Pranab shares evidence with Rice

NEW DELHI (Agencies) - US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Wednesday warned that India should ensure its response to Pakistan over the Mumbai attacks does not provoke unintended consequences, reports Indian media.
“Any response needs to be judged by its effectiveness in prevention and also by not creating other unintended consequences or difficulties,” Rice said at a joint Press conference after meeting India’s External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee.
The visiting US Secretary of State met her Indian counterpart in New Delhi and the latter shared with her the evidence on the Mumbai terror strikes pointing towards involvement of “elements” based in Pakistan.
Refusing to rule out the option of a possible military action against Pakistan, Pranab said that all options were open following last week’s terrorist attacks on Mumbai. Terrorism was the biggest menace to global peace and tranquillity since Cold War, he said.
Although Rice said she refused to “jump to any conclusions about who is responsible,” US intelligence officials have privately supported India’s accusations. Rice repeated her call for Pakistan to cooperate with the probe, and noted that US citizens were also among the victims of the attacks.
“Pakistan needs to act with urgency and with resolve and cooperate fully and transparently,” said Rice.
“The response of the Pakistan government should be one of cooperation and action. That is what we expect and we have been sending that message,” said Rice, who is expected in Pakistan on Thursday (today).
“This message has been conveyed and will be conveyed (to Pakistan),” she said adding that extremists have done “great damage” to Pakistan too.
The meeting “was about the assistance US can offer,” Rice told reporters after the 20-minute talks at the North Block.
“That message will be delivered to Pakistan,” said Rice, who was expected to fly to Islamabad.
The US Secretary of State emphasized that Pakistan had a special responsibility to ensure that perpetrators of the strikes are brought to justice.