Deal with Headley worth it, says US Attorney

Chicago, Jun 10 (PTI) Justifying a controversial deal
cut with the Mumbai attacks accused David Headley that spared
him from death penalty and extradition to India, a top US
attorney on Friday said that not doing the pact would have
been a "terrible mistake".
"I am convinced that we would have made a terrible
mistake if we did not sit down with Headley and get all the
information that we did and came from them," US Attorney
Patrick Fitzgerald told reporters after a Chicago court
convicted Tahawwur Rana on two terrorism charges based in part
on Headley's cooperation with prosecutors.
"Headley had an insider's view of what (Illyas)
Kashmiri was up to, what they discussed and what he was
planning. He had the insiders view of what Sajid Mir was up
to, what Major Iqbal was up to and what people were doing,"
Fitzgerald said, adding that Headley has so far named 34
different targets that had been surveyed.
When asked how valuable was the information provided
by Headley, Fitzgerald said that it was well worth it to take
the death penalty off the table and agree not to allow him to
be extradited to either India, Pakistan or Denmark to face
related charges.
"We would be crazy, if we sit around and say, you know
what, it was all about Headley and all we want to do is put
him in jail and sit around and let attacks happen. And one
thing we fully appreciate from the law enforcement realm that
we are working with our partners in FBI and intelligence
organizations that we need information the American
government, the Indian government needed, the Pakistani
government needed the Danish Government needs it," he argued.