Home secy, US envoy spar over lack of info on Headley

NEW DELHI: With just a little over a week to go for US president Barack Obama’s visit, the simmering unease regarding when exactly Washington warned India about Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist David Headley came out in the open.
The exchange took on a distinctly sharp note shortly after Union home secretary G K Pillai on Wednesday expressed “disappointment ” over India not having received any specific terror input. US ambassador Timothy Roemer shot back, saying US had provided “regular and consistent” information to India prior to the Mumbai attacks.

“Let’s address the Headley issue headlong,’’ Roemer responded, pointing out that joint efforts against terror before and after 26/11 were ‘‘ saving lives daily’’ .

Roemer’s remarks, however , led to a more emphatic intervention from Pillai. ‘‘ ... We are a little disappointed that the name of David Headley was not shared with us either pre-26 /11 or after 26/11 when he subsequently came to India also,” he said.

Pillai’s remarks are, in fact, the first ‘official’ admission about Indian agencies ’ assertions that the US knew about Headley’s ‘activities ’ much before it actually informed India.

Asked if there was an impression that while India has been forthcoming, the US has not been sharing all, Pillai told a news channel: “I think partly true, but not fully. I think they have shared but I would appreciate if it had been much more than what they have been doing” .

‘US not afraid of Headley revelations’

New Delhi: India and the US on Wednesday continued sparring on the issue of sharing information on David Headley prior to the Mumbai terror attacks . The emerging irritation over an area where India and US have had no differences is not the best augury for the Obama visit, and indicates a divergence of views.

The US believes it has been more than forthcoming in helping India on 26/11 while the home ministry clearly feels it should have been told of Headley’s Lashkar identity. Pillai said information on Headley could have helped Indian authorities nab the Pakistan-born US citizen when he visited India after the attack, in March 2009. US authorities finally held Headley on October 9, 2009, when he was boarding a flight at Chicago.

Responding to queries on the US authorities reportedly failing to act on information from one of Headley’s wives, Roemer said India had been given “unprecedented” access to Headley and that the US was not afraid of what he might reveal. “When India asked US for access to Headley, we gave it. Because India is our strategic partner and our friend and somebody with whom we share intelligence on regular and consistent basis,” he said.

Govt fears Chhittisinghpora-type attack during Obama’s visit: Pillai

The government apprehends that Pakistan-based terror groups may try to attack civilians and put the blame for such an incident on the Army to attract global attention to Kashmir in runup to US President Barack Obama’s visit to India early next month. The LeT had carried out such an attack in Chhittisinghpora in the state a decade ago during the visit of then US president Bill Clinton. Union home secretary G K Pillai said: “We do believe that the visit of Obama to India is, shall I say from the publicity point of view, large enough to try and create something even if it is not in any place nearby where Obama would be. But it could be somewhere else and therefore we would take all precautions.”