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WRAPUP 4-India says hands Mumbai attack evidence to Pakistan

Mon Jan 5, 2009 9:25pm IST
 
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 * India hands Pakistan dossier of evidence
 * Pakistan says it will examine it
 * U.S. official says Pakistan determined to follow-up
 
 By Alistair Scrutton
 NEW DELHI, Jan 5 (Reuters) - India handed over evidence on
Monday to Pakistan that it said linked Pakistani militants to
the Mumbai attacks and demanded a prompt investigation, piling
diplomatic pressure on its nuclear-armed rival.
 India has blamed Pakistani militants for the November
attacks, which killed 179 people and reignited tension between
the neighbours who have fought three wars since 1947, but this
is the first time it has handed over evidence to Islamabad.
 Foreign secretary Shiv Shankar Menon said it "beggars the
imagination" that no Pakistani officials knew about preparations
for the assault on India's financial hub.
 "It's hard to believe that something of this scale, that
took so long in the preparation and of this nature, which
amounts really to a commando attack, could occur without
anybody, anywhere in the establishment knowing," Menon told
reporters.
 The evidence included a confession from the man India says
is the lone surviving gunman, details of communications links
with "elements in Pakistan", and data retrieved from GPS and
satellite phones, India's foreign ministry said.
 Pakistan said it would look into the evidence.
 "It is our duty, my duty, to examine the dossier carefully,
understand it and be truthful to myself, to my country and the
neighbourhood," Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi
told Reuters.
 While a similar attack on India's parliament in 2001 nearly
sparked a war after a massive build-up of forces on their
border, this time New Delhi has focused on diplomatic
initiatives, especially winning support from the United States.
 On Monday, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher
was in Islamabad for meetings with President Asif Ali Zardari
and other government leaders on issues including the Mumbai
attacks.
 "I think there's determination here to follow-up, find those
responsible, the groups responsible ... making sure they can't
do it again," Boucher told reporters in Islamabad.
 
 NOT IMPRESSED
 Boucher said Pakistan had done "quite a bit", detaining a
"significant number" of operatives of the militant group India
says was behind the attacks, and shutting down offices of a
charity the United Nations says is a front for the group.
 But he said there had been "not much" cooperation between
the two countries and urged more: "The two sides need to
exchange information, follow up each other's leads."
 India says that it has not been satisfied by Pakistan's
response. New Delhi wants Islamabad to dismantle what it says
are terrorist training camps on Pakistani territory and
extradite 40 suspects.
 "Frankly what we have seen so far does not impress us,"
Menon said." "What we want is ... to bring the perpetrators to
Indian justice and to guarantee that there are no terrorist
attacks from Pakistan on India. As of now all we have seen is
denial or confusing and contradictory statements."
 Pakistan says it will act if India provides proof but will
not hand over Pakistanis to India. Instead, it says it will
prosecute anyone found involved. Many Indians suspect Pakistan
will do the minimum needed to fend off pressure.
 Indian Home Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram said on Sunday
the attacks pointed to involvement of Pakistani "state actors",
hinting at a role by its powerful military spy agency, the ISI.
 Qureshi said Chidambaram's statement was "speculation".
 Analysts say security elements within Pakistan such as the
ISI may want to provoke tension with India as an excuse to move
troops from its western border with Afghanistan, where troops
are waging an unpopular, costly war against Taliban militants.
 A decision by Pakistan to move troops to its eastern border
with India would worry Washington, which is preparing a troop
surge to battle Taliban militants in Afghanistan.
 Boucher said neither India nor Pakistan wanted military
confrontation.
 Some analysts also say India has placed too much faith in
the United States and may be disappointed.
 "I think that Pakistan has led itself to believe that the
U.S. and NATO allies need Pakistan so much that there is
precious little the United States will do," said G.
Parthasarathy, a former ambassador to Pakistan.
 (Additional reporting by Simon Denyer in New Delhi and Robert
Birsel in Islamabad; Editing by Simon Denyer and Charles Dick)

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