India Credits Islamic Militants Trained in Pakistan For The Mumbai Attacks on November 26, 2008

India Credits Islamic Militants Trained in Pakistan For The Mumbai Attacks on November 26, 2008. The  attacks on Mumbai left more than 160 people dead in a three day siege of India’s financial capital.

Authorities have taken phone records, captured weapons and statements by the sole surviving suspect in November’s Mumbai massacre. That is among the evidence India’s government handed over to Pakistan on Monday.

(pic) Fire erupts from the Taj Mahal hotel in Mumbai, India, on November 27, 2008.

Pakistani officials have promised to cooperate with the investigation, but have insisted that India show it the evidence supporting its case and Monday morning, India delivered what it says is that evidence to Pakistani officials in New Delhi and Islamabad.

“We are also briefing all our friendly countries,”  External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, stated. “I have written to my counterparts around the world giving them details of the events in Mumbai and describing in some detail the progress that we have made in our investigations and the evidence that we have collected.”

Indian Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon called on Pakistan to cooperate fully in what he stressed was an ongoing investigation. “We would like to see real action (from Pakistan) as soon as possible.”

Declaring that most of the investigation “now has to be done in Pakistan,” Indian Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon avoiding linking any officials directly to the attack but he stated, “It’s hard to believe something of this scale, that took so long in the preparation, that amounted, really, to a commando attack…could occur without anybody anywhere in the establishment knowing that this is happening.”

Menon stated that India’s investigation has focused on groups in Pakistan because, “the links lead back to Pakistan and they don’t lead into other countries. Pakistan has an obligation under international laws and treaties to render legal assistance. That extends up to and it includes extradition.”

India’s goal, Menon added, is to “bring the perpetrators to Indian justice.” Asked by a reporter if that meant suspects should be brought to India for trial, Menon said, “Where else is there Indian justice?”

“It is our expectation that the government of Pakistan will promptly undertake further investigations in Pakistan and share the results with us so as to bring the perpetrators to justice,” the ministry said in a statement announcing the handover.

Pakistan’s foreign office has responded back with a statement saying it was “determined to uncover the full facts pertaining to the Mumbai terrorist attacks.”

The statement said “the government of Pakistan will evaluate the information provided by India so far.” Without going into specifics, the statement added, “Pakistan and India must cooperate in the investigations.”

The Mumbai killings fueled renewed tensions between South Asia’s long time rivals, who have fought three wars since independence and conducted tit-for-tat nuclear weapons tests in 1998.

Indian authorities have found that Mohammed Ajmal Kasab, the surviving suspect, has told investigators he was trained by Laskhar-e-Tayyiba, an Islamic militant group founded to battle Indian rule in the disputed Himalayan territory of Kashmir.

The group was thought to have been banned following a 2001 attack on the Indian parliament that brought India and Pakistan to the brink of war.

New Delhi has demanded that Pakistan hand over around 20 wanted militant leaders, but none have been released to New Delhi.

In the investigation, Pakistani security forces rounded up more than a dozen militant leaders in December, and Asif Ali Zardarint swears that any suspects would face trial in Pakistan.

There are more BBAC posts about Mumbai. But for the full report on “India Credits Islamic Militants Trained in Pakistan For The Mumbai Attacks on November 26, 2008,” go to CNN News.