[Assam] No military action against Pakistan: India - TOI

[Ram Sarangapani]

This from the TOI. It seems quite clear that the GOI is bereft of any
courage, forethought or planning.
It seems like they have had prior warnings and indications that such an
attack was coming, and now this.

All that's left to do now is to roll out the welcome mat for the terrorists.

All India will do is to sound tough and plead with Pak to hand over 20
terrorists. And the Pakis will tell them they are not on their soil. That is
it, end of story, well until the next round of bombings!

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/No_military_action_against_Pakistan_India/articleshow/3783853.cms


  No military action against Pakistan: India
2 Dec 2008, 1643 hrs IST, PTI


  NEW DELHI: Sending a tough message, India on Tuesday said it has demanded
the handing over of LeT chief Hafiz Mohammad and other fugitives in Pakistan
in the wake of Mumbai terror attacks and would await Islamabad's response.

In significant remarks, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said only
"time will show" what will be done by India but made it clear that nobody
was talking about military action.

"Now, we have in our demarche asked (for) the arrest and handover of those
persons who are settled in Pakistan and who are fugitives of Indian law,"
External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said on the sidelines of a
function to inaugurate the India-Arab Forum.

Pakistan's High Commissioner to India Shahid Malik was summoned by the
Ministry of External Affairs yesterday and issued a demarche (protest note).


"...there are lists of about 20 persons. (These) lists are sometimes altered
and this exercise is going on and we have renewed it in our demarche,"
Mukherjee said adding India "will await" Pakistan's response.

India has handed over to Pakistan a list of 20 terrorists, including
Lashkar-e-Taiba chief Hafiz Mohammad and Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar
besides Dawood Ibrahim, who are based in that country and are suspected to
be behind terror attacks in India.

Investigations into the three-day Mumbai terror strikes that left 183 dead
have shown that the plan to carry out the attacks was hatched in Pakistan,
suspectedly by Lashkar-e- Toiba and the perpetrators of the ghastly act came
from Karachi by ships and boats.

Asked about US President-elect Barack Obama's suggestion that India has a
"right to protect" itself, Mukherjee said "what will be done, time will show
and you will come to know."

When told that this could be misinterpreted as military action, Mukherjee
said "there is no misinterpretation. Nobody is talking of military action."

The comment is significant as there are fears in the US as also in Pakistan
that India may consider military action in the wake of Mumbai terror attacks
carried out by "elements" based in Pakistan.

Islamabad has been in a denial mode but India says it has hard evidence to
show Pakistani link.

New Delhi's outrage was voiced by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who said
India will not tolerate use of territories by its neighbours for launching
attacks in this country and that there will be a "cost" to it.

The US is also building pressure on Pakistan, with Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice who arrives here tomorrow for talks with Indian leaders,
saying Islamabad must "follow evidence wherever it leads" and lend
"absolute" and "transparent" cooperation to New Delhi in the probe into the
Mumbai terror strikes.

On the solidarity shown by the world leaders, including the US
President-elect, with India in the aftermath of the Mumbai incidents, the
External Affairs Minister said: "We appreciate the responses which we have
received from all over the world, including Obama."