After a lull of 14 months, the terrorists have struck again. This time in Pune, killing nine and injuring scores of others, including two foreign tourists. No less than Home Minister P Chidambaram has hinted at the link of jailed Pakistani-born American citizen David Headley. Headley had surveyed Osho ashram and the Jewish Chabad House, which are close to the Pune's blast site, in 2007-8 when he was out scouting for possible spots for attack. Chidambaram now wants access to the man. But there little to suggest that this would happen.

Officially, India has a treaty with the US to fight terror, called the Treaty on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters (MLTA), which was signed in 2001 and ratified in 2005. At the time it was said the treaty would enhance cooperation between the two countries in fighting the common enemy--terror. But when a team of Indian intelligence agencies landed in the US after Headley was arrested last year, it was denied access. Since then, the Indian government has been talking about seeking extradition of Headley and interrogating him in view of his direct involvement in the gruesome attack in Mumbai. But the US has systematically undermined it, for reasons not quite made clear. Even after the Pune blast, the US has not come forward to help by providing access to the terrorist. Nor has India made bold to officially demand this. Chidambaram has merely hinted at the possibility, reflecting the fact that he is not sure he will be heeded.

What are we to make out of the situation? Can we really trust the US to help us fight the terror?