M A I N   N E W S

26/11 suspect Headley pleads guilty to all 12 charges

Admits involvement in bombing public places in India and providing material support to foreign terrorist plots and LeT Says he used his friend Rana's immigration company as a cover for surveillance activities in India on behalf of Pak-based terror groups Attended training camps in Pakistan operated by LeT on five separate occasions between 2002 and 2005. Not to be extradited to either India or Pak

Chicago, March 18
In a volte-face, Pakistani-American LeT operative David Coleman Headley, accused of plotting the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks and conspiring to target a Danish newspaper, today pleaded guilty before a US court here.

Headley (49), who was arrested by FBI's joint terrorism task force on October 3 last year, told US District Judge Harry Leinenweber that he wanted to change his plea to guilty, in an apparent bid to get a lighter sentence than the maximum death penalty.

Headley, charged on 12 counts, admitted guilty in all of them.

Headley, son of a Pakistani diplomat and a Philadelphia socialite, admitted to using his friend Tahawwur Rana's immigration company as a cover for surveillance activities in India and Denmark on behalf of Pakistan-based terrorist groups, including LeT.

Wearing an orange jumpsuit with hands and legs shackled, Headley was produced before the court under unprecedented security arrangements.

Security forces along with sniffer dogs were deployed around the court. Special metal detector doors were erected at the entrance of the packed court room.

Headley admitted guilty in all six counts of conspiracy involving bombing public places in India, murdering and maiming persons in India and providing material support to foreign terrorist plots and LeT; and six counts of aiding and abetting the murder of US citizens in India.

India blames LeT for carrying out Mumbai terror attacks in November 2008 that killed 166 persons, including six Americans.

Headley is also charged with plotting attacks against Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten that published a blasphemous cartoon of Prophet Mohammad.
If convicted, Headley faces maximum death penalty. However, during half an hour long hearing, prosecution promised that they would not seek death sentence for Headley and he would not be extradited to either India or Pakistan.

Headley, admitted that he had participated in planning the November 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India, as well as later planning to attack a Danish newspaper.

He also admitted that he attended training camps in Pakistan operated by LeT on five separate occasions between 2002 and 2005.

In late 2005, Headley received instructions from three members of Lashkar to travel to India to conduct surveillance, which he did five times leading up to the Mumbai attacks. — PTI