LeT, JeM, Hizbul Mujahideen all part of United Jihad Council in PoK: David Headley deposes

Mumbai: Pakistani-American terrorist David Coleman Headley on Tuesday continued his deposition for the second consecutive day before a court in Mumbai.

This time, he claimed to have suggested to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) bosses Hafiz Saeed and Zakiur-Rehman Lakhvi to challenge the decision of the US govt designating LeT as a foreign terror outfit and banning it. Headley added that he was asked by LeT to gather military intelligence in India and also recruit someone from the Indian military as a spy.

Headley mentioned that he met Lakhvi for the first time in 2003 in Muzaffarabad at the LeT headquarters, and identified him when shown a photograph by the court.

In a 2006 meeting attended by Sajid Mir, Muzamil, Abu Khafa and Headley, it was decided that Headley should go to India, he added, but it was in November and December 2007, that a meeting took place in Muzaffarabad (attended by Mir, Khafa and Headley) where he was  assigned the task of conducting a reconnaissance of the Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai.

Headley added that LeT members had planned to attack a conference meeting of Indian defence scientists to be held at Taj Hotel in Mumbai.

Speaking about his wife Faiza, Headley told the court that she had in January 2008 complained to the US Embassy in Islamabad that he was involved in terrorist activities.

Elaborating on terror groups, Headley said that LeT, Jaish-e-Mohammed, Hizbul Mujahideen and Harkat-ul-Mujahideen are all allies of United Jihad Council working in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Appearing from an undisclosed location via video conferencing, Headley continues to spill the beans on the LeT involvement with the 26/11 terror attacks.

In his first deposition on Monday, Headley told the court that Pakistani terrorists attempted to attack Mumbai twice before the 26/11 strikes that killed 166 people but failed both times.

Describing himself as a “true follower of LeT”, Headley also admitted during his examination by special prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam that he joined the ranks of LeT after getting “influenced and motivated” by the speeches of terrorist outfit’s founder Hafiz Saeed.

Headley, who is serving 35-year prison sentence in the US for his role in the Mumbai attacks, spoke about the role of Saeed, another LeT commander Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi as well as his handler in the outfit Sajid Mir.

PTI