Author: Bureau
Publication: The Economic Times
Date: May 10, 2011
URL: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics/nation/us-confirms-isi-role-in-26/11-mumbai-attacks/articleshow/8212001.cms
The US has officially confirmed the role of
Pakistan's ISI in the 26/11 attacks on Mumbai by charging Major Iqbal and
four other Pakistanis with conspiracy to bomb places of public use in India.
Major Iqbal was identified by American LeT operative David Coleman Headley
as the ISI officer who funded his surveillance trips to India.
Major Iqbal, LeT commanders Sajid Majeed,
Abu Qahafa , Abu al Qama and another LeT commander identified only as "LeT
Member D" were named in the second superseding indictment filed by the
US federal prosecutors before the Chicago court on April 25, 2011.
According to the indictment, Sajid Majeed
alias Sajid Mir, Qahafa and Mazhar Iqbal alias Abu al Qama conspired with
each other, Headley, 'Lashkar Member D' and others known and unknown to the
grand jury to deliver, place, discharge and detonate explosives and other
lethal devices in, into and against places of public use, state and government
facilities, public transportation systems and infrastructure facilities in
India.
India's National Investigation Agency (NIA),
which is handling the probe into Headley's role in 26/11 attacks, has named
Major Iqbal, along with another Pakistani Army officer Major Sameer Ali, as
the brain behind the 26/11 strikes. An Interpol red corner notice is pending
against them.
Headley, the LeT operative in US custody
who entered into a plea bargain with the US authorities and pleaded guilty
to charges of conducting surveillance ahead of the Mumbai attacks, identified
Iqbal as a member of Pakistan's Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence,
or ISI, according to the Chicago court records.
"I told (Tahawwur Hussain Rana) about
my meetings with Major Iqbal, and told him how I had been asked to perform
espionage work for ISI," Headley had stated in his grand jury testimony
in the court. "I even told him some of the espionage stories that Major
Iqbal had told me. I told (Rana) about my assignment to conduct surveillance
in Mumbai," said Headley.
Headley's claims have been denied by Tahawwur
Hussain Rana.
The Indian files identify Major Iqbal as
a suspected ISI officer who was posted in Lahore during 2007 and 2008. He
is accused of handling Headley on behalf of ISI for the Mumbai terror attacks
and actively planning and executing the 26/11 strikes.
Described as a man aged 35, 5 feet 10 inches
tall, fair with a round face and moustache, Iqbal is believed to be from Sargodha
in Pakistan and currently based at the Army Cantonment in Lahore.
The US federal prosecutors, in the second
superseding indictment, said that Major Iqbal had in July, 2006, provided
around $25,000 to Headley to establish and operate the Mumbai office of First
World and meet his own living expenses as he carried out reconnaissance for
Lashkar.
In September, 2006, February, 2007, September,
2007, April, 2008 and July, 2008, Headley travelled to Mumbai for extended
periods for surveillance of future LeT targets. Headley was in constant touch
with Major Iqbal and Sajid Majeed regarding locations where he was to conduct
video surveillance and after each trip, he provided them with photographs
and videos from the surveillance, the US federal prosecutors said.
In July, Major Iqbal provided Headley another
$1,500 for the First World office in Mumbai.
Soon after the Mumbai attacks, Major Iqbal
advised Headley to avoid contact with him until further notice and to remove
any incriminating materials from his home in Pakistan.
Sajid Majeed alias Sajid Mir, also charge-sheeted
by the US federal authorities, heads the LeT's set-up in India. The indictment
said he was associated with LeT and supervised others linked to the terrorist
outfit in planning, preparing for and carrying out the Mumbai strikes.
