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As Rice Presses Pakistan, Tens of Thousands Take to Streets in Mumbai
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For the first time, Rice said the indiscriminate killing at several sites in India's financial capital bore the hallmarks of al-Qaeda, though she did not suggest responsibility.
"Whether there is a direct al-Qaeda hand or not, this is clearly the kind of terrorism in which al-Qaeda participates . . . to send a message that people are not safe, that business centers are not safe. We experienced that in New York. What is important now is to go to the source, to follow every lead," Rice said.
In Pakistan, Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, met with President Asif Ali Zardari and army chief Gen. Ashfaq Kiyani and urged them "to investigate aggressively any and all possible ties to groups in Pakistan," according to a statement released by the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad.
Mullen's visit came after a special parliamentary conference Tuesday in which dozens of Pakistani political leaders expressed sympathy for the victims of the attacks in a written resolution and called for "constructive engagement" with India. But the politicians took exception to what they described as "unsubstantiated allegations made in haste against Pakistan."
The attacks in Mumbai threaten to cause the deepest rupture in Indian-Pakistani relations since a Lashkar attack on the Indian Parliament in December 2001. In the aftermath of that attack, the two countries came to the brink of war, but it was averted after U.S. diplomatic intervention.
On Wednesday, the mood among at least some Indians was swinging back toward war. With candles in their hands as the sun set over the Arabian Sea, thousands of residents marched near the Taj Mahal Palace & Tower hotel, the landmark building that the gunmen had under siege for 60 hours.
"We are sick of these bombings. This is our city. Do we have a right to live in peace?" said Monish Gutka, 25, a stockbroker. "Anger against Pakistan is 100 percent now."
A group behind him shouted, "Long live Mother India." Others sang the national anthem. A group of women wore T-shirts over their saris that had a bloodstain-like design and the words: "Turn Anger Into Action." Some also vented anger at India's government for not preventing the attacks.
The protest was organized largely through the social networking Web site Facebook and via text messages, and the demonstrators came from all walks of life, including Bollywood movie stars, investment bankers, students and lawyers.
"The terrorists stuck South Mumbai, the most desirable address in India," said Uday Shankar, chief executive officer of Star India, which runs a group of entertainment and news TV channels. "It is a spontaneous tide that is rising. It will go away. But the anger, frustration and fear will stay."
Lakshmi reported from Mumbai. Correspondent Candace Rondeaux in Islamabad, Pakistan, contributed to this report.
