The United States has reminded Pakistan of its 'special' responsibility to bring perpetrators of 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks to justice and asked it to do so 'urgently.'
Notwithstanding strains in ties with Pakistan over the Osama issue, the United States on Wednesday said it will continue to provide financial aid to Islamabad, pointing out that the country was still facing the scourge of terrorism.
The United States has asked Pakistan to honour the diplomatic immunity to American citizen Raymond Davis, who was arrested for killing two people in Lahore, and release him under the Vienna Convention.
Asserting that freedom of expression applies equally to the Internet as it does in the real world, the United States has said that it is in talks with Indian government over the regulatory mechanism on Internet. "We believe that freedom of expression applies equally to the Internet as it does in the real world," State Department spokesman Mark Toner told reporters at his daily news briefing when asked about the efforts of the Indian government to regulate/monitor content.
The United States said on Wednesday it is willing to directly engage with Iran on Tehrans's nuclear programme and hoped the latter would accept its invitation.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's Special Envoy on Afghanistan and Pakistan S K Lambah met with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and discussed a range of issues related to the bilateral ties, including plans for continuing the US-India Strategic Dialogue.
The United States has asked for a collaborative diplomatic process on resolving the disputes related to the South China Sea, amid reports of the Chinese Navy confronting an Indian Navy vessel off the coast of Vietnam in late July.
Khan was detained at a New York airport for over two hours by immigration officials after arriving from India in a private plane with Nita Ambani, to address students at Yale University in Washington.
Describing as "very constructive" the resumption of the India-Pakistan dialogue, the United States has said it is important that the two countries continue cooperation on multiple fronts, including counter-terrorism.
Amid reports that the Obama administration was upset over Indian officials going into the details provided by Headley, State Department spokesman P J Crowley said the US values cooperation with India on combating terrorism but it places responsibility on both countries.
"The Secretary does plan to visit Pakistan in order to have an in-depth strategic discussion about our cooperation and to convey the US government's views on the way forward for Pakistan," State Department spokesman Mark Toner told media persons.
The United States has said that it was aware of the unofficial talks between Taliban and Afghan representatives in Maldives, adding the Karzai government has confirmed that there is no official participant from its side.
The United States has defended its decision to send former diplomat Frank Wisner to Egypt despite knowing that he worked for a lobbying group, Patton Boggs, which lobbied on behalf of the Egyptian government. Wisner was uniquely placed to deliver a 'blunt and candid private message' to Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, State Department spokesman P J Crowley said. The Obama administration was quick to distance itself from Wisner's remarks at a Munich conference.
The United States on Tuesday accused Pakistan of violating the Vienna Convention by detaining one of its diplomats, who is currently in police custody for shooting down two persons in Lahore last week. "When he was detained, he identified himself to the police as a diplomat and repeatedly requested immunity under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations," State Department spokesman P J Crowley said.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan said China opposes US efforts to use human rights as an excuse to "interfere with other countries' internal affairs."
The United States said on Tuesday that the Lahore High Court order that stopped Pakistani authorities from deporting the five American nationals arrested on charges of planning attacks was a "reasonable judicial procedure".
Amid criticism that the decision of the Afghan Election Commission on the Presidential polls was not legal, the United States on Wednesday said it considers Hamid Karzai as the 'legitimately elected' president of the war-torn country.
As India goes ahead with its plan to modernise the armed forces, US has pitched for India to buy defense equipments from American companies. "We think we have the finest military hardware in the world, and if India is upgrading its defense capabilities, they should buy American," State Department spokesman, P J Crowley told reporters.
"We have been very clear why this programme, particularly our Rewards for Justice programme, was put in place. We want to see this individual brought to justice," State Department spokesman Mark Toner told media persons.
Ahead of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Washington, the United States has said preparations are underway to ensure 'a good, substantive schedule' for the Indian leader, the first state guest of the Barack Obama administration. President Barack Obama has invited Dr Singh for his first State Dinner at the White House on November 24. Officials at both the State Department and the White House have held a series of meetings to give final touches to the visit.
The United States, on Tuesday, denied reports that it has plans to seize Pakistan's nuclear weapons, saying it has confidence on the ability of Islamabad to provide adequate security for their atomic arsenal.
Asking the south Asian neighbours to avoid a 'zero-sum mentality', the United States has said that Pakistan has to have a constructive relationship with India. "Do all these countries need to avoid a zero-sum mentality that a gain on one side is necessarily a detriment on the other? We think that to the extent that these countries can work more effectively together, that will ultimately help reduce the threat of terrorism to any one of them," he said.
The United States underlined that $ 10 million bounty for Lashkar-e-Tayyiba founder Hafiz Seed is not about finding his location, but to seek information that can convict the alleged mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks in a court of law.
"We certainly think it would be a mistake for the Pakistani civilian government to follow the press intimidation that was present during its predecessor," State Department spokesman P J Crowley said when asked about the recent developments in Pakistan in this regard.
The Indian government successfully got a bill on foreign direct investment in retail sector passed in Lok Sabha, despite stiff opposition.
The United States on Tuesday slapped sanctions on 21 Iranian-backed firms, increasing pressure over Tehran's controversial nuclear programme and its alleged support for radical groups like Hezbollah and Hamas.
Even as the Inter State Intelligence stands completely exposed in the eyes of the public for its terror links, in particular those against India, the Obama Administration has argued that New Delhi should continue its dialogue process with Islamabad.
"From the standpoint of India, India clearly, you know, wants to see that Pakistan is taking steps to bring to justice those people that threaten neighbouring states," State Department spokesman P J Crowley said.
The United States has said it is important for Pakistan to investigate the Mumbai terror attack and bring to justice those responsible for the entire region's benefit. State Department spokesman P J Crowley told reporters at his daily news briefing that the US would continue to discuss with Pakistan the need to probe the 26/11 carnage that killed 166 people. "There are things, clearly, that Pakistan must do," he said.
United States State Department spokesman Mark Toner's statement has been an encouraging one for Indian investigating agencies probing the David Headley case.
The United States on Friday said the current situation in Kashmir was India's internal issue and asked protestors to conduct agitations in a peaceful manner.
Ahead of the Chicago trial of the Mumbai attacks on May 16, the United States has said it was committed to bring the perpetrators of the 2008 terror strikes to justice.
Well-known US soccer journalist Grant Wahl died on Friday after suffering "acute distress" while covering a match at the World Cup in Qatar, his agent said.
The United States has offered rewards amounting to USD 20 million (around Rs 127 crore) for tips on whereabouts of four top leaders of the Islamic State, a day after the terror group claimed responsibility for its first attack on American soil.
Amid controversy generated by the release of secret cables by WikiLeaks, including those from United States embassy in New Delhi, the Barack Obama administration has said that American diplomats in India are doing their job just like their counterparts in the US. "Our diplomats do what diplomats do, and what we do in a country like India is no different than what Indian diplomats do in our country," State Department spokesman P J Crowley said at his daily news conference.
The United States has warned India and other key governments across the world about a new potentially embarrassing release of classified documents by the whistle-blowing website WikiLeaks which may harm the American interests and create tension in its ties with its "friends".
As US State Department on Wednesday posted a new map of India reflecting its long standing official position on the country's geographical boundaries, its spokesman acknowledged of having made a "goof up" in this regard, which had resulted in a strong objection from New Delhi.
The United States has said that it is pleased with the success of Pakistan army against the Taliban and Al Qaeda in Southern Waziristan and reiterated that it would continue to support such efforts to combat terrorism.
The United States has admitted that two of the three wives of Lashkar-e-Tayiba terrorist David Headley had multiple conversations with its officials in 2007 and 2008 about his radical connection, but they could not provide any specific information about the time and place of the terror attacks.
India and the US may ink the landmark nuclear deal as early as Friday after President George W Bush signs into law the legislation on the initiative. The signing of the HR7081, the approval legislation for the US-India civilian nuclear agreement, into law by Bush on Wednesday will be followed by formal inking of the accord by the two countries, which will be done by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Minister for External Affairs Pranab Mukherjee.
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