Washington, Jan 26 (IANS): Despite India's efforts to extradite Pakistani American David Headley over the Mumbai terror attack, the US has virtually ruled out the possibility saying that the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operative "will serve in the United States".
Asked to comment on a report that India wanted to keep up the effort to extradite Headley, State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland Friday noted: "He's been tried, convicted, and will serve in the United States."
Even as India expressed disappointment at the 35 year sentence given by a Chicago court to David Headley, the US called it a very positive example of US-Indian collaboration in counterterrorism.
"From our perspective, justice was served, and this is a very positive example of US-Indian collaboration in the counterterrorism realm," State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland said Friday in response to a question about the Indian reaction.
"The investigation and the prosecution of David Headley stems from the unprecedented and intense collaboration between the United States and Indian authorities in the counterterrorism sphere to bring all the people responsible for Mumbai to justice," she said.
Underscoring a statement by the Justice Department on the Headley trial, Nuland said "a key conspirator in the Mumbai terrorist attacks has been brought to justice in the United States".
"He will serve 35 years in prison for his role in these heinous acts that claimed the lives of 166 people, including six Americans," she said.
Headley, Nuland noted, provided information of substantial value in US efforts against terrorism,.
This included testifying against co-conspirator Tahawwur Rana, providing extensive detail about accused terrorist Ilyas Kashmiri and his network, who was indicted in 2009 as well as submitting to questions from Indian law enforcement and working with US investigators.
Asked what message would it send from the Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Nuland said: "That we promised that justice would be served, that justice is being served in this case."