Headley Spills The Beans Over 26/11 Attack

The second consecutive day of David Headley’s deposition saw him testifying that it was the military operated intelligence service of Pakistan, Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI), which asked him to recruit Indian army men to spy for them.

Currently located at an undisclosed place for security reasons, the 55 year old Pakistani-American terrorist, who conspired with the terrorist organization, ‘Lashkar-e-Taiba’ for the 26/11 Mumbai attack, appeared before the court via a video conference. Headley went on to spill the beans further more giving away vital details regarding the horrific terrorist attack which claimed the life of 166 people. He described himself as a true follower of LeT and that he was turned after getting motivated from the speeches of terrorist outfit’s founder Hafiz Saeed. Going back to his origin, he said that he first started training with the LeT in 2002 under its leaders Hafiz Saeed and Zaki-ur Rehman Lakhvi, who were the prominent figures behind holding the 2008 Mumbai attack. He further elaborated how his ties with the terrorist group started. He revealed it was after meeting two ISI officers, Major Ali and Major Iqbal, that he got connected to Sajid Mir, a Lashkar recruiter, who also served as his handler.

According to him, two unsuccessful attempts were previously made in September and October of 2008, by the same organization and the same group of ten terrorists before finally holding the attack in November of that year.

Headley, who was denounced to 35 years in prison by an American Federal court on 24th January, 2013 for his role in the 2008 Mumbai attack, said that it was him who advised Hafiz Saeed and Zaki-ur Rehman Lakhvi to 'legally challenge' the US ban on Lashkar. Headley also revealed that he submitted photographs and video footages of the places to be attacked to Sajid Mir and Major Iqbal and that he was asked to conduct surveillance of the Siddhivinayak Temple by Sajid Mir. It was part of the plan for Headley to stay on the second floor of the Taj Hotel with his wife Faiza before the attack, so that he can conduct better surveillance of the hotel.

It is believed that Headley’s groundbreaking revelations would serve the way to get away from all the ambiguity over the role of Pakistani "state and non-state actors" in the Mumbai terror attack. All information revealed by him will be examined by the Home ministry before sending the dossier over to Pakistan.