BRUSSELS, Belgium – A senior State Department official says there is reason to suspect that the India terror attacks were the work of a group at least partly based in Pakistan.
That's the closest a U.S. official has come to laying blame for the coordinated assaults in Mumbai, although the official was careful to say Tuesday that the evidence isn't all in. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation is still under way.
The official did not detail the evidence, and did not single out any one terror organization as suspect.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
WASHINGTON AP — The Bush administration warned India before last week's brutal attacks in Mumbai that terrorists appeared to be plotting a mostly waterborne assault on its financial capital, a senior administration official said Tuesday.
The official would not elaborate on the timing nor details of the U.S. warning to Indian counterparts. The official confirmed, though, that Washington passed on information it had about a possible attacks, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of intelligence information.
The revelation of U.S. involvement comes as the Indian government faces widespread accusations of security and intelligence failures after the attacks last week. Suspected Muslim militants carried out a three-day assault that killed 172 people and wounded 239 in the heart of Mumbai.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is set to visit India Wednesday, carrying the U.S. demand that Pakistan cooperate fully in the investigation into the attacks and to try to reduce tensions between India and Pakistan, who share a longtime and deadly rivalry.
Amid information that the terrorists trained in camps in Pakistan, India has demanded that Islamabad hand over suspected terrorists believed living there and had said that Pakistan's leaders must take "strong action" action against those responsible.
Among those killed in Mumbai were six Americans, White House press secretary Dana Perino said.
