David Headley: quiet American with alleged links to Mumbai massacre


In almost every way, David Headley was the perfect neighbour. When the  49-year-old American citizen began renting an apartment in Mumbai last year  he charmed his landlord, treated his laundry boy with respect, and  befriended Bollywood figures at a local gym.

  He told them that he was Jewish, and running an immigration agency from a  respectable part of town. "Sweet and charming," said his landlady. "Down to  earth," said his personal trainer.

  Not until the past few days did they learn of his alleged other identity — and  of quite how close security figures claim India may have come to a repeat of  the militant attacks on Mumbai a year ago next week.

  Apparently, Mr Headley's original name was Daood Gilani [his real Jewish name]. He was born in  Pakistan, and is suspected of helping the terrorists who carried out last  year's Mumbai attack, and of planning another atrocity this year.


The details emerged when the FBI arrested Mr Headley in his home city of  Chicago on October 3, and filed an affidavit in a US court, which has since  been made public.

  It alleges that he worked with Harkat ul-Jihad al-Islami (Huji), a Pakistan  militant group, and Lashkar e-Taiba (LeT), the Pakistan group blamed for  last year's Mumbai attacks. The document also outlines claims that he was  involved in the "Mickey Mouse Project" — a plan to attack Jyllands-Posten,  the Danish newspaper whose cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad in 2005  infuriated Muslims across the world.

  It also allegedly shows that he and an apparent accomplice visited India  several times between 2006 and 2009, and appear to have discussed attacking  Indian targets as recently as September this year.

  Indian investigators are now examining whether Mr Headley may be the "missing  link" in the Mumbai attacks, which killed more than 170 people between  November 26 and 29 last year. They are also investigating claims that he may  have planned attacks this year on targets including the National Defence  College in Delhi, the private Doon School in Dehradun, northern India, or  even a nuclear facility.

  In the process, they are shedding light on the evolving threat from LeT and  its allies, and on India's haphazard — but so far successful — efforts to  respond. "This is yet another wake-up call for India," said B. Raman, a  former counter-terrorism chief in the Indian external intelligence service,  the Research and Analysis Wing.

  "This shows LeT is as determined as ever to attack India, and they are now  using Western territory and foreign Muslims to do it."

  The most striking aspect of the Headley case is his profile: unlike other  militant suspects, he is middle-aged, speaks fluent English, and lives in  Chicago [and a white Ashkenazi Jew].

  In 1997, he was jailed for 15 months for trying to smuggle heroin into the US,  according to court documents.

  Yet by simply changing his name in 2006, he stayed under the radar on at least  nine visits to India over the past three years.

  The FBI says that in the alleged activities he was helped by Tahawwur Hussain  Rana, a Canadian citizen of Pakistani origin who studied at the same cadet  college, and was also arrested in the US last month.

  Mr Rana's immigration agency, which has offices in Chicago, helped to arrange  Mr Headley's trips and provided his cover story, according to the FBI.

  Mr Headley even carried a book called How  to Pray like a Jew, the FBI says. The FBI appears to have placed him  under surveillance after noticing his frequent movements between India,  Pakistan, the Gulf and Europe.

  It alerted Indian authorities after intercepting an e-mail in which Mr  Headley's alleged handler appears to give him a coded message suggesting an  attack on India.

  "I need to see you for some new investment plans," the affidavit quotes the  handler as saying.

  When Mr Headley asks where, the handler suggests that he should "say hi to  Rahul" in what the FBI says is a reference to a prominent Indian actor.

  The actor has since been identified as Rahul Bhatt, a minor Bollywood star,  who has admitted befriending Mr Headley in Mumbai.

  In a telephone intercept in September, Mr Headley and Mr Rana are heard  discussing five alleged targets and mentioning "Defence College", according  to the affidavit.

  Mr Headley and Mr Rana have yet to respond to the affidavit.

  But Indian and Western officials and analysts agree that the evidence  presented so far appears to underline the global reach and ambitions of Huji  and LeT. It also confirms India's long-held fears that such groups might use  foreigners of Pakistani or Indian origin, forcing it to tighten visa  procedures.

  Western governments had already adapted to that threat, but are worried that  Mr Headley and Mr Rana may have used their immigration agency to move  militants around the globe.

  They are also increasingly aware of the threat to their own citizens in India  — particularly during next year's Commonwealth Games in Delhi.

  "Prior to Mumbai, LeT was largely seen as a regional threat," said one Western  diplomat.

  "Mumbai brought home that attacking India could directly impact Western  interests, by killing their nationals, and also their indirect interests by  destabilising the region."

  There is less agreement, however, on what the case says about India's domestic  security.

  Some say that LeT and its allies are becoming more desperate as the Pakistan  Army — which once sponsored them — has become distracted by its own campaign  against the Taleban.

  India has also taken a number of steps to improve its security apparatus. It  has, for example, now established the National Investigation Agency, and it  is amending legislation to give increased powers to the security services.

  P. Chidambaram, the new Home Minister, has now started chairing a meeting of  the heads of all the country's important security agencies every morning.

  The National Security Guard — whose commandos took eight hours to get to  Mumbai from their Delhi headquarters last year during the attacks — has  expanded its numbers and set up hubs in four more cities, including Mumbai.

  "What about the past, almost 365, days?" said J. K. Dutt, the former NSG chief  who led last year's Mumbai operation. "There haven't been any terrorist  attacks since Mumbai. Doesn't that also speak of the fact that there are  steps the country has taken?"

  Critics, however, say that India had a lucky escape thanks only to the FBI.  Others question whether the US should have informed India earlier that it  was watching Mr Headley.

  Yet the biggest concern of all is still the underfunded and short-staffed  police, a force which under India's Constitution is the responsibility of  state governments.

  "When are we going to improve the training, consciousness and capability of  local police?" asked Arun Bhagat, a former head of the Indian Intelligence  Bureau. "Central agencies can only do so much."


http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/worl...icle6926193.ece



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how do you spell M.O.S.S.A.D?..... every now & then the truth has a habit of leaking out!...

Headley visited India once post 26/11: Chidambaram

NDTV Correspondent, Thursday November 12, 2009, New Delhi            


Not only did Lashkar terror suspect David Headley visit India several times between 2006 and 2009, but he also came once after the 26/11 attacks, Home Minister P Chidambaram said on Thursday.

"It is true that David Headley visited several times before 26/11 and once after 26/11, and we are investigating," Chidambaram said.

He also said that inquiries were being conducted in cities Headley visited. There is a fresh terror alert after sources said on Wednesday that Headley had visited five cities in India and that there was the threat of multiple and simultaneous attacks in these cities.  

Chidambaram said government agencies were probing Headley's Lashkar-e-Taiba links.

Recruitment of cadres

Official sources said that Headley, arrested by FBI in Chicago last month, travelled to Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Agra and Delhi between 2006-09.

The sources said Headley had done a reconnaissance of National Defence College and vital installations in other cities.

He was also conducting recruitment of cadres for Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Toiba, to send them to a Gulf country using the services of his immigration business set up in Mumbai.

Headley, 49, was arrested last month for allegedly hatching a conspiracy with LeT to carry out strikes inside and outside the US.

Investigators have said he was also planning a major terror strike in India at LeT's behest.

He was arrested at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport as he prepared to board a flight to Philadelphia, intending to travel to Pakistan.

FBI also arrested his accomplice Tahawwur Hussain Rana, 48, a Canadian citizen of Pakistani origin.

American investigators have said US national Headley was a frequent flyer who made multiple trips to Pakistan where he spent "substantial time" undergoing training from the terror group [training from the terror group? OR training the terror group?].

http://www.ndtv.com/news/india/headley_vis...chidambaram.php

Indian investigators were not allowed to interview him when they traveld to USA.

Bro as long as they own world media, they are like the pied piper and people will dance on thier tunes; if you try to show flip side to people, expect multiple mega slaps :)