Reference ID
08NEWDELHI3044
Created
2008-12-02
15:03
Released
2010-11-30
21:09
Classification
CONFIDENTIAL
Origin
Embassy New
Delhi
VZCZCXRO4023
OO RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHLH RUEHPW
DE RUEHNE #3044/01 3371509
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 021509Z DEC 08
FM AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4493
INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 7197
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 1057
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 5590
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 2921
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 1387
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 5930
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEIDN/DNI WASHINGTON DC
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 7263
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 7990
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
RUMICEA/USCENTCOM INTEL CEN MACDILL AFB FL
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 003044
SIPDIS
EO 12958 DECL: 12/02/2018
TAGS PGOV, PTER, PHUM, PREL, PINR, KDEM, KISL, PK, IN
SUBJECT: MUMBAI ATTACKS UPDATE: DIPLOMATS IN DELHI DELIVER
UNITED MESSAGES
REF: A. NEW DELHI 3025
B. NEW DELHI 3024
C. NEW DELHI 3018
D. MUMBAI 550
Classified By: PolCouns Ted Osius for Reasons 1.4 (B, D)
¶1. (C) Summary: Diplomatic missions in Delhi have agreed to offer a more
sympathetic message to the Indians rather than pound on the government for
its massive intelligence failure.
Evidence that Pakistani-based extremist
group Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) was the culprit is still not out in the open,
although the question being asked now is whether Pakistan’s Intelligence
Agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) was directly involved in the
attack. Dipomatic missions in Delhi are praising Delhi for its restraint
while advising Pakistan that now is the time to collaborate. End Summary.
Offering Only Sympathy and Support
———————————-
¶2. (C) At a 2 December meeting with counterparts from the Australian,
British, Canadian, and New Zealand High Commissions, these diplomats
communicated details of the controlled approach their respective missions
in Delhi have taken in their responses to India’s reaction to the Mumbai
attacks. They concluded that any offers of assistance should be made
carefully to avoid being interpreted by the Indians as politically motivated
or attempts to monitor their actions. Delhi-based missions are taking extra
care at this stage to not get sucked into the blame game Pakistan and India
are currently playing.
¶3. (C) The EU (diplomatic mission heads) are scheduled for a strategic
dialogue with India on 5 December to discuss what type of support India would
feel comfortable receiving; in addition, the EU plans to send to Delhi a
counter-terrorism coordinator in January.
¶4. (C) The French Ambassador, according to the British High Commission,
called the French, German, and Italian Ambassadors (unbeknownst to other EU
partners) to discuss assistance to the Indians. President Sarkozy is expected
to call Prime Minister Singh to express his sympathy and to offer cooperation
at a suitable level.
¶5. (SBU) The Australian Prime Minister in his speech to his parliament said
Australia “stands with India at this timeâ€
and offered any assistance
that their “friends†in New Delhi may require. He stressed the importance
of tracking down those responsible for the planning and execution of the
Mumbai attacks, singling out LeT as an separatist militant group which
has been a threat to India for a long time, but saying it is too early to
speculate on who the perpetrators were.
The Million Dollar Question
—————————
¶6. (C) While Indian press continues to pin blame on Pakistan, observers
and diplomats in Delhi are asking the same question: was the ISI behind
the Mumbai attacks? While there are clear links between the attacks’
perpetrators and the extremist group LeT, and likewise, there are links
between LeT and the ISI, there is no clear evidence yet to suggest that
ISI directed or facilitated the attacks, according to the British High
Commission.
Demarching the Indians and Pakistanis
————————————-
¶7. (C) A British diplomat told us that UK Foreign Secretary Miliband urged
restraint to External Affairs Minister
NEW DELHI 00003044 002 OF 002
Mukherjee when they spoke on 1 December. The call took place only after many
delays on the GOI’s part. Mukherjee apparently disavowed any interest in
raising tensions further, but insisted that Pakistan must take action in
response to India,s demands. Our contact stressed that the UK had been very
direct in presenting India and Pakistan with specific information regarding
those responsible for the attacks. She also noted that the list of names the
Indians had put on the “Most Wanted Criminals List†that had been passed
to Islamabad included figures such as fugitive crime lord Dawood Ibrahim and
Jaish-e-Mohammed Chief Maulana Azhar, who had been on prior lists the Indians
had submitted. In her view, this took away from the focus on LeT members
implicated in the Mumbai attacks.
¶8. (C) Narayanan, according to British diplomats, delivered the message
that he understands Pakistan’s civilian government has no control over
the ISI or the army. He said India is not blaming the Pakistani government.
The Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs is still waiting on the Pakistanis to
provide the name of the ISI Director they plan to send as well as a date.
¶9. (C) The Australian High Commission delivered the message to the
Pakistanis that this is a watershed and cooperation with the Indians now is
crucial. The Australians have praised the Indians for the past restraint they
have shown toward Pakistan and offered assistance, which was “politely
denied†, according to an Australian diplomat.
Zardari Cornered
—————-
¶10. (C) An official in the Pakistani High Commission in Delhi told Poloff
that he held the Indian press responsible for any deterioration in the Indo-
Pak relationship. Following the Indian press coverage which misrepresented
the potential visit of the ISI Chief and complicated potential cooperation
between the two governments, this diplomat said Zardari’s options became
more limited and the GOP felt it had no other choice than to backpedal on
its initial offer, made before the Mumbai attacks, to send its ISI Chief to
India. MULFORD
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