Rice Warns Pakistan Must Act Against "Stateless" Terrorists

December 3, 2008 7:25 p.m. EST

New Delhi, India (AHN) - U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Wednesday Pakistan has to act strongly against terrorists inside its territory even if they are stateless.

"Non-state actors sometimes operate within the confines a state ... and when that is the case, there has to be very direct and tough action against them," CNN quoted Rice as saying at a joint news conference with Indian foreign minister Pranab Mukherjee in New Delhi.

Rice made the statement in response to Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari's statement on Tuesday that the terrorists who attacked Mumbai last week "are all stateless actors who are holding hostage the whole world."

Meanwhile, Rice promised New Delhi that Washington will help bring those responsible to justice and prevent future attacks on India. However, she cautioned India on its choice of action if Pakistan refuses to heed New Delhi's demand to hand over 20 suspected Pakistani masterminds of the Mumbai attack.

"Any response needs to be judged by its effectiveness in prevention, and also by not creating other unintended consequences or difficulties," she said, according to CNN.