US, India determined to defeat LeT: US envoy

New Delhi, Nov 30 : US President Barack Obama told Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of their determination to jointly defeat the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and ensure that the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack suspects are prosecuted, American envoy to New Delhi Timothy J. Roemer said here Monday.

Manmohan Singh was in Washington last week for a state visit, which Roemer described as a "watershed movement in the course of our amazing partnership".

Roemer said that both leaders had talked about their determination "to work together to defeat Lashkar-e-Taiba and other safe havens".

The joint statement had said both countries agreed that "resolute and credible steps must be taken to eliminate safe havens and sanctuaries that provide shelter to terrorists and their activities".

But, Roemer refused to comment on media reports that Obama had written a letter to Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari warning the latter not to use insurgents as a strategic tool and urged for the prosecution of the Mumbai terror attack suspects.

The top US diplomat also noted that both US and Indian leaders had affirmed their intention to work together to see that "Pakistan properly prosecutes" the seven suspects that it had put to trial.

"This is something that US feels very strongly about," he said.

The envoy also talked about the joint India-US counter-terrorism cooperation initiative, which draws up 20 points on cooperation, from capacity building, forensic labs, mega city policing and also maritime and amphibious capability.

"President Obama talked in length about Afghanistan-Pakistan strategy and expressed gratitude to Prime Minister and people of India for economic support," Roemer told reporters, adding that Obama also "welcomed prime minister's views" on the war-torn country.

To a question on whether a FBI team was coming to India next week, the ambassador preferred to keep quiet and instead highlighted the areas of ongoing and future collaboration in counter-terrorism.

--IANS