Date: December 2nd 2008

Date: 2.12.08

Agencies | Washington

US President-elect Barack Obama on Monday assured India that he was absolutely committed to remove the threat of terrorism wherever it may exist.

While introducing his national security team, including his rival for Democratic presidential nomination Hillary Clinton as secretary of state and present Defence Secretary Robert Gates in the same position he added "his administration would be steadfast in supporting India in its efforts to catch the perpetrators (of Mumbai terror attacks) and bring them to justice.

Asked if he backed India’s right to go into Pakistan in case it found the terror threat originated from there, Obama, who during the election campaign advocated US taking similar action as it fights the Taliban on the porous Pakistan-Afghan border, said, “Sovereign nations have a right to protect themselves.”

Beyond that he refused to comment on the specific situation relating to the India terror attacks as an investigation is still on.

In fact, Obama revealed that the Mumbai massacre topped the agenda of the new national security team at its first meeting on Monday morning ahead of the public roll-out. He referred repeatedly to the tragedy at his press conference and said he had spoken to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to tell him that the United States is with India in this dark hour. ''India’s democracy is more resilient than the killers who want to tear it down,'' he said.