M A I N   N E W S

US non-committal on India’s request for access to Headley
Ashok Tuteja/TNS

New Delhi, May 24
Visiting US Undersecretary for Political Affairs Wendy Sherman today expressed confidence that New Delhi and Washington would find an "appropriate" way to decide on India’s request for access to Mumbai attack plotter David Headley.

Sherman, who is here to prepare the ground for the India-US strategic dialogue to be held towards the end of June, held meetings with External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid, National Security Adviser Shivshanker Menon and Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai.

She said Secretary of State John Kerry was looking forward to his visit to India for the strategic dialogue, which will be co-chaired by the External Affairs Minister from the Indian side.

Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde during his US visit, which ended May 22, had sought access to Headley and his accomplice Tahawwur Rana, who were sentenced by a Chicago court after being found guilty of terrorism charges.

Answering a media query on New Delhi's request for access to Headley, Sherman said India and the US had held the bilateral Homeland Security Dialogue during Shinde's visit. "That is the channel, along with the Department of Justice to resolve this request. And I am sure both our governments will work through this in whatever way is appropriate," she said.

Sherman said both governments were working at all levels on a number of projects dealing with global economics, global strategic security, energy, climate change, people-to-people and regional cooperation.

Terming the depth and breadth of India-US relations as "extraordinary", she said the US also was looking forward to the visit by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh - as "this is a strong, powerful relationship not only in the region but in the world". To a question on Afghanistan's request for more security assistance from India, she said India is "a crucial and key player in the future security and development of Afghanistan, both bilaterally and regionally".

Mentioning the development assistance by India in Afghanistan and engagement in regional dialogue forums, she said: "Anything will be positive when India is engaged."