India not to scale down operations in Afghanistan: Rao

Lalit K Jha
Washington, Mar 16 (PTI) India, which is engaged in
extensive humanitarian and development work in Afghanistan,
Tuesday ruled out scaling down its operations there despite
the recent terror attack on its nationals in Kabul and asked
the global community to stay the course in the war-torn
country.

"We are not scaling down our operations in Afghanistan,
we are taking all necessary security measures to safeguard
Indian lives there," India's Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao
said at the Woodrow Wilson Centre.
Terming the February 26 terror strike in Kabul as a
"barbaric attack against Indians engaged in humanitarian and
development work in Afghanistan", she said it was carried out
by those who do not wish any other future for Afghanistan
"except one that suits their sinister ambitions."
The attack, which left seven Indians dead, was aimed at
forcing New Delhi out of Afghanistan, Rao, who is in the US on
a six-day visit, said.
"International community should understand that such
attempts, if unchecked, would only embolden the same forces
that held sway in Afghanistan in the 1990s and caused the
tragedy of 9/11," Rao said.
She also said that there could not be a distinction
between a good Taliban and bad Taliban.
Rao said there was "no quick solution" to the Af-Pak
situation and it is "important for international community,
in its own interest, to stay the present course for as long as
it was necessary." (More) PTI LKJ
MRD


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