US President Donald Trump announced on Thursday the extradition of Tahawwur Rana, an accused in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, to India. The announcement came during a joint press conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi following their bilateral meeting at the White House.
“I am pleased to announce that my administration has approved the extradition of one of the plotters (Tahawwur Rana) and one of the very evil people of the world, having to do with the horrific 2008 Mumbai terrorist attack to face justice in India. He is going back to India to face justice,” Trump stated.
The US State Department had earlier confirmed that it was evaluating the next steps regarding Rana’s extradition. “We have long supported India’s efforts to ensure the perpetrators of the Mumbai terrorist attacks face justice,” a spokesperson from the department told ANI.
Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri recently stated that India is in touch with US authorities to facilitate Rana’s extradition. “On the extradition of Tahawwur Rana, from recent developments, you would be aware that he has exhausted all legal avenues in the United States with the US Supreme Court also dismissing his appeal and therefore we are now in touch with US authorities to work on the logistics of his surrender to Indian authorities,” Misri said.
Rana, a Pakistani-origin businessman, was convicted for his involvement in the 26/11 attacks. His co-conspirator, David Headley, pleaded guilty and cooperated against him. The US Supreme Court recently denied Rana’s petition against extradition, clearing the final legal hurdle.
The 26/11 attacks resulted in the deaths of 174 people, including 20 security personnel and 26 foreigners, with over 300 injured. The attacks took place at Mumbai’s Taj Hotel on November 26, 2008.
Strengthening US-India Relations
During the press conference, President Trump praised the “special bond” between the US and India, emphasizing their status as the world’s oldest and largest democracies. “I am thrilled to welcome PM Modi at the White House. We spent a lot of time here and also in India. We travelled to your beautiful country five years ago… It was an incredible period of time. There is a special bond between the US and India. Today, the PM and I are announcing the framework to strengthen the ties further,” Trump stated.
In a significant announcement, President Trump declared that the US will increase military sales to India and set the stage for the potential sale of F-35 Stealth fighter jets. “Starting this year, we will increase military sales to India by many billions of dollars. We are also paving the way to ultimately provide India with the F-35 Stealth fighters,” he said.
Trump also reaffirmed the Quad security partnership’s role in maintaining peace in the Indo-Pacific region. “In 2017, my administration revived and reinvigorated the Quad security partnership… Prime Minister and I reaffirm the strong cooperation among the United States, India, Australia, and Japan, and it’s really crucial to maintain peace, prosperity, and tranquillity in the Indo-Pacific.”
Energy and Trade Agreements
President Trump further announced key agreements on energy imports and trade routes. “The Prime Minister and I also reached an important agreement on energy that will ensure the US to be the leading supplier of oil and natural gas to India, hopefully, the number one supplier. In a groundbreaking development for the US nuclear industry, India is also reforming laws to welcome US nuclear technology, which is at the highest level in the Indian market,” Trump stated.
He also discussed a new trade corridor connecting India to the US through Israel and Italy. “We agreed to work together to help build one of the greatest trade routes in all of history. It will run from India to Israel to Italy and onward to the US, connecting our partners, roads, railways, and undersea cables. It is a big development.”
The announcements made during this visit underscore the growing strategic partnership between India and the US across various sectors, including security, energy, and trade.