Headley in plot to assassiante Bal Thackeray

Lalit K Jha
Chicago, May 24 (PTI) Mumbai attacks co-accused David
Headley, who scouted Shiv Sena headquarters, on Tuesday
testified there was a plot involving his handlers in
Pakistan's intelligence agency ISI and terror outfit LeT to
assassinate Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray.
Giving his testimony on the second day of the trial of
26/11 co-accused Tawahhur Rana, a Canadian of Pakistani
origin, Headley, a Pakistani-American, talked about the hatred
against Shiv Sena party among his Pakistani handlers. 166
people were killed in the November 2008 attack in Mumbai.
Headley, who has pleaded guilty, also told the jury how
he gave details about the potential landing sites in Mumbai to
his Pakistani handlers.
According to Headley, his Pakistani handlers--Maj
Iqbal of ISI, Sajid Mir of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LET), Pasha, Rana
and himself shared their hatred towards Shiv Sena and they
thought it is a terrorist outafit.
During the first hour of the testimony on the second
day, federal prosecutors are trying to prove that Headley had
direct communication with Rana and his handlers in Pakistan
Major Iqbal, Sajid and Pasha.
Questioning his links with the Sena, the prosecutors
are bringing in communication between Headley and Reggie (the
PRO of Uddhav Thackeray, son of Bal Thackeray), which Headley
describes as an effort to penetrate into Shiv Sena. Rajaram
Rege is Shiv Sena's Public Relations Officer.
Headley testified he shared his communication with
Reggie with Rana, Major Iqbal, Sajid and Pasha.
Headley was asked about several emails he sent to
Rana, Major Iqbal and Sajid--all basically to confirm that
Rana and he were in direct communication with all of them.
The email sent to Sajid indicated that Bala (Bal
Thackeray) would be travelling with Reggie’s boss (Udhav) to
the US and that he could be assassinated "over here" (in US).
Headley said he and Sajid discussed that they wanted
to kill Shiv Sena people. "We have discussed. This man
(Reggie) was very important and would have given us access to
this organization (Shiv Sena)," he said.
Headley, who is Rana's childhood friend, also talked
about killing Shiv Sena leaders and at one point jokingly said
about assassinating Bal Thackeray.
Headley said he forwarded the emails with Reggie to
Rana and that in June 2008 returned to Pakistan, met with
Major Iqbal and Sajid (more than once).
Headley said he had discussion with Sajid who wanted
him to go back by end of June and was given aa list of targets
for surveillance in Mumbai–-Taj, Chabad House, Maharashtra
State Police Hq and Naval Head station.
The Pakistani-American said he and Major Iqbal had
discussions on the Chabad House and that this meeting was in
Lahore before meeting Sajid.
He said Iqbal told him that Chabad House would be added
because that this was the front office of Mosad in Mumbai.
"Iqbal wanted to me to go back to India. He told me to
check the list being provided to me and check the landing
site. Iqbal did not give me the list. It was given to me by
Sajid. Had several meetings with Iqbal and Sajid before
returning to Mumbai," he said.
During his meeting with Sajid, Headley said he came to
understand that this would be his last trip.
Prior to going to Mumbai, he said he had a meeting with
Iqbal, had received the list of targets before the meeting.
Iqbal just told him to have a detailed surveillance and
seems to be upset that the Mumbai airport was not included.
Iqbal approved the entire list, he said.
Headley said he did not discuss the list of targets
wth anybody else, except for Pasha who was very supportive and
happy and wished him luck.
Pasha, Headely said, was happy about the Chabad House.
Headley said he also met Zaki-ur-Rehman(LeT operations
commander). "He just wished me luck. For all the actions
that would be taken against the Muslims, this would be a
revenge for that. This is what he meant," Headley said,
Headley said he returned to Mumbai end of June and in
beginning of July started working on the task that was given
to me--conducting surveillance of these various targets.