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Safe havens for terrorists in Pakistan unacceptable : Obama

by IBNS 22 Jan 2015, 11:43 pm

New Delhi, Jan 23 (IBNS) Ahead of his visit to India, US President Barack Obama has said terrorists getting 'safe haven' in Pakistan is 'not acceptable' and those behind the 26/11 attack in Mumbai must face justice.

"I've made it clear that even as the United States works with Pakistan to meet the threat of terrorism, safe havens within Pakistan are not acceptable and that those behind the Mumbai terrorist attack must face justice," he has told India Today magazine in an interview. 

Obama said as  US  President, he had  made sure that the "US has been unrelenting in our fight" against terrorist groups-a fight in which Indians and Americans were united. "Indians were tragically killed on 9/11, as were Americans on 26/11," he said.

The US President's comment is significant just ahead of his 3-day visit to India, beginning on January 25.

Obama said during his first visit to India during the Prime Ministership of Manmohan Singh, his first stop was the memorial at the Taj hotel to pay respects to the victims, meet with survivors and "send a strong message to the Indian people that we stand together in defence of our security and our way of life."

Emphasizing that the 'first obligation' of his Government was to ensure the security of its citizens, Obama said both India and the US can "continue deepening our robust counter terrorism cooperation."