Marine General Peter Pace, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, met India's defence minister and military leaders on Monday - the second day of his four-day visit.

Later Pace commented on the alleged massacre of Iraqi civilians by US Marines in the town of Haditha . He promised that any wrongdoers would face court proceedings.

"We are absolutely determined to be open with the public about what we find...We will probably have that information available later than the public would want to have it only because of the need to protect the judicial process."

The alleged murders took place after a US marine was killed by a roadside bomb in the insurgent stronghold in mid-November.

Residents say that soldiers then went shot up to 24 people in a nearby house, including a 3-year-old girl.

On the topic of Afghanistan, General Pace called for the elimination of Taliban sanctuaries.

"...they are not a strategic threat to Afghanistan but a tactical threat, meaning they cannot unseat the government but they can attack and cause disruption in places. "

After decades of Cold War mistrust, India and the United States are building a new partnership.

The relationship's cornerstone is a civilian nuclear pact between New Delhi and Washington, which is awaiting approval by the US Congress.

The deal would open new areas for US-India military cooperation, including the sale to India of high-tech US weapons.