January 8, 2002	Tuesday	Shawwal 23, 1422

NEW DELHI, Jan 7: The Union Home Minister, L.K. Advani, leaves for a six-day long visit to the US tomorrow, Jan 8. He happens to be first ever Indian home minister to pay an official visit to the States, said well placed sources in home ministry.

The Home Minister will be accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising the Home Secretary, Kamal Pande, the Director, Intelligence Bureau, K.P. Singh, the Joint Secretary in the External Affairs Ministry, Jayant Prasad and the Joint Secretary in the Home Ministry, R.K. Singh.

A week after Mr. Advani’s visit, the Defence Minister, George Fernandes, is also scheduled to visit the US from Jan 15,said the news sources.

The Home Minister is also likely to meet the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) chief, Robert Mueller, the Central Investigation Agency (CIA) chief, George Tenet and the Secretary of the newly-created Department of Homeland Security, they said.—APP