Attack part of larger ‘design’, says India, Rice for tough Pak action

AS US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice made it clear today that Pakistan will have to take “direct and tough action” even if the perpetrators of the Mumbai terror attacks were “non-state actors”, India went another step ahead, linking the Mumbai strikes to the blasts in Jaipur,Delhi, Bangalore and calling it a “design” to attack India.

Rice, who leaves for Islamabad tomorrow where she is expected to convey the same tough message, sought to underline US support and cooperation, asking the Indian establishment to work systematically through the investigations and assuring that Washington will do all it can to get Islamabad to extend help.

After her talks with External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Rice said: “The fact is non-state actors perform from the confines of the state. There has to be direct and tough action (by Islamabad).” She made it clear that “non-state actors” were “still a matter of your (Pakistan) responsibility that somehow relates to your territory”.

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