Washington: The world, the United States
in particular, is lucky to have Manmohan Singh as Indian Prime
Minister who has taken personal risk to avoid confrontation
along the western border despite provocations, but that might
not be the same if there is another terror attack, a former
Obama aide has said.
"We are lucky to have (Indian) Prime Minister
(Manmohan) Singh who has taken personal risk along the
Pakistani-Indian border to make sure that there's no
provocation.
“But it's a sensitive time because another attack from
Pakistan on India then it will be hard-pressed to contain a
reaction that would greatly destabilise the region," former US
National Security Advisor, Gen (retd) James Jones said.
Jones, who was President Obama's NSA for nearly two
years, told reporters at National Press Club luncheon that the
US has made this aware to Pakistan in clear terms.
"We have carried that message to them several times.
So let's hope that now that bin Laden hunt has been concluded
that we can build on the relationship and do the things that
are absolutely important for our collective security," he
observed.
"The downside risks are that any other attacks
emanating from the territory, where the Pakistan government
could have and did not move against a terrorist safe haven,
and a successful attack is carried out in another country,
whether it's Europe, the US or India, it will be very hard for
any leader to resist the hue and cry from the public to say,
you know, why don't you do something about this?" Jones said.
Jones is to testify before the Senate Foreign
Relations Committee on Tuesday on current situation in Pakistan.
"If and when that happens, that is very much the
downside in terms of future stability for the region. We will
embark, on a new set of completely different parameters that
we are working on now," he said.
"So let's hope the upside of things can carry the day
here. Logic would indicate that it should. I think we should
continue to try to understand Pakistani sensitivities and
perspectives. If we need to come to some agreements about what
happened or didn't happen 10 or 20 years ago, let's get beyond
this. We are worried about what's happening today and what's
going to happen tomorrow. That's what's important," he said.
PTI
First Published: Tuesday, May 17, 2011, 10:24