Rice urges action by Pakistan after Mumbai attacks

Seeks 'resolve' to catch those responsible

As they proceeded toward the Taj Mahal hotel in Mumbai yesterday, hundreds of people gathered to light candles in memory of those killed in the terrorist attacks in the city. (Saurabh Das/Associated Press)

NEW DELHI - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice yesterday urged Pakistan to act with "resolve and urgency" to help catch those responsible for last week's terrorist attacks in India, part of a stepped-up US effort to ease tensions between the two nuclear powers.

Yet, even as Rice spoke in New Delhi, tens of thousands of demonstrators gathered in Mumbai near the scene of the carnage chanting "death to Pakistan," evidence of the escalating pressure Indian politicians face as they craft their response.

India has linked the 10 assailants to a Pakistan-based Islamist group, and many at the Mumbai protest advocated military action to combat a terrorist threat that they say the Pakistani government is either unable or unwilling to confront.

"This crowd is a warning to Pakistan to stop sending terrorists to India. We will not take this any longer," said Himanshu Majumdar, a 28-year-old accountant. "We have been talking peace with them for so long, what did we get? Terrorists?"

After leaving India, Rice made an unannounced visit early today to Islamabad. On the flight from New Delhi, she told reporters Pakistan has to carefully determine its next step.

"It just has to be a robust response and one that is effective" in bringing the terrorists to justice, she said. "I've also been emphasizing the importance of prevention here. The Pakistanis are sophisticated; they've been dealing with terrorism themselves for some time. So I'm going there to talk about a Pakistani response, not to carry messages."

The Pakistani government has denied involvement in the attack, which claimed at least 171 lives and injured nearly 300 people. But Indian authorities have alleged that the attackers received training from former Pakistani Army officers, and US intelligence has corroborated their suspicions that the attack was planned and carried out by a Pakistani group, Lashkar-i-Taiba. Indian investigators have said that Yusuf Muzammil, a Lashkar leader thought to be based in the disputed region of Kashmir, was among the masterminds.

In a city still rattled by attacks that appeared to catch authorities unprepared, there were signs yesterday that security in Mumbai remained porous: About 20 pounds of live explosives - apparently left over from the attacks - were found in a bag at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, where thousands of commuters had been riding trains in recent days to work and to school and where two gunmen opened fire last week, Indian authorities said.

The explosives were collected along with a pile of luggage that passengers had abandoned as they fled the gunmen.

In New Delhi, Rice said she understood the pain felt by Indians, mentioning the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States. "We have some sense of what this is like, the sense of vulnerability, the questions that arise and the desire to make sure it does not happen again," she said. She also noted that Pakistanis themselves are frequent victims of terrorist attacks.

"We all have a great interest in getting to the bottom of this," said Rice, who cut short a European farewell tour to meet with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh after the attacks, in which gunmen struck two hotel complexes, a cafe, a railway terminal, a Jewish center and other sites.

Standing at Rice's side, Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee told reporters that there is no doubt the gunmen and their "controllers" came from Pakistan.

Rice made demands on both countries. She said that Pakistan had a "special responsibility" to cooperate with India and help prevent attacks. She also warned India against any impulsive moves that could yield "unintended consequences."