Krishna hopeful of Headley's interrogation by India

New Delhi, March 27 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S.M.Krishna on Sunday expressed the hope that the country would be able to interrogate David Coleman Headley, charged with scouting targets for the 2008 Mumbai attacks.

Krishna, after exercising his franchise in Bangalore city's' civic polls, told reporters that sooner or later India would get a chance to interrogate Hedley.

"Well, I think the push is just enough with efforts to United States. As I said, we have a strategic partner in United States so I am sure, today or tomorrow, if not today, at least later, I think, we will have our chance to interrogate Headley," he said.

Though the United States has refused to extradite Headley and the US Ambassador to India, Timothy J. Roemer, has said that it has not yet been decided whether India will get access to Headley or not.

Headley had pleaded guilty to all the 12 charges of conspiracy involving bombing public places in India and providing material support to foreign terrorist plots and Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, besides aiding and abetting the murder of six US citizens in the Mumbai attacks.

Headley, 49, has been cooperating with U.S. investigators since his arrest in October and faces up to life imprisonment, prosecutors said.

Headley had promised to cooperate and provide testimony in exchange for a pledge that he would not to be extradited to India, Pakistan or Denmark.

Meanwhile, talking about reports of a nuclear treaty between Pakistan and the U.S., Krishna reiterated that the U.S. should look into the track record of every nation before signing any agreement.

"The track record of...with reference to proliferation of nuclear weapons, India's track record has been impeccable, which has been highly acclaimed by the rest of nations, including the nuclear powers, like Russia, France, Germany, and United States. So, United States, as I have said in an earlier statement will have to look into the track record of nations before they go into any such agreement," he said.

Washington has been dubious about talks on sharing nuclear technology, partly because of fears it would upset India, but also due to concerns over the case of Pakistani scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan, who transferred nuclear secrets to North Korea, Iraq, and Iran.

Analysts are skeptical Washington will embark on any serious talks with Pakistan and caution that legislation would be highly unlikely to get through Congress, pointing to the lengthy negotiations for the Indian deal that was finalized only last year and has still not been implemented.

In addition, such an arrangement requires consensus approval from the 46-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group in Vienna, which is also a lengthy process.

India and the United States signed a civilian nuclear deal in 2008, ending India's nuclear isolation since it tested a nuclear device in 1974 and opening up its atomic market for firms such as General Electric Co and Westinghouse Electric Co, a subsidiary of Japan's Toshiba Corp. (ANI)