US cannot impose itself on Indo-Pak dialogue: Obama

Mumbai, Nov 7 (PTI) President Barack Obama Sunday made
it clear that the United States "cannot impose" itself on
Indo-Pak relations and called for a "military response" in a
"significant ongoing way" against those who perpetrated terror
attacks in the west Indian city of Mumbai and in New York.
Obama avoided any reference to Kashmir but, endorsing
India's stand, said that less contentious issues should be
taken up first in an Indo-Pak dialogue process.
India has been persistently suggesting to Pakistan
that less contentious issues could be taken up for bilateral
talks before the two countries move on to discussing thorny
issues like Kashmir.
Interacting with students of St Xaviers College here
in a typical US town-hall style meeting for nearly an hour,
Obama expressed hope that over time, trust develops between
India and Pakistan and dialogue begins perhaps on "less
controversial issues building upto more controversial issues".
He said the progress made by Pakistan in fighting
terrorism was not quick as "we would like" and asserted that
they were working with Islamabad to eradicate extremism which
is a "cancer" that has the potential to engulf the entire
country.
"There are going to be some elements in Pakistan that
are affiliated with Taliban, Al Qaeda and LeT. These are the
organisations, these extremists, they are irreconcilable. They
will be there and there will need to be a military response to
those who would perpetrate the kind of violence we saw here in
Mumbai in a significant, ongoing way what a kind of we saw in
9/11 in New York city," he said.
Obama also observed that it would surprise Indians
when he says this that it is in India's interest that Pakistan
remains "peaceful, stable and prosperous" and that the US will
work with Islamabad to reject extremism which is a "cancer"
which threatens to engulf it.
The US President made these comments when a girl
student asked why Pakistan was not being declared a terrorist
state by the US. Obama reacted that it was a good question and
said, "I must admit that I was expecting it".
"India and Pakistan can prosper and live side by side,
this will not happen tomorrow but needs to be the ultimate
goal. The US can be a partner but cannot impose this process.
India and Pakistan have their own understanding," he said. PTI