Indian Home Minister Shivraj Patil submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Saturday, saying he took "moral responsibility" for the wave of coordinated terrorist assaults that killed at least 183 people in Mumbai last week, CNN reported.

Patil had been under criticism even before the attacks, and his resignation came as questions quickly mounted about the country's readiness to prevent terrorism. Critics cited a report to Parliament last year that blasted inadequate protection of India's shores -- which is how the attackers sneaked into Mumbai, The New York Times said.

"This man has been widely criticized for not being up to it and it was simply impossible that he could stay on after this," N. Ram, editor-in-chief of The Hindu newspaper, told CNN, quoting Patil's critics saying "(he hadn't) delivered in the promise to improve intelligence."

Patil's resignation could be an early indicator of electoral trouble ahead for Singh's government, the Times said, adding Indian media was focusing on Finance Minister P. Chidambaram as the next home minister.

U.S. opposes India military response WASHINGTON, Nov. 30 (UPI) -- The United States wants to dissuade India from military responses to the Mumbai terrorist attacks and instead work with Pakistan on extremism, sources say.

Domestic pressure is being heaped on Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to strike back at Islamic militant networks based in the disputed Kashmir region, which many Indians believe are responsible for last week's coordinated terror assaults that killed at least 183 people.

But members of the Bush administration and U.S. President-elect Barack Obama's transition team are urging him to temper any military moves in Kashmir and instead work with a new, pro-Western Pakistani president, Asif Ali Zardari, to make a breakthrough between the bitter rivals on the need to control extremism, analysts told the newspaper.

The Times said experts both inside and outside of government don't believe Singh will automatically turn to a military response if it is determined that Kashmiri militants were behind the attacks.

They cite Singh's contention that a military conflict with Pakistan would slow his country's unprecedented economic expansion and that he sees Zardari as a positive departure from his predecessor, President Pervez Musharraf.

Obama to introduce Clinton as State choice CHICAGO, Nov. 30 (UPI) -- U.S. President-elect Barack Obama will soon officially unveil Sen.