US promises to help India

The United States has promised India “very active” help to improve its counter-terrorism capabilities while asking Pakistan to act “urgently and transparently” to help catch the perpetrators of the Mumbai terror assaults.

The United States has promised India “very active” help to improve its counter-terrorism capabilities while asking Pakistan to act “urgently and transparently” to help catch the perpetrators of the Mumbai terror assaults and prevent future attacks.

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The “terrible sophisticated” terror attack “raises questions about the importance of making certain that everything is done to bring the perpetrators to justice, but also to prevent follow-on attacks,” Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said.

“And in that regard, Pakistan has a special responsibility to act,” she said in Copenhagen, after a meeting with Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen, whom she briefed about her talks with Indian and Pakistani leaders.

“And I was assured that they (Pakistanis) will act, but they need to act urgently and transparently,” Rice added according to the transcript released by the State Department.

“The Indian people who suffered a great loss also are acting through their government to improve their capabilities on the counter-terrorism side,” she said. “And the United States is going to be very active in helping them to do so.”

Rasmussen said as they “discussed the heinous terrorist attacks in India” Rice informed him about her recent talks in the region.

“The attacks underline the continued need to stand together in the fight against terrorism,” he said. In Washington, White House spokesman Scott Stanzel acknowledged that India has a right to protect itself but stressed cooperation by all parties at this juncture.

Rice pushed Pak to act

Condoleezza Rice is understood to have told Pakistan that there was “irrefutable evidence” of involvement of elements in the country in the Mumbai attacks and that it needs to act urgently and effectively to avert a strong international response, a media report on Saturday said.

Contrary to the formal statements issued by Pakistani authorities and her own statement at the Chaklala Airbase before her departure, sources said she “pushed the Pakistani leaders to take care of perpetrators, otherwise the US will act.”