US pursuing 'strategic' partnerships with Ind, Pak

WASHINGTON: The US is pursuing a strategic partnership with India and Pakistan based on " mutual interest", a top US official has underlined, amid fears that America's diplomatic relationship could be adversely impacted by disclosure of secret cables by Wikileaks.

"We are pursuing strategic partnerships with both Pakistan and India and other countries. Those relationships are based on mutual interest and mutual respect, and that has not changed," said P J Crowley, the State Department spokesman.

"So we would hope that there'll be no impact," Crowley told reporters at his daily news conference in response to a question whether the release of secret cables was having any impact on diplomatic relations with India and Pakistan.

The US has underlined its determination to hold those responsible for the "criminal leak" of secret American documents by the whistleblower website.

Crowley told reporters that the US position has been clear from the outset that the release of these documents puts lives and interests at risk, not just American lives and American interests, but the interests of others around the world.

"We have specifically called on Mr. Assange to return stolen property to the United States. He has declined to do that. But beyond that, without talking about any particular cable, there is information that fully deserves confidentiality and classification," he said.

He said the release of a list of critical infrastructure that is important to our society and our economy and the economies of other countries is "irresponsible".

Earlier, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has also regretted the "deeply distressing" release of a secret list of key infrastructure sites that could threaten US security if hit by terror strikes.