By NNN-APP,
New York : The Bush administration, hoping to defuse the tensions between India and Pakistan, announced Sunday night it was sending Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to New Delhi, The New York Times reported Monday.
Dr. Rice will arrive in New Delhi on Wednesday, on the heels of an already scheduled trip to attend a NATO meeting in Brussels Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Dana Perino was cited as saying.
“President (George W.) Bush has asked Secretary Rice to travel to India this week in wake of the terror attacks that killed nearly 200 people, including six American citizens,” Ms. Perino said.
“Secretary Rice’s visit to India is a further demonstration of the United States’ commitment to stand in solidarity with the people of India as we all work together to hold these extremists accountable,” it said.
In a telephone call earlier on Sunday President Bush told Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that the United States was swinging behind India’s efforts to track down those responsible for the deadly attacks.
“President Bush told the Prime Minister that he has directed the State and Defense departments along with other federal agencies to devote the necessary resources and personnel to this situation,” White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe said in a statement.
Bush told Singh, “we would all be working together, with the international community, to go after these extremists,” Johndroe said.
Bush also told the Indian leader that he believed “out of this tragedy can come an opportunity to hold these extremists accountable and demonstrate the world’s shared commitment to combat terrorism.”