No decision on direct access to Headley yet: US envoy

NEW DELHI - The US said Tuesday there had been no decision to give India \\\”direct access\\\” to David Coleman Headley, the Pakistani American terror suspect who has confessed to his role in the 26/11 Mumbai terror strike.

In a statement issued by the US embassy here, Ambassador Timothy J. Roemer clarified Assistant Secretary of State Robert O. Blake\’s comment in Delhi Saturday. Blake had been asked by reporters if Indian investigators would be allowed to quiz Headley. \”My answer would be yes,\” he said.

\”As the Assistant Secretary indicated, the US is committed to full information sharing in our counter terror partnership. In fact in this case we have provided substantial information to the government of India and we will continue to do so. However, no decision on direct access for India to David Headley has been made,\” Roemer said in a statement.

He added that the US department of justice will work with the Indian government \”regarding the modalities of such cooperation\”.

Indian Home Minister P. Chidambaram had been upbeat about getting access to Headley, after a phone call with US Attorney General Eric Holder.

\”It is my understanding,\” Chidambaram said, \”that India would be able to obtain access to Headley to question him in a properly constituted judicial proceeding. Such a judicial proceeding could be either pre-trial or during an inquiry or trial.\”

The National Investigation Agency was asked to form a team which will travel to the US to interrogate Headley, who confessed in a Chicago court to his role in the Mumbai terror attack that left 166 people