'India is still seen as the major state-based threat,' General David H. Petraeus, the head of US Central Command who has just returned from a visit to Pakistan said in an interview to Council on Foreign Relations, a Washington think tank.

'In fact they've just completed an exercise, some 50,000 Pakistani military forces, similar to the old NATO exercises that we used to run in the days of the Cold War,' he noted when asked if he had seen a shift in the Pakistani army's thinking about its enemies.

'So there's no question about the image still in their mind of the threat that is posed by India to their security.'

'Having said that, the most pressing threat that emerged to their very 'writ of governance,' as they term it, came to be seen as that posed by the Pakistani Taliban-again, in particular over the course of the last year or eighteen months,' Petraeus said.

'The developments of the last year in Pakistan are significant in that you saw the people, the leaders, and the bulk of the clerics all recognize the very existential threat that was posed by the Pakistani Taliban, the Tehrik-i-Taliban, and some of its allies,' he said.

The Pakistani Taliban's claim of responsibility for the failed Times Square bombing also highlights the potential threat 'between some of these organizations and transnational extremism at large,' the general said.

Formed in 2007, the Pakistani Taliban has almost exclusively targeted elements of the Pakistani state. But the attack on New York City suggests its ambitions are expanding.

'There is clearly a symbiotic relationship between all of these different organizations; Al Qaeda, the Pakistani Taliban, the Afghan Taliban, TNSM [Tehreek-e-Nafaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi],'said Petraeus.

He added that it's not surprising that militants would look to wage attacks on American soil. 'There are a lot of organizations out there that are wannabe international terrorist organizations,' he said, 'because that's how you garner resources.'

According to defence officials, Captain N. Anand was killed and Major Sudhir Parmar was badly injured after the tent in which they were sleeping was engulfed in flames Wednesday night.

The officials were part of the Vajra corps, which was camping at Miani village in Hoshiarpur district here for the last few days.

'This is a serious issue and demands a thorough probe. Therefore a court of inquiry has been ordered to find out the real cause of fire,' said Naresh Wig, Indian Army spokesperson, here Friday.

He added: 'The deceased official was a native of Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu. Parmar is stable and he is recuperating at an army hospital in Tibbri Cantt in Gurdaspur district.'

Police have registered a case in the incident. Sources in the police said the fire was caused due to a mosquito repellent coil and the flames spread because of the strong winds.

Antony said the Indian concern has been conveyed to the US authorities.

'We feel there is every possibility of (Pakistan) diverting most of them (weapons) to the Indian borders. We told the US that they have to be careful about that,' the defence minister said on the sidelines of a function here.

Antony's remark comes in the backdrop of the US announcement in March that it would deliver sophisticated drones to Pakistan. America last month also unveiled plans to transfer $600 million to Islamabad as aid to fight Taliban militants near its western borders.

Speaking at the silver jubilee celebration of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), Antony said the death sentence to lone surviving Mumbai attacker Ajmal Amir Kasab was a clear message to terror outfits that India can take strong action against criminals and terrorists.

'It has been proved by this judgment, if there is a will we can take strong action and we can send a proper message to all criminals and terrorists. It is a clear message to the terrorist outfits, organisations and groups working across the border,' he said in a direct reference to terrorist outfits in Pakistan.

'There should not be any doubt that military hardware would not be used against India,' Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said.

'This hardware would be used against the terrorists in Pakistan,' Online news agency quoted him as telling reporters in here.

His remarks came on the day when Indian Defence Minister A.K. Antony said that the arms the US provided to the US could be used against India.

'The US says it is giving equipment to Pakistan to fight against the Taliban. But we feel there is every possibility of (Pakistan) diverting most of them to the Indian borders,' Antony told reporters in New Delhi.

'We have already conveyed our concerns (to the US) about transfer of equipment to Pakistan,' he added.

Pakistan is expecting the delivery of F-16 fighter jets, Cobra helicopters and spares, a Perry class frigate and unarmed drones.

The army is now seeking the custody of Lt. Col. Jagmohan Balbir Singh, who was arrested by the cyber crime cell of the Mumbai Police late Thursday. He was presented in court Friday and will be quizzed by police till May 12.

Singh, who works with the Indian Army's Supply and Transport Wing in south Mumbai but is on study leave, had allegedly posted and downloaded pornographic photos and videos of children between 3 and 10 years of age, police said.

Joint Commissioner of Police Himanshu Roy told reporters that he has been charged under the Information Technology Act Sec 67 (b) dealing with child pornography.

However, police are probing if it was a case of hacking and the porn stuff was circulated by a third party involved.

'The police are also investigating the involvement of a third party in the case. No evidence has been found that can prove a direct dissemination of these pornographic pictures (by the accused officer),' Roy said.

Sources said the arrest came in the wake of a report by German police to the Interpol in September 2009 which traced the transmission of child pornography videos on a server in India.

The CBI received the Interpol input in March this year, which in turn led the Mumbai Police to investigate the case.

The crime branch traced the internet protocol (IP) address to Singh's computer in Colaba where he was living in a civilian building.

The computer has been seized and IT experts in the cyber cell are analysing the data in its hard disk.

The army, meanwhile, has sought bail for the accused officer so that he can be tried in a military court.

'We have given an application to seek his custody,' an official told IANS in Delhi.

National Olympic Committee chairman Kipchoge Keino ruled out withdrawing the Kenyan team from the competition, saying they are satisfied with the security arrangements.

This follows concerns that Delhi remains a possible terror target during the games.

Keino announced several measures, including sending Kenyan policemen to boost security of the team in India.

'We are taking along several police and intelligence officers to Delhi for the Commonwealth Games in October,' said Keino.

He said between six and 10 officers will accompany the team. More than 8,000 athletes from 71 nations are due to compete in India.

Last month, the US issued a warning to its citizens about possible militant attacks on hotels and markets in India.

Britain and Australia have also issued travel advisories to their citizens.

'One challenge is the American president who is coming, not coming, coming, not coming,' Cele told a parliamentary committee during a briefing on the police's World Cup security plans in Cape Town, SAPA news agency reported.

'It is 50-50 (whether Obama comes or not),' Cele said, joking that police were secretly hoping the US would be knocked out in the first round to avoid the mammoth task of protecting the US president.

'Our prayer is that the Americans don't make the second round,' he told parliamentarians in Cape Town, sparking laughter.

'We are told that if it goes to the second or third stage, the US president may come,' he said.

Cele said 43 heads of state had provisionally confirmed they will be attending the June 11-July 11 tournament but that the challenges presented by an Obama visit would dwarf the rest.

'That 43 will be equal to this one operation,' he said.

Security will be tight during the World Cup, which is being held in Africa for the first time and is on course to attract between 200,000 and 300,000 foreign visitors.

South Africa has set aside 44,000 police to secure the tournament.

Cele said he has been told by International Relations and Cooperation Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane that the likelihood of Obama visiting was 'becoming bigger'.

The US is one of 32 teams to have qualified for the World Cup final, and the team's fans are among the most enthusiastic, if tickets sold are anything to go by.

After South Africans, Americans have bought the most tickets.

'Unfortunately, at present there exist no legal rules for prosecuting in court the pirates operating in the region of Somalia,' the source said Thursday. 'This means they do not fall under the jurisdiction of any state or international law.'

Commandos from the anti-submarine warship Marshal Shaposhnikov freed the tanker Thursday in a 22-minute operation. The vessel, on its way from the Red Sea to China, was seized Wednesday.

The source added that after the pirates had been disarmed and their navigation equipment removed, they were 'put into an inflatable boat' and pushed off into the sea.

Somali pirates carried out a record number of attacks and hijackings in 2009.

--IANS/RIA Novosti

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The accused, Lt. Col. Jagmohan Balbir Singh who was on leave in Mumbai, was Thursday nabbed by the police's cyber cell, the sources said.

'He has been taken into police custody for allegedly committing a cyber crime. He will be produced in a court soon. We have given an application for his custody,' the sources told IANS.

Malik was given the assurance during a meeting with his Chinese counterpart Meng Chiang, Online news agency reported.

The meeting was held in a very cordial and friendly atmosphere and matters of mutual interest came up for discussion.

During the meeting, Meng appreciated Pakistan's efforts in the war against terrorism.

China also offered training facilities to Pakistani law enforcers.

Earlier, addressing the Pakistani community at the country's embassy, Malik said the Pakistan Peoples Party-led government was confronted with a number of challenges, including terrorism, when it came to power two years ago.

With the support of the masses and decisions of the political leadership, most of the challenges were either solved or reduced to some degree, he added.

In this regard, Malik especially referred to the National Finance Commission Award that had remained dormant for many years. However, the government had got it implemented with the consensus of all political forces.

The award deals with the re-distribution of resources among the provinces.

The other major problem the country was facing was the shortage of power, Malik said, adding that the steps taken recently in this regard were short term measures.

The government was also working on a war footing to address the issue of power outages, caused by a generation shortfall of 4,700 MW, the minister said.

Malik said the government was resolved to eliminate terrorism and informed the meeting about the successes achieved by the army and law enforcing agencies in flushing out terrorists from Swat and Malakand areas of Pakistan's northwest.