While Indian investigators begin to sift through the wreckage of three terrorist bombings in Mumbai, suspicions have immediately turned to Pakistan-connected militant groups, 'ProPublica' said.
"Whatever the investigation uncovers -- and it's still very early -- one thing is clear: Those groups still operate despite international pressure on Pakistan after the Mumbai attacks of nearly three years ago," said the report headlined 'Mumbai Attacks Renew Questions About Pakistan's Crackdown on Militants.'
It said that Wednesday's "coordinated rush-hour explosions" were smaller and less sophisticated than the "meticulously planned strike on Mumbai in November 2008."
The latest attack "involved bombs planted in strategic locations, a recurring tactic used by Indian affiliates of Lashkar in recent years."
In the report, ProPublica's investigative journalist Sebastian Rotella said that during the past week, Pakistani leaders have criticised the Obama administration for ... withholding 800 million dollars in military aid."
The latest Mumbai attacks "could also turn out to be part of that shadow-conflict. The ISI uses militant groups as a weapon to strengthen its position in the dangerous triangle of Pakistani relations with the United States and India," the report said.
The Chicago Tribune said the latest Mumbai assault "appears to have been carried out by associates of two Chicago terrorists (David Headley and Tahawwur Rana) convicted last month."
"While no group has claimed responsibility, and the Indian government has not blamed anyone, Wednesday's attack has all the markings of Lashkar-e-Taiba, radical Pakistani terrorists who employed a pair of Chicago men as scouts and planners," it said.
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