Washington DC: The US State Department on Thursday (local time) made it clear that US’ commitment to tackling terrorism globally remains steadfast. Additionally, the US continue to advocate for justice to be served in the case of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.
Vedant Patel, Principal Deputy Spokesperson of the State Department, addressed the issue of Tahawwur Rana’s extradition, stating that it’s currently an unresolved matter.
He said, “as you pointed out, this is an extradition case that is currently pending. Given its pending status, I don’t have any specific comments to offer at this moment. I prefer to withhold my comments on an ongoing extradition case. I believe the Department of Justice is better suited to detail the exact procedural steps involved in such cases.” These remarks were made by Patel during a briefing at the State Department.
Furthermore, Patel reiterated the United States’ strong commitment to tackling terrorism on a global scale.
“What I can say is that we are committed to confronting terrorism across the world and we continue to call for those involved in the 2008 Mumbai attacks to be brought to justice,” Patel added.
Notably, Union Home Minister Amit Shah during the recently concluded Monsoon session of the Parliament, had said that Tahawwur Rana “will face the Indian judiciary soon”.
Earlier in May, US envoy to India, Eric Garcetti also stated that the United States Court has given the mandate that the extradition of Tahawwur Rana should occur. He added that it is a sort of collaboration and cooperation where both nations are working together “to bring terrorists to justice, and we won’t stop.”
Rana was arrested in the US on an extradition request by India for his role in the Mumbai attacks in which 10 Pakistani terrorists laid a more than 60-hour siege, attacking and killing over 160 people, including six Americans, at iconic and vital locations in Mumbai.
Indian authorities allege that Rana conspired with his childhood friend David Coleman Headley to assist the Pakistani terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba in orchestrating the terror attacks.
Headley and Rana attended military high school in Pakistan together.
Rana’s immigration law centre in Chicago, as well as a satellite office in Mumbai, was allegedly used as a front for their terrorism activities between 2006 and 2008, prosecutors say.
Headley, the master plotter of the 26/11 Mumbai attack, had pleaded guilty and testified against Rana. Rana is fighting extradition by claiming double jeopardy because he was acquitted of Mumbai massacre charges in a Chicago federal courtroom. Rana is arguing that he has already been acquitted of the charges he would face overseas.
(With ANI inputs)