Sunday, July 17 2005 12:14 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Washington: With battle against terrorism expected to top the agenda of talks between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and American President George W Bush in Washington on Monday (July 18, 2005), Washington has indicated it would publicly baulk at the cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan.

India will expect the United States, according to analysts, to condemn Pakistani-backed terrorism against India in Jammu and Kashmir as it mentions terrorist activity in various countries.

However, India is somehow omitted in Bush's references to victims of terrorism though India has suffered far more casualties at the hands of Pakistan-backed terrorists than the American casualties on 9/11 in 2001 and now in Iraq.

When asked directly at his briefing about Pakistani media reports that terrorist camps in Pakistan have reopened or are continuing, a senior US official fudged his reply by saying, "We want to see the development of the best possible relationship between Pakistan and India.

"The progress they have made is really unprecedented. This is an important issue", he said.

Senior American officials are willing to confirm the reopening of the camps but they are tongue-tied to make public statements to that effect.