Pakistan Starts Investigations - India Rejects Joint Probe

[Imran Khan]

No evidence provided to Pak over Mumbai attacks: Zardari
Updated at: 2245 PST, Friday, December 05, 2008
ISTANBUL: President Asif Ali Zardari said on Friday that Pakistan has not yet been provided any concrete evidence regarding Mumbai terror attacks.

The trilateral meeting between President Asif Ali Zardari, President Hamid Karzai and President Abdullah Gul in the historic city of Istanbul was held at the venue chosen along the Bosphorus straits, overlooking the bridge linking Europe with Asia.

Addressing a joint press conference, along with the two leaders, President Zardari said Pakistan too was a victim of terrorism.

The President replied in negative when asked whether Pakistan’s direction in the war against terror will change following the tense situation between Pakistan and India.

“Not at all”, President Zardari said and added, “we will continue with our efforts in this regard.”

He said Pakistan was also conducting investigation on its own regarding the Mumbai blasts. He said Pakistan has not yet been provided any evidence regarding these blasts.

The summit also strongly condemned the Mumbai attacks and expressed the resolve to continue joint efforts against terrorism

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

Thanks TS.

Found the interview you were referring to.

Pakistani Envoy Details Government's Response to Mumbai Investigation | Online NewsHour | December 4, 2008 | PBS

 

[Prodigy17]

So, that not so visible/invisible hand is still there. The title should be Externally stoked home-based terrorism, because all the financial support, moral support, brainwashing is coming from outside.

In that case, the most logical thing to do would be to eliminate the internal elements first bcoz all external support would be useless if they don't find local support from the population. The terrorist is like a horse which carries a cart of external support so one needs to get the horse first bcoz you can't put the cart before the horse.

 

[daredevil]

In that case, the most logical thing to do would be to eliminate the internal elements first bcoz all external support would be useless if they don't find local support from the population. The terrorist is like a horse which carries a cart of external support so one needs to get the horse first bcoz you can't put the cart before the horse.

I wish, if GoI could do that even before they attempt such dastardly acts.

 

[Neo]

This proves Indians just want a Tamasha. They are "cashing" in the deaths of 172 people.

Now where is Condi with her big mouth and bad attitude??

 

[blain2]

I find myself becoming a fan of Haqqani now - he is articulate, very well informed, and projects Pakistan very effectively in my opinion.

Truth Seeker, how did he come across to you, as an American?

He is well informed for sure, however people have certain concerns about the way in which he leans.

 

[TruthSeeker]

He is well informed for sure, however people have certain concerns about the way in which he leans.

Re:Haqqani

He is, after all, the Ambassador to the USA. I don't know how he "leans" in the sense that you are thinking. As I noted in my post above, to American ears, he is reasonable, likable and garners sympathy for the Pakistani point of view on the critical issues. He puts Pakistan in a "good light". Whether you care about THAT, I cannot say. But IF his job is to represent Pakistan to the USA, he is excellent.

 

[BanglaBhoot]

U.S. vows to boost India's counter-terrorism capability

Washington (IANS): The U.S. 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.

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 on Friday.

"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.

Asked if India has a right to strike at terrorists inside Pakistan in view of a clear Pakistan link as reported by U.S. media citing Indian and American intelligence officials, he said: "We have always said that countries have the right to protect their citizens, and they should."

"What we are seeing now is we want to see cooperation by all the parties involved to make sure that we understand what happened last week."

"I will let the assessments about what took place just last week, in terms of the terrorist attack in Mumbai, will let the experts in the intelligence community talk about those linkages," he said.

The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, as well as Rice, he noted "have been travelling in the region to express our solidarity with the people of India, who have been victims of this attack," Stanzel said.

"There are other, many other countries' citizens who were impacted by this attack. We think it's important to understand everything that occurred, to investigate fully what happened," he added.

U.S. had been working with "India and in Pakistan, countries like us that have seen the real negative impact and the threat of terrorism over the years," Stanzel said. "We have to work together to make sure that we take on and tackle those challenges and confront the terrorists where they are."

State Department spokesman Robert Wood declined comment on reports that the U.S. has submitted to the U.N. Security Council names of some Pakistani individuals who it would like to see added to the U.N. terrorist sanction list.

"I'm not going to comment on, you know, names that we may or may not submit to the U.N.. It wouldn't be appropriate for me to do at this point, but you know, should we take that step, we will certainly let you all know."

The Hindu News Update Service