No double standards when dealing with 9/11 and 26/11: US envoy

Ahmedabad: US Ambassador to India Timothy J Roemer today asserted that America was not adopting double standards while dealing with 26/11 and 9/11, and said that both the countries have come closer since the attack.

"I respectfully and strongly disagree with you," Roemer told reporters at the Gandhi Ashram here while answering a query on whether the US was adopting double standards on the issue.
"From 9/11 where we lost 3000 people, about 42 Indians, to 26/11 where scores of Indians were slaughtered by terrorists, including six Americans who died on that day, America and India especially over the past two years have come together to share intelligence, in unprecedented ways," Roemer, who is on a day's visit to the city, said here.

"US also shared David Headley and intelligence information related to him with agencies in India. We are working under directions of United States and India to help built capacity here in India, built forensic capabilities, the possibility of new national counter terrorism centre, share best practices and expertise, as to how to prevent the next terrorist attack," Roemer, who recently resigned from the key diplomatic post, and is scheduled to leave the country in June, said.
He further said that the US, through FBI also helped India in getting Ajmal Kasab convicted for the Mumbai attacks.
"I think that the two countries have come together. They have also come together in so many other ways, like green partnerships, helping to addressing poverty, Afghanistan, on providing food stuff to Africa. US President also pledged his support for UN security Council seat for India," Roemer said.

"This partnership continues to get closer and closer. It has a historic trajectory of global partnership to bring these countries closer in the future too," he added.
On Pakistan, Roemer said that the US has been putting a great deal of pressure on Pakistan to go after safe heavens in that country to target al-Qaeda leadership and other terrorist groups that might threaten Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and the US homelands.
Source: PTI