Pak JIT: India, US information-sharing plan delayed

An ambitious plan for exchange of information on terrorists on a real time basis with the US may have to wait for sometime as Indian agencies have voiced reservations over the move, saying the system primarily protects US interests.

The issue of sharing information for terrorist screening in the US database, terrorist screening centre (TSC), by an Indian agency has been dropped from the proposed homeland security dialogue to be held in June. Indian agencies are suggesting that in return of signing of the agreement, India must secure from the US side progress to the Internet related data held by US-based services.

The homeland security presidential directive is a model text agreement proposed by the United States to India for exchange of terrorist screening information between TSC of the US and an Indian agency. Sources said there have been several rounds of discussions between the interlocutors of the US and India in the past one year and both sides have narrowed down their differences on several key issues with the aim of signing the pact in the next homeland security dialogue to be attended by home minister Rajnath Singh and his US counterpart Jeh Johnson and likely to be held in June.

However, the proposed agreement does not figure in the agenda for now apparently due to the objections from Indian intelligence agencies.

On Tuesday, the MHA brass held a preparatory meeting attended by assistant secretary in the US department of homeland security Alan Bersin and additional secretary in the ministry of home affairs M. Gopal Reddy.

TSC is a multi agency organisation administered by FBI which consolidates several terrorist watch list maintained by different US government agencies into single terrorist data base on terror suspects.

The data base include name of the terror suspect, nationality, date of birth, photos, finger prints (if any), passport number.

Sources said R&AW has agreed to the proposed draft in principle, the Intelligence Bureau has expressed reservation initially saying the arrangement primarily protects US interests.

Later, Indian security agencies came to the conclusion that there was no disadvantage in entering into the proposed pact with TSC and IB will be the nodal agency and be designated as the Indian party to the agreement.