India/Pakistan

Rice adds to pressure on Islamabad over Mumbai attacks

Article published on the 2008-12-03 Latest update 2008-12-03 15:48 TU

Police guard Nariman House, one of the attacks' targets
(Photo: Reuters)

US officials added to India's pressure on Pakistan to help the enquiry into last week's Mumbai attacks. On a visit to Delhi, Secretary of State Condeleezza Rice called on Islamabad to "act with urgency and resolve and co-operate fully and transparently", while the US's military chief, Michael Mullen, meets officials in the Pakistani capital.

"We are not going to jump to any conclusions about who is responsible for this," Rice told reporters in Delhi. But she added, "this is a time for everyone to co-operate and to do so transparently, and especially a time for Pakistan to do so."

Rice announced that the US is sharing information with India and offering forensic help in the enquiry.

US military chief Admiral Michael Mullen meets Pakistani government and military officials in Islamabad Wednesday on his second visit to the country since September. Diplomats say he will raise the rising tension between Pakistan and India.

Indian officials say they have transcripts of satellite phone conversations linking the attackers to Pakistani handlers and have called on Pakistan to hand over 20 alleged terror suspects, without specifically linking them to the attacks.

But Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari indicated reluctance in an interview with the US TV channel CNN.

"If we had the proof, we would try them in our courts and we would try them in our land and we would sentence them," he told CNN's Larry King Live and hotly denied that Pakistan was involved.

"The gunmen, whoever they are, they are all stateless actors who are holding hostage the whole world," Zardari said.