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'Headley issue won't hit Indo-US ties'

Last updated on: October 29, 2010 16:17 IST

Image: US envoy Timothy Roemer

Days before United States President Barack Obama's maiden India visit, US envoy Timothy Roemer told CNN-IBN in an interview that the controversy over the confessions of David Coleman Headley will not affect the ties between the two countries.

Excerpts from the interview:
 
Where does America stand on the Headley issue?

We shared David Headley with the intelligence officials of India so that they could ask him any question they wanted (about the 26/11 attacks).

 

'The US granted access to Headley'

Image: Video grabs of Headley from CNN

Do you believe somewhere the US intelligence was caught napping? Maybe there needs to be an acknowledgement perhaps that maybe we could have done more?

This is not a war of words. We are looking at the President's visit, a historic and unprecedented sharing of intelligence between the two countries.

So the Headley episode doesn't cast a shadow over the entire counter-terrorism, joint effort or over the President's visit?

When India asked for access to David Headley, (who was) responsible for some of the activities leading to 26/11, the United States granted that access.

'The Congress will be looking at Pak's military aid'

Image: A Ranger keeps guard in the streets of Karachi
Photographs: Akhtar Soomro/Reuters

Bob Woodward in his book Obama's War said that Pakistan's army thinks of India as enemy no.1. Is the US worried about where its aid (to the Pakistan army) will actually go?

Let me be perfectly clear. The US will not be a part of any kind of military build up on Pakistan's part against the people of India. The Congress will be looking at this and making sure that Pakistan is using it in the way the administration wants it.
 
Is outsourcing a political compulsion or an ideological issue for President Obama?

India has moved from being the 26th largest trading partner to the US to the 14th largest trading partner (in terms of) commerce, trade, people to people business ties, universities. This is a dynamic relationship.

'The strategic partnership between India and US'

Image: US President Barack Obama
Photographs: Reuters

Why is the US not supporting India openly and aggressively for a permanent seat in the United States Security Council? Will the President make this commitment when he comes to India?

We've been talking about the strategic partnership between the oldest democracies in the world and one of the largest democracies in the world. It's a very exciting time. (There is an) opportunity for US and India to work together on providing food stuff to third countries, in peace-keeping operations, humanitarian disaster systems, fighting Laskar-e-Tayiba. You take it from there.