Pakistan needs to act with resolve and urgency to bring the Mumbai attackers to justice - US Secretary of State

Seetha Vijayan - TNS

Chennai - The US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice currently in India has said India, Pakistan and others must act with "urgency and resolve" to bring the Mumbai attackers to justice.

"This is especially a time for Pakistan to do so," she told reporters in Delhi, ahead of talks with Indian leaders.

"This is the time for everybody to co-operate and do so transparently," Ms Rice told a news conference at the US embassy in Delhi.

"I have said that Pakistan needs to act with resolve and urgency and co-operate fully and transparently. That message has been delivered and will be delivered to Pakistan."

She said the US would not "jump to conclusions" about who was responsible, but added: "This is clearly the kind of terrorism in which al-Qaeda participates."

Ms Rice is to meet India's prime minister and foreign minister. No plans have been announced for a visit to Pakistan.

Meanwhile, speaking at Harvard University, the top US intelligence official implecated the Lashkar-e-Taiba in the deadly attacks in Mumbai, India.

"The same group that we believe is responsible for Mumbai had a similar attack in 2006 on a train and killed a similar number of people," said McConnell. "Go back to 2001 and it was an attack on the parliament," he added.

"Democratic systems that promote free speech and free movement and open discussion are incredibly vulnerable to someone who is willing to die in the context of a suicide bomber or a suicide attack," McConnell said.

The terror attacks in Mumbai stunned the world and world leaders expressed horrors as close to 200 innocent civilians including foreigners were killed and injured over 300 in the deadly terror attacks on India.

The Indian army commandos battled the heavily armed militants at a landmark of Indian freedom including Mumbai hotels, hospitals, a Jewish Center, a restaurant, a rail station and many other places and brought the coordinated attacks by the terrorists after three days.

On Tuesday, a US official told the Associated Press that the Indian authorities had been told of an apparent plot to launch an attack on Mumbai from the sea. Indian police official also confirmed that, India had been known about the threat to some of the Mumbai locations.

One of the gunmen, named as Azam Amir Qasab, apprehended by the Indian Commandoes and he is in police custody. Police have said he is "certainly" from Pakistan.

But Mr Zardari, on his interview on CNN's Larry King Live, said: "We have not been given any tangible proof to say that he is definitely a Pakistani. I very much doubt... that he's a Pakistani."

Political observer Varatharajan says in order to find a permanent solution the root cause must be addressed such as forcing Pakistan to shutdown all Jihadist operations.

"If you want a solution to Afghanistan, you have to lean on Pakistan to shut down all jihadist operations," Varadarajan said. "You have to tackle the root cause, which is the attitude of the Pakistani military. That is the silver bullet."

Underscoring fears of renewed tensions with nuclear-armed rival Pakistan, Indian Prime Minister Singh last week said those behind the attacks were based "outside the country" and warned "neighbours" not to provide a haven to anti-India militants.

Meanwhile, Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Wednesday said that the deadly terror attacks on Mumbai were led from inside Pakistan, and said India would act decisively to protect its territorial integrity.

"I informed Dr. Rice there is no doubt that the terrorist attacks in Mumbai were perpetrated by individuals who came from Pakistan and whose controllers are in Pakistan," he said.