US, India discuss security related issues

New Delhi, Dec 22: US ambassador to India, David Mulford and other US security officials on Monday, Dec 22 met up with Union Home Minister, P Chidambaram and National Security Advisor MK Narayanan to discuss security related issues in the wake of Mumbai terror attacks.

The crucial meeting lasted over half an hour, sources said. the meeting was held two days after the visit of Interpol Secretary General, Ronald K Noble met Chidambaram and assured to secure all details regarding the terrorists of the Mumbai terror attacks.

India and the United States are working on setting up a mechanism to ensure seamless transfer of terror related intelligence information. US intelligence agencies is reported to have had technical intercepts of the 60-hour Mumbai siege and the agencies also had intercepts of satillite phone used in high seas by the terrorists.

So far, the United States has only provided physical details of movement of the boats Kuber and al Husseni that were used by the Pakistani terrorists.

Officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) have already questioned Azam AmirKasav, the lone surviving Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militant of the Nov 26 strikes, to ascertain his role and those of his handlers in Pakistan.

The US is working through a package for India on dealing with the situation arising out of the 'horrific' Mumbai strikes by way of information sharing, collaboration and cooperation, according to a top Pentagon official.

"We are working through the initial parts of a package...we would offer to India to help them understand some of the lessons ... that we very painfully learnt in the wake of our 11 September attacks, in information sharing, collaboration and cooperation," Admiral Timothy Keating, Commander of the US Pacific Command, told reporters in Washington last week.

OneIndia News (With inputs from Agencies)