Headley’s Timely Arrest Saved Many Lives

The trial of Tahawwur Rana being played out in Chicago court is remarkable not for the defendant’s indictment for aiding and abetting terrorism, but for illuminating to the world, via David Coleman Headley, the star witness, the shadowy underworld where terrorism, military and spy agencies converge.

According to David Coleman Headley’s testimony in Court, his foray into this world began in Lashkar training camps, but quickly graduated to more than 50 training camps operated by the Lashkar and the ISI, Pakistan’s espionage outfit.

Headley admitted in court that his original motive when he joined Lashkar in the early 1990s was to serve with terrorist groups operating in Kashmir. His desire to operate in Kashmir was thwarted by Sajid, his Lashkar handler, who said he had other plans for him. These plans were later identified as theMumbai terror plot.

Along with Sajid, Headley identified Major Iqbal of the ISI as making critical decisions in masterminding the Mumbai attacks, assisting with funds and adding the Chabad House to the list of targets, where three people including a pregnant woman were killed.

When asked in court about how he felt when he heard that the attacks had begun, he said with an icy calm, “I was pleased.” His satisfaction with his arrival onto the infamous centrestage of terrorism, however, was short-lived.

As one follows the trajectory of Headley’s infamous activities, one is struck by his grandiose ideas, and larger-than-life perception of his role in the shadowy world of terrorism. Soon after the Mumbai attacks, he had a growing sense of ennui, displeased with Major Iqbal for not giving him more credit for the Mumbai attacks, and not happy with his Lashkar handler Sajid, either.

At this time, he began, as attorney Swift described, talking to Pasha more. Referring to the evolving Denmark plot to bomb the newspaper offices of Jyllands-Posten, attorney Swift said, “Even though it was Sajid’s idea, you were talking to Pasha more.”

Pasha was an ex-LeT man with ISI links, now working with Illyas Kashmiri. Pasha invited Headley to Waziristan to meet with Kashmiri. Headley openly described in court how he was pleased to meet Kashmiri in the northwest tribal region. Kashmiri identified more targets for him to conduct surveillance.

These included the National Defence College in Delhi and more Chabad Houses in India, including those in Goa, Pushkar and Delhi. He expressed his leaderships displeasure over the renewed bombing by Israelis on Gaza, and wanted retaliation against the Jews. Hence, the Chabad Houses became important targets.

Kashmiri and Headley also shared mutual anger for the Danish newspaper, in publishing the inflammatory cartoons of the Prophet. Kashmiri expressed surprise that nothing had been done yet.

Illyas Kashmiri, considered number three in al Qaida, was now becoming the object of Headley’s interest and vice-a-versa. Headley’s allegiance was now shifting to al Qaida. In his introduction to al Qaida, Pasha told Headley, “They were conducting the ISI’s jihad, and we should conduct God’s jihad.”

He now started ignoring Major Iqbal, his ISI handlers calls and was pleased when Kashmiri congratulated him on the Mumbai attacks saying, “Well done, good!” Headley’s entry into a larger arena of operation had begun. When he was apprehended at Ohare, Chicago, by Federal Authorities, Headley, evidently, was on the brink of more.