Jurors selected in Rana' trial, opening statements on Monday

From Himani Kumar
Chicago (PTI) A 12-member jury, with six
alternates, has been selected in the trial of Pakistani
Canadian Tahawwur Hussain Rana, co-accused with David Coleman
Headley in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.
The jurors, four men and eight women, were finally
selected from a pool of possible 38, and sworn-in after being
questioned by US District Court Judge Harry D Leinenweber
about their understanding and views on Islam, citizenship and
terrorism.
The jury, mostly consisting of minorities like blacks
and Asians, was formed out of 100 jurors that were questioned.
Rana, 50, dressed in a black suit with grey beard and
hair wearing spectacles was twitching his eyes at times and
spoke to his attorneys in between as he watched the
questioning process.
Judge Leinenweber asked jurors if they could treat
Rana, a Canadian citizen the same way as a US citizen and
judge fairly and if it would be difficult for them to be fair
to Rana's charge of "supportive terrorism". He also asked
jurors if they found the Muslim faith and Islam offensive.
The selected jurors are not supposed to discuss the
case among themselves and outside court and in front of family
and friends.
They are also to avoid reading news related to the
case in newspapers, television and magazines and avoid doing
any independent research on the internet.
The jurors were asked to put any preconceived
notions aside by the judge.
"We are pleased with the composition and proceedings
of the jury selection because of the detailed questionnaire
and the great selection process," Rana's attorney Patrick
Blegen told reporters here at the Dirksen Federal Courthouse.
"We got a jury we most believe will give him (Rana)
a fair trial," Blegen said.
The judge asked a lot of questions. Most times the
type of jury decides the fate of the case. The judge did an
excellent job and asked their feelings and emotional
reactions, he added.
Charlie Swift, Rana's other attorney said the jury
that consisted of minorities would look favourably on Rana.
Opening statements will begin Monday when the
government presents its case.
"We are preparing opening statements. Stay Tuned," he
said.
Asked about previews about the case to begin Monday,
Swift said "it is a good case with a fair process. Rana's only
crime is to be friends with David Headley."
He didn't do anything actively in Denmark and Mumbai.
His only crime is that he was friend with David Headley. The
trial is about David Headley's betrayal... betrayal of the
US... and decent values, he said.
While Headley has pled guilty, Rana hasn't.
Headley had claimed that Rana, a former military
schoolmate in Pakistan and ran an immigration agency, provided
him a cover to survey places in Mumbai when he started to plan
the attacks two years before the terrorists struck at the
behest of the ISI.
Rana, on the other hand, said that he was duped by
Headley.
On April 25, in a second superseding indictment, US
prosecutors charged four additional men, all Pakistani
residents, in the 26/11 terror attacks that left 166 dead,
including six Americans.
Rana was indicted by a federal grand jury under 12
counts on February 15 last year for planning out the attacks,
providing material support to Lashkar-e-Taiba to carry out the
bombings, and guiding Headley in scouting targets in Mumbai.
Headley, who was originally Daood Gilani, changed and
anglicised his name in order to carry out the carnage without
disclosing his Pakistani identity.
Rana, who had served as a doctor in the Pakistani
Army Medical Corps before he migrated to Canada, is also
accused in another charge of plotting an attack with Headley
on a Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten that published cartoons
of Prophet Muhammad.
If convicted, Rana faces a possible life sentence.