Arun Kumar | 09 Jul, 2008
The US has declined comment on reports about Afghanistan pointing an accusing finger at Pakistan for Monday's attack on the Indian embassy in Kabul, saying it will work with authorities there to determine what happened.

"I don't have any information on that," State Department acting spokesman Gonzalo Gallegos told reporters on Tuesday when asked about Kabul's charge against Pakistan.

"I don't have any update in terms of what may or may not happen, who may or may not have been responsible," he said. "So I'm going to wait until we have some clear information about that before we make any comment."

Militants rammed an explosives-laden car into the heavily fortified Indian embassy's gates in Kabul on Monday, killing 44 people, including four Indians.

After the bombing, some US officials went out to the site and assisted where they could, Gallegos said. "We've made an offer of assistance and we're going to continue working with the government there to make a final determination of exactly what happened."

Gallegos said the US had also been in touch with the Indian embassy here, but did not have any information on their exact communications.

Describing the incident as "obviously a tragedy," the official said: "We believe that the extremist elements are working to destabilise, you know, this region so that they can gain from instability and any chaos that this may bring."

"We are working with the governments to put an end to this and try to allow the people to live in peace and a situation where they can continue to develop themselves, their country and become a bigger part of the world economy," he added.

On Pakistan, Gallegos said US will continue to work with the new elected government in Islamabad in fighting the common enemy of terrorism, while letting Pakistanis make their own decisions.

"We'll continue to work with the Pakistani government...to fight our common enemy, which is these terrorist extremists who are willing to kill Muslims, Christians, anybody who gets in the way of the path which is what they seek, which is instability and chaos, so that they can prosper under that realm," he said.

"We believe that the Pakistani people have the right to make these decisions for themselves. We're going to engage with them to allow them to do that and hopefully we'll march towards peace," he said.

On Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani's forthcoming visit to Washington, Gallegos said: "The Pakistani people have made their decision on who their leaders will be. We stand behind them and we're working with them."