Sunday, March 29, 2009

US Pakistan-Afghanistan Envoy In India Next Week

US Pakistan-Afghanistan Envoy In India Next Week
(NSI News Source Info) NEW DELHI - March 29, 2009: Top US diplomat Richard Holbrooke will visit India next week to discuss Washington's new strategy to defeat a resurgent Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan that puts Pakistan at the heart of the fight. Top US diplomat Richard Holbrooke will visit India next week to discuss Washington's new strategy to defeat a resurgent Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan that puts Pakistan at the heart of the fight. An Indian government official told AFP that Holbrooke, who last visited the three South Asian nations in February, would be in New Delhi on April 7-8. Holbrooke was appointed to implement the new US strategy under President Barack Obama, who on Friday vowed to "disrupt, dismantle and defeat" Osama bin Laden's group. As part of the policy revamp, Obama also promised to press an additional 4,000 US troops into the "increasingly perilous" war in Afghanistan on top of the 17,000 already committed, and triple US aid to Pakistan's government. According to India, Pakistan has become the "epicentre of terrorism" in the region by sheltering Islamist groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba, which is widely blamed for November's attacks on Mumbai that killed 165 people. Pakistan has been a vital US ally since former president George W. Bush invaded neighbouring Afghanistan after the September 11, 2001 attacks.

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