The ongoing questioning of terror suspect David Headley by officers belonging to India’s National Intelligence Agency (NIA) suggests that this canary is singing. And if India uses the song to its advantage, it should be able to leverage its growing influence with the US to snare Pakistan in its own web of lies, deceit and terrorism. As he had earlier indicated to the US’s Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Headley has apparently confirmed that Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) was very much part of the November 26, 2008 attacks on Mumbai. Although the attacks were carried out by the Lashkar-e-Taiba, Headley has apparently confirmed that the ISI was involved every step of the way. He has named Pakistan army officers as well as LeT chief Hafiz Saaed, whom Pakistan seems reluctant to blame, arrest or indict.
While this confirms what India had suspected in spite of Pakistan’s many denials, recent comments by Robert Blake, US assistant secretary of state for Central and South Asia can be used to bolster India’s case against Pakistan. Blake said that Kashmir is no longer the central issue between the two countries and that Pakistan needs to take action against the 26/11 suspects as well as stop the Lashkar from further terror activities in India.
The US is also apparently concerned about its military aid to Pakistan being diverted and used against India and is looking at safeguards to prevent it. This was part of the just-concluded dialogue between external affairs minister SM Krishna and US secretary of state Hillary Clinton.
India is aware of the strong Pakistan-US ties and how much the
US is dependent on Pakistan in the ongoing fight against terrorism and the war in Afghanistan. But there is also greater acceptance in the US that Pakistan is the problem rather than the solution.
Meanwhile, Headley’s confessions add ballast to India’s
demands. Pakistan’s reluctance to go much further with the suspects that it had apprehended in the 26/11 attacks is now evident to the world. Headley’s evidence however nails most of its lies and since he is an FBI witness, Pakistan cannot point fingers at India’s motives as it is wont to do. Along with the embarrassment of the Times Square bomber and his Pakistan connections, Islamabad finds itself in a bind with its main patron.
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