‘Strategic cooperation a pillar of US-India partnership’

Terrorists — whether they attack in Mumbai or Pune, or New York, London or Lahore — all seek to destroy the openness and tolerance that citizens demand and expect in a free society.

To combat this threat, it is essential that India and the US continue to stand together, shoulder to shoulder, in fighting this barbarism.

I will soon visit Mumbai and Pune, and with this trip I hope to reinforce our commitment to the US-India strategic partnership.

It is our strong desire to continue our close cooperation to defeat terrorism wherever it occurs. During my visit, I will be honoured to pay tribute to those who have fought so bravely against terrorists, as well as honour the memory of those who lost their lives due to acts of terrorism.

My first visit to Mumbai was with secretary of state Hillary Clinton in July. It was my first act as ambassador-designate in India, and it left indelible memories that will deeply influence me for years to come.

During that visit, we chose to stay in the beautiful and historic Taj Hotel only seven months after the terrible 26/11 terror attacks.

These attacks shocked the world in their savagery and resulted in the death of many Indians, Americans, and citizens of other nations.

Our stay was a deliberate choice to remind the terrorists that despite the carnage they caused, they did not succeed in their efforts to bow our spirits.

On this trip, I have made another deliberate choice — to hold a meeting at the newly opened Oberoi Towers Hotel, which was also under siege for 48 hours.

These two Mumbai icons, as well as the soon-to-be rebuilt German Bakery in Pune, are symbols to the world that the Indian people will not be deterred by terror. In fact, their resolve and commitment has only intensified.

This will be my first visit to Pune and I look forward to seeing this dynamic city.

It is known as the ‘Oxford of the East’, and with more than 100 educational institutes and nine universities, it certainly deserves this designation. I am especially impressed by the large number of foreign students the city hosts.

At the University of Pune alone, there are over 14,000 foreign students from over 99 countries. As a result of this intellectual vibrancy, Pune’s businesses in the technology and creative sectors lead their industries.

The resilience shown by the people of Mumbai and Pune after suffering horrific terror attacks is a tribute to this country.

It is a tribute to the ‘aam admi’ who faced this challenge and did not flinch.

These proud citizens are proof that the terrorists failed, that these cowardly attacks will not diminish their spirits nor inspire them to turn away from the open-mindedness and diversity that allows India’s democracy to flourish.

The US is proud to be a partner of India in the fight against terrorism.

Strategic cooperation is one of the five pillars of our indispensable US-India partnership, and our leaders know that international terrorism poses not just a threat to our homelands but also to regional and global security.

The level of counterterrorism cooperation between our two nations is stronger than it has ever been. Officials and experts from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and other US agencies travelled to India immediately after 26/11 to assist in the investigation and prosecution of those responsible.

FBI agents and laboratory experts testified in the criminal trials that followed. This unprecedented level of cooperation between Indian and US law enforcement was tangible and concrete evidence of what we can achieve through this partnership.

As we expand this relationship, it is increasingly clear that there is much that we can offer each other. Best practices can be shared between our countries.

For example, the US has expertise to share on the integration of local policing with federal and state counter-terror policy-making. During the September 2009 visit of home minister P Chidambaram, he spent three days in New York City and Washington DC.

He met a variety of officials from the New York police department, the FBI, the state department and other agencies to cement our rapidly expanding partnership in this area.

In a similar exchange of ideas, in December 2009, the Los Angeles and Las Vegas metropolitan police departments visited Mumbai to explore new avenues for enhanced information exchange, cooperation, and training opportunities.

We have had a very productive exchange on advanced forensics techniques between the FBI and the home ministry last month and have hosted delegations that looked at US transportation security.

Building on these recent successes, we look forward to working with India to enhance best practices on border security, cyber-security, and post-blast investigative training.

We also intend to explore further exchanges between our top national experts on megacity policing, which will help ensure security for growing urban centres like Mumbai and Pune.

Our two governments will continue to work tirelessly to broaden and deepen our counter-terror cooperation. The US stands firm with India against the threat of terrorism — a threat that affects us all.

As secretary, Clinton wrote in the memorial book for those who perished at the Taj Hotel, “It is up to all nations and people who seek peace and progress to work together. Let us rid the world of hatred and extremism that produces such nihilistic violence. Our future deserves no less.”