Rice attempts to calm Pakistan, India rift

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has urged Pakistan to move fast to help catch those responsible for the Mumbai attacks. Ms Rice flew into New Delhi to help ease tensions that have surged between India and Pakistan over the attacks in Mumbai that killed 171 people last week. She said: "This is the time for everybody to co-operate and do so transparently, and this is especially a time for Pakistan to do so." India has demanded Pakistan move swiftly to capture militants responsible for the attacks, whom Indian police said had trained for more than a year on Pakistani soil. Ms Rice said: "I have said that Pakistan needs to act with resolve and urgency and co-operate fully and transparently. That message has been delivered and will be delivered to Pakistan." Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari has said he doubted Indian claims that the only surviving Islamist gunman out of the ten who attacked Mumbai was a Pakistani. Mr Zardari said: "We have not been given any tangible proof to say that he is definitely a Pakistani. I very much doubt ... that he's a Pakistani." He added that if given evidence his government would take action. In other efforts to ease tensions between the nuclear-armed rivals, the top US military commander is visiting the region. India has long said Pakistan is unable or unwilling to act against anti-India militant groups on its soil. The latest attacks are threatening to unravel improving ties between the adversaries, who have fought three wars since independence from Britain in 1947.

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ITN | December 3, 2008

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