Visited India 7 times before Mumbai attack, convict testifies before court

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A Pakistani-American who helped plan a 2008 attack on India’s financial hub told a court on Monday that he travelled to India seven times to scout potential targets.

David Coleman Headley gave the Indian court in Mumbai details of his role in planning the Mumbai attack, in which more than 160 people were killed over three days when a group of 10 men rampaged across the city.

Headley repeated statement that he has made earlier that Pakistan’s main spy agency was allegedly involved in planning the attack’s preparations and execution.

Headley said he supplied his handlers in the Lashkar-i-Taiba with videos and maps of luxury hotels, a Jewish centre and the city’s main railway station that were attacked, Prosecutor Ujwal Nikam told reporters after Monday’s five hours of testimony.

Headley testified that Lashkar-i-Taiba had tried to launch attacks in India twice earlier without success, said Nikam, who questioned him. The third attempt was the November 2008 attack, Headley said.

Nikam said Headley told the court that in one attempt, a boat in which the men were travelling overturned after hitting rocks and their weapons were lost at sea.

Headley said he joined Lashkar-i-Taiba in 2002 and he and other recruits allegedly underwent many years of training in Pakistan, where they were reportedly taught the use of weapons and bomb making.

Headley, born of a Pakistani father and an American mother, told the court that his name was Dawood Gilani, but he changed it to David Coleman Headley in 2006 to facilitate his travel to India.

Nikam said Headley used his US passport to travel frequently to India without raising suspicion and was able to give Lashkar-i-Taiba information that was used to plan and carry out the attack.

He said Headley told the court that officials from Pakistan’s intelligence agency, Inter-Services Intelligence were allegedly involved. Pakistan, however, insists that ISI has no links to Lashkar-i-Taiba and denies any connection to the Mumbai attack.

Nikam told reporters that “Headley has given us valuable information,” but declined to comment on the testimony about ISI, saying it was up to the government of India to take it up with the government of Pakistan.

Headley testified by video conference from an undisclosed location in the United States, where he is serving a 35-year prison term for his role in the Mumbai attack.

The Mumbai court investigating the attack gave Headley a conditional pardon in December, which allowed him to become a witness.

6 COMMENTS

  1. This is a blatant conspiracy to implicate and give a bad name to Pakistan by non other then Zionist USA, since when someone with a name David Coleman Headley is a Pakistani Muslim? If this US spy is admitting to his role then he should be executed, but we all know this is not going to happen he will be given a VIP protocol and sent back to US after he has completed his mission!!!!!

    • What u say about kargil then which was also rejected by Pakistan earlier as it was being done by bloody mujaheddin..but ultimately confirmed by Musaraff himself that it was done by Pakistan Army. Now u may say that it was also US or Indian conspiracy to give a bad name to Pakistan…

    • Any fool knows that David Coleman Headley is not an obvious Pakistani name. If it would be a conspiracy dont you think that they would have altered the name. His original name is Daood Sayed Gilani. But of course you know everything. Instead of Islam try education.

  2. Dear Sanram Pattanayak! In Kargil you are "gusspattiay" and have occupied the Kashmir valley. No doubt the people of Kashmir have the right to fight against occupiers even according to the international. Remember even the Europeans had secret cells organized to fight against the Hitler's occupation of European countries. In 21:st century three countries are neo-colonial occupiers of other countries and that is India, Israel and Uncle Sam and not co-incidentally they are now a day getting together.

    • If we are ghuspathiye then why did not u had the courage to admit that yours army has tried to free it.Did u ever heard about kashmiri pandits. They r most basic natives of kashmiir .They have first right on kashmir. kashmir is not all about Shrinagar only. If u will go to Jammu and Laddhakha then yours sponsor terrorist and agenda has only 5 % support. Why people like you think that the whole world are against you . You need to do a little bit of self introspection. If Kashmirs peoples r with Pakistan then it would have been liberated in 1947 it self. In yours history only it is mentioned that Kashmirs peoples had ditched Pakistani plan. Do not worry 140 cr people are wise and strong enouugh to protect theirs mother land . You are welcome to try any kind of misadventure at any time.

  3. Now it is clear that ISI is directly involved in 26/11. Though it is known since long time, now it is proved beyond doubt. Pakistan will never take action on their own people who are working in LET , Jaish etc .Surprisingly Major Pasha has joined LET after retiring from ISI. So these terrorist organizations are the one providing employment to these retired army and ISI people to carry out terrorist activitives across the Globe particularly India.
    Ajit Doval told clearly that if one more Mumbai takes place, he will take out Baluchistan. Now Pathan kot happened. Mark my word, Doval and Modi are not the people who take these type of attacks lightly. They will ensure that Pakistan pays for their terrorist activities in India. Another break up of Pakistan in the form of Baluchistan is now visible.

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