US condemns Mumbai terrorist attacks; assures all necessary help

Washington, Nov 27: The United States has condemned the terrorist attacks in Mumbai, expressing its readiness to 'assist and support the Indian government'.

President George W Bush has offered his condolences to Indian people and the families of the innocent civilians killed and wounded in the attacks.

''The US condemns the attacks and we will continue to stand with the people of India in this time of tragedy,'' said a White House statement last night.

This afternoon, the White House National Security Council has convened officials from counterterrorism and intelligence agencies as well as the State and Defence departments to take stock of the situation.

The statement said, ''the US government continues to monitor the situation, including the safety and security of our citizens, and stands ready to assist and support the Indian government. President Bush is being updated regularly.'' In a separate but almost identical statement, the State Department has also 'strongly condemned' the terrorist attacks. ''Our sympathies go out to the families and friends of those killed and injured, and to the people of Mumbai.'' The State Department said, ''We are closely monitoring the situation and stand ready to support the Indian authorities as they deal with this horrific series of attacks.'' It, however, added the Department at this point was unaware of any American casualties.

For Americans, who have a reason to believe that their relative or friend has been affected by the Mumbai attacks, the Department has advised them to call: 1-888-407-4747.

UNI

Related Stories