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S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 000420 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/05/2019 
TAGS: PTER KJUS PGOV KCRM PINR POREL IN
SUBJECT: FBI DIRECTOR MUELLER MEETS WITH DIRECTORS OF 
INDIA'S INTELLIGENCE BUREAU AND NATIONAL INVESTIGATIVE 
AGENCY 
 
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires a.i., Steven White for Reasons 1.4 (B, 
 D) 
 
¶1. (C) In a March 3 meeting, FBI Director Robert Mueller met 
with the Director of India's Intelligence Bureau (IB) Rajiv 
Mathu and National Investigation Agency (NIA) Director Radha 
Vinod Raju.  Director Mueller thanked the government of India 
(GOI) for its cooperation and access in the investigation 
into the November 2008 Mumbai attacks.  Mathur noted those 
areas where the FBI proved particularly helpful to the GOI 
investigators, and Mueller pledged the Bureau's continued 
support.  Both sides stressed the need for stronger 
collaboration and increased information sharing. End Summary. 
 
A Good Foundation to Build Upon 
------------------------------- 
 
¶2. FBI Director Robert Mueller, accompanied by the Charge, 
met March 3 with India's IB Director Rajiv Mathur and NIA 
director Radha Vinod Raju.  Also in attendance from the U.S. 
side were Assistant Director Michael Heimbach, Deputy 
Assistant Director Sean Joyce, and Legal Attache Daniel 
Powers; the Indian side also included IB Joint Director of 
Foreign Liaison and Director of the Multi-Agency Center Ashok 
Prasad, IB Joint Director of Operations D.P. Singh, IB Deputy 
Director of Operations Tappan Deka, and IB Special Assistant 
Naveen Singh. 
 
¶3. (C) Mathur opened the discussion by thanking Director 
Mueller for FBI assistance with the Mumbai case, and singled 
out several areas where the IB could use additional 
assistance.  He hoped that the Director's visit would help 
facilitate this.  Mathur stated that Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) is 
still of great concern and said he believed that LeT leaders 
are lying low during the most recent crackdown but would soon 
reemerge.  Mathur mentioned that the GOI is facing general 
elections and campaigning politicians would be attractive 
targets to the LeT attacks.  The GOI believes that LeT will 
target Indian transportation, specifically the trains that 
run from Delhi to various parts of India.  Mathur requested 
any information the FBI could provide, not just on LeT but 
also on other terrorist groups in the region.  In his view, 
India's problems were caused not only by cross-border 
infiltration from Pakistan, but also by terrorists coming 
into India from Bangladesh and Nepal. 
 
¶4. (C) Director Mueller complimented the IB on the Mumbai 
investigation and stated the FBI was happy it could play a 
role.  He hoped that the counterterrorism and law enforcement 
relationship between the two countries would continue to grow 
to include regular information exchanges and training.  The 
U.S. cannot deal with terrorism on its own and we need full 
partnerships around the world, Mueller explained and the FBI 
shared the IB's concerns about the LeT.  Although exchanges 
between India and the U.S. had not been robust in the past, 
since the Mumbai attacks the tempo has accelerated and the 
U.S. was working to get all relevant information to India. 
He reiterated that through information and intelligence 
exchanges, the U.S. will work with India to preempt future 
attacks. 
 
¶5. (C) During the meeting, Mathur provided Director Mueller 
with a copy of information given by the U.S. in reference to 
the UN Security Council 1267 Committee and asked for further 
information on Arif Qasmani.  Director Mueller stated that he 
would look into the matter. 
 
¶6. (U) Mueller stressed that the U.S. and India should move 
forward on counterterrorism cooperation, noting that law 
enforcement and intelligence go hand-in-hand.  The FBI was 
not an intelligence agency, but a law enforcement agency and 
noted that intelligence gleaned from Mumbai terrorist suspect 
Mohammad Kasab's interrogation had become actionable as part 
of the job of law enforcement.  Mueller offered to have IB 
officers come to the U.S. for training at the FBI's National 
Academy. 
 
NEW DELHI 00000420  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
National Investigative Agency 
----------------------------- 
 
¶7. (SBU) NIA director Raju informed Mueller that with the 
establishment of the NIA, India had for the first time a 
centralized federal agency to investigate the types of crimes 
previously under the jurisdiction of each state.  He queried 
Mueller as to how the FBI worked with state and local law 
enforcement.  Mueller noted that the FBI needed to have 
jurisdiction over a crime before it could become involved in 
an investigation and even then it had to secure the 
cooperation of local authorities.  He offered assistance from 
the FBI to the NIA in developing strategies for working with 
state law enforcement authorities.  Both IB and NIA directors 
agreed with Director Mueller on the importance of sharing 
information among agencies.  Director Mueller highlighted 
that FBI training on crime scene exploitation may be of 
particular value to India. 
 
One on One 
--------------- 
 
¶8. (S) In a restricted session in which Director Mueller, 
Charge and Joint Director Ashok Prasad participated prior to 
the expanded meeting, Director Mathur cited three areas of 
concern to the IB where the U.S. could be helpful: 1) 
information sharing on the LeT 2) Sikh militancy and 3) 
technical cooperation.  Sikh extremism in Punjab is a concern 
Mathur warned, alleging that there have been incursions into 
Indian Punjab by Sikh extremists.  He stressed the linkages 
between leaders of the Sikh militancy located in Pakistan and 
the Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate.  Mathur said the 
militants "are maintaining a tempo of jihad" and urged the 
U.S. to pay more attention and share information on this 
threat. 
 
¶9. (S) Mathur also asked for more technical cooperation 
between the U.S. and India, specifically to track internet 
usage and pinpoint the exact location of a mobile phone when 
in use.  Mueller stated he thought the U.S. had technology 
that could triangulate the location of mobile phones; 
however, he would have to look into this.  Mathur was 
interested in technology that could track Thuraya satellite 
phones and asked about the means by which the GOI could 
request information from U.S. internet and cellular phone 
providers.  Director Mueller stated that there are legal 
protections in place when obtaining this type of information. 
 
 
¶10. (S) Mueller asked if the FBI could gain direct access to 
terrorist suspect Kasab if necessary.  Mathur said the IB 
videotaped interrogations of Kasab which are sealed under the 
indictment, but would be available after March 9th. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶11. (S) Director Mueller's meetings at the Intelligence 
Bureau were extremely cordial and reflected what is, on face 
value, a genuine interest by the IB in expanding cooperation 
with the FBI and other U.S. law enforcement and intelligence 
agencies.  The IB was clearly impressed by what the FBI 
accomplished in Mumbai and its value to the GOI's ability to 
build its case.  While we have no illusions that the road 
ahead won't be bumpy, the extraordinary progress made since 
Mumbai bodes well for future cooperation. 
 
 
WHITE