VISIT TO INDIA

Britain vowed to unseat the Taliban, who shelter terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden, from Kabul on Saturday as Prime Minister Tony Blair came to India seeking support for the United States in the latter's war against terrorism.

Blair, who met Prime Minister Vajpayee here on Saturday morning, said the international community has waged a war against terrorism, "which we will continue until we are successful."

Though he assured India of his country's support in New Delhi's fight against terrorism, Blair avoided making any commitments. He condemned the October 1 suicide attack in Srinagar but kept silent on whether the international coalition against terrorism will help India deal with the terror in Kashmir.

He told Prime Minister Vajpayee that "such outrages have no place in any civilised society and those that perpetrate them should be brought to justice.''

The message was clear if it is an attack on the US and its allies, all countries should come forward and eliminate the source of that attack. The attacks in Srinagar or Kashmir are India's war, which it has to fight on its own. Britain would condemn it but won't think twice in embracing the source of terrorism.

Before arriving in New Delhi, Prime Minister Blair was in Pakistan praising Islamabad and its military ruler for their commitment to the fight against terrorism. He also assured Pakistan of financial and military aid. Pakistan-backed terrorist groups have waged a war against India for over a decade, killing thousands of people.

India did not hide its discomfort. In his own candid candour, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee bluntly told the British Prime Minister that no country should be allowed to pursue its terrorist agenda "under the cover of action" in the current global campaign.

In a not-so-veiled swipe at the allies' new-found love for Pakistan, Vajpayee said: ''Even while extending our whole-hearted support to the pursuit of the guilty terrorists of September 11, we should not let countries pursue their own terrorist agenda under cover of this action (fight against terrorism).''

Vajpayee asserted that India would remain vigilant against terrorist threats and would counter them decisively.

It was clear that Britain just wanted to retain its diplomatic equilibrium. Since he had visited Islamabad so he was obliged to visit New Delhi like the world has done in the past. President Clinton had imposed sanctions on Pakistan after the military coup, but he made it a point to pay a visit to Islamabad when he came to India.

Blair's three-nation diplomatic mission shows the US wants to tread carefully and does not want to annoy Pakistan's public. The popular sentiment is anti-US and pro-Taliban. US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has been on a similar mission in the Arab world and Central Asia, but avoided coming to Pakistan.

Blair too spent just about four hours in that country and preferred to spend the night in a safe place, New Delhi. Both US and Britain knows President Musharraf of Pakistan is walking a tight rope, as hardline Pakistanis would not digest a Western country attacking the fellow Taliban.

The US has tried to assuage Pakistanis by dollars to the economy (to keep popular anti-US sentiment from getting out of control), and renewed defence cooperation with the military (to ensure that the pro-Taliban group in the military doesn't oust Musharraf).

That is why teh British premier chose not to bring Kashmir into the picture. Blair made it clear what he came to discuss here -- Afghanistan and Osama bin Laden. "It is important to realise the focus is on dealing with Afghanistan and closing down Osama bin Laden's camps. I hope very much to ensure there is stability in the region, but it must be based on the rule of law."

Prime Minister Vajpayee pointed out the inherent dangers of a response in isolation. He said for over two decades India has waged a virtually lone struggle against terrorism.

"We believe that in this globalised world, distance and time do not provide insulation from the reach of terrorism," Vajpayee told Blair.

He also told him why. "The hijack of an aircraft from Kathmandu to Kandahar may have linkage with four other aircraft wreaking havoc in the US nearly two years later. This is precisely why terrorism has to be dealt with globally."

"Condoning a terrorist in one place may lay the foundation for a far more virulent act elsewhere," Vajpayee said.

At the joint press conference after the meeting with Prime Minister Vajpayee, Blair skirted a pointed question on the conspicuous contradictions in the coalition taking Pakistan's help in the fight against terrorism.

He did say that his government supported India's ''very strong stand'' against ''terrorism in all its forms."

Both the Prime Ministers agreed that Afghanistan needed a broad-based, multi-ethnic and stable government that does not have export of insurgency and extremism as its core ideology.

Indian officials were disappointed but chose to call the meeting "fruitful." External Affairs ministry officials said the discussions between Vajpayee and Blair were ''fruitful, candid and very timely".