Pakistani-American David Coleman Headley was on Thursday Jan 24,2013 sentenced to 35 years in prison by a U.S. court for masterminding the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.
While the U.S. government admitted the “deplorable” nature of his role
in the 26/11 attacks, the prosecution had pressed for a sentence of
30-35 years under a plea bargain with Headley in return for his
cooperation. The death penalty and extradition options were dropped.
Pronouncing the sentence here, U.S. federal district court judge Harry
Leinenweber said he had to consider that Headley had committed numerous
crimes in the past, confessed to them and received lenient sentences.
In pronouncing the sentence, Justice Leinenweber said: “Mr. Headley is a terrorist.”
Note
Pakistan-born American David Coleman Headley was an important member of the Lashkar-e-Taiba, with direct access to its chief, Hafiz Saeed
Born to a Pakistani father and an American mother in June 1960, Daood Gilani aka David Coleman Headley spent his early days in Pakistan’s Attock district.He studied in Pakistan till his parents separated and then relocated to the US.Headley studied accounting at a community college in Philadelphia, and later operated a video store, Fliks Video, City Centre, New York
His entry into the ranks of the Lashkar started in Lahore after he saw an LeT poster outside Lahore’s Qadisiya mosque seeking funds for ‘jihad’or ‘Holy War’ in India in 1998
According to what he told a team of NIA officials, the poster prompted him to call the Lashkar office in Lahore to make a donation of R50,000 in Pakistani currency
David Coleman Headley underwent training programmes to learn Islamic preaching, handle weapons, conduct reconnaissance and surveillance at Daura-e-Sufa, Daura-e-Aam, Daura-e-Khaas, Daura-e-Ribat, Bait-ul-Rizwan and Daura-e-Tadribul Musaleen training camps in Pakistan between 2002 and 2004
A quick name change in the United States of America from Daood Gilani to David Coleman Headley ensured that nobody suspected him in India. Armed with his mother-in-law’s camera, two credit cards and about $3,500, Headley landed at Mumbai’s international airport on September 14, 2006
Bashir, a local contact whom fellow-accused and friend Tahawwur Rana had talked to, received Headley at the airport and assured him a room at Hotel Outram in south Mumbai. During his stay till December 14, 2006, Headley extensively videographed places like the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation building, Haji Ali shrine, Gateway of India, Hotel Taj, Apollo Bunder, state police headquarters, DN Road and Azad Maidan.Headley returned to Pakistan and handed over the photographs and video tapes to Major Iqbal, one of his ISI handlers, and later to Sajid Majid alias Wasi, one of the key conspirators of the 26/11 attacks
Headley then made a short trip to India on February 21, 2007, and with local help, got a new SIM card and also activated an internet account. He left India on March 15, 2007, only to come back five days later with his Moroccan wife Faiza Outalha and made bookings at the Taj and Trident hotels. After conducting his reconnaissance of the hotels and areas nearby, Headley left India for Dubai on May 15, 2007
Headley once again entered India on May 20, 2007 for celebrated gym instructor Vilas Warak’s birthday along with Bollywood film director Rahul Bhatt. Though this wasn’t a productive reconnaissance trip, Headley went back to Pakistan and handed over the general photographs he had taken of Mumbai to Major Iqbal and Sajid.
Headley boarded a flight from Lahore to Delhi in September 2007, and after conducting a quick reconnaissance of the National Defence College (NDC) in Delhi, reached Mumbai on September 4, 2007 and extensively photographed Hotel Taj, Shiv Sena Bhavan, visited guards posted outside Sena chief Bal Thackeray’s house. When he went back to Pakistan and handed over the video footage he had collected, Headley learnt that LeT was under tremendous pressure to launch a spectacular attack against India
The US Justice Department has urged the federal judge in Chicago to sentence David Coleman Headley to 30 to 35 years in prison when he faces the court for his conviction on Thursday. David Headley, considered the mastermind behind the Mumbai attacks of 26/11 2008, had pleaded guilty to escape death and extradition to India. India wants to conduct another trial for Headley but the US is opposed to his extradition.
Note
Pakistan-born American David Coleman Headley was an important member of the Lashkar-e-Taiba, with direct access to its chief, Hafiz Saeed
Born to a Pakistani father and an American mother in June 1960, Daood Gilani aka David Coleman Headley spent his early days in Pakistan’s Attock district.He studied in Pakistan till his parents separated and then relocated to the US.Headley studied accounting at a community college in Philadelphia, and later operated a video store, Fliks Video, City Centre, New York
His entry into the ranks of the Lashkar started in Lahore after he saw an LeT poster outside Lahore’s Qadisiya mosque seeking funds for ‘jihad’or ‘Holy War’ in India in 1998
According to what he told a team of NIA officials, the poster prompted him to call the Lashkar office in Lahore to make a donation of R50,000 in Pakistani currency
David Coleman Headley underwent training programmes to learn Islamic preaching, handle weapons, conduct reconnaissance and surveillance at Daura-e-Sufa, Daura-e-Aam, Daura-e-Khaas, Daura-e-Ribat, Bait-ul-Rizwan and Daura-e-Tadribul Musaleen training camps in Pakistan between 2002 and 2004
A quick name change in the United States of America from Daood Gilani to David Coleman Headley ensured that nobody suspected him in India. Armed with his mother-in-law’s camera, two credit cards and about $3,500, Headley landed at Mumbai’s international airport on September 14, 2006
Bashir, a local contact whom fellow-accused and friend Tahawwur Rana had talked to, received Headley at the airport and assured him a room at Hotel Outram in south Mumbai. During his stay till December 14, 2006, Headley extensively videographed places like the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation building, Haji Ali shrine, Gateway of India, Hotel Taj, Apollo Bunder, state police headquarters, DN Road and Azad Maidan.Headley returned to Pakistan and handed over the photographs and video tapes to Major Iqbal, one of his ISI handlers, and later to Sajid Majid alias Wasi, one of the key conspirators of the 26/11 attacks
Headley then made a short trip to India on February 21, 2007, and with local help, got a new SIM card and also activated an internet account. He left India on March 15, 2007, only to come back five days later with his Moroccan wife Faiza Outalha and made bookings at the Taj and Trident hotels. After conducting his reconnaissance of the hotels and areas nearby, Headley left India for Dubai on May 15, 2007
Headley once again entered India on May 20, 2007 for celebrated gym instructor Vilas Warak’s birthday along with Bollywood film director Rahul Bhatt. Though this wasn’t a productive reconnaissance trip, Headley went back to Pakistan and handed over the general photographs he had taken of Mumbai to Major Iqbal and Sajid.
Headley boarded a flight from Lahore to Delhi in September 2007, and after conducting a quick reconnaissance of the National Defence College (NDC) in Delhi, reached Mumbai on September 4, 2007 and extensively photographed Hotel Taj, Shiv Sena Bhavan, visited guards posted outside Sena chief Bal Thackeray’s house. When he went back to Pakistan and handed over the video footage he had collected, Headley learnt that LeT was under tremendous pressure to launch a spectacular attack against India
The US Justice Department has urged the federal judge in Chicago to sentence David Coleman Headley to 30 to 35 years in prison when he faces the court for his conviction on Thursday. David Headley, considered the mastermind behind the Mumbai attacks of 26/11 2008, had pleaded guilty to escape death and extradition to India. India wants to conduct another trial for Headley but the US is opposed to his extradition.
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