India Leaves Options Open as Pakistan Refuses to Hand Over Suspects

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari has ruled out handing over the 20 people the Indian government has demanded in the wake of last week’s Mumbai attacks. Rather, Zardari says that if his government is given proof of the men’s involvement in the plot, they would be tried in Pakistani courts. Zardari also expressed doubt that the lone captured gunmen was Pakistani, saying he had yet to see any tangible proof that this was the case.

At a joint news conference earlier in the day with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee said he had no doubt the attacks were coordinated in Pakistan, that his government is keeping all options open for its response to Pakistan, and that this would depend on their response to the demand to hand over the suspects.

Joint Chiefs chairman Admiral Michael Mullen visited Pakistan today, and urged the government to “investigate aggressively any and all possible ties to groups based in Pakistan.” Secretary Rice also pressed Pakistan to cooperate “fully and transparently” in the investigation.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.