Congressman Ackerman: Mumbai Bombers Relied Upon an "Infrastructure of Terror"

The following is from U.S. Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-NY), the top Democrat on the Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia, who issued the following statement on the deadly blasts that ripped through Mumbai on Wednesday:

India has once again been brutally attacked by barbaric terrorist violence and I extend to the people and government of India my deepest sympathy for the many injured and killed by the three bomb blasts yesterday in Mumbai. 

The deliberate murder of civilians is always wrong, it is always inexcusable, and it is always unacceptable for any reason, cause, or belief. It can not be rationalized, justified or excused. 

The perpetrators of this attack must be found, their backers, protectors and funders must be exposed, and justice must be done to all of those involved in this hideous mass murder of innocents. 

A bombing of the sort which has just occurred in Mumbai can not happen without networks and an infrastructure of terror. Nations that tolerate or, worse, encourage, such networks and infrastructure to take root are just as guilty as the terrorists who set off the bombs. 

As a nation that has, itself, suffered at the hands of terrorists, the United States must not only be vigilant in prosecuting the war on terror, but also equally aggressive in confronting any nation that continues to facilitate or sponsor terrorists of any stripe. 

In this terrible moment of grief and horror, Mumbaikars, and all Indians should know that the United States stands with you in your righteous anger and shares with you the pain of your loss.