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Rice asks Pak to take a tough line on terrorism

     Islamabad: US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has told the Pakistan Government to take a "tough line" on terrorism after arriving in Islamabad for talks. According to the BBC, Rice has also said that Pakistan has to mount a "robust" response to last week's attacks in Mumbai, which left at least 188 people dead. India has repeatedly insisted that the attackers had links to Pakistan, which Islamabad has denied. Rice arrived in Islamabad from New Delhi where she called on both countries to show restraint in their respective responses to the Mumbai attacks. Speaking to reporters flying from Delhi to Islamabad with her on Thursday morning, Rice said: "The global threat of extremism and terrorism has to be met by all states, taking a very tough and hard line, and so that is what I am going to discuss." This is the time for everybody to co-operate and do so transparently, and this is especially a time for Pakistan to do so". "Pakistan has to determine its own response here. It just needs to be a robust response and it needs to be effective," she added. During her one-day visit, Rice is scheduled to discuss the Mumbai attacks with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gillani. After holding talks with Indian government leaders on Wednesday, Rice said that Pakistan had to act "fully and transparently" in efforts to bring to justice those involved in the Mumbai attacks. "Pakistan has a special responsibility to do so," she told a news conference after meeting Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee. "This is the time for everybody to co-operate and do so transparently, and this is especially a time for Pakistan to do so," she added. Rice also warned India not to take actions that would provoke "unintended consequences". "Any response needs to be judged by its effectiveness in prevention," she said.

Rice seeks concrete action from Zardari

     Islamabad: US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has reportedly got an assurance from Pakistan President Asi Ali Zardari that he and his government are committed to cooperate with India in the ongoing investigation into last week's terror attacks in Mumbai. Zardari, according ton CBS, has vowed to take "strong action" against any militants in his country if they are found to be involved. Zardari stopped short, however, of meeting India's demand that any suspects be turned over to New Delhi. He said earlier this week that any suspects - with proven evidence against them - would be tried in Pakistan. CBS News, quoting sources in the Pakistan capital, said Rice has made it clear that the U.S. wants to see a series of "concrete steps" from Islamabad, going beyond just another ban on Islamic groups. Rice said measures such as arresting people and putting them on trial on the basis of solid evidence should be, "part of a new and more acceptable effort," a senior Pakistani security official told CBS News. Rice and Zardari discussed the rising tension between India and Pakistan in the wake of the Mumbai attacks and the steps that are required to resolve the issue. Rice said neither country was considering a military response to the increase tension. In regards to her confidence in India's and Pakistan's ability to deal directly with each other in this matter, Rice said she hoped both countries would "keep lines of communication open." Before leaving Pakistan, Rice told reporters that she had good discussions with leaders in both Pakistan and India, where she visited on Wednesday. She said the Mumbai attack showed a level of sophistication that warranted urgency by all the countries involved to bring the perpetrators to justice. .
- Dec 4, 2008

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