Initial investigations point to Pakistan as the country where the perpetrators of the Mumbai terror attack were trained. It was also established in the initial report that a former member of a Pakistani Army had a hand in training the group that carried on the Mumbai attack.
These revelations came directly from Azam Amir Kasab, the only survivor who is part of the attacker’s group, after his interrogation by the police authorities. Azam told interrogators that the group was taking orders from their “command in Pakistan”.
A senior investigator told Reuters; “They underwent training in several phases, which include training in handling weapons, bomb-making, survival strategies, survival in marine environment and even dietary habits”
Although India authorities have not directly linked Pakistan to the terror attack, they have expressed frustration of its inability to prevent the extremist elements from using its territory as a launching pad for these terrorists to attack India.
Some concerned groups in India have called on Indian authorities in the past to the reported shipments of ammunitions and explosives using the Indian shorelines in transporting them from sources outside the Indian territories. However, these sources said that authorities have disregarded their report and even denied receiving them.
US State Secretary Condoleezza Rice is scheduled to visit India this Wednesday in an apparent show of concern for the victims of the attack and to deliver the message that the Us government view the recent violent events with seriousness. In London, she told reporters, “I don’t want to jump to any conclusions myself on this, but I do not think that this is a time for complete, absolute, total transparency and cooperation and that is what we expect (from Pakistan”).
In effect, the US government is telling Pakistan to cooperate fully with the investigations which has initially pointed to the possible involvements of misplaced Pakistan elements. The bloody assault in Mumbai exposed India’s vulnerability to subsequent attacks by foreign terrorist groups. It showed India’s weak intelligence network and inefficient police organization.