[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 11]
[House]
[Pages 14777-14778]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                             MUMBAI BLASTS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the order of the House of 
January 31, 2006, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) is 
recognized during morning hour debates for 5 minutes.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express concern about 
Pakistan's links to last week's terrorist attacks on Indian civilians. 
Although slow moving, the peace process between India and Pakistan was 
promising, and I am afraid that Pakistan now stands in the way of 
further progress.
  First, I would like to express my deepest condolences to the families 
and friends of the victims of these devastating attacks. On the same 
day that terrorists hit Mumbai trains in the evening, similar 
coordinated attacks occurred in Srinagar, Kashmir earlier in the 
morning. As a result, over 200 people have died and more than 700 have 
been injured. These attacks were senseless acts of terrorism and 
violence. I am confident that Indian officials will find the person or 
organization responsible for these actions and bring them to swift 
justice.
  Mr. Speaker, the government of India has made a strong commitment to 
fighting terrorism in all its forms. Like the United States, nothing 
has deterred their firm policy to fight this regional and global 
menace. Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, Pakistan has not proven the same 
commitment. The government of Pakistan still lacks the appropriate law 
and order that is necessary to deter terrorist cells from looming and 
growing within their borders.
  Over the past few days, it is becoming clearer that the terror units 
responsible for the attacks in India and Jammu and Kashmir were 
initiated and supported by elements in Pakistan. Leads are now pointing 
to the involvement of Lashkar-e-Tayiba, a terrorist organization that 
has received support from Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence.
  This group is active in the anti-Indian insurgency in Kashmir. 
Although outlawed in Pakistan, it continues to function under other 
guises. In fact, their leader Hafiz Muhammad Saeed enjoys freedom in 
Pakistan despite this official ban on his organizations by the 
Pakistani administration.
  Lashkar-e-Tayiba is also blamed for several other attacks on Indian 
soil in recent years, including the attack on the Indian parliament in 
December 2001

[[Page 14778]]

that almost instigated another war between the two countries. Since 
then, India and Pakistan have been engaged in peace talks over Kashmir. 
Violence had declined until recent weeks. Though no official deal over 
Kashmir has yet been made, talks between the countries have led to 
prisoner releases, increased tourist visas in each country, and bus and 
train links across the divided region of Kashmir.
  However, Pakistan's failure to rein in terrorist organizations 
operating within its borders is threatening the peace process. Despite 
having vowed in 2004 not to allow any part of its territory to be used 
by terrorist groups such as Lashkar-e-Tayiba, the Pakistani government 
has simply watched while terrorist attacks took place in Jammu and 
Kashmir and other parts of India.
  Pakistan has not implemented its promise to stop the terrorism. Acts 
of violence continue to occur on their watch, and the people of India 
and Kashmir are suffering. Pakistan must begin to demonstrate their 
commitment to the global war on terrorism. It must live up to its end 
of the bargain and control the violence. Otherwise, it will become 
exceedingly difficult for India to sustain the peace initiative.
  Mr. Speaker, the spirit of the people of Mumbai and Jammu and Kashmir 
has demonstrated very strongly that terrorism cannot and will not 
succeed in destroying a people or a nation. My only hope is that these 
attacks strengthen the resolve of the government of Pakistan in 
combating Islamic terrorism. Pakistan must not let Islamic extremism 
undermine the peace process.

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