December 15, 2001	Saturday	Ramazan 29, 1422

WASHINGTON, Dec 14: The United States has “strongly condemned” Thursday’s attack on the parliament building in New Delhi, describing it as “outrageous”.

A statement issued by the State Department said “no cause can justify the deliberate targeting of civilians. This brutal assault on the heart of Indian democracy is an attack on all democracies as well as an attempt to undermine the efforts of those seeking regional peace and stability”.

Secretary of State Colin Powell telephoned Indian Foreign Minister Jaswant Singh to offer sympathies.

The State Department said while it did not yet have information on the identity of the attackers, it hoped that those responsible would be identified and quickly brought to justice.