Pak must take decisive action against LeT: Experts

Washington, Dec. 10 (ANI): The arrest of David Coleman Headley, a US national of Pakistani origin who was apprehended in Chicago in October on terror charges, has highlighted the fact that the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) is closely connected to Al-Qaeda and is part of a global terrorist syndicate that threatens not only India, but also Western democracies in general.

In a report, Lisa Curtis, Senior Research Fellow for South Asia in the Asian Studies Center at the Heritage Foundation and Jena Baker McNeill, Policy Analyst, Homeland Security, have underlined that now that use of its soil in plotting attacks against other countries primarily against India is well documented, and therefore, Pakistan must 'act decisively' against these elements.

Pakistan has long been ambivalent about shutting down terrorist groups whose primary focus is destabilizing India. This has not only put Indian citizens at risk. It is now clear that Pakistani negligence in dealing appropriately with groups like the LeT has also put U.S. and other Western citizens at risk, the article said.

In light of the exposed Headley terrorist plots, the U.S. and its allies must insist Pakistan shut down the LeT once and for all or risk international condemnation. In this vein, the Pakistani authorities' reluctance to prosecute LeT leader Hafez Mohammed Sayeed should be a major concern for Washington, it added.

Pakistan must tackle the terrorist menace in a comprehensive and consistent manner and prove to the international community that it is serious about dealing with this issue. Continued complaints about India and the threat it poses to Pakistan will soon start to fall on deaf ears and be seen as a weak excuse not to take on dangerous groups like the LeT, the article said.

It also stressed on the need for the US to remain more vigilant, and press Islamabad to take serious action against banned terror outfits such as the LeT, as Washington has up to now failed to prioritize the goal of pushing Pakistan to take stern action against the group.

Given that this is at least the fifth terrorist plot that has been uncovered in the U.S. this year, it is vital that the U.S. stays vigilant. The U.S. needs to continue its efforts to increase information sharing between its local, state and federal law enforcement. Simultaneously, the U.S. should continue to support counter terrorism authorities like the PATRIOT Act, that help to stop terrorist attacks on the U.S. soil, the report said. (ANI)