India, Pakistan, and the Mumbai Attack: Good News, Bad News

Good news and bad news from India and Pakistan:

• Good news
  Pakistan has arrested over a dozen people allegedly involved in the Mumbai attack
• Bad news (from India's point of view)
  Pakistan won't turn the suspects over to India

Pakistan's government - the civilian one - says that they'll be tried for murder under Pakistani law. I can see the Pakistani point of view here.

It's hard not to get the idea that India's judicial system might act like a familiar character from American westerns. The one who says, "we do things legal here: we'll give you a fair trial, and then hang you."

There's been crazy talk on both sides ("Mumbai, India's 9/11: Good News, Bad News, Conspiracy Theories, and a Little Common Sense" (December 2, 2008)), and some of it came from Indian officials.

It also looks like Pakistan's civilian government has also realized that letting terrorist groups use its territory as bases of operation isn't a good idea. Although the recent raids might be more about publicity than policy.

In the news:

• "Pakistan Arrests 16 Over Mumbai Attacks, Refuses Extradition"
  Bloomberg (December 9, 2008)
• "Zardari to India: 'Pause and take a breath' "
  CNN (December 9, 2008)
• "Pakistan raids camp over Mumbai attacks"
  CNN (December 9, 2008)
• "Pakistan seizes miltant blamed for Mumbai"
  CNN (December 9, 2008)
• "Pakistan Arrests 20 Mumbai Suspects, Won't Extradite to India"
  FOXNews (December 9, 2008)