Eurasia Press & News
U.S. Republican Senator John McCain has urged New Delhi and Washington to extend bilateral cooperation deeper into counterterrorism operations linked to West Asia, citing both al Qaeda boss Ayman al-Zawahiri’s announcement of a new terror ‘wing’ for the Indian subcontinent, and the growing presence of foreign recruits in the ranks of militant outfit Islamic State in Syria and Iraq.
Speaking at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace on Tuesday Mr. McCain argued that the al Qaeda announcement seemed to be sparking “an evolution of thinking in New Delhi,” and this could be the basis of expanded diplomatic, economic, and military cooperation in this area.
He also hinted at concerns in both nations’ capitals about radicalised IS recruits returning to their home countrie to wreak havoc through terror strikes saying, “Imagine the signal India would send if it joined the emerging international coalition to confront [IS],” adding that threats to both nations’ security from the region “have never been greater.”
The Senator, who visited India and met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in July, also pressed both administrations to consider working on Free Trade Agreement to foster stronger economic ties.
