US probing if ISI had role in Mumbai attacks

In the wake of India's assertion that the Inter State Intelligence was involved in the Mumbai attacks, the Obama Administration has said it was investigating the matter to find out whether Pakistan's spy agency played a role in the 26/11 terror strikes.

"We are very much engaged in this question," a senior Administration official said, when asked about the statements made by Home Secretary G K Pillai and National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon that the ISI had played a role in planning and execution of the Mumbai terror attacks.

The official, who requested anonymity, said that the matter was under investigation and he would not like to comment till the probe was over.

The revelation about ISI role in 26/11 had not only come from the interrogation of Pakistani-American Lashkar-e-Tayiba operative David Headley, but also through India's own investigation which had been shared with the US officials.

Pakistan, for its part, has strongly denied that the ISI had any role.

It is understood that the issue was raised when US National Security Advisor James Jones met his Indian counterpart during his trip to New Delhi this month.

It is learnt that officials of the Obama Administration were more considerate than ever about the Indian assertion against the ISI.

In fact, Pakistan has been told by top American officials, who visited Islamabad, this month that "it must" take strong action against those involved in the Mumbai terrorist attacks and that this would be the barometer of its sincerity and willingness to improve its relationship with India.

"The message has been delivered quite forcefully and quite convincingly," General Jones had told an Indian channel.

Pakistan must recognise that it is contrary to their own interests for the future and the stability of the region to continue to tolerate the existence of insurgents within their borders, he said.

"So as a first means of correcting that then, as a first means of showing that Pakistan wants the same things we want and has the same values we want, they have to make the tough decision to go after these terrorist organisations and state, I think, concretely and publicly that this, as a matter of policy cannot be tolerated," he said.

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