American victims upset over US immunity to ISI in 26/11

Families of American victims of the Mumbai terror attack are disappointed over a submission made by the US government in a New York court that the Pakistani spy agency ISI and its two former chiefs-Ahmed Shuja Pasha and Nadeem Tajenjoyed immunity in the 26/11 case.

However, the families, who have filed case against the ISI, Pasha and Taj accusing them of being involved in the Mumbai terror attack, would continue fighting their case in the court of law, their lawyer said today.

“We are disappointed, but we are continuing to proceed with our case. I believe that there would be appropriate compensation for the victims” family,” attorney James P Kreindler told PTI.

Kreindler, who represents the American victims and their families in four identical 26/11 cases against ISI, Pasha and Taj, said he is still going through the submission made by the Department of Justice to chalk out his next course of action.

On December 17, the Justice Department made a submission in the New York court that the US government determined that ISI, Pasha and Taj enjoyed immunity in the case.

Claiming that the ISI was involved in the planning and execution of the Mumbai attack, these American survivors of 26/11 and family members of the victims had filed a case against the ISI chiefs and its other officials, besides the Lashkar-e-Taiba leaders Mohammed Hafiz Sayeed, Zaki ur Rahman, Sajid Mir and Azam Cheema.

Four identical court cases were filed including one by Linda Ragsdale on August 12. A resident of Tennessee, Ragsdale was shot in her back by one of the terrorists at the Oberoi Trident hotel in Mumbai. She, however, survived the attack that left 166 people dead.