US disappointed with Rana's acquittal in 26/11 charges

Chicago, Jun 10 (PTI) The verdict of a Chicago court
jury to acquit Pakistani-Canadian Tahawwur Rana from charges
that he was involved in the Mumbai terror attacks is
disappointing, a top US government attorney said on Friday.
"We are disappointed in the not guilty verdict on the
Mumbai attacks," US Attorney Patrick J Fitzgerald said after a
Chicago jury gave its verdict on Rana case.
At the same time, the jury found Rana guilty on the
other two counts of charges that he was involved in plotting a
terror attack in Denmark and provided material support to
Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba, designated as a
foreign terrorist organization.
"We are gratified by the guilty verdict of providing
material support for the Lashkar. And we are gratified by the
guilty verdict to provide material support to the conspiracy
in Denmark," the US attorney said.
"I do not know, the government had the burden of
proof," he said when asked what went wrong on the 26/11
charges that killed more than 160 people.
"We put our evidence forward and the jury found that
we did not meet the burden (of proof) there. But they did find
we made our burden proving material support to Lashkar and
they found that we met our burden with regard to attack on
Denmark," Fitzgerald said.
Responding to a question, the US attorney said that he
understands that Rana was acquitted on a very serious charge
related to the Mumbai terrorist attack.
"What we are saying is that we embrace jury's verdict
and where the jury disagrees with us, we accept that. However,
what they did convict him for was very serious given that he
was supporting Lashkar’s activities in India is very very
serious and supporting a plot in Denmark is very serious. No
doubt that he was acquitted of serious conduct and is
convicted of very serious conduct. We are not going to say, we
got everything we wanted," he noted.