The US has admitted that two of the three wives of LeT terrorist David Headley had multiple conversations with its officials in 2007 and 2008 about his radical connections but could not provide any specific information to India about time and place of terror attacks.
“In the contacts that we had with his spouses, there was no specific information as to who he was associated with or what they were planning to do,” state department spokesperson P.J. Crowley told reporters at his daily news conference.
Mr Crowley’s remarks came after Indian officials in New Delhi asked why Headley’s name was not shared by the US with India.
“We want to ask a simple question — did they share the name? If not, why did they not share the name,” an Indian official said, adding such a step could have resulted in his arrest.
50-year-old Headley, who was arrested in the Chicago in October last year, has admitted his involvement in Mumbai terror attacks in 2008 which claimed 166 lives.
Mr Crowley said his response was based in the context of two meetings that the state department officials had with one of Headley’s spouses in late 2007 and early 2008.
“She did provide us some information. We followed up on that information and provided it to relevant agencies across the US government,” he said.
Responding to reporters’ questions, Mr Crowley insisted that the US authorities followed up with the information provided by Headley’s wives.
“Did we follow up? The answer is yes,” he insisted.
—PTI