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Journalism of Courage
After Left’s tirade against US Ambassador David Mulford for directly offering FBI assistance to Assam government for the October 2 blasts, the Government has decided to downplay the issue and treat the letter as ‘‘purely’’ a condolence message.
On October 4, Mulford had written letters to Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and Home Minister Shivraj Patil ‘‘offering FBI’s technical support’’ in the blast probe. While Gogoi went public with the US offer, Patil kept mum about the missive to him.
The letter clearly emphasises of the need for all ‘‘civilised nations’’ to coordinate against the ‘‘evil of terrorism’’ and that FBI would be ready to provide technical support in the forensic analysis of explosive residues.
Offering help in probing the blast, the letter stated: ‘‘In this context, the US has considerable expertise in investigative techniques including, for example, such areas as forensic analysis of explosive residues. I have also today made this offer to Home Minister Shivraj Patil…The people of America join you in hoping that the perpetrators of these crimes will be brought swiftly to justice.’’
Sources said that Mulford was keen to offer assistance as there could be a linkage between the blast perpetrators and the Al Qaeda. That the North-East blasts had international ramifications becomes clear from the similarity between the Dimapur blasts and the explosion in a daily bazaar at Gelephu in Bhutan on September 5.
In fact, the Ministry is now looking at the Muslim fundamentalist organisations as there is evidence indicating that they orchestrated the blasts in the Northeastern states.
It is learnt that it was only after the US officials explained the real reason behind the assistance offer, that the UPA government decided to put a lid on the entire matter.
