<p>Signalling a U-turn in just four days, the US on Tuesday said Washington had not yet taken any decision to give Indian investigators direct access to Headley, now incarcerated in Chicago. In a statement issued here during the day, US Ambassador to India Timothy Roemer said the US Department of Justice had not yet taken a decision to allow India access to Headley and that the US would work with the Indian government to chalk out the modalities of such cooperation.<br /><br />Just four days ago, the US had shut the door on any possibility of extraditing Headley to India to face the 26/11 trial as the Federal Bureau of Investigation entered into a deal with him, known in legal parlance as “plea-bargain”.<br /><br />While Headley confessed to the key role he played in the planning of the terrorist strike in Mumbai in November 2008, as also his extensive links with the Lashkar-e-Toiba, in return he escaped death penalty and a possible extradition to India. As part of the bargain, he was not even required to name his contacts in Pakistan who, too, were key figures in the Mumbai terror conspiracy.<br /><br />However, the US had suggested that India could get access to Headley on US soil, though the nature of such access was far from clear. Hoping to quickly question Headley, Union Home Minister P Chidambaram had immediately contacted US Attorney General Eric Holder over phone. Chidambaram’s impression from the conversation was that India would be able to obtain access to Headley to question him “in a properly constituted judicial proceeding”.<br /><br />It appeared from the latest US stand that India may have to be just content with whatever information Washington decides to share with it. It hasn’t shared much so far. It hasn’t provided the identify of Pakistanis with whom Headley had interacted during his visits to that country to plan the Mumbai attacks.<br /><br />The turnaround of sorts would be music to Pakistan’s ears. It has come just a day before Pakistan Army chief General Asfaq Pervez Kayani’s scheduled talks with the US leadership in Washington on Wednesday. Kayani was the ISI chief during the days Headley and his handlers in Pakistan planned the Mumbai attacks.<br /><br />However, the National Investigation Agency would continue to prepare for quizzing Headley. Home Ministry officials on Tuesday initiated consultation with Solicitor General Gopal Subramaniam on legal issues involving the questioning of Headley.<br /></p>
<p>Signalling a U-turn in just four days, the US on Tuesday said Washington had not yet taken any decision to give Indian investigators direct access to Headley, now incarcerated in Chicago. In a statement issued here during the day, US Ambassador to India Timothy Roemer said the US Department of Justice had not yet taken a decision to allow India access to Headley and that the US would work with the Indian government to chalk out the modalities of such cooperation.<br /><br />Just four days ago, the US had shut the door on any possibility of extraditing Headley to India to face the 26/11 trial as the Federal Bureau of Investigation entered into a deal with him, known in legal parlance as “plea-bargain”.<br /><br />While Headley confessed to the key role he played in the planning of the terrorist strike in Mumbai in November 2008, as also his extensive links with the Lashkar-e-Toiba, in return he escaped death penalty and a possible extradition to India. As part of the bargain, he was not even required to name his contacts in Pakistan who, too, were key figures in the Mumbai terror conspiracy.<br /><br />However, the US had suggested that India could get access to Headley on US soil, though the nature of such access was far from clear. Hoping to quickly question Headley, Union Home Minister P Chidambaram had immediately contacted US Attorney General Eric Holder over phone. Chidambaram’s impression from the conversation was that India would be able to obtain access to Headley to question him “in a properly constituted judicial proceeding”.<br /><br />It appeared from the latest US stand that India may have to be just content with whatever information Washington decides to share with it. It hasn’t shared much so far. It hasn’t provided the identify of Pakistanis with whom Headley had interacted during his visits to that country to plan the Mumbai attacks.<br /><br />The turnaround of sorts would be music to Pakistan’s ears. It has come just a day before Pakistan Army chief General Asfaq Pervez Kayani’s scheduled talks with the US leadership in Washington on Wednesday. Kayani was the ISI chief during the days Headley and his handlers in Pakistan planned the Mumbai attacks.<br /><br />However, the National Investigation Agency would continue to prepare for quizzing Headley. Home Ministry officials on Tuesday initiated consultation with Solicitor General Gopal Subramaniam on legal issues involving the questioning of Headley.<br /></p>
