India to raise LeT activities of Hafeez Saeed with Obama

India is likely to seek the support of the United States in curbing terrorism emanating from Pakistan, and would want Washington to use its influence on Islamabad to crack the whip on the banned Lashkar-e-Toiba and its founder Hafeez Saeed, during bilateral talks scheduled for Friday.

Decks have been cleared for a meeting at the White House between President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

India's Ambassador to the United States Nirupama Rao told media here:" We haven't let this matter go off the radar. This issue concerning the Lashkar-e-Toiba , the activities of Hafeez Saeed are very much on the agenda of the discussions we have with the United States at any given opportunity. I don't see any diminishing on our concerns on this issue or, any staying away from raising this issue when opportunity arises."

Rao's comment came on a day when twelve persons, including a Lieutenant Colonel of the Indian Army, were killed by three militants in Kathua and Samba Districts of Jammu and Kashmir.

The attacks were launched on a police check post in Kathua and on a army cantonment area in Samba, both of which were close to the international border that separates India and Pakistan.

"The LeT is not just the group confined in activities to the subcontinent or, cross border terrorism. They have become virtually a global terrorist combine now and their activities affect life and endanger security of more than one country. I think the United States is aware of that, and is concerned about it," Rao said.

Last year, the United States announced a bounty of ten million dollars for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Hafiz Saeed.

However, Saeed continues to move freely in Pakistan and is making hate speeches against India and the United States publicly.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is on a working visit to Washington in which he is expected to discuss issues pertaining to the implementation of the 123 Civil Nuclear Agreement, foreign direct investment in aviation and telecom, defence cooperation, concerns over H1B visas, which may hurt the interests of Indian IT professionals working in the United States, as also regional issues like Syria and Afghanistan, with President Obama.

India may also raise the issue of reported spying of its missions at the U.N. and in the United States," Rao said.

"I can't say specifically that it will come out tomorrow. But, I can inform unequivocally that we have raised this issue with the American side and they know of our concerns on this issue," Rao said.

"I wouldn't want to deny the fact that we have expressed our position, our concern to the United States, and the fact, that given the level of friendship and mutual confidence between us, the two countries, we need to understand why these things happen. We cannot go by what media is saying on this issue. The two governments need to sit down and discuss this in a dispassionate and objective way. And, let me also tell you, on cyber-related matters, there is already an ongoing and fairly productive dialogue between our two countries," Rao added.