ID :
33836
Thu, 12/04/2008 - 11:53
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/33836
The shortlink copeid
Cooperate fully, act urgently: Rice to Pakistan
New Delhi, Dec 3 (PTI) Mounting pressure on Pakistan,
the US Wednesday asked it to act with "urgency" and
"transparency" on the leads in connection with the Mumbai
terror attacks and implement its "stated" commitment to
"cooperate fully" in bringing perpetrators to justice.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who was rushed
here by President George W Bush amid rising tensions between
India and Pakistan over the Mumbai attacks, made it clear that
Islamabad will have to "follow the leads wherever they go" and
reach the "source" of incident.
Not ruling out participation of al Qaeda in the Mumbai
strikes, she told reporters that the US and India needed to
develop long-term strategies to prevent such attacks,
particularly through active sharing of intelligence.
Describing the strikes in Mumbai as "attacks at India
and its integration with the world", she said "this is a time
when cooperation of all parties who have any information is
really required. This is a different situation... We have to
act with a sense of urgency and act with resolve."
Rice, who will be travelling to Islamabad Thursday to
discuss the Mumbai attacks, said "Pakistan needs to act with
resolve and urgency and cooperate fully and transparently.
That message has been delivered and will be delivered to
Pakistan."
"...what is important now is, of course, to go to the
source and to know what happened, to follow every lead,
wherever it may lead and to bring those to justice who did
this," said the Secretary of State who will meet Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh and External Affairs Minister Pranab
Mukherjee before travelling to Islamabad Thursday.
The assertive comments by Rice assume significance as
these came after Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari rejected
India's demand for handover of 20 most wanted terrorists, who
are in Pakistan and wanted here in connection with many terror
incidents.
Rice refused to comment directly on India's demand to
Pakistan for the handover of terrorists but said "I am going
to take as a firm commitment, Pakistan's stated commitment to
get to bottom of this and make them know that they are enemies
of Pakistan as well as India."
India has already shared with the US evidence
regarding involvement of Pakistan-based terror group
Lashkar-e-Taiba in the Mumbai attacks. Federal Bureau of
Investigations (FBI) sleuths are also involved in the probe
and have questioned one terrorist, who hails from Pakistan and
was arrested during the attacks.
To a question in this regard, Rice replied: "I have
already sent a message and that message has been received
favourably by Pakistan, which is that whatever these leads,
people have to be brought to justice."
"Government will need to make certain that they are
doing every thing to garner information so that they prevent
further attacks," she said.
"We will have a great interest in getting to the
bottom of this and we have great interest in bringing people
to justice and we have great interest in prevention and that
will be message (to Pakistan).
The Secretary of State said the US is ready to work on
the "Intelligence information that we have" but refused to
share details so that terrorists "do not know what we know as
they are very quick in reacting".
Rice said countries like US, Britain and India have
"great interest in getting to the bottom of this and bringing
people to justice and we have great interest in prevention (of
terror attacks)".
She underlined that steps needed to be taken against
terror elements by cracking down on them and choking their
finances to ensure that there is no repetition of incidents
like the Mumbai strikes.
"What has to happen is there has to be a real sense of
transparency, real sense of action and real sense of urgency
because these are extremists who have the same intention and
same goal and that is to terrorise and send message to states
around the world," she said.
On her talks with the Indian leadership, Rice said it
would focus on what "we can do to contribute in terms of
knowing how to use information...how to use leads for
prevention".
Rice did not rule out al Qaeda's hand in the attacks.
"Whether there is a direct al Qaeda hand or not, this is
clearly the kind of terror in which al Qaeda participates.
They try and send a strong message that the people are not
safe, their businesses are not safe."
Rice noted that Zardari had given a commitment
"unequivocally" to her about cooperation with India in
investigating the Mumbai attacks and that she feels it is a
"very important commitment" on part of Islamabad.
"We are not ready to jump to any conclusion as to who
is responsible for this (attack) although the US is prepared
and is already actively engaged in information sharing, in
forensic help to try and make those links," she said.
Pointing out how democratic countries are vulnerable
to terrorism, she said terrorists have to be "right once" but
the democratic governments have to be right hundred percent,
all the time."
Emphasising on the need for long-term strategy to
prevent terror strikes, she said "we can't be in a situation,
in which, like in law enforcement, they commit the act and
then they are punished. The intent here is prevention".
Rice, who is accompanied by a number of senior
officials of the State Department and Defence Department,
arrived here Wednesday morning from Brussels after cutting
short her Europe trip.
Citing the 9/11 attacks on the US, Rice said "we have
learnt a lot...About the importance of activities that prevent
(terror attacks)...Any work I hope to do with Indian officials
is to talk about what we can do to contribute in terms of
knowing how to use information...how to use leads for
prevention."
Sources said the Bush Administration is angered by the
use of Pakistani soil for attacks in Mumbai as the Zardari
government had assured it of not allowing such things to
happen. The US feels "let down" by Pakistan as the country is
getting major portion of financial support from Washington
and hence has the reason for mounting pressure on it.
Rice said that over the past seven years, the US has
gained good experience in the wake of 9/11 on how terrorists
carried out attacks and added that the funding aspect should
not be underestimated.
"Funding is the most important tool which has been
used. It is important to get into the bottom of funding," she
said.
During a visit of a few hours to Pakistan, she will
meet Zardari and Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and is
expected to tell them to demonstrate that they are
cooperating.
She has good contacts in the Pakistani Army too which
she is expected to utilise to bring the powerful institution
around to have peace with India, American sources said.
US Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen is
already in Islamabad, holding talks with the Pakistani
military leadership. He will be here Thursday to meet Indian
defence officials.
the US Wednesday asked it to act with "urgency" and
"transparency" on the leads in connection with the Mumbai
terror attacks and implement its "stated" commitment to
"cooperate fully" in bringing perpetrators to justice.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who was rushed
here by President George W Bush amid rising tensions between
India and Pakistan over the Mumbai attacks, made it clear that
Islamabad will have to "follow the leads wherever they go" and
reach the "source" of incident.
Not ruling out participation of al Qaeda in the Mumbai
strikes, she told reporters that the US and India needed to
develop long-term strategies to prevent such attacks,
particularly through active sharing of intelligence.
Describing the strikes in Mumbai as "attacks at India
and its integration with the world", she said "this is a time
when cooperation of all parties who have any information is
really required. This is a different situation... We have to
act with a sense of urgency and act with resolve."
Rice, who will be travelling to Islamabad Thursday to
discuss the Mumbai attacks, said "Pakistan needs to act with
resolve and urgency and cooperate fully and transparently.
That message has been delivered and will be delivered to
Pakistan."
"...what is important now is, of course, to go to the
source and to know what happened, to follow every lead,
wherever it may lead and to bring those to justice who did
this," said the Secretary of State who will meet Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh and External Affairs Minister Pranab
Mukherjee before travelling to Islamabad Thursday.
The assertive comments by Rice assume significance as
these came after Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari rejected
India's demand for handover of 20 most wanted terrorists, who
are in Pakistan and wanted here in connection with many terror
incidents.
Rice refused to comment directly on India's demand to
Pakistan for the handover of terrorists but said "I am going
to take as a firm commitment, Pakistan's stated commitment to
get to bottom of this and make them know that they are enemies
of Pakistan as well as India."
India has already shared with the US evidence
regarding involvement of Pakistan-based terror group
Lashkar-e-Taiba in the Mumbai attacks. Federal Bureau of
Investigations (FBI) sleuths are also involved in the probe
and have questioned one terrorist, who hails from Pakistan and
was arrested during the attacks.
To a question in this regard, Rice replied: "I have
already sent a message and that message has been received
favourably by Pakistan, which is that whatever these leads,
people have to be brought to justice."
"Government will need to make certain that they are
doing every thing to garner information so that they prevent
further attacks," she said.
"We will have a great interest in getting to the
bottom of this and we have great interest in bringing people
to justice and we have great interest in prevention and that
will be message (to Pakistan).
The Secretary of State said the US is ready to work on
the "Intelligence information that we have" but refused to
share details so that terrorists "do not know what we know as
they are very quick in reacting".
Rice said countries like US, Britain and India have
"great interest in getting to the bottom of this and bringing
people to justice and we have great interest in prevention (of
terror attacks)".
She underlined that steps needed to be taken against
terror elements by cracking down on them and choking their
finances to ensure that there is no repetition of incidents
like the Mumbai strikes.
"What has to happen is there has to be a real sense of
transparency, real sense of action and real sense of urgency
because these are extremists who have the same intention and
same goal and that is to terrorise and send message to states
around the world," she said.
On her talks with the Indian leadership, Rice said it
would focus on what "we can do to contribute in terms of
knowing how to use information...how to use leads for
prevention".
Rice did not rule out al Qaeda's hand in the attacks.
"Whether there is a direct al Qaeda hand or not, this is
clearly the kind of terror in which al Qaeda participates.
They try and send a strong message that the people are not
safe, their businesses are not safe."
Rice noted that Zardari had given a commitment
"unequivocally" to her about cooperation with India in
investigating the Mumbai attacks and that she feels it is a
"very important commitment" on part of Islamabad.
"We are not ready to jump to any conclusion as to who
is responsible for this (attack) although the US is prepared
and is already actively engaged in information sharing, in
forensic help to try and make those links," she said.
Pointing out how democratic countries are vulnerable
to terrorism, she said terrorists have to be "right once" but
the democratic governments have to be right hundred percent,
all the time."
Emphasising on the need for long-term strategy to
prevent terror strikes, she said "we can't be in a situation,
in which, like in law enforcement, they commit the act and
then they are punished. The intent here is prevention".
Rice, who is accompanied by a number of senior
officials of the State Department and Defence Department,
arrived here Wednesday morning from Brussels after cutting
short her Europe trip.
Citing the 9/11 attacks on the US, Rice said "we have
learnt a lot...About the importance of activities that prevent
(terror attacks)...Any work I hope to do with Indian officials
is to talk about what we can do to contribute in terms of
knowing how to use information...how to use leads for
prevention."
Sources said the Bush Administration is angered by the
use of Pakistani soil for attacks in Mumbai as the Zardari
government had assured it of not allowing such things to
happen. The US feels "let down" by Pakistan as the country is
getting major portion of financial support from Washington
and hence has the reason for mounting pressure on it.
Rice said that over the past seven years, the US has
gained good experience in the wake of 9/11 on how terrorists
carried out attacks and added that the funding aspect should
not be underestimated.
"Funding is the most important tool which has been
used. It is important to get into the bottom of funding," she
said.
During a visit of a few hours to Pakistan, she will
meet Zardari and Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and is
expected to tell them to demonstrate that they are
cooperating.
She has good contacts in the Pakistani Army too which
she is expected to utilise to bring the powerful institution
around to have peace with India, American sources said.
US Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen is
already in Islamabad, holding talks with the Pakistani
military leadership. He will be here Thursday to meet Indian
defence officials.
