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Terror suspect Headley not our agent: CIA

December 17, 2009 11:17 IST
America's Central Intelligence Agency on Thursday strongly refuted reports that Pakistani-origin US national David Coleman Headley, charged with criminal conspiring in the 26/11 terror attacks, was its agent at any point of time.

"I can't comment on an ongoing investigation, but any suggestion that this individual worked for the CIA is flat wrong," CIA spokesperson Marie E Harf told PTI when specifically asked about Headley and his links with the CIA.

Headley, now languishing in a Chicago-jail, was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation on October 3 when he was planning to go to Pakistan via Philadelphia.

He has been charged by the federal prosecutors for being involved in the planning of the Mumbai terrorist attack. News reports from India, quoting unnamed officials from investigating agencies, and several news reports in the US in the past few days have said that Headley may well have been a 'double agent' working for the CIA as well as Pakistani terror groups, including Lashkar-e-Tayiba, which carried out the Mumbai terrorist attack.

Besides refuting any links between Headley and CIA, the spokeswoman refrained from making any comment on the Headley-Rana case arguing that it is an ongoing investigation.

Lalit K Jha in Washington, DC
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