FBI indicts David Headley aka Daood Gilani for 26/11 Mumbai, India attacks
A U.S. citizen David Headley of Chicago – aka Daood Gilani – has been formally charged with involvement in planning last year’s terrorist attacks on 26/11/08 in Mumbai, India, the Justice Department said.
Headley, a U.S. citizen who changed his name from Daood Gilani in 2006 and resides primarily in Chicago, was arrested on Oct. 3, 2009, by the Chicago FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) at O’Hare International Airport before boarding a flight to Philadelphia, intending to travel on to Pakistan.
Also, Tahawwur Hussain Rana – aka Tahawar Rana - a native of Pakistan and citizen of Canada who also resides in Chicago, was arrested on Oct. 18, 2009, at his home by federal agents. Rana is the owner of several businesses, including First World Immigration Services, which has offices in Chicago, New York and Toronto. He was charged with conspiracy to provide support to a foreign terrorism conspiracy that involved Headley and other individuals in Pakistan.
On Dec. 7, United States Attorney’s office unsealed additional charges, reading in parts:
“New federal charges filed today allege that a Chicago man, who was arrested in October for planning terrorist attacks against a Danish newspaper and two of its employees, also conducted extensive surveillance of targets in Mumbai for more than two years preceding the November 2008 terrorist attack on India’s largest city that killed approximately 170 people, including six Americans, and injured hundreds more. The defendant, David Coleman Headley, a U.S. citizen, earlier this decade allegedly attended terrorism training camps in Pakistan maintained by Lashkar e Tayyiba (Lashkar), and conspired with its members and others in planning and executing the attacks in both Denmark and India…..”
According to the charges, “He made five extended trips to Mumbai — in September 2006, February and September 2007, and April and July 2008 — each time taking pictures and making videotapes of various targets, including those attacked in November 2008…..”
FBI Director Robert S. Mueller, III, commented on the investigation saying: “This case illustrates the importance of continued global cooperation to combat terrorism around the world. The FBI continues to strengthen relationships and to foster collaboration with our international partners to best ensure our collective ability to identify and disrupt international terror networks.”
Sources:
- U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Public Affairs Release, Tuesday, October 27, 2009
- U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Public Affairs Release MONDAY DECEMBER 7, 2009
