David perdue

In the summer of 2005, Sajid Mir had been at the Feroze Shah Kotla stadium in New Delhi, packed amidst the hundreds of ecstatic Pakistani cricket fans who cheered their team as it powered its way to a record 159-run victory over India. Mir, though, was in India for a game of his own. The top Lashkar-e-Taiba commander's undercover visit was the first of a series of surveillance missions which culminated in the November, 2008, attacks on Mumbai. The Lashkar intelligence operative whose reconnaissance enabled the attack, Pakistani-American jihadist David Headley, reported to Mir. From a safehouse in Karachi, Mir guided the assault team using a voice-over-internet line, personally ordering the execution of several hostages. Now, western intelligence sources have told The Hindu , Mir is being held in a safehouse run by Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate, along with the man who travelled with him to New Delhi — a former Pakistani military officer and military trainer … [Read more...] about Sajid Mir’s war against the world

Lawyers for Tahawwur Rana, a Pakistani-American businessman charged with having facilitated the November 26, 2008 attacks on Mumbai, say he had no knowledge his immigration business was being used as a cover for the Lashkar-e-Taiba. Rana's lawyers will argue that he was duped by his childhood friend, the Pakistani-American jihadist-turned-star prosecution witness David Headley, when court proceedings reopen on Tuesday after an extended weekend break. Deceitful conduct Charles Swift, Rana's lawyer, earlier underlined the training Headley received from Pakistan's intelligence services, his less-than-edifying past as a narcotics trafficker and his deceitful conduct with his two wives. Mr. Swift noted that his client had visited India in November 2008, along with his wife — suggesting he had no knowledge that the terrorist knowledge was imminent. But prosecutors say e-mail between the two men makes clear the businessman knew at least something of Headley's real agenda. … [Read more...] about ‘Businessman who aided 26/11 was duped’

Lashkar-e-Taiba supreme commander Hafiz Muhammad Saeed told the 10-member assault team, which attacked Mumbai in November 2008, that “being shot would feel like a pinprick, bloodstains would be like rose petals, and that angels would come down to take their souls.” Saeed's exhortation, revealed in documents filed by prosecutors in the ongoing trial of Chicago-based terror suspect Tahawwur Rana, was made after the assault team members were told they were expected to die in the attack on Mumbai — rather than escape as earlier planned. Details contained in the prosecution's proffer of evidence — a legal document that contains a summary of the arguments it intends to present — offer substantial new information on the 26/11 Mumbai plot. Sajid Mir, the Lashkar's commander of transnational operations, had overall control of the tactical planning of the operation, and issued directions to the attackers using Internet and satellite phone links. Mir, the proffer records, was instrumental … [Read more...] about 26/11: ‘ISI, Lashkar collaborated closely’

“Major Iqbal”, believed to be an Inter-Services Intelligence officer, had asked Pakistan-born Canadian Tahawwur Hussain Rana about the progress made on the Mumbai terror plot, the Federal Bureau of Investigation testified before a court in Chicago, in another pointer to the involvement of Pakistan’s intelligence agency in the attacks. “Major Iqbal” had telephonic talk with Rana and another co-accused in the Mumbai attacks David Coleman Headley, a Pakistani-American, and exchanged emails with them, five FBI agents testified during Rana’s trial in the court hearing the 26/11 case. In an email of July 7, 2008, “Major Iqbal” asked Rana if there was any “progress made on the project”. Prosecutors said he was seeking an update on the preparations for the 26/11 attacks. Defence attorneys, however, argued that any discussion “Major Iqbal” had with Rana was focussed on their plans to work as partners in Rana’s immigration business. In his deposition, Headley, an LeT operative, had said … [Read more...] about ‘Major Iqbal’ kept in touch with Rana on 26/11 plot progress: FBI

Mumbai attack co-accused David Coleman Headley on Wednesday testified that he had conducted a surveillance of the German Bakery in Pune and identified Chabad Houses in Delhi, Pushkar and Pune as potential bombing targets. The Pakistani-American said this while wrapping up his testimony after five days of questioning by prosecution and defence lawyers in the trial of his childhood friend and 26/11 attack co-accused Tahawwur Hussain Rana in a Chicago court. On the sixth day of the trial, prosecutors called FBI agents to bolster the testimony of Headley, a Lashkar-e-Taiba operative, who is government's star witness in the trial. Headley also testified that during the trial he had lied at times about certain events in his life. Headley said he made a video of the German Bakery which was bombed on February 13, 2010 killing 17 people and injuring 60 others. The German Bakery was attacked while Headley was under arrest by the FBI. Headley said he had made a list of Chabad Houses … [Read more...] about I conducted survey of German Bakery, testifies Headley

The verdict in the trial of Tahawwur Hussain Rana, co-accused in the Mumbai terror attacks with David Coleman Headley, is likely to come in earlier than expected as the Chicago businessman is unlikely to testify at his own trial. Rana’s Attorney Patrick Blegen said Tahawwur Rana’s defence team was still making a final decision, but that it was unlikely Rana would take the stand. The case proceeded quickly after Headley, a Pakistani-American, wrapped up his testimony after five days of questioning by Prosecution and Defence lawyers in the trial of his childhood friend and another 26/11 co-accused Rana in a Chicago court. Prosecutors called seven witnesses today, including five FBI agents who verified email and phone communication between Rana, Headley, and “Major Iqbal,” believed to be an ISI officer. Rana was communicating through emails with Major Iqbal of ISI (low level officer), it was noted in court. An email sent from a Chaudhery Khan, another name for Major Iqbal from … [Read more...] about Mumbai terror trial in Chicago winding down

The defence for Tahawwur Rana, co-accused with David Headly in the 26/11 attacks, rested its case here after calling two witnesses but the Pakistani Canadian himself did not testify. At the hearing of the terror trial, the defence said employees at Rana’s Immigration offices in New York or Toronto did not remember working with Headley. The employees -- Rehana and Kashif Khan -- among others, take calls at the offices. The defence called in a computer forensic expert and an immigration attorney but Rana waived his right to testify. Closing arguments by the prosecution and defence are scheduled for Tuesday. Computer forensic expert Yaniv Schiff Moshe said he researched Rana’s computers from July 1, 2009 to October 15, 2009 and found that no search was conducted on them except on one computer for Jyllands Posten cultural editor Fleming Rose or Kurt Westergaard the cartoonist who drew the controversial cartoons of Prophet Muhammad. This one computer was used by Headley himself to … [Read more...] about Rana lawyers give brief defence; trial to see closing arguments

Mumbai attack co-accused David Headley on Thursday told a U.S. court that a Pakistani Navy man was present during discussions with his Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) handler Major Iqbal on landing sites and arrival of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists by sea. Headley also said he had attended over 50 training sessions with the powerful Pakistan's intelligence agency and that he always briefed Iqbal first during his visits to Paksitan. Iqbal was briefed at a Lahore safehouse, he said. The 50-year-old Pakistani-American gave details of the Mumbai attack plot involving his Pakistani handlers while being cross-examined by the defence attorney Charles D. Swift on the fourth day of the trial of Tahawwur Rana, a Pakistani of Canadian origin and another co-accused in the case. Headley said the ISI provided him a special discourse in Lahore for carrying out surveillance ahead of the Mumbai carnage, dissatisfied with the military and espionage training received by him from the LeT. “The … [Read more...] about Headley attended 50 training sessions with ISI

Self-confessed Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist David Coleman Headley's ongoing court testimony — in which he has implicated individuals allegedly connected to Pakistan's intelligence agency in the November 2008 terror attack on Mumbai — has not brought out anything India did not already know, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Saturday. He also said he would continue to use the bilateral dialogue process to press home the demand that Islamabad take action to curb the activities of jihadi groups and would also mobilise world opinion to ensure the “terror machinery” in Pakistan was effectively controlled. Speaking to journalists on his way back from a week-long visit to Africa, Dr. Singh said that even though the Headley trial had not brought out anything new, his government would study the proceedings once it was over. But he gave no indication that a rethink of the current dialogue-based policy towards Pakistan was on the cards. “It goes without saying that we must use every possible … [Read more...] about Manmohan: nothing new in Headley trial

Listen to this episode of The Times: Apple Podcasts Spotify Stitcher Google Podcasts Roe vs. Wade protected the constitutional right to an abortion for nearly 50 years. Now that the Supreme Court has overturned it, at least 20 states are banning or putting extreme limitations on access to abortion. The outcome was expected, but the country still erupted when the ruling posted — abortion opponents gathered in celebration while abortion-access advocates reacted with anger. Over the last few months, The Times has looked at the issue of abortion from a number of perspectives to help understand how we got to this historic moment. Today, we revisit five episodes from “The Future of Abortion” series. Listen to the full episodes here: Advertisement Future of Abortion Part 1: Medicine Future of Abortion Part 2: Church The Future of Abortion Part 3: Money The Future of Abortion, Part 4: Keeping It The … [Read more...] about Podcast: Special Edition | The Death of Roe vs. Wade