US seeks answers from Pakistan on Mumbai attacks

Tahawwur Rana's trial, which started in Chicago on Monday, is likely to bare links between 26/11 terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Toiba and the ISI

US seeks answers from Pakistan on Mumbai attacks

Tahawwur Rana's trial, which started in Chicago on Monday, is likely to bare links between 26/11 terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Toiba and the ISI

With the terrorism trial of Pakistan-born Tahawwur Hussain Rana widely expected to expose Pakistan's link to terrorists, the United States has sought answers from Islamabad about the 26/11 Mumbai attack.

The Taj Hotel,u00a0 one of the targets of the 26/11 attack in which 167 people were killed, is a symbol of resilience. The hotel, which was gutted during the 60-hour siege, was reopened soon after the attack. Around Rs 500 crore was invested in repairing the iconic building

"Those are allegations, and we've asked the Pakistani Government to address those allegations in the past," State Department spokesman Mark Toner told reporters Monday when asked about the alleged involvement of Pakistani spy agency, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in the November 2008 attack.

He, however, declined to give details citing legal procedures, what with the ongoing court proceedings in a Chicago court. "There's a criminal trial going on now that's aiming to answer some of those questions. But I don't want to get into it beyond that," Toner said.

"I think we've been clear, again, that this is an ongoing legal process, trial, and so I can't say a lot about it. But speaking globally about the Mumbai attacks, we have asked that all parties answer questions that have been raised by the Mumbai attacks," Toner added.

Asked if the State Department has started a process to get access to four Pakistanis named in the Rana case, Toner said he didn't have any answer and would have to check.

Besides Rana and Pakistani American David Coleman Headley, who has confessed to his role, four others charged in absentia include his Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) handlers Major Iqbal and Sajid Mir.

Also indicted is Ilyas Kashmiri, the commander of the terror group HuJI who also is believed to be Al Qaeda's operational chief in Pakistan.