New Delhi: Government sources have ruled out an Indian version of Operation Geronimo to eliminate terrorist leaders living in Pakistan and targeting India. Sources say the US was justified in carrying out a unilateral strike in Pakistan to kill al Qaeda chief and 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden and that justice was done with his elimination.
But India is not in a position to do the same against its high value targets in Pakistan as there are too many issues and too much proximity involved.
Government sources also said normalisation of relations with Pakistan are not possible with the Damocles sword of terror from Pakistan hanging over India. "India-Pakistan relationship is a complicated conflicted relationship, need a sustained dialogue for results," sources said on Wednesday.
The government is also hoping the US will now force Pakistan to against anti-India terror groups like the banned Lashkar-e-Toiba, which carried out the horrific carnage in Mumbai in November 2008.
They also that it is 'sensational' that Osama bin Laden was found in the garrison town of Abbottbad, just 60 kms from Pakistan's capital Islamabad. But they also pointed out that the al Qaeda chief's death is not the end of the war on terror.
"If someone like Osama could have lived comfortably in Pakistan for so many years, then anyone could have," sources said.
"This vindicates India's position, that to eliminate terror, safe havens for terrorists must be eliminated by Pakistan," sources said.
Government sources also said that India wants US and Pakistan to recognise the concerns raised by the country over global aspirations of groups like Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad. "We hope Pakistan will change its approach after Osama's killing, and be more open to concerns we have on terror," sources said.
The al Qaeda leader was killed by US Navy SEALs in a 40-minute firefight in Abbottabad early Monday morning.
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