WASHINGTON (December 08 2008): Pakistan must act quickly to help India prevent follow-on attacks amid evidence that Pakistani soil was used by "non-state actors," US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said here on Sunday.
Speaking on US television, Rice said she stressed during her visit to Pakistan last week how important it was for Islamabad to cooperate fully and promptly with India but denied there was a 48-hour deadline for action.
"The important thing is that Pakistan act and that these people are brought to justice and that any information that they may have is put to use in making sure follow-on attacks don't happen," Rice told Fox television. In interviews with both Fox News and CNN television, Rice doubted Pakistani officials had a role in the November 26 attacks in Mumbai.
"I think there is no doubt that Pakistani territory was used by probably non-state actors. I don't think that there is compelling evidence of involvement of Pakistani officials," Rice said.
"But I do think that Pakistan has a responsibility to act," she said. Rice also echoed remarks from Pakistan's foreign office denying Islamabad had agreed to a 48-hour timetable to take action against Pakistanis accused of involvement in the Mumbai attacks.
The Washington Post reported that Pakistan had agreed to a deadline imposed by the United States and India to arrest three people and formulate a plan to take action against a militant group accused of involvement in the attacks.
"No. There's not a timetable involved here," the US top diplomat told Fox News. "Obviously, this is counterterrorism work. It's hard work. And it's not as if these people are sitting on the surface," she said, adding that Pakistani leaders "understood their responsibilities and now we're waiting."
In the interview with CNN television, Rice said she offered to share with the Indian authorities what the United States had learned since the September 11, 2001 attacks about how to prevent attacks. "I think they are going to accept that," Rice said after saying that prevention had not been at the core of Indian anti-terrorism efforts.
Rice appeared to discourage India from taking unilateral action against India when asked about such a possibility. "I just think that ... they shouldn't do anything that will make the situation worse," she told Fox News. She added that during her visits to India and Pakistan she "didn't hear a lot of bellicose talk" by Indian leaders or Pakistani leaders.
"This is a relationship between India and Pakistan that has improved. And they're trying to build on that. But India expects Pakistan to act, and so does the United States," she said.
