Press Releases 2008

Department of State Press Briefing, December 9, 2008

Daily Press Briefing Index

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Briefer:  Sean McCormack, Spokesman

• INDIA
   
  Misinformation Regarding Source of Mumbai Attacks
   
• PAKISTAN/INDIA
   
  Constructive Tone from Both Countries Regarding Mumbai Attacks 
  Both Focused on Bringing Those Responsible to Justice/ Preventing Future Attacks
   
• PAKISTAN
   
  High Threat to Pakistan from Extremists and Terrorists 

QUESTION: Sean, speaking of perceptions, there have been some reports, some editorials and some commentary published in official Syrian newspapers that appear to blame Zionists or Israel or the United States for the Mumbai attacks, and now President Ahmadinejad has also come out with something along similar lines, saying there’s no way that the attacks originated in that region. I’m just wondering if you have anything to say about that.

MR. MCCORMACK: Dis- or misinformation. I haven’t seen the reports. I don’t know which category to place them in. It’s just not true. Just not true. We know who is responsible.

QUESTION: And that is?

MR. MCCORMACK: Well, we – the – well, I will say only – I will say only, as the Secretary has said, that the attacks originated from Pakistani soil.

Yeah.

QUESTION: To follow up on that, Pakistan said today that they would not hand any suspect over to India if they were – if they are arrested, and they are ready to war in India, to – ready for war in India if New Delhi decided to attack Pakistani territory. Would U.S. be ready to strike itself against – these groups in Pakistani territory to avoid a war between these two nuclear countries?

MR. MCCORMACK: Well, I haven’t seen these particular quotations. Let me just try to convey to you the sense of the various – or the tone of the various meetings the Secretary had on her recent trip to the region, both on the Pakistani side as well as the Indian side.

And I think the tone – the tone was -- that she heard on both sides was very constructive. And everybody in all the meetings wanted to focus on a couple of things: making sure that those who were responsible for these attacks were brought to justice, and two; to do everything possible to prevent future attacks. You heard that in the public comments, and that was very much the tone in the private meetings.

And we have seen a lot of the news reports about the steps that Pakistan has taken over the past day or so. These are important and positive steps. I’m not going to get out ahead of the Pakistani Government commenting on the specifics of them, but as we understand them, these are good and important steps and could potentially serve the cause of preventing further attacks. Because that’s the last thing – that’s the last thing that either side needs.

QUESTION: But would be – would U.S. be ready to strike to avoid India to do so?

MR. MCCORMACK: Well again, Sylvie, I’m trying to shift you to the focus on the diplomacy here. And I think that – because that’s really where the center of the – the center of gravity of the action is right now. These comments notwithstanding, the center of gravity is really on the diplomacy and effective action to try to bring to justice those responsible and to prevent any further attacks. And I would note in that regard that Pakistan – the steps that have been reported that Pakistan has taken are important in that regard.

QUESTION: Just a quick follow-up.

MR. MCCORMACK: Yeah.

QUESTION: Sean, there is a call from many fronts that the U.S. should now declare Pakistan a terrorist state because of all these happening affect Pakistan be effective for terrorists.

MR. MCCORMACK: You know, Goyal, the threat from violent extremists and terrorists is as great to Pakistan as it is to anybody else, to India, to the United States, to other countries around the globe and with interest in that region. So they’ve – we know that the Pakistani Government – all elements of the Pakistani Government understand that.

QUESTION: Sean, are you – is the Bush Administration pursuing sanctions against former members of Pakistani intelligence? There was a report today in The Wall Street Journal about that --

MR. MCCORMACK: Right, well –

QUESTION: -- about their connection to Lashkar.

MR. MCCORMACK: Right. I’m not going to comment, obviously, on any actions with respect – whether it’s the UN or bilaterally that we might take in the financial area. This would fall into the financial area. I assume that’s what you’re talking about. So, post facto, we can perhaps discuss them some more. I’m not trying to steer you one way or the other on these things.

QUESTION: But you’re not denying that there’s a possibility?

MR. MCCORMACK: I’m not going to – you know, I’m not going to steer you one way or the other. I mean, and the basic reason, generally speaking – and I’m not speaking to any particular report – that we don’t talk about these kinds of things prior to doing them is you worry about asset flight. So, again, I’m not going to try to steer you one way or the other, but just to – for you as well as anybody else who might be listening to explain why it is we don’t get into it beforehand, that’s the reason why.