US to decide on request soon
US under-secretary for political affairs Wendy Sherman has said that the request by India that Lashkar-e-Tayyaba (LeT) operative David Headley be extradited from the US — he is currently in a prison there — is under consideration and a decision could be taken soon.
Ms Sherman said this in an interview to an English news channel here on Monday. The senior US diplomat was in the Capital during which she called on National Security Adviser (NSA) Shivshankar Menon and external affairs minister Salman Khurshid. Later in the day, she had detailed discussions with foreign secretary Ranjan Mathai.
With the Obama administration’s growing foreign policy emphasis on “Pivot to Asia,” Ms Sherman even spent some time during her discussions with Mr Mathai explaining to him the US’s rebalancing towards Asia, said sources.
Also discussed was the situation in Afghanistan as the US-led Nato forces prepare for the 2014 drawdown. “The roadmap to the transition envisaged in 2014” was discussed said sources. “Both sides also agreed that economic development needs to be focused on in Afghanistan,” sources added. Ms Sherman, in fact, heads for Afghanistan as well as Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan from India.
In her TV interview, the American diplomat also said that the Obama administration will do everything possible to bring 26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed to justice. It’s noteworthy that the US had offered a bounty of 10 million dollars for Saeed earlier this year under its Reward for Justice programme.
As Ms Sherman noted, the “Reward for justice is just one tool. It’s a tool to say if people can come forward with information that can lead to conviction...we continue our work with Indian authorities, we raise this issue with Pakistan. This is just one tool among many things we are doing to bring everyone to justice.”
Regarding a direct operation against Saeed, Ms Sherman said: “We are in the process of bringing him and others to justice...It’s a part of the justice; we will pursue it and bring him to justice.”
The US diplomat further said: “The US courts have convicted both Headley and Rana who, we believe, have been part of this. They are now waiting sentencing. So we don’t believe in finishing till the job is completely done.”
Regarding Headley, Ms Sherman said: “There are processes of justice what both of our countries recognise. That’s what is being played out with David Headley. He has been convicted. He is about to face sentencing and he is going to pay for his role in this heinous act. I hope Indians understand the rule of law.”
During her meeting with Mr Mathai, the US diplomat conveyed her condolences on the anniversary of 26/11 saying “we grieve with you” , said official sources. In her interview to the news channel, Ms Sherman said that she understood the sentiments behind the 26/11 attack.
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