Reuters AlertNet Lite - FBI looks to boost intelligence ties with India

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FBI looks to boost intelligence ties with India

27 Nov 2006 16:53:09 GMT
Source: Reuters

NEW DELHI, Nov 27 (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation is seeking to expand cooperation with its Indian counterparts and is concerned that rising attacks in India may turn into a trend, the FBI's deputy director said on Monday.

Relations between Washington and New Delhi have warmed recently after the two struck a landmark deal on civilian nuclear energy cooperation earlier this year.

Analysts say the United States is keen to engage India as a counterbalance in Asia to the rising economic and strategic influence of China.

"We've seen over the last year an upswing in the number of attacks taking place in the interior of India as opposed to on the border areas and that gives us concern ... as to whether this may be a trend that is developing," Deputy FBI Director John Pistole said.

Pistole said at a briefing at a regional World Economic Forum conference that his visit aimed to deepen intelligence sharing between the two countries to pre-empt attacks.

"We believe the idea that al Qaeda's interest in a spectacular attack to rival 9/11 will have some sort of overseas connections," he said.

"So it's that interdependence with other foreign services both on the law enforcement and on the intelligence side that causes my visit here today -- to use that to expand our cooperation with the Indian authorities."

India's home minister said last week terrorist threats to India's nuclear plants had increased after the U.S.-India nuclear deal. The U.S. Senate has approved the deal but it still has hurdles to overcome before it becomes final.

India has seen several bomb attacks in the past 18 months, one in the capital last year which killed more than 60 people and one in the financial hub Mumbai last July that killed more than 180.

Indian officials have blamed the Mumbai bombings on a nexus of disaffected Indian Muslims, anti-India Islamist groups based in Pakistan, and have even suggested the involvement of Pakistan's military intelligence agency, the ISI.

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Last updated:Mon Nov 27 16:55:38 2006