Thaindian News

Washington, July 1 (IANS) The US considers Pakistan based terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Taeba (LeT), held responsible for 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, as a formidable terrorist threat to Indian, US, and other Western interests in South Asia and potentially elsewhere.

In Afghanistan, the US military and NATO are committed to preventing Al Qaeda’s return and disrupting any terrorist networks located there that have the ability to plan and launch transnational terrorist attacks, the White House said in its new counter-terrorism strategy.

“But even if we achieve the ultimate defeat of Al Qaeda in the Afghanistan-Pakistan theatre, an expanded and diverse network of terrorist groups determined to focus beyond their local environments is likely to persist,” said the strategy essentially focused on destroying Al Qaeda.

In South Asia LeT, “the organisation responsible for the rampage in Mumbai in 2008 that killed over 100 people, including six Americans-constitutes a formidable terrorist threat to Indian, US, and other Western interests in South Asia and potentially elsewhere”, it said.

US counter-terrorism efforts against LeT will continue to focus on ensuring that the group lacks the capability to conduct or support operations detrimental to US interests or regional stability, including escalating tensions between Pakistan and India, the strategy said.

Much of US effort against LeT “will continue to centre on coordinating with, enabling, and improving the will and capabilities of partner nations-including in South Asia, Europe, and the Arabian Gulf-to counter the group and its terrorist activities”, it said.

(Arun Kumar can be contacted at arun.kumar@ians.in)