US would ensure Mumbai attack perpetrators are shut down: US

Mumbai, Jan 9 (PTI) The United States Friday said it wanted to ensure that the terror groups which carried out the Mumbai attacks are shut down as none would be safe as long as these groups are tolerated.

"We want to know who did it, how they did it. We want to
make sure that groups who did it are shut down, put out of
operation," US Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher,
who is in India after visiting Pakistan, told reporters here.

He said Pakistan "has suffered a lot from terror" but
"it (Pakistan) is also a place from where these (terror)
groups operate".
Boucher said Pakistan "needs to get rid of all terrorist
groups". "You cannot have one group operating in Kashmir and
another in Mumbai".

"It is legitimate to close down these places and that is
what we want to ensure," Boucher said, when asked if India
were to carry out surgical strikes against terror groups
across the border.

"None of us, Including Pakistan, India and US, is safe as
long as terror groups are tolerated," he said.

The American official said Pakistan had made a
'promising start' in the fight against terror but there is a
lot that still needs to be done.

On the steps taken by Pakistan after the Mumbai terror
attack, Boucher said "it has put a lot of people in custody
and acted against some organisations".

"We need to ensure that attacks like 26/11 don't recur,"
he said.

Boucher said India's response to the Mumbai attacks is
one which the US would cooperate with and support.
To a question if Pakistan's nuclear capability was a
factor to be considered for India to formulate its response to
the 26/11 strikes, Boucher said "I don't think that Pakistan
having nuclear weapons is the most important factor".

"You can rely on the United States," Boucher said when
asked if the US would help get terrorists wanted by India from
Pakistan.

Asked what would be the US response if Mumbai-like
attacks were to take place there, Boucher said "we would
react in a way we think is the most effective way to stop the
terror attacks".

Asked if the probe into Mumbai terror attacks had yielded
information about who was behind them, he said "it is too
early to talk about investigative conclusions...It is
premature to express any conclusions".

Stating that the probe into Mumbai attack was an Indian
investigation and that the US personnel are in India primarily
in a supportive role, Boucher said "it is a big task". PTI VT