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| India-Pakistan |
| New Delhi fingers 'elements' in Pakistan for Mumbai mayhem |
| 2008-12-03 |
| India on Monday formally accused "elements" in Pakistan of being behind the recent Islamic militant attacks in Mumbai and demanded that Islamabad take "strong action." The move came after Indian officials said investigations had shown that all the attackers involved in the 60-hour-long assault, which left at least 172 dead and close to 300 wounded, were Pakistani nationals. The attacks were also described as a "major setback" for the peace process between the nuclear-armed neighbors. "The [ambassador] of Pakistan was called to the Ministry of External Affairs this evening. He was informed that the recent terrorist attack on Mumbai was carried out by elements from Pakistan," a statement said. In New Delhi's first formal complaint to Islamabad, India said it "expects that strong action would be taken against those elements, whosoever they may be, responsible for this outrage." A Jewish center was among the targets and eyewitnesses said some attackers singled out Britons and Americans in two luxury hotels. Civilians were also gunned down in a railway station, hospital and a cafe. "What has happened is a grave setback to the process of normalization of relations and the confidence-building measures," Minister of State for External Affairs Anand Sharma told AFP. Officials said they are convinced the Pakistan-based militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba, possibly with assistance from sections within Pakistan's powerful spy service, staged the operation. But Pakistan's government has denied it was in any way linked to the operation by the well-trained attackers. Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari has urged India not to "over-react." India's ruling Congress party said any response would be "carefully considered" but made it clear that a line had been crossed. "We have been confronted by a rising tide of terrorism for some time but the attack in Mumbai was qualitatively different and calls for immediate and stern action," Congress spokeswoman Jayanti Natarajan told reporters. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who is due to visit India on Wednesday, said it was crucial that Pakistan exhibit "complete, absolute, total transparency and cooperation" with the Indian investigation into the attacks. "What we are emphasizing to the Pakistani government is the need to follow the evidence wherever it leads and to do so in the most committed and firmest possible way," she told reporters accompanying her on a trip to Europe. White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said she had "heard nothing that says that the Pakistani government was involved. Pakistan has repeatedly underlined that it is fighting its own battle against Islamist insurgents, who have taken their bloody campaign to the heart of Islamabad and stressed the two nations have a common enemy. Lashkar, which has been battling Indian troops in Kashmir, was banned by Pakistan in 2002. Public outrage in India was fueled Monday by fresh reports that clear warnings of a coming assault were ignored. The Hindustan Times newspaper said a captured Lashkar operative had told his Indian interrogators back in February that the militant group was planning an attack on Mumbai's five-star hotels. |
| Posted by:Fred |