[Home] [Headlines] [Latest Articles] [Latest Comments] [Post] [Sign-in] [Mail] [Setup] [Help]
Status: Not Logged In; Sign In
|
War, War, War See other War, War, War Articles Title: Rice urges 'robust' Pakistani response to attacks By ANNE GEARAN, AP Military Writer Anne Gearan, Ap Military Writer – 34 mins ago ISLAMABAD, Pakistan – Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told the Pakistani government Thursday that it must mount a "robust response" to the terror shootings in India, which blames the carnage on terrorists operating from neighboring Pakistan. After expressing U.S. condolences for the more than 170 deaths in India, Rice flew to Pakistan for meetings with civilian and military leaders. The U.S. wants broader sharing of intelligence and a commitment by Pakistan to root out terror groups that have found a comfortable perch in the Muslim country. On the flight from New Delhi, Rice told reporters Pakistan has to determine how it is going to respond to last week's attacks in the Indian commercial capital of Mumbai. "It just has to be a robust response and one that is effective" in bringing the terrorists to justice. "But I've also been emphasizing the importance of prevention here," she said. "The Pakistanis are sophisticated; they've been dealing with terrorism themselves for some time. So I'm going there to talk about a Pakistani response, not to carry messages." Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani told Rice later during a meeting in Islamabad that the Mumbai attacks were "beyond anyone's imagination" and stressed his government's efforts to boost relations with India since taking office in March. "My instinct was to fight against terrorism," Gilani said. With Pakistan complaining that India has shared no evidence linking it to the attacks, Rice spent Wednesday urging cooperation between the nuclear-armed rivals. But the rhetoric in both countries only grew hotter. "I informed Dr. Rice that there is no doubt that the terrorist attacks in Mumbai were perpetrated by individuals who came from Pakistan and whose controllers are in Pakistan," Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee said. That left Rice to say Pakistan bears a "special responsibility" to help get to the bottom of the attacks while awkwardly declining to finger Pakistani militants outright. Mukherjee said the view that the Mumbai attacks were based in Pakistan is broadly shared around the world, putting Rice on the spot. She said she would not prejudge an investigation into the attacks. Rice's visit to the region to urge a common response to the crisis was complemented by that of the top American military officer. During a stopover in Pakistan on Wednesday, Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff urged President Asif Ali Zardari and his army and spy chiefs to "investigate aggressively any and all possible ties to groups based in Pakistan," the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad said. Mullen also "encouraged Pakistani leaders to take more — and more concerted — action against militant extremists" beyond Taliban and al-Qaida strongholds near the Afghan border, an embassy statement said. Mullen was in India on Thursday. Zardari has made peace overtures to India and vowed full cooperation with the Indian investigation. However, he indicated on Wednesday he would not hand over 20 suspects wanted by India and said they would be tried in Pakistan if there was evidence of wrongdoing. His new civilian administration would likely face a fierce backlash from Muslim groups and nationalists if it simply handed over the suspects to Pakistan's old foe India. Thousands of Indians — many calling for war with Pakistan — gathered in Mumbai for a vigil to mark one week since the beginning of the deadly rampage. More than 2,000 students marched through Pakistan's capital, Islamabad, on Wednesday, shouting anti-U.S. and anti-Indian slogans. The Bush administration has had varying success in reframing its relationship with both countries, which have fought three wars with one another. In Pakistan's case, civilian leaders have replaced a military government that was a strong ally of President George W. Bush in fighting terrorism. In India, a troubled nuclear cooperation deal finally came through this fall and both nations have said it signaled a fresh start after years of lingering Cold war distance. ___ Associated Press writer Stephen Graham contributed to this report. Poster Comment: Warfare ! Welfare !! Less Filling ! Try a Seasonal Brew !!
Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread
|
||
|
[Home]
[Headlines]
[Latest Articles]
[Latest Comments]
[Post]
[Sign-in]
[Mail]
[Setup]
[Help]
|
||