India will help US control terrorism, but not join it against IS

Washington, Oct 1: An official from the ministry of external affairs said that India will not join the US-led military campaign against the Islamic State in Iraq. After a 90-minute talk with President Obama on the affects of terrorism, Modi said,"There was great convergence in international matters. We discussed existing terrorism challenges including in south Asia and new threats in west Asia."

The two countries have also agreed to share intelligence and the technical know-how to counter terrorism. They also emphasized the importance of dismantling the "safe haven" for terrorists.

MEA spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin tweeted after the meeting said,"India-US agree on joint & concerted efforts, including dismantling of safe havens for terrorist & criminal networks."

Senior MEA official Vikram Doraiswami, on asking whether India will join the fight, said,"India is not joining the coalition."

BJP leader, Subramanian Swamy's tweet was the reason behind all the confusion. He had said,"Happy that Modi committed to Obama that India would join the anti-ISIS war. Now Indo-US good relations will reach new unprecedented heights."

Till date, 40 Indians are in IS captivity in Iraq and 40 countries have joined the US-led coalition against the group. Today, Britain carried out airstrikes in Iraq.

Earlier at a summit with the Council of Foreign Relations in New York, Modi said,"terrorism was an unimaginable perversion. Can you imagine a journalist being beheaded and it is being shown on television? We live in 21st century, and it's a challenge for us. It's a big challenge for us, which can shake us to the core."

OneIndia News