India not to interrogate Headley, Rana, says NSA
Port of Spain | November 30, 2009 10:07:46 AM IST
 

India's National Security Adviser M K Narayanan has said that New Delhi has no plans to interrogate either David Coleman Headley, an alleged Lashkar operative based in the United States of Pakistani origin, or his associate, Tahawwur Hussain Rana, in connection with 26/11.

Speaking exclusively to ANI, M K Narayanan, said here that the United States "is going to send a high powered team from FBI with details of the Headley-Rana interrogation."

"They have exhaustive information and President Obama has instructed the FBI to share everything with us (Indian Government)," Narayanan added.

He also revealed that the issue of counter-terrorism did come up for discussion during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's meeting with President Obama.

"Counter-terrorism did come up for discussions between Obama and the Prime Minister. In particular, about the hubs that are coming up in our neighbourhood. It also came up in the Headley-Rana case," the National Security Adviser said.

Narayanan said: "The (US) President promptly said 'we are seized of the matter, we are willing to fully cooperate with whatever information is available. We will send a high-level team with all the data that is available, and this will be with the Indian authorities in a week's time'".

"This sums up what General James Jones said. Headley-Rana, any interrogation agency would love to interrogate people, but we can work around it. The Home Minister (P. Chidambaram) and I will speak to the Director of FBI (Robert S. Mueller III). But, we have already been able to glean a whole lot of information.

Narayanan's comments came a day after British intelligence agencies said they had tipped off the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) about Headley, days before he was arrested.

A UK daily quoted British agencies as saying that they had collected vital information that identified Headley. Headley, a US citizen living in Chicago, was arrested in October in connection with the November 2008 Mumbai attacks.

Headley was in Pakistan at the time of the attacks and was reportedly working on another terror plan codenamed the 'Mickey Mouse Project'.

It must be mentioned that five Pakistani military officials were arrested earlier this week for their alleged connection with Headley.

Headley's associate, Tahawwur Hussain Rana, stayed in a guesthouse in Mumbai close to the Chhatrapati Shivaji railway station, one of the sites targeted during the attacks, till November 21, 2008 before returning to Chicago.

Headley is also said to have visited the Osho Ashram in Pune.

Apart from his visit to the Taj Mahal hotel in 2007, he also visited New Delhi twice in 2007 and 2009 and stayed in a hotel in Paharganj.

He has also been accused of plotting an attack on the culture editor and cartoonist who published cartoons of the prophet Mohammed in one of the leading dailies of Denmark.

When asked for his comments on why India and the United States had not been able to give the final touches to the landmark US-India Civil Nucklear Cooperation deal, especially on the issue of reprocessing during Prime Minister Singh's visit to Washington this week, Narayanan told ANI: "It is likely to conclude in a matter of days. We have agreed to the modalities now just the language, the legalese needs to b worked out. Thanks to intervention of President (Obama), we have arrived at the very last stage. There is only one matter left, its only a matter of legalese."

Official sources here said that as far as reprocessing is concerned, it is connected with arrangements and procedures of one dedicated facility.

They said that the United States understood that it would be to their advantage to begin with that.

"Security arrangements with that dedicated facility would be exactly how it is with other dedicated facilities that the US has around the world. We agreed to that," they said.

On the issue of counter-terrorism, they said General James Jones had had discussions with the Indian team, and added that he had instructions straight from President Obama to share whatever information Washington has on Headley or Rana.

They also said that all interactions between the Indian and American leaderships were held without reservations. By Smita Prakash (ANI)

 

Viewer's Comment Comments Not Available

More Stories

Kujur, Rajeth, Wassem take honours  

Thai Ladies Open: Smriti, Neha fail to make cut 

Students stone bus 

Lt Governor must ensure security: Vaithilingam 

BRAI Bill is inadequate on biosafety and liability: Greenpeace 

Suzlon Group Signs Contract for wind Power 

NMPT organises trademeet 

KCR Visits Temple offers 48 kgs of Jaggery 

Printer Friendly Version