The United States and Britain led global condemnation of Wednesday’s attacks in India’s financial capital, Mumbai, where blasts and shootings targeted at foreigners left more than 100 people dead.
The US said the attacks, which also wounded hundreds, were ”horrific”, while US president-elect Barack Obama pledged to work with India to ”root out and destroy terrorist networks”.
United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon said such violence was ”totally unacceptable”, while Britain condemned the attacks on its former colony as ”outrageous” and the European Union expressed its ”horror and indignation”.
Officials said about 100 people died in coordinated attacks at two of Mumbai’s top luxury hotels and the main Chhatrapati Shivaji railway station late on Wednesday.
A group calling itself the ”Deccan Mujahedeen” claimed responsibility.
One British guest of the Taj Mahal hotel told local Indian television that armed men had herded people, including himself, to the hotel’s upper floors.
”They said they wanted anyone with British and American passports,” he said.
The US and Britain said they had no reports of casualties among their citizens, although Japan reported one of its nationals killed and another hurt, and two Australians and a European Parliament staffer were also injured.
Washington condemned the ”horrific” attack and the White House said it had convened a meeting of top intelligence and counter-terrorism officials in response, and stood ”ready to assist and support the Indian government”.
Obama’s chief national security spokesperson, Brooke Anderson, said the president-elect’s prayers were with the victims and their families.
”These coordinated attacks on innocent civilians demonstrate the grave and urgent threat of terrorism,” Anderson said.
”The United States must continue to strengthen our partnerships with India and nations around the world to root out and destroy terrorist networks.”
UN Secretary General Ban also condemned the attacks, saying: ”Such violence is totally unacceptable.”
”The secretary general reiterates his conviction that no cause or grievance can justify indiscriminate attacks against civilians. He calls for the perpetrators to be brought to justice swiftly,” his office said.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said he had sent Indian premier Manmohan Singh a message assuring that ”the UK stands solidly with his government as they respond, and to offer all necessary help”.
”These outrageous attacks in Mumbai will be met with a vigorous response,” he said.
Foreign Secretary David Miliband said the attacks ”remind us, yet again, of the threat we face from violent extremists”, and said Britain and India would ”continue their joint efforts to counter the actions of terrorists”.
The French presidency of the European Union said it had learnt of the attacks ”with horror and indignation” and ”condemns them in the strongest possible terms”.
It said the EU ”shares in the mourning of the Indian nation and stands by its side during this dramatic test”.
‘Strong condemnation’
In a separate statement, the EU’s executive arm, the European Commission, said: ”Terrorism is never justified and is no means to achieve any goal.”
”This is a cowardly act. It’s indiscriminate, it’s a terrorist act, it’s an assault on democracy,” said acting Australian Foreign Minister Simon Crean.
Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon condemned the ”savage terrorist attacks” and stressed his country’s ties with India.
”Canada and India share a commitment to freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law. Among our mutual priorities is close cooperation to promote international security and to fight terrorism,” he said.
Neighbouring Bangladesh slammed the ”cowardly” attacks. In a letter to his Indian counterpart, Foreign Ministry adviser Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury condemned the attacks as ”mindless acts of terror”.
Spain’s Crown Prince Felipe also voiced ”tremendous sadness and condemnation of the attacks, which seem to have left such a high number of victims”.
Venezuela joined Western powers in ”categorically” condemning the attacks.
In a statement the government offered its condolences to families of the victims and said it was praying for terrorist groups to embrace ”the path of non-violence and human equality”.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, currently visiting Venezuela, similarly condemned the attacks as damaging ”the whole world order”.
Speaking to reporters, Medvedev said ”such acts … represent a challenge to humanity”.
Brazil reaffirmed its ”strong condemnation of all forms of terrorism” and offered its condolences to the families of the victims, as did Argentina.
Colombia said that it had ”also suffered at the hands of terrorism and supports the Republic of India in its fight against this international scourge, recognising that terrorism is a criminal and unjustifiable action”. — AFP
