WikiLeaks: Headley wasn’t acting alone, said Chidambaram
December 18th, 2010 - 6:36 pm ICT by IANS
New Delhi/London, Dec 18 (IANS) Home Minister P. Chidambaram had insisted on having access to Pakistani-American Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operative David Coleman Headley, who scouted for targets for the 26/11 terror attack. “I have a feeling in my bones that Headley was not acting alone,” the minister is quoted as saying in a fresh WikiLeaks US cable. A “secret” US cable of Feb 26 this year, put out by the whistleblower website and reported by Guardian, said that in a Feb 23 meeting in 2010, FBI Director Robert Mueller and Chidambaram discussed the case of Headley, who is in US custody.
The cable said: “Chidambaram insisted that the GOI (Government of India) have access to Headley: ‘we must be able to say we had access, even if Headley did not speak’. He also requested access to Headley’s spouse, Shaiza, who he said is in Chicago so GOI investigators can question her on the meaning of her alleged message to Headley that she `saw your graduation’.”
It said that Chidambaram asked Mueller “whether GOI personnel could monitor and pass questions `in real time’ to USG (United States Government) personnel conducting Headley’s interrogation. Mueller replied that he would look into this possibility”.
The Indian home minister asked for increased cooperation in cyber security, forensic cooperation and some financial initiatives and cooperation.
During the meeting, Chidambaram confided that “I have a feeling in my bones that Headley was not acting alone” in India and expressed frustration over what he characterised as Headley’s false claim that he had no accomplices in India, the daily reported.
Chidambaram noted that the Indian government “would not file formal charges against Headley until the trial of Mumbai defendant Mir Kasab is finished for fear that Kasab would use the Headley charges as a way to delay conclusion of his own trial”.
He complained that Pakistan had “done damn near nothing” to prosecute Mumbai-related terror suspects.
Ten terrorists from Pakistan sneaked into Mumbai and went on a killing spree over three days in November 2008, leaving 166 people dead.
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- India says it's pursuing Headley extradition (Lead) - Nov 01, 2010
- Mumbai attack: US charges four top Pakistani terrorists (Lead) - Apr 26, 2011
- US assures India of early access to Headley - Mar 20, 2010
- Delhi was target after ISI-aided Mumbai attack, says Headley (Second Lead) - Oct 19, 2010
- India prepares for Headley interrogation, US assures access (Roundup) - Mar 20, 2010
- Rana worked with Headley every step of the way: Prosecution - Jun 08, 2011
- Government should demand immediate access to Headley: CPI-M - Mar 20, 2010
- Mumbai attack: Headley not proud, US cooperating with India (Lead) - May 27, 2011
- India satisfied with progress on access to Headley - Apr 04, 2010
- US hedges on access to Headley, BJP decries 'flip-flop' (Second Lead) - Mar 23, 2010
- Political, police circles flummoxed by 'Rajaram Rege' - May 24, 2011
- Headley row: India 'disappointed', US says it shared 26/11 info - Oct 27, 2010
Tags: accomplices, cyber security, david coleman, defendant, director robert, fbi director, formal charges, government of india, government personnel, home minister, indian government, interrogation, kasab, lashkar e taiba, p chidambaram, robert mueller, terror attack, united states government, usg, wikileaks