Bush Pledges Full Support To India; Sends Condoleezza Rice To Mumbai

December 1, 2008 7:06 a.m. EST

Washington, D.C. (AHN) - With six Americans among the 183 dead in Mumbai, U.S. President George W. Bush over the weekend offered his condolences to the victims and their families and pledged his full support to the Indian government. He sent U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to demonstrate his commitment to the region.

In a statement from the South Lawn of the White House, Bush said, "The killers who struck this week are brutal and violent, but terror will not have the final word. People of India are resilient. People of India are strong. They have built a vibrant, multiethnic democracy that can withstand this trial. Their financial capital of Mumbai will continue to be the center of commerce and prosperity."

"The leaders of India can know that nations around the world support them in the face of this assault on human dignity. And as the people of the world's largest democracy recover from these attacks, they can count on the world's oldest democracy to stand by their side," he added.

The President said he had spoken with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his national security team. Six Americans have died in the coordinate attacks in Mumbai, India's commercial capital, that began on Wednesday with shootings and explosions in several locations including two five-star hotels and a train station.

Rice will arrive in Mumbai on Wednesday. Her visit 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," White House press secretary Dana Perino said in a statement on Sunday.

The Indian government has said 183 have died in the attacks, including 22 foreigners. The White House has officially announced that six Americans were among the dead.

The attacks have sparked tensions with Pakistan, which has denied allegations that it had supported the terrorists, and endangered a tenuous cease-fire in the disputed region of Kashmir. Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani will meet with his officials on Tuesday to try to evaluate the security in the region after one of most violent terror attacks in South Asia.