U.S. sending terror investigators to India

State Department spokesman Robert McInturff said U.S. officials have activated a phone tree to contact American citizens who registered with the U.S. consulate in Mumbai.

Pakistan’s ambassador to the U.S., Husain Haqqani, said in a statement that his country is “confronting the menace of terrorism with great vigor.” Haqqani insisted “it is unfair to blame Pakistan or Pakistanis for these acts of terrorism even before an investigation is undertaken.”

India and Pakistan have fought two of their three wars over Kashmir. U.S. officials are concerned about a flare-up in animosity similar to one that occurred after Pakistani militants attacked the Indian parliament in December 2001, officials said.

Underscoring those fears, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has called the foreign minister of India twice, along with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, since the crisis began.

“There were very worrying tensions in the region,” said Gordon Duguid, a State Department spokesman. “She was calling the president of Pakistan to get his read on how those tensions might be affected.”

Democratic Sen. Russ Feingold of Wisconsin said that “as we continue to learn the details about the attacks and those responsible for them, we must not allow them to undermine the progress that has been made to foster better relations between India and its neighbor Pakistan, two critical partners in our global fight against terrorism.”

President-elect Barack Obama has spoken by telephone with Rice about the attacks and received several intelligence briefings, State Department officials said. They said Rice spoke again Friday with Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee.

The State Department set up a call center for Americans concerned about family members who may be in Mumbai. The number is 1-888-407-4747.

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