Bomb blasts overshadow Clinton’s India visit
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US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrives in India today for a three-day visit overshadowed by the triple blasts in Mumbai last week that killed 19 people and injured more than 100.No one has claimed responsibility for Wednesday’s attack and the initial police investigation has failed to unearth any clear leads on the blasts that also came ahead of a new round of India-Pakistan peace talks later this month, AFP reported.New Delhi has tried to avoid being seen to point the finger at its neighbour but India accuses Pakistan’s army and intelligence services of aiding militant groups that have carried out attacks on Indian soil in the past.For Clinton, any Pakistani involvement would again see her under pressure to drop US military support for Islamabad during her talks with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday. India, with whom the United States has been seeking a broader relationship, welcomed Washington’s decision to suspend US$800 million worth of aid to Pakistan.”Counter-terrorism has always been part of our strategic dialogue,” an Indian foreign ministry official told AFP ahead of the Clinton talks on condition of anonymity. “The July 13 attacks will be part of the exchange.”
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