Mumbai attacks seen planned in Pakistan

WASHINGTON, Dec. 7 (UPI) -- U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says the Mumbai terror carnage doubtless was planned on Pakistani territory, a charge also made by India.

Rice -- who recently returned to Washington from India and Pakistan in the aftermath of the Nov. 26 terror attacks on India's financial capital -- told CNN's "Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer" Sunday, "Well, I think there's no doubt that Pakistani territory was used by probably non-state actors.

"I don't think that there is compelling evidence of involvement of Pakistani officials. But I do think that Pakistan has a responsibility to act, and it doesn't matter that they're non-state actors."

The reference to "non-state actors" was in response to Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari's claim that "stateless actors" carried out the Mumbai attacks, which lasted three days and left more than 170 dead and hundreds wounded.

Indian authorities have charged the attackers were Pakistani nationals, blaming the Islamist militant group Lashkar-e-Toiba, based in Pakistan, for masterminding the attacks.

CNN said Rice's comments on the Pakistani connection were the most definitive by a top U.S. official.

Rice did not directly link LeT or al-Qaida to the attacks but LeT's hand in the Mumbai killings has not been ruled out by U.S. counterterrorism officials, CNN said.

LeT has denied responsibility for the Mumbai attacks but Indian authorities have said a suspect in custody told them he was trained by LeT.

"The important thing now is to get these perpetrators and to prevent follow-on attacks. And Pakistan's cooperation, Pakistan's action, is absolutely essential to doing that," Rice told CNN.