Saudi trip: PM to focus on terror

1st Trip By An Indian PM Since ’82; Likely To Ink Extradition Treaty

New Delhi: Terrorism is one of the key issues which India will take up with Saudi Arabia when PM Manmohan Singh visits Riyadh in the last week of this month. Sources said on Tuesday that Singh will emphasise on the futility of distinguishing between good and bad Taliban, apart from insisting on the need for Pakistan to dismantle the terror infrastructure on its soil, when he meets King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz.

This will be the first visit by an Indian PM to Saudi Arabia since 1982. While the final programme has not yet been decided, sources revealed that the two sides have agreed to Singh addressing the Majlis-as-Shura or the Saudi legislature.

In another development, sources said the two sides have also finalised the draft for extradition treaty and that it will in all probability be signed during the visit.

One of the most influential friends of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia is one of the few countries which the US and other major Western powers are depending on to start reconciliation negotiations with the Taliban. In fact, Afghan president Hamid Karzai flew to Riyadh earlier this month to discuss the issue with the king.

The US is also leaning heavily on Riyadh to use its influence with China to prevent Beijing from coming in the way of imposing further sanctions on Iran.

“The visit will provide an opportunity to make our points on terrorism. It’s important to tell Saudi Arabia that even if some Taliban agree to give up on terror now, there is no guarantee to ensure that they won’t change their minds without adequate follow-up action,’’ said a source, adding that the controversial Saudi initiative to rehabilitate extremists by enlightening them about the non-violent principles of Islam would also be discussed.

Many believe that Riyadh now has limited influence with the Taliban because of the differences which cropped up after the Taliban refused to hand over al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden to Saudi Arabia. That, however, did not prevent Karzai from expressing hope at the London Conference last month that King Abdullah would play a major role in ending the insurgency in Afghanistan.

While foreign minister S M Krishna had dropped hints during the London Conference that India might still consider doing business with Taliban if they severed links with terror groups and fell in line with the Afghan government, Delhi remains sceptical of any reconciliation policy. That there can’t be any good Taliban has remained, as an official put it, the basic premise.