ID :
47205
Tue, 02/24/2009 - 04:41
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/47205
The shortlink copeid
FBI seeks access to Mumbai suspects in Pak
New Delhi, Feb 23 (PTI) The FBI has sought access to
interrogate Mumbai terror attack suspects in Pakistan which
has so far not agreed to it, US Ambassador to India David
Mulford disclosed Monday.
Sleuths of the top US investigating agency have gone to
Pakistan in this regard, he told PTI in an interview here.
"They (FBI) have sought access to people who have been
detained. As far as I know, that (access) has not been given.
We are waiting for it, (for) that element of cooperation (from
Pakistan)," Mulford said on his last working day as the
American envoy.
The US Ambassador also disclosed that the FBI officials,
who had spent time in Mumbai to help investigate the terror
attack in which 183 people, including six American nationals,
lost their lives, were willing to testify at the trial against
the lone surviving terrorist Ajmal Amir Kasab.
"My understanding is they (FBI) will be prepared to
testify," he said when asked whether the sleuths would depose
in the case.
Noting that the FBI had cooperated for the first time
with Indian agencies in a terror investigation here, Mulford
said the American sleuths directly interacted with the Mumbai
police and worked with them in an "open and transparent
fashion".
Underlining that FBI used high quality technology to
probe the attack case, he said "the evidence we gathered has
high credibility and once it was passed to Pakistan and other
countries who were adversely affected, people had to pay
serious attention."
He said the evidence was "very very compelling" to
emphasise the point that the terror attack was "planned in
Pakistan, it was managed from Pakistani territory, the people
came from Pakistan and all that is very very clear."
Mulford did not give the names of the suspects whom the
FBI has sought access to in Pakistan, saying he was not aware
but said they are the ones who have been detained there.
Pakistan has said it has arrested six people, including
Hamad Amin Sadiq, who Islamabad says was the main conspirator
of the attacks.
There is no clarity, however, on whether top
Lashkar-e-Taiba commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, whom India
named in the dossier as the mastermind, and another senior
leader Zarar Shah have been arrested or not.
The Ambassador said the US is "very very committed to
following up" on what Pakistan is doing to ensure that the
perpetrators are brought to justice.
"Because we have lost six of our people, we have to
pursue that matter and try and bring the perpetrators to
justice," he said.
Mulford noted that there was "lack of clarity" on what
Pakistan was doing for "many weeks" after the attack because
of different pronouncements being made by different people.
The situation, he said, "was very confused and this
created certain lack of credibility in the minds of people,"
he said.
"But recently, Pakistan, I think, has made positive and
serious response. India has acknowledged it as positive
steps," the US Ambassador said.
"But obviously there is a lot more to do and a long way
to go before the perpetrators are prosecuted and brought to
justice. So we and India and everybody else are waiting for
follow up and see whether that is pursued to conclusion (by
Pakistan)," he said.
Asked about India's contention that elements in
Pakistan's establishment could have been involved in the
Mumbai attack, the envoy refused to get drawn into it.
"Whether the government of Pakistan is involved is, in a
way, a secondary issue because as India has said the issue is
terrorism coming from Pakistan," he said.
"That is an issue I don't want to comment on. The real
issue to me is -- was this attack carried out from Pakistani
territory, answer to my mind is yes. That is most relevant
part," Mulford said.
He underlined that "terrorism exported out of Pakistan"
needs to be addressed, including by the Pakistan government
and by others.
On the recent steps taken by Pakistan, he said "one has
to take at face value what has been done and said until now
and press them to do more" and that is going to happen.
He said he was not aware of the status of Lakhvi and
Zarar Shah and said there should be more clarity about what is
happening to them. PTI AKK
DEP
NNNN
interrogate Mumbai terror attack suspects in Pakistan which
has so far not agreed to it, US Ambassador to India David
Mulford disclosed Monday.
Sleuths of the top US investigating agency have gone to
Pakistan in this regard, he told PTI in an interview here.
"They (FBI) have sought access to people who have been
detained. As far as I know, that (access) has not been given.
We are waiting for it, (for) that element of cooperation (from
Pakistan)," Mulford said on his last working day as the
American envoy.
The US Ambassador also disclosed that the FBI officials,
who had spent time in Mumbai to help investigate the terror
attack in which 183 people, including six American nationals,
lost their lives, were willing to testify at the trial against
the lone surviving terrorist Ajmal Amir Kasab.
"My understanding is they (FBI) will be prepared to
testify," he said when asked whether the sleuths would depose
in the case.
Noting that the FBI had cooperated for the first time
with Indian agencies in a terror investigation here, Mulford
said the American sleuths directly interacted with the Mumbai
police and worked with them in an "open and transparent
fashion".
Underlining that FBI used high quality technology to
probe the attack case, he said "the evidence we gathered has
high credibility and once it was passed to Pakistan and other
countries who were adversely affected, people had to pay
serious attention."
He said the evidence was "very very compelling" to
emphasise the point that the terror attack was "planned in
Pakistan, it was managed from Pakistani territory, the people
came from Pakistan and all that is very very clear."
Mulford did not give the names of the suspects whom the
FBI has sought access to in Pakistan, saying he was not aware
but said they are the ones who have been detained there.
Pakistan has said it has arrested six people, including
Hamad Amin Sadiq, who Islamabad says was the main conspirator
of the attacks.
There is no clarity, however, on whether top
Lashkar-e-Taiba commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, whom India
named in the dossier as the mastermind, and another senior
leader Zarar Shah have been arrested or not.
The Ambassador said the US is "very very committed to
following up" on what Pakistan is doing to ensure that the
perpetrators are brought to justice.
"Because we have lost six of our people, we have to
pursue that matter and try and bring the perpetrators to
justice," he said.
Mulford noted that there was "lack of clarity" on what
Pakistan was doing for "many weeks" after the attack because
of different pronouncements being made by different people.
The situation, he said, "was very confused and this
created certain lack of credibility in the minds of people,"
he said.
"But recently, Pakistan, I think, has made positive and
serious response. India has acknowledged it as positive
steps," the US Ambassador said.
"But obviously there is a lot more to do and a long way
to go before the perpetrators are prosecuted and brought to
justice. So we and India and everybody else are waiting for
follow up and see whether that is pursued to conclusion (by
Pakistan)," he said.
Asked about India's contention that elements in
Pakistan's establishment could have been involved in the
Mumbai attack, the envoy refused to get drawn into it.
"Whether the government of Pakistan is involved is, in a
way, a secondary issue because as India has said the issue is
terrorism coming from Pakistan," he said.
"That is an issue I don't want to comment on. The real
issue to me is -- was this attack carried out from Pakistani
territory, answer to my mind is yes. That is most relevant
part," Mulford said.
He underlined that "terrorism exported out of Pakistan"
needs to be addressed, including by the Pakistan government
and by others.
On the recent steps taken by Pakistan, he said "one has
to take at face value what has been done and said until now
and press them to do more" and that is going to happen.
He said he was not aware of the status of Lakhvi and
Zarar Shah and said there should be more clarity about what is
happening to them. PTI AKK
DEP
NNNN
