Rice Headed to India After Attack

We may all be buzzing that President-elect Barack Obama will officially name Hillary Clinton as his secretary of state, but let’s not forget Condoleezza Rice still has the job. And she’s got her work cut out for her.

President Bush announced yesterday that Rice will travel to India this week to offer our nation’s support. Or, as Ms. Rice’s spokesman said, "to express the condolences of the American government directly to the Indian government and the Indian people." In addition, Rice will also try to ease tensions between India and its neighbor, Pakistan. India claims terrorists based in Pakistan’s disputed Kashmir region launched last week’s attack, which killed 195 people. Pakistan’s government warned their foes not to "point fingers," but also vowed to help in the investigation. Of the ten militants who started last week’s massacre, only one survived and confessed to interrogators that he and the others had been trained by Pakistani militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba, which is not sanctioned by the Pakistani government.

Though Rice obviously appreciated Pakistan’s pledge to help in the investigation, she also offered some stern words reminding them to cooperate:

What we are emphasizing to the Pakistani government is the need to follow the evidence wherever it leads. I don’t want to jump to any conclusions myself on this, but I do think that this is a time for complete, absolute, total transparency and cooperation and that’s what we expect.

For his part, Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has repeatedly insisted he and his government want to keep the peace: "I am again telling you Pakistan will act very responsibly, and we have talked to our friends that they should use their good offices to defuse the situation."

Rice will first head to London for a meeting, and then to a NATO meeting in Brussels before heading over to India. There’s no rest for the weary — or an outgoing top diplomat.