War against terror: Indo-US pledge cooperation

On a day when the whole of India stayed tuned to know what was up in the Headley case as the suspected Lashkar-e-Taiba operative got ready to appear before a Chicago court to plead guilty to charges of terrorism, top US intelligence official Dennis C Blair met union India’s Home Minister P Chidambaram in New Delhi to discuss many an issue related to terror triggered off from Pak soil.

Blair, US ambassador in New Delhi Timothy J Roemer and a team of US Secret Service officials met the Home Minister are reported to have held parleys on threat due to terrorism fanned from Pakistan territory. The recent attacks in Afghanistan targeting Indians were also part of the discussions. However, it has not been revealed whether Headley was a topic that was discussed. Update: Dave Coleman Headly plea bargain means he won’t face extradition to India.

Post-meeting it has been made known that the US has extended all cooperation to the government of India to fight terror. Roemer, later on, told the media that the meet had focused on maintaining cooperation with the government of India and the United States on issues of terrorism and fighting a common enemy, said a news report from New Delhi. The meeting has much significance owing to the fact that it follows up on Blair’s statement that Pakistan was using militant groups like the Lashkar-e-Taiba as strategic tools against India.

Meanwhile, out there in the US, LeT operative Headley who has been named in the Mumbai terror attack was expected to plead guilty to get a sentence lighter than the death penalty. Headley faces six counts of “conspiracy involving bombing of public places in India, murdering and maiming people in India and abroad and providing logistical support to the Lashkar-e-Taiba”. These apart, he also faces six counts of aiding and abetting the murder of six citizens in India. Earlier on, Headley had pleaded innocent after he was formally accused of playing a key role in 26/11 on behalf of the Lashkar-e-Toiba. The new stance, however, has failed to surprise anyone.

Headley had made as many as nine trips to India between 2006 and 2009, and surveyed landmarks that have already been attacked. These developments make it necessary for Indian intelligence officials to get access to him. India in the meanwhile, has already sought his extradition irrespective of the latest developments.