A senior Bush administration official said Tuesday the United States warned India of potential terrorist attacks before last week’s strikes in Mumbai.

The official said Tuesday that the U.S. told Indian officials that terrorists appeared to be plotting a mostly waterborne attack on India’s financial capital of Mumbai. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of intelligence information.

ABC News reported that said the Taj hotel was among the specific targets listed in the U.S. warning.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will visit India on Wednesday, set to deliver the U.S. demand that Pakistan cooperate fully in the investigation into the attacks and to try to reduce tensions between longtime rivals India and Pakistan.

The Indian government faces widespread accusations of security and intelligence failures after suspected Muslim militants carried out the three-day attack across India’s financial capital, killing 172 people and wounding 239.

But even as they make new demands of the government in neighboring Pakistan, Indian officials are choosing their words carefully in an effort to avoid triggering a troop build-up along the border of the two less-than-friendly countries.

The lone surviving gunman from last week’s deadly attacks in Mumbai is quoted as saying he trained at a militant camp in Pakistan. But an Indian new agency reports that India’s foreign minister says a military response isn’t even being talked about.

When asked what India will do, he said “only time will tell.”

Meanwhile his Pakistani counterpart is promising full cooperation, and adds Pakistan has proposed a joint investigation.

India has demanded that Pakistan hand over about 20 suspected terrorists thought to be living in Pakistan.

(Source: NBC6)