Author: Himani Kumar
Publication: The Indian Express
Date: June 2, 2011
URL: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/headley-surveyed-german-bakery/798309/0
Lashkar-e-Toiba operative David Coleman Headley on Wednesday told a US court
that he had conducted a surveillance of the German Bakery in Pune and identified
Chabad houses in Delhi, Pushkar and Pune that could be bombed.
Testifying during the trial of Tahawwur Hussain
Rana, a Mumbai attack co-accused, Headley said that he made a video of the
German Bakery that was bombed on February 13, 2010 killing at leat 17 people
and injuring 60 others.
The German Bakery was attacked when Headley
was under arrest by FBI.
Headley, who ended his testimony, said that
he had made a list of Chabad houses in Delhi, Pushkar and Pune that could
be targeted.
The German Bakery is located near the Chabad
House and an Osho Ashram in Pune. The German Bakery blast was a part of the
Karachi Project - an LeT project with the Indian Mujahideen.
Earlier, Headley had told the FBI that he
did not carry out surveillance of the Bakery, but later confessed to Indian
agents of the National Investigation Agency that he had conducted its surveillance.
Fifty-year-old Headley has pleaded guilty to 12 terrorism charges related
to the deadly 26/11 attacks and other plots in the wake of his 2009 arrest
here.
Headley also said he had plans to write a
book and make a movie on the events in his life. Rana's lawyer Patrick Blegen
said that Headley had told several people including his wife so.
"If I write a book, I can make huge amounts
of money," Headley said.
The Pakistani-American said that he made a
"fool" of Rana by involving him in the 26/11 Mumbai attack conspiracy.
"I made a fool of him (Rana). Poor fellow
was stuck in this for no fault of his. I made a fool of him in getting to
assist me on what I did. I made a fool of him," Headley told Rana's lawyer.
While Headley has pleaded guilty, Rana has
maintained that he is not guilty of the charge of "support to terrorism".
Defence attorneys said Headley lied to the
law enforcement agencies and implicated Rana in the plot in a bid to save
his life.
Headley was cross-examined by lawyers of Rana,
a Canadian of Pakistani-origin who is standing trial at a Chicago court here
after being slapped with a dozen charges in connection with the Mumbai attacks
in which 166 persons were killed.
The defence lawyers said Headley lived multiple
lives and used his friend over the years. Rana and Headley met as teenagers
at a Pakistani military school.
