Union Home Minister, P Chidambaram, on Friday said that Federal Bureau of Investigation, the premier intelligence agency of the US, is a good partner with India in investigating terrorist crimes.
“The FBI has been very helpful to India in the Mumbai case in the analysis of DNA samples, in decoding the GPS instruments. Two of their officers have deposed before a Mumbai court,” he said.
“So obviously, FBI is a good partner in investigating terrorist crimes and good partner for sharing terrorist related intelligence which effects either India or the United States,” he added.
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The Indian agencies would continue to maintain their relationship with the FBI and that is mutually beneficial to both countries, Mr. Chidambaram said.
On the question of level of intelligence sharing between the two countries, he said it has been pretty good. “Even today, when there is actionable intelligence, it is shared by the US agencies with the Indian agencies. We share any intelligence that we have vis-à-vis the United States and this would continue,” Mr. Chidambaram said.
On his meeting with the Treasury Secretary, Timothy Geithner, Mr. Chidambaram said money laundering would be one of the issues to be discussed with him today before he leaves Washington on his way back home via New York.
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Noting that India’s membership to the FATF (Financial Action Task Force) is an issue, Chidambaram said the US has already promised that they would support and quicken India’s membership to FATF.
“Although it does not quite follow under my jurisdiction immediately, but since I started the process of acquiring the membership of FATF, I would mention this to Secretary Geithner and we would exchange views about the economic situation,” he said.