then, we never got any direct access to the mastermind Khalid Shaikh Mohammed. We want to ensure India gets access of Headley,” Roemer said.In his third visit to Mumbai, Roemer recalled how he had visited Mumbai for the first time only seven months after the terror strikes with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton mid-2009.“It was my first act as Ambassador-designate in India. At that time, we chose to stay in the historic Taj Mahal Palace & Tower Hotel. It was a deliberate choice to remind the terrorists that despite the carnage they caused, they did not succeed in their efforts to lower our spirits,” Roemer said.The ambassador paid homage at the 26/11 Police Memorial at Police Gymkhana in south Mumbai and interacted with the policemen present there.“This visit is to underscore the respect we pay to the martyrs of the 26/11 terror attacks,” Roemer said.The US ambassador stressed that “Pakistan needs to do more to deal with the terrorism originating from its soil”.He also assured that the arms and ammunition provided to Pakistan would be used only for internal purposes.“We will make sure that these arms are used to counter internal terrorism and conflict. We will ensure that these are not used as a means to attack any other nation,” he said.
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