WASHINGTON: The US State Department has refused to lift the alert of terrorist attacks on New Delhi despite the strong pleading by the Indian Government to do. 30. Embassy officials here led by Kanwal Sibal, Deputy Chief of mission, had met State Department officials and complained bitterly against the March 15 travel curbs to New Delhi, saying this had resulted in adverse implications for India, both with regard to business and tourism.
Sibal and the embassy team pointed out that several groups, including the Pacific Area Travel Association (PATA), had relocated its annual travel mart and a high powered World Bank delegation had postponed its visit to India as a result of what they described as the State Department’s overreaction.
Sibal and his officials also challenged the State Department to provide India with specific and credible information it had regarding potential militant acts. However, the US had refused to provide the information to India.
Diplomatic sources said they believed the reason the State Department could not part with the information to India was because “we believe they don’t have any.”
State Department spokesman Joe Snyder said that it was Washington’s prerogative not to provide India with the information saying that at time that’s just the way the situation is.
Snyder dismissed the allegations of overreacting, and said: Just look at the situation, there have been bombings in Bombay, bombings of terrorism cannot be ruled out in New Delhi.
Earlier the department said that their warning against travelling to New Delhi was based on credible intelligence information.
Article extracted from this publication >> April 2, 1993
