CHICAGO — President-elect Barack Obama expressed sympathy for the victims of the terror attacks in Mumbai but declined to say whether the Indian government would be justified in pursuing terrorists in next-door Pakistan.

He said, "This is one of those times when I have to reiterate there is one president at a time." He added, "We're going to be engaged in some very delicate diplomacy in the next days and weeks,and I think it would be very inappropriate of me to comment."

Obama said the United States "can't tolerate a world in which innocents are being killed by extremists."

He said he would "bring the full force of our power to deal with those threats, not only to keep America safe but also to ensure that peace and prosperity can exist around the world."

He made his comments at a news conference after announcing members of his national security team, including former campaign rival Hillary Rodham Clinton as secretary of state and President Bush's Pentagon chief, Robert Gates, as defense secretary.

Obama drew criticism during the campaign when he said the United States would be justified in pursuing al-Qaida terrorists in Pakistan if it received "actionable intelligence."

One reporter noted that even some on stage behind him had disagreed _ an evident reference to Clinton. Obama said disagreements sometimes are magnified during campaigns. At the same time, he said, "we share a view that America has to be safe and secure."

"I believe that there is no more effective advocate than Hillary Clinton for that well-rounded view of how we advance American interests," he said.