Voicing its determination to ensure elimination of terror threat emanating from Pakistan, the United States on Thursday said the steps taken by Islamabad so far were not sufficient in this direction and there is a 'long way to go'.
US Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher, who held talks with Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon soon after his arrival from Islamabad, stressed the need for tracking down individuals and organisations behind the Mumbai attacks by following leads 'as far as they go'.
The US official, who has told the Pakistani leadership to take the probe into Mumbai attacks to its logical conclusion, briefed Menon on his discussions in Islamabad.
"The principal topic is the Mumbai attacks. It was a horrible attack against Indians, Americans and others. We will continue to follow up on that," Boucher told reporters after meeting the Foreign Secretary.
He said the US and India are both 'determined to find out who did this, how it was done and how to make sure it does not happen again.'
He said the US would keep making efforts to ensure that 'this threat to Indians, Americans, whole world, including Pakistan, is eliminated'.
"I think what we have seen so far is what we have said -- it is a promising start. In Pakistan we have seen some people detained, we have seen offices go down, they (Pakistan government) are back against the Jaamat-ud Dawah," he said.
However, 'we obviously do not think steps so far have eliminated the threat', Boucher said, adding "The goal that we all have is to make sure that this cannot happen again."
Boucher underlined the need for tracking down those 'responsible for organising the attack and following the leads as far as they go to make sure that we know everybody who was involved but also to close down the organisations that were involved in undertaking this attack' in Mumbai.
"Initials steps are promising but there is a long way to go to eliminate the threat of terrorism from Pakistani soil," the US official said.
Boucher and Menon discussed the dossier of evidence that links Mumbai attacks to Lashkar-e-Tayiba and other Pakistan-based elements.
Menon is understood to have told Boucher that Islamabad needs to come out of its denial mode and sincerely follow the leads which India has given to Pakistan in the dossier.
India will no longer be satisfied with words and promises and it wants concrete actions on the ground against individuals and groups that were behind the terror strikes, the Foreign Secretary is understood to have told Boucher.
Besides seeking real-time action against those behind the Mumbai attacks, India also wants to ensure that such an incident will not recur.
Boucher conveyed to Menon that Pakistan has promised to examine the dossier and investigate the matter.
More from rediff