NEW DELHI: External Affairs Minister S M Krishna on Wednesday responded to the latest David Headley controversy, saying that India got ‘general and non-specific’ Intelligence from the US ahead of the Mumbai attacks in November, 2008.
“We had some general and non-specific information which we had received from the US Government,” Krishna told reporters. “But it wasn’t very specific, it was by and large general.”
Krishna insisted that India and the US had ‘excellent cooperation’ on security matters.
The External Affairs Minister was asked if the recent revelation that a wife of the now-jailed Pakistani American had alerted US authorities about his terror links would cast a shadow over the relations between the two countries, ahead of US President Barack Obama’s visit.
After The Washington Post revelation there has been some criticism that had the US authorities tipped India off about David Headley’s Lashkar-e-Toiba links in time, security agencies might have been intercepted him during one of his several scouting trips to the country.
But after the news report, Washington has insisted that it didn’t have any specific information about Headley’s plans -- and it has been sharing with India counter-terrorism Intelligence regularly.
“India and the US are strategic partners. Our ties are multi-faceted and in recent years they have been transformed,” Krishna said.
“We have a common outlook on host of issues including this scourge of terrorism which confronts us all,” he said. “We have excellent cooperation from the US on matters of security and counter-terrorism.” he added.
The minister described his meeting earlier in 2010 with Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi as ‘inconclusive.’ Qureshi had accepted an invitation to Delhi and that visit could come about in the first quarter of next year, he said.
Krishna was at a joint press conference, marking the visit of Oman’s Foreign Minister Yousuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah. The Oman minister said India had a role in contributing the security of the Gulf region.
Trade between the two countries amounts to $ 4.5 billion. Bilateral investments total up to $ 7.5 billion and the two countries had set up an investment fund to boost this further.
Over 5.5 lakh people of Indian origin live in Oman. “Through their hard work and dedication, they have enriched our excellent bilateral relations,” Krishna said.