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No decision on direct access to Headley yet: US envoy
NEW DELHI: The United States on Tuesday appeared to be backtracking from its earlier stance of allowing Indian investigators direct access to Mumbai terror suspect David Coleman Headley.
The United States envoy to India, Timothy J Roemer, said that no decision on providing India direct access to 26/11 accused David Coleman Headley has been taken by America, Times Now reported.
In a statement issued by the US embassy in New Delhi, Ambassador Timothy J Roemer clarified assistant secretary of state Robert O Blake's comment in Delhi on Saturday. Blake had been asked by reporters if Indian investigators would be allowed to quiz Headley. "My answer would be yes," he said.
"As the assistant secretary indicated, the US is committed to full information sharing in our counter terror partnership. In fact in this case we have provided substantial information to the government of India and we will continue to do so. However, no decision on direct access for India to David Headley has been made," Roemer said in a statement.
He added that the US department of justice will work with the Indian government "regarding the modalities of such cooperation".
Home minister, P Chidambaram had been upbeat of getting access to Headley, after a phone call with US attorney general Eric Holder.
"It is my understanding," Chidambaram said, "that India would be able to obtain access to Headley to question him in a properly constituted judicial proceeding. Such a judicial proceeding could be either pre-trial or during an inquiry or trial."
On Saturday, US attorney general and head of the department of Justice Eric Holder spoke to home minister P Chidambaram and explained the triple mode of access.
The three options provided to India are, firstly via letters rogatory, where the Indian government would request its US counterpart for judicial assistance, in the form of evidence or testimony collected during Headleys interrogation, which can be used by the prosecution in the 26/11 trial in India.
Letters rogatory are customarily transmitted via the diplomatic channel, a time-consuming means of transmission.
Secondly, the Indian government can have indirect access to Headley through video conferencing.
Finally, the government has an option of sending Indian investigators to the United States to interrogate David Headley.
Earlier, after US assurance to India that it can interrogate Headley, Chidambaram directed National Investigating Agency (NIA) to prepare the questions for him.
Chidambaram had also said that Headley has admitted to conspiring with Lashkar-e-Taiba members and to attending their camps which should now "spur" Pakistan to take action against all the conspirators and bring them to justice.
No decision on direct access to Headley yet: US envoy - India - The Times of India
NEW DELHI: The United States on Tuesday appeared to be backtracking from its earlier stance of allowing Indian investigators direct access to Mumbai terror suspect David Coleman Headley.
The United States envoy to India, Timothy J Roemer, said that no decision on providing India direct access to 26/11 accused David Coleman Headley has been taken by America, Times Now reported.
In a statement issued by the US embassy in New Delhi, Ambassador Timothy J Roemer clarified assistant secretary of state Robert O Blake's comment in Delhi on Saturday. Blake had been asked by reporters if Indian investigators would be allowed to quiz Headley. "My answer would be yes," he said.
"As the assistant secretary indicated, the US is committed to full information sharing in our counter terror partnership. In fact in this case we have provided substantial information to the government of India and we will continue to do so. However, no decision on direct access for India to David Headley has been made," Roemer said in a statement.
He added that the US department of justice will work with the Indian government "regarding the modalities of such cooperation".
Home minister, P Chidambaram had been upbeat of getting access to Headley, after a phone call with US attorney general Eric Holder.
"It is my understanding," Chidambaram said, "that India would be able to obtain access to Headley to question him in a properly constituted judicial proceeding. Such a judicial proceeding could be either pre-trial or during an inquiry or trial."
On Saturday, US attorney general and head of the department of Justice Eric Holder spoke to home minister P Chidambaram and explained the triple mode of access.
The three options provided to India are, firstly via letters rogatory, where the Indian government would request its US counterpart for judicial assistance, in the form of evidence or testimony collected during Headleys interrogation, which can be used by the prosecution in the 26/11 trial in India.
Letters rogatory are customarily transmitted via the diplomatic channel, a time-consuming means of transmission.
Secondly, the Indian government can have indirect access to Headley through video conferencing.
Finally, the government has an option of sending Indian investigators to the United States to interrogate David Headley.
Earlier, after US assurance to India that it can interrogate Headley, Chidambaram directed National Investigating Agency (NIA) to prepare the questions for him.
Chidambaram had also said that Headley has admitted to conspiring with Lashkar-e-Taiba members and to attending their camps which should now "spur" Pakistan to take action against all the conspirators and bring them to justice.
No decision on direct access to Headley yet: US envoy - India - The Times of India
agreed.
