Washington (PTI): Terming the Mumbai terror attacks as an "opportunity" for India and Pakistan to jointly combat the threat of terrorism, US lawmakers have asked for greater American diplomatic efforts, including the possibility of sending a "negotiator" to the region.
"I'm confident that there is a good opportunity at this point for the Indians and the Pakistanis to understand that this group that probably caused this could cause harm to both of them," senior Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Richard Lugar said on ABC News' This Week programme.
Asked if he favoured sending a high-level negotiator to the subcontinent to bring the two neighbours to cooperate on the issue of terrorism, Lugar said the current "situation underlines the need for diplomacy on our part."
"I would think that might be a good idea, something -- because, it appears to me, that we have an interlocking situation of Afghanistan, Pakistan and India," Lugar said when asked if he backed the idea for a high level negotiator.
He also agreed to the point that outbreak of hostility between India and Pakistan leading to diversion of the latters troops to its eastern frontier, will affect US operations in Afghanistan.
"Well, very much so, given Kashmir, given the fact that the dissident group that probably caused the attack arose from the Kashmir controversy with India... And so our presence there is going to be very important," Lugar said.
Democratic Senator from Rhode Island Jack Reed, who sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee, meanwhile said, India is looking for some tangible signs from the Pakistanis "not just rhetorical flourishes but tangible signs that they're going to take effective action".
Reed said while Islamabad's intelligence services have tried to distance themselves from Pakistan-based militant outfits, they should now more closely "collaborate and cooperate" with international forces to root them out.
"There is indication that the intelligence service (Pakistani) has been trying to distance themselves from these groups, many of which were their protegees, going back to the war against the Soviets. But that's not sufficient.
"They have to now be consciously and collaborate and cooperate with international forces to root these individuals out, preempt them, if they can," he said, suggesting that Pakistan share discourse on intelligence matters with India.
Contending that there was a significant shift in Pakistan's approach towards militancy, Reed said with changed political climate, Islamabad "recognises that these groups are a danger to themselves, and not just something that they can unleash against the Afghanis or the Indians".
"I think they've made a significant turn away from both active or, sort of, passive support for these groups, seeing that that's in their interests, a strategic, sort of, weapon that they have. I think the military, Kayani, the new chief of military, has been much more effective at doing that," the Democratic lawmaker said.
Advocating greater US diplomatic efforts in the region, Reed said President-elect Obama had himself suggested a comprehensive approach to the subcontinent.
"This is a diplomatic challenge... And Senator Obama in July... had said, we have to start thinking about not just Pakistan-Afghanistan but Pakistan, Afghanistan, and India, because these problems are interrelated," Reed added.
"I think we have to start as we are. FBI agents are there, on the ground; increased intelligence efforts; build this up. And if there's a strong indication, on both sides, that they're moving together, and that we can play a productive role," Reed said.
