Washington, Sep 10 (Inditop.com) Building on institutional exchanges between intelligence and law-enforcement agencies of India and the US has been the thrust of Indian Home Minister P. Chidambaram’s meetings with top officials of the Obama administration. This enhanced cooperation will be underlined in his meeting with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Thursday evening.
Officials of the FBI, intelligence and security agencies have briefed Chidambaram, who arrived in Washington Wednesday, in detail on the anti-terror measures that they had undertaken after the 9/11 attacks.
“The objective behind this visit is to carry forward the dialogue with the US, especially with regard to the assessment of the security situation in South Asia and understanding counter-terrorism institutions,” said a senior official of India’s home ministry.
In his various interactions with heads of intelligence and security agencies and influential lawmakers, the home minister is also making a forceful case to seek Washington’s intervention to make Pakistan take action against the perpetrators of the Mumbai terror attacks.
The home minister discussed the role of Pakistan in the Mumbai attacks and its non-action against the plotters on its soil with America’s National Security Adviser General James Jones.
Chidambaram also discussed these issues with two other top Obama officials — Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and Attorney General Eric H. Holder.
During his busy day, the Indian minister also met Senator Dianne Feinstein who heads the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, and Congressman Sylvester Reyes who is chairman of the House Select Committee on Intelligence.
Chidambaram will meet Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Thursday evening and then brief the media about the outcome of his visit to the US.
Earlier during his stay in New York, Chidambaram was briefed about the security of the mass transport system at Penn station, given a presentation by the New York Police Department and also told about the coast guard facility at Staten Island.
