World
India
Seventeen years after the devastating 26/11 Mumbai attacks, India has made a major breakthrough with the extradition of Tahawwur Rana—accused co-conspirator and childhood friend of David Headley. Speaking exclusively to NewsX, former IB Chief Yashovardhan Azad delved into the implications of Rana’s extradition and what it means for India’s national security. Excerpts:
“Well, first I would say that most of the information about the Mumbai attack is already known to us,” Azad noted. “So basically it’s a kind of confirmatory evidence that Tahawwur Rana would give. The most important part, and what is appreciated, is that we have got one of the accused—an imported accused—who was a co-plotter along with David Headley.”
Rana’s Role and the Shadows of the ISI
Azad highlighted Rana’s critical association with Headley and questioned how US courts previously absolved him of direct involvement in the attacks. “It’s difficult to believe how the US courts absolved him of his direct role in the Mumbai attacks,” he said. “And also it is a little strange that America can investigate the deaths of Americans abroad—even in that respect also, this man was absolved.”
The former IB chief stressed the importance of uncovering any additional handlers involved in orchestrating the attack. “The question is: is he going to name some extra ones apart from the ISI key men? Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, Samir and others have been identified… If he’s going to name any other handlers… that will certainly be a great kind of closure for the 26/11 victims”.
Pointing toward the remaining hurdles in the case, Azad told NewsX, “It’s unfortunate that despite getting fresh evidence and despite his naming of the ISI accused and so many officers, it’ll be difficult to get those people back from Pakistan to stand trial in India.”
Azad further acknowledged the challenges in extracting useful intelligence so long after the attacks, saying, “I think one of the challenges has already been overcome—that is to get this man extradited to India. Now the second thing is—yes, you’re right, 17 years too late—but… that memory and that sentence will be etched in everyone’s mind.”
He referenced Rana’s controversial past comments: “When he said that the Indians deserved it and that those guys, those terrorists—the murderers—should get Nishan-e-Haider… I suppose this man will remember everything about that particular plot.”
The real difficulty is to get those murderers who are still in Pakistan—the handlers of those terrorists who came here, Rana said, adding, “The conspirators, the plotters, the planners—from Hafiz Saeed to Lakhvi to Samir to all those majors and army officers… that is the real problem.”
An International Dimension to the Investigation
With nationals from various countries among the victims of 26/11, the case has always had international significance. According to Azad, this is already an international case because there were so many foreigners involved. “If Rana’s interrogation brings out anything new… from the United States or from other countries… it’ll be a great addition to the information,” he said.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has already been doing an excellent job in preparing detailed dossiers of terrorist acts committed on this soil and people who have escaped abroad, he said while underlining that the successful extradition of Rana is not just a diplomatic win but also a testament to the “growing strategic cooperation” between India and the US. “India is in a strategic partnership with the United States of America,” Azad said, adding, “Definitely one of the reasons why we have got Rana is because of our great friendship with the United States.”
He also asserted that this move sends a broader message: “It may inspire other countries too to get into (the) same net… The way the United States has cooperated—maybe it’s time others also cooperate in the same manner… unless the nations cooperate, it’s going to be a huge problem for any one particular country to deal with terrorist attacks.”
The ISI Connection: A Crucial Line of Inquiry
A major focus of the interrogation revolves around Rana’s alleged ties to Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). “It’s impossible to believe that he had no connection or contact with the ISI,” Azad asserted. “Especially when this man disappeared and became a Canadian citizen—obviously, those contacts would be there.”
He continued, “It is difficult that his childhood friend—who was preparing fake visas for him, and who was letting him have the shield or the cover of being an officer—will not know all this.”
“That is a very important part of the investigation that I’m sure the NIA – in this period – will be able to take out… In fact, I think that’ll be a top information they’ll be looking for so that they can tie up all the threads together in this investigation”, he added.
