Mumbai Aftermath
December 14, 2008
At a joint press conference with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari in Islamabad on Sunday, Dec. 14, Brown said, "We will work to ensure that everything is done to make sure that terrorists are denied any safe haven in Pakistan. The time has come for action and not words."
The British premier said Zardari assured him that "his authorities are determined to act against those who are behind Mumbai attacks."
Brown also announced that Britain would contribute six million pounds ($9 million, 6.7 million euros) to a "comprehensive anti-terrorism program" to help Pakistan address the causes of radicalism.
Pakistani militants blamed for Mumbai
Before arriving in Islamabad, Brown had made an unscheduled visit to New Delhi, where he said that Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba was responsible for the Mumbai carnage last month that left 173 people dead, including 26 foreigners, and more than 300 injured.
"We know that there have been arrests in Pakistan and we also know that the group responsible is the LeT (Lashkar-e-Toiba) and that they (Pakistan) have a great deal to answer for," Brown told reporters in Delhi.
Indian security agencies have also accused LeT of the attacks.
Brown said Pakistani militants were a threat not only to India but also to the Britain.
"Three quarters of the most serious terrorists plots investigated by British authorities have links with al-Qaeda in Pakistan," he added.
India demands more from Pakistan
At a breakfast meeting in Delhi, Brown discussed with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh the escalating tensions with neighboring Pakistan, increasing violence in Afghanistan and measures to strengthen counter-terrorism cooperation.
Indian officials demanded Pakistan do more than arresting militant leaders, saying it need to "bring them to justice" by initiating criminal proceedings.
Brown's visit to India and Pakistan follows US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's Dec. 3-5 visit.
Brown's trip was seen as a reflection of concern, shared by the US, that India-Pakistan tensions do not affect the fight against the Taliban in Afghanistan.