UK pledges more support to battle extremism

Source: CCTV.com | 12-15-2008 15:07

British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, has pledged more technical support and funding to help Pakistan and India battle extremism.

The pledge comes in the wake of the attacks in Mumbai that killed more than 170 people.

Pakistani Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani (R) shake hands with Britain's Prime Minister Gordon Brown in  Islamabad, December 14, 2008.REUTERS/Mian Khursheed

Brown made the announcement during a two day whirlwind visit to both nations' capitals. The trip aims to calm tensions following the assaults, which India has blamed on a Pakistani-based Islamist group.

In Pakistan, Brown met with Pakistan President, Asif Ali Zardari, and promised the Muslim nation new bomb-scanning technology, forensic assistance and help improving airport security.

He also announced a 9 million US dollar program to help fight the causes of extremism and strengthen democracy, including trying to educate Pakistani youth on how to avoid radicalization.

Gordon Brown, British Prime Minister, said, "I've told President Zardari that three-quarters of the most serious terrorist plots investigated by the British authorities have links to Al Qaida in Pakistan. So, our aim must be to work together to do everything in our power to cut off terrorism, so I have proposed to President Zardari a new UK-Pakistan pact against terror."

At a news conference held in New Delhi, India, following a meeting with Prime Minister Singh, Brown said no country should have to go through what India had as a result of the Mumbai attacks.

Gordon Brown, British Prime Minister, said, "I have said to Prime Minister Singh we will give every help that we can. We will work together in tackling terrorism and we will work together on issues of security and we will work together to build international support to tackle terrorism and the roots of terrorism in this world."

Brown said he asked Singh and Pakistan President Zardari - if they would allow British authorities to question the only known surviving gunman in the Mumbai massacre.

He backed Indian accusations that a Pakistani-based militant group, Lashkar-e-Taiba was behind the attacks last month.

According to India, the 10 gunmen involved in the Mumbai attacks were from Pakistan, as were the masterminds, weapons, training camps and financing.

Pakistan has carried out raids on a charity believed to be linked to Lashkar, but called on India to provide further evidence.

Editor:Zhang Pengfei