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"They are going after the very soul of South Asia, the very heart of the Pakistani people," Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Richard Boucher told reporters in Washington.
His remarks came when he was asked to comment on Tuesday's attack on the Sri Lankan cricketers in Lahore that left seven players and an assistant coach injured and eight people dead.
He said these attacks are something which is a cause of concern. "We would watch for the Pakistani authorities to investigate and find out who did it," Boucher said.
So far neither the Pakistan Government nor the Sri Lankan authorities have approached the United States for help in their investigations. However, the US is always ready to offer all its assistance, if requested for, he said.
Boucher spoke with Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Rohitta Bogollagama on Friday and extended the Obama Administration's condolences over the attack on the cricketers.
When asked if there is any link between the attack on the Sri Lankan cricketers in Lahore and the LTTE, Boucher said "the basic answer is, I do not known."
"I do not know of any link like that at this point, but what we need to do is to let the Pakistani authorities do the investigation. I think they have said that they have some leads and some people in custody. So we look to see what they say about this," he said.
Asked if he had reasons to believe that LTTE or Al-Qaeda had any links in the past, Boucher said: "I do not know anything about that."
"Frankly, God knows", he said when asked what these terrorists are trying to achieve.
"I do not have any idea. Right around the same time (of Lahore attack), there was an attack on a Sufi shrine in Peshawar. Attack on a Sufi shrine, cricket team, I mean who are these people? What they are trying to do, it is not just to disrupt modern school or things like that?" he asked.
"They are going after, the very soul of South Asia, the very heart of the Pakistani people. So all of us understand very clearly that terrorists are a real threat to any aspiration that the people of Pakistan have to living a normal life, living a modern life. I do not have a clue why somebody would attack people like these," Boucher said.
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Very strange to know the views of US President Obama to surrender infront of Talibans. Basically Talibans are the modernised seeds collected
Off late acts of terrorism become more prominent in Pakistan. But they are spread all over the world and are able to strike at their own will at any place and at any time. Lots of precious innocent lives are lost leaving different kind of traumas. In war like situation we have PTSD (Post Trauma Stress Disorder) now comes, rather waiting in wings is PTAD (Post Terrorist Attack Disorder)where civilian unrest may start in the form of sectarian and communal violence that will go beyond control. So far citizens of Mumbai, New York, London, Madrid, Bali took it in their stride. They may not do so all times. Now hands are burning and what is the use of cooling solace?. Short term benefit policies will not pay any dividends. The democratic countries in the world need to fight terrorism and its root causes while waging war against terrorists. No more philosophical musings.
My father received medal for Sanskrit in his F.A. exam, at the DAV College in Lahore, Pakistan in 1909, exactly 100 years before the Lahore cricket attack of last week. He got his B.A. in 1911. DAV is shut down in Lahore now because it was un-islamic and Sanskrit teaching has disappeared in Pakistan. Our relatives were forced to leave during 1947 subcontinent partition, part of the over 25 million refugees. In the same way, visiting Sri Lanka players were attacked with guns and forced to leave Lahore in the middle of their cricket match. Kite flying is banned, music shops and women's education are attacked for being un-islamic, minorities are attacked, their own leaders are attacked and now sports are under attack. Pakistan functions only under military guns. It doesn't produce oil like its mideast neighbors and lacks industries, hence is poor, and threatens the world. Osama and his Taleban live in Pakistan. C Dell, US embassy Chief in Kabul says Pak is bigger threat than Afghanistan
It is a pot calling kettle black .
stop politics around the matter and atleast do realise now that this is very heart of your 'allie against terror' -'Pakistan',is the perpetrator of terror but not a mere witness of it. this very heart of pakistans people not just went against indians and srilankans but also in US,spain and many non-muslim countries. Realise their faith as that against humanity, and then make comment.
So now you Know ! wow ! What an achievement for US to know this. US has helped and aided Pakistan to become waht it has become. India had been saying since early eighties that Pakistan is using terrorism as an instrument of its foriegn Policy but no one was paying attention. Come 9/11 and u felt the heat. Dear US , Pakistan is your client state you nourished it and a poor and helpless india was paying the price with the lives of its innocent people. There were tonnes of evidences but that never bothered you. Just keep your mouth shut and reap the fruits of what you sow.
I agree to a great extent with Mr. Sridhar, West is responsible for its act and exploiting Pakistan by pumping too much money into Pakistan for spying on former USSR. Also the other reason is the that certain teaching of Islam, which considers people of all other faiths as infidels. To kill an infidel is not a crime as their faith. Also if one dies for Religion, he is served with SEVEN VIRGINS IN HEAVEN. In order to achieve piece either these portions need updating or some Senior Clergy issues statement codemning KILLING OF ANY HUMAN ANYWHERE EXCEPT WAR AS UN-ISLAMIC. Also there should be a complete ban on cultivation of OPIUM in Pakistan
Terrorists attacking 'very soul' of South Asia: US: And who is responsible? It is the Western countries of course. They with their myopic eyes did not differentiate the good, the bad and the ugly. India has been treated as an usuper, while Pakistan was cajoled, pampered and treated as a victim of India's evil designs. Even now the west in the name of fighting the terrorists is pumping money and military material into Pakistan. If only the west had not united and fought Russia in Afghanistan there would not have been a Taleban, an al queda nor an LeT.Wake up, you chaps in USA, UK and Europe.
the problem with the world is mahatma gandhis work was left incomplete. shot dead by r.s.s .colonialism on surface has ended the the desire to have every thing for free and control the world is very much alive in so called west.there fore they create this kind or another kind of distubance by which they r culprits and judges too . is bush or blair a terrorist ask any one they r . by finacing teleban they have created a monster true but who tr these monsters who beget monsters , a few centuries back their name was barbarians now they go by names america , england germany etc and lo and behold they r civilised too . the entire world has to resist them peacefully , that is very effective method too aas mahatma gandhi proved . sagoline
By the way what led Jinnah to ask for a separate Muslim State (Pakistan). Nobody among the people were around when Jinnah was there. People like u who have never had a look at the history possess a myopic view of happenings. Just read history and u will know the truth.
To some these repetitious balderdash is the staple fodder on which they thrive on! One needs to be objective before pointing accusing fingers at others. How was it right for India to turn a blind eye on when a certain constituent State of India gave moral and material support to Tamil rebellion in Sri Lanka or terrorists like attacks were carried out against Christians by fanatical Hindus? The pot calling the kettle black? The myopic vision seems to be a very common problem indeed.
Why do you have to blame other for your failure...Indians are good at it...blame pak (though many times rightfully so, but not always!) when it concerns India...and when it concerns SE asia, blame rest of the world...have you ever wondered why are we Indians always right?