New Delhi has conveyed its serious concerns to Washington over the US military aid to Pakistan being misused against New Delhi and asked America to establish a monitoring mechanism to ensure that this does not happen. During his meeting with the US Joint Chief of Staff Committee Chairman Admiral Mike Mullen in New Delhi late on Friday, Defence Minister A K Antony also expressed his apprehensions that American arms aid was disproportionate to the war on terror for which it is meant. Defence Ministry sources said Antony told the visiting dignitary that the US should ensure the aid was used only for the purpose it was meant.AIR correspondent reports in a 45-minute meeting at South Block, the changing dynamics of Afghanistan-Pakistan situation dominated the discussions between Admiral Mullen and the Defence Minister. Regional and global matters of mutual security concerns were also discussed between the two. Admiral Mullen is said to have apprised the Defence Minister about the American assessment of the security situation prevailing in Afghanistan and Pakistan.Admiral Mullen also renewed US Defence Secretary Robert Gates' invitation to Antony to visit Washington, which was accepted. The Defence Minister is expected to visit US in the last week of September this year. Earlier in the day, Admiral Mullen called on his Indian counterpart and IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal P V Naik. He also met National Security Advisor Shiv Shankar Menon and Chief of Army Staff General V K Singh. Meanwhile, talking to reporters on inbound plane to New Delhi, Admiral Mullen warned of fresh attempts by terrorist outfits to push India and Pakistan into a military conflict. He said the Mumbai attacks had showed how a small group of terrorists could have a strategic impact. Calling Lashkar-e-Toiba an emerging larger, regional, global threat, he expressed concern over merging of terrorist organisations in the region between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Admiral Mullen also said he was in New Delhi a few days after the terror attack in Mumbai in November 2008 and that he was impressed by the Indian restraint during and immediately after the attack. Admiral Mullen is expected to work on three defence pacts between India and the US ahead of President Barack Obama’s New Delhi trip in November this year. These pacts, which have been deadlocked, are the Logistics Support Agreement, the Communication Interoperability and Security Memorandum Agreement and the Basic Exchange and Co-operation Agreement for Geospatial Co-operation.
News On AIR | July 24, 2010 10:08 AM
Indo-US pact on fight against terror