Pakistan Army involved in Mumbai attack, India told US

NEW DELHI - The Pakistan Army was involved in the Mumbai terrorist attack, India’s National Security Adviser Shivshankar Menon told the US, according to fresh US embassy cables leaked by WikiLeaks.

“Let’s not insult one another by telling a story that the Pakistan Army was not involved” with the Lashkar-e-Taiba group that carried out the 2008 attack, Menon told US Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher.

A US cable reproduced by The Guardian said that Boucher met Menon just weeks after the Mumbai attack that left 166 people dead and ignited fears of an India-Pakistan war.

“The two men were in full agreement on the need to ensure that Pakistan eliminate Laskhar-e-Taiba but disagreed on some tactics,” said the cable reporting the meeting.

The cable quoted Menon as bluntly telling Boucher: “Let’s not insult one another by telling a story that the Pakistan army was not involved … They’re either unwilling to take action, or incapable, or both; any way you look at it, they’re involved.”

“Boucher urged Menon to `tone down’ the Indian rhetoric and avoid any military movements that could be misinterpreted.

“Menon defended India’s strategy of publicly pressuring Pakistan’s security services, saying they had not yet made the strategic decision to cut ties with Lashkar-e-Taiba, and the civilian government was powerless to force this change.”

Ten terrorists from Pakistan sneaked into Mumbai and went on a killing spree over three days in November 2008.