FBI to confront Pak with evidence gathered in Mumbai: US

New Delhi, Jan 5 (PTI) Piling up pressure on Pakistan,
the US Monday said an FBI team will take the evidence it has
gathered in the Mumbai attacks to Islamabad and pursue the
probe into the terror strike "to its conclusion".

"The FBI will pursue the evidence gathered there (in
Mumbai) and they will eventually take the evidence to Pakistan
because under our law, if Americans are killed, the US itself
has a duty to pursue all avenues to the bottom of it," US
Ambassador in Delhi David C Mulford told reporters here.

"This is what the FBI is doing and will do in coming
weeks and months," he said.

Noting that the US has been rallying behind India on
the issue of November 26 Mumbai attacks, Mulford said
Washington will pursue the investigation into the carnage to
its "conclusion."

"The FBI has been in Mumbai since early December and
has, I must say, been welcomed there. The level of cooperation
offered to the FBI is very very significant and very much
appreciated by the United States," he said.

Asked about reports that Pakistan has rejected
evidence given by the FBI, Mulford evaded a direct reply.

"I cannot comment on that because I don't think the
process is anyway completed," he said.

Describing the cooperation offered by India to FBI as
"very very positive experience", he said some agency officials
were still in Mumbai.

On whether FBI will be allowed into Pakistan to probe
the Pakistani links into the attacks, Mulford said the
American agency will be granted access to the country.

"The US has an FBI representative in Pakistan at the
embassy there. So there is a person there and FBI people will
certainly be granted access to Pakistan," he said.

Asked whether Pakistan was doing enough on the issue,
he said, "The US will pursue this matter to its conclusion.

"The US will receive from the Indian Government what
ever evidence there is. Because we have been involved in
helping it gather evidence," he said.

Asked to clarify US position on whether it supports
India's demand of handing over terrorists by Pakistan involved
in the terror acts, Mulford said Washington has been
supporting India on this issue as it is evident from the
visits of US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Deputy
Secretary of State John Negroponte and other senior military
and intelligence officials.

"They have all made clear the support of the US. There
can be no doubt at all on that," he added.

On reports of 'Jamaat-ud-Dawa', the front organisation
of terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba, that was banned by UN
Security Council in the wake of the Mumbai terror attacks
resurrecting under a new name, he only said "I cannot comment
on that except that when names are changed, you know you don't
change the spots on the leopard."

Asked to comment on India's handing over of evidence to
Pakistan linking that country to the Mumbai attacks, he said
"It's not possible for me to comment on an ongoing
investigation."

Mulford said the investigations were taking "a great
deal of time."

"They take a long time to be accomplished. They have
to be done with many many different factors in mind, including
evidence gathered that can be used in court," he said. PTI