New Delhi:
Visiting US Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said on Friday that Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist organisation was as dangerous as the Al Qaeda.
"The LeT is ranked right up there with Al Qaeda and Al Qaeda-related groups as a terrorist organisation, one that seeks to harm people and take innocent lives. In the US perspective, the LeT is an organization of the same ranking as the Al Qaeda-related groups," Napolitano said at a joint press conference with Home Minister P Chidambaram in New Delhi.
Napolitano is in New Delhi for the first India-US homeland security dialogue aimed at enhancing anti-terror cooperation between the two countries.
Earlier, she had a meeting with Chidambaram with the two sides identifying six "critical" areas for mutual cooperation on internal security.
These, Napolitano said, are supplying technology and equipment to fight security threats, cooperation in border and maritime security, mega city policing, financial fraud and counterfeiting, cyber security and criminal infrastructure, training and making of police personnel.
Chidambaram said he had a "good" meeting with his US counterpart and the second round of the dialogue would be held next year after "a lot of work would have been done" by the two sides.
Napolitano said she appreciated the partnership "we have established".
"This provides the forum for our two countries to strengthen our strategic ties. We face a common threat and we must prepare a common approach," the US official said.