March 19, 2010 2:11 PM

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Headley agrees to cooperate in any foreign judicial proceedings says US

Pakistani born American citizen and Laskar E Taiba operative, David Headley can now be directly questioned by Indian investigators after his confession in a Chicago court on his involvement in the Mumbai terror attacks.<br/><br/>The United States, which has so far denied India the right to question Headley, arrested by the FBI in October last year, said Headley has agreed to fully and truthfully participate in this process which has to be undertaken only on US soil. According to the plea agreement, Headley will not, be extradited to India, however it leaves the option open for India, which had pressed for the maximum death penalty to Headley, to approach the US to directly question him. <br/><br/>The US Department of Justice has said in a statement that, Headley has agreed when directed by the United States Attorney’s Office, that he will fully and truthfully testify in any foreign judicial proceedings held in the United States by way of deposition, video-conferencing or letters rogatory. <br/><br/>The US Department of Justice statement was issued soon after the 49-year- old Chicago resident pleaded guilty on all 12 charges against him. Headley, accused of plotting the 26/11 Mumbai attacks at the behest of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Toiba and conspiring to target a Danish newspaper, had last night pleaded guilty to all terror charges before a US court. Under the plea bargain, he has escaped death penalty.<br/><br/>Headley's lawyer John Theis told reporters after the over 30-minute hearing that Headley has agreed to allow himself to be interviewed by foreign governments in this country as part of the agreement. Headley's admission of being trained in Pakistan terror camp has also nailed Islamabad's claim that such camps were non-existant in that country. Headley, who had pleaded not guilty on January 14 to the charges against him, had done a U-turn in the 35-page plea agreement and admitted to all the charges.<br/>

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