WASHINGTON: The masterminds of the Nov 2008 Mumbai terror attack are still free because the indictment of a serving Pakistani intelligence officer had a really damaging effect on the US-Pakistani relationship, a new investigative report says.
It was because of the evidence of admitted Pakistani American terrorist David Coleman Headley during the trial of his boyhood friend Tahawwur Rana on charges of helping to plot the Mumbai attacks that Major Iqbal was indicted, says Sebastian Rotella, who works for investigative newsgroup Pro Publica. “Because of his evidence, the US attorney’s office in Chicago indicted (Pakistani intelligence official) Major Iqbal, which is the first time you have a serving Pakistani intelligence officer charged in the murder of Americans,” Rotella said in an interview published on Tuesday.
“It’s had a really damaging (effect) on the US-Pakistani relationship, and I think really helped change the way a lot of people in the US government see their relationship with US security forces,” he said. (IANS)