India Denies Report on Air Base Offer to USIndia dismissed on Wednesday as "totally incorrect" a newspaper report that it had identified three air bases as part of its offer for operational support to the United States to deal with those behind terrorist strikes last week."Neither have any bases been offered nor indeed access to any asked for," a spokesperson of the External Affairs Ministry told the media here. The Time of India said on Wednesday that even though no military plans had been firmed up by Washington for retaliatory strikes against the so-called terrorist states, primarily Afghanistan, Indian had identified three air bases for a possible operational support to the U.S.. The bases identified are situated at Avantipur in India-controlled Kashmir, Adampur in the northwest state of Punjab and Jamnagar in Gujarat bordering Pakistan, according to the popular daily. It quoted a security official as saying that the offer had been conveyed to Washington after it was approved by the Cabinet Committee on Security on Tuesday. The report was also "ill-timed and ill-conceived," the spokesperson added. Indian officials have stated that New Delhi's offer of full cooperation to the U.S. was unconditional and that no specific request had been made by Washington on the nature of assistance it sought from the South Asian country. Since the terrorist strikes in New York and Washington, Washington has been trying to gather support the world over for its fight against terrorism. Washington has vowed to get rid of Afghanistan-based fundamentalist Osama bin Laden, identified by the U.S. as the prime suspect behind the attacks, which killed thousands of innocent people. New Delhi cautioned the U.S. on Wednesday about seeking Pakistan's cooperation in the global war against terrorism and the possible strikes against Afghanistan, according to the Press Trust of India (PTI). This was conveyed to U.S. ambassador to India Robert Blackwill by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pramod Mahajan during their meeting here, PTI said. Mahajan said that Blackwill told him that Pakistan had not talked of any conditions or referred to Kashmir while extending its support the U.S. to fight terrorism. The ambassador also said that his country had not sought "any help" from India till now. However, PTI quoted informed sources as saying that Indian intelligence agencies had provided the U.S. with various reports on activities in Afghanistan, allegedly supported by Pakistan. These reports claimed that units of Pakistan army, air force, special security group, commandos and the Inter-Services Intelligence were stationed in Afghanistan till now as a support base for the ruling Taliban. Since the attacks in the U.S., security in all important areas all over the country, including government institutions, party headquarters and airports, have been beefed up in the capital city. Civil Aviation Ministry Wednesday canceled 250 access passes at major airports over the country in view of heightened security threats. Shahnawaz Hussain, Minister of Civil Aviation, made a surprise inspection of domestic and international airports in Delhi and reviewed the security arrangements. Security of senior officials including Home Affairs Minister L. K. Advani has also been tightened in the national capital. |
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