Title: Hand over terrorists to India, US tells Pak
Author:  
Publication: Indian Express
Date: Mar 23, 2002
URL: http://www.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=8550

Washington, March 22: The United States has asked Pakistan to hand over to India the 20 wanted terrorists by New Delhi or else try and convict them in Pakistan.

"We have asked the Pakistanis to hand these terrorists over to India or even try them in their own country and convict them. That is very important. That will lead to a reduction in tensions," Harry Thomas, Director in charge of South Asia at President Bush's National Security Council told Indian community leaders in Washington.

"We will work hard at it", Thomas told members of the National Federation of Indian-American Associations, Association of Indians in America, Indian American Forum for Political Ediucation and Overseas Friends of Bharatiya Janata Party, during a special briefing at the executive office building of the White House.

Pointing out how the terrorist attack on the state legislature in Jammu and Kashmir and the Indian Parliament changed the whole Indo-Pakistan situation, Thomas said: "Our highest priority right now is to keep India and Pakistan from going to war. A war is unthinkable. It will be devastating for the global campaign against terrorism."

"We see these attacks as not only heinous and barbarious attacks on the Indian Parliament and its leadership, but (acts) that would undermine (President) Musharraf who has turned against the jihadis", he said.