JUDY Woodruff , CNN ANCHOR: President Bush today met with India's homeminister and assured him that the United States will continue to encouragePakistan to take further measures against those suspected of carrying out actsof terror against India. Tensions between India and Pakistan have worsened sincelast month's attack on India's parliament, an incident that Indian officialsblame on Pakistani-based militants.
Woodruff And joining us now, the gentleman who met with President Bushtoday, and with the secretary of state. He is India's home minister, Lal K. Advani.
Mr. Minister, thank you very much for being with us. Let me start with a verygeneral question. How much of a threat do you believe the state of Pakistanposes to your country?
L.K. Advani: The question seems to suggest that it's a threat -- one-time threatat a given point of time. Our problem, in respect of Pakistan is, that for thelast nearly 20 years, Pakistan has been promoting terrorism inside India. Thefirst 10 years, the focus was mainly on Punjab. The last 10 years it has beenmainly on Kashmir.
But in both these decades, it has been spread all over the country. And so it'sa war of a different kind. We have faced wars from Pakistan twice earlier. Butthis is a war of a different kind. And which war, either way, reached its climaxwhen two organizations, based in Pakistan, sent terrorists to attack the Indianparliament.
Woodruff And now the United States is saying -- we just heard from the secretaryof state. He is saying we'd like Pakistan to do more, but he is he giving themcredit. He said they've arrested some of the leaders of these groups, they'veclosed down some offices, they've spoken out. Do you give them any credit? Doyou give President Musharraf any credit?
Advani We publicly said when they arrested the leaders of theLeT and JeM, the two organizations supposed to be responsible for theattack on the parliament, when they were arrested, we said it's a move in theright direction. But much more needs to be done. We said this because Pakistan'sfirst reaction after the attack on parliament was that this is an eventengineered by Indians, or India's own agencies. That was the first reaction.
The second reaction was that they have named these two organizations only inorder to malign the freedom movement in Kashmir. And I believe that had it notbeen for Washington's pressure, they would not have done even done the littlethat they have done. And therefore, we suspect that it is only a tactical move.And a real change of heart is still missing.
Woodruff And, do you believe that Washington, that the U.S. government, the Bushadministration, is putting enough pressure, from your perspective, on Pakistannow, to get them to do what you want?
Advani In reply to this question, I can only say that my discussions with theleaders of the U.S. government yesterday and today do give me a kind ofassurance that whatever needs to be done by the United States in order to carryout the promise it gave to the whole world after 11 September, that we are notconcerned merely with those who are responsible for attack on WTC, or onPentagon, but they are concerned with eliminating terrorism wherever it is inthe world.
Yesterday and today have given me a measure of assurance that the Americangovernment does wish to stand by this promise.
Woodruff A measure of assurance. And yet are you concerned that, because theU.S. has grown closer to Pakistan as a result of the necessary cooperation inthe war in Afghanistan against al Qaeda and the Taliban, that the U.S. may beeventually reluctant to push as much as India would like?
Advani That's not my feeling.
In fact, when immediately after the 11th of September, America consciously wooedPakistan, I told the American ambassador in New Delhi that this is the rightapproach. Geography dictates it. Pure strategy dictates it. And the need toensure that the battle against terrorism does not become a battle between tworeligions, that also makes it imperative that an Islamic country like Pakistanshould be on the side of those who are waging a battle against internationalterrorism.
And, therefore, I see no objection to what was done in the case of Pakistanearlier, though I do believe that, if terrorism is a crime in respect of Taliban,terrorism is a crime in respect of India also.
Woodruff So you are looking for more from the U.S. at this point.
Advani Yes.
And I believe, after yesterday and today's discussions, that America is keen tocarry out its role, in as far as the pronouncements are concerned.
Woodruff All right. And you sound like you are more assured of that after thisvisit.
Advani I hope so.
Woodruff All right, India's home minister, Lal K. Advani , we thank you very muchfor joining us.
Advani Thank you, Judy.
Woodruff Thank you, sir. We appreciate your being here.
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(Courtesy, the Embassy of India in Washington)
