Has David Headley cut a deal with the US Justice Department? (News Analysis)
January 28th, 2010 - 1:07 pm ICT by IANS
Chicago, Jan 28 (IANS) As Mumbai terror plot accused David Coleman Headley pleaded not-guilty during an arraignment here, he could become the centrepiece of a debate on how to treat terror suspects in the US.
Headley, who was presented before US Magistrate Judge Arlander Keys Wednesday morning, expectedly entered a plea of not guilty to all the 12 counts of indictment against him.
Just one day before the arraignment former Bush White House press secretary Dana Perino used his case to challenge the Obama administration’s strategy to deal with such cases. The main point of contention of President Barack Obama’s detractors and critics is that in such cases it makes no sense to treat suspects as criminal defendants.
Citing the Obama administration’s supposed argument Perino and Bill Burck, a former federal prosecutor and deputy counsel to president Bush, wrote in the National Review Online: “Most recently, David Headley, who has been indicted in Chicago for helping plan the 2008 Mumbai attacks, has given us information of enormous intelligence value.”
The two then countered it saying: “So the Justice Department has cut a deal with Headley to get him to talk. It will be interesting to see how much prison time will be shaved off for his cooperation. We’ll find out after he pleads guilty and is sentenced. Headley’s deal might give us a preview of how much time the Justice Department is contemplating for Abdulmutallab: 50 years? 20? Two?”
The reference to Abdulmutallab is about Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the 23-year-old Nigerian who nearly blew up a Delta jet Dec 25 flying in from Amsterdam.
Perino’s mention of Headley is part of a larger piece titled “Obfuscation after obfuscation” that wonders whether the Obama administration’s statement on Abdulmutallab’s interrogation hides more than it reveals.
It is critical of the decision to treat Abdulmutallab as a criminal defendant “with Miranda rights, a decision we now know was made without consulting the intelligence services whose job it is to protect the country from attacks”.
- Pakistan's role in Mumbai attack may come out in Rana trial (Third Lead) - May 24, 2011
- Detroit plotter Abdulmutallab pleads not guilty in court - Jan 09, 2010
- Rana pleads not guilty to Mumbai terror attack charge (Lead) - Jan 26, 2010
- 20 more terrorists trained in Yemen for attacks: Report - Jan 10, 2010
- US charges 4 Pakistani terrorists in 26/11 Mumbai attack - Apr 26, 2011
- Mumbai terror suspect Rana to be arraigned May 4 - Apr 27, 2011
- Rana's lawyers question Headley's credibility (Second Lead) - May 26, 2011
- Not guilty, pleads Mumbai terror suspect Headley - Jan 28, 2010
- Mumbai terror suspect Headley pleads not guilty (Second Lead) - Jan 28, 2010
- India's charges against Headley may make no material difference (Comment) - Dec 22, 2011
- Mumbai attack: US charges four top Pakistani terrorists (Lead) - Apr 26, 2011
- Mumbai terror trial begins in Chicago court (Second Lead) - May 16, 2011
- U.S. Dept. of Justice says Christmas Day bomber legally interrogated - Jan 22, 2010
- Headley may discuss Pakistan's role in Mumbai attack (Second Lead) - May 23, 2011
- Headley, Rana to be charged next week - Jan 21, 2010
Tags: barack obama, criminal defendant, criminal defendants, dana perino, david coleman, david headley, delta jet, department news, deputy counsel, enormous intelligence, former federal prosecutor, intelligence value, magistrate judge, miranda rights, obfuscation, point of contention, terror plot, terror suspects, us justice department, white house press
