Wednesday, June 8, 2011

David Headley Provided Information About LeT leaders In Pak: US Attorney

David Headley mapped out the hierarchy of Lashkar-e-Taiba and provided valuable information on terrorist leaders inside Pakistan, the US Federal Attorney told a court in Chicago.

This information, given by Headley in the first two weeks after his arrest in October 2009, was passed on to other governments, Vicky Peters said during closing arguments in the trial of Tahawwur Rana, a key accused in the Mumbai terror attacks.

There was communication between terrorists in Pakistan and Headley wherein they knew that he was exchanging information with Pakistani-Canadian Rana, the Attorney said.

He defended the plea agreement with Headley, a Pakistani-American, under which he will not be given death sentence and will also not be extradited to Pakistan, India or Denmark, saying that this was in exchange for the cooperation extended by the LeT operative.

Rana let Headley use his business as cover for two terror plots, including the Mumbai one, the Attorney testified.

The government has proved beyond doubt that Rana was involved in these attacks and should be held guilty on all three counts, Peters said.

"Rana provided material support to terrorist for attacks in India. There is no dispute that there was a conspiracy to bomb and kill in India. It is crystal clear that Headley along with Sajid Mir and Pasha (or Abdur Rehman Hashim Syed, a retired major from the Pakistani Army) planned and executed the Mumbai terror attacks."

Rana knew that Lashkar was a terrorist organization and had agreed to provide material support for terror attacks in India. "The evidence in this case is overwhelming," the Attorney said while summing up the case.