Rana praised LeT handler Sajid Mir for Chhabad house tactic

From Lalit K Jha and Himani Kumar
Chicago, May 25 (PTI) Sajid Mir, LeT handler in Pakistan,
was praised by Mumbai attack co-accused Tawahhur Rana for his
Chhabad House attack strategy and even called him Khalid bin
Walid, one of the greatest Generals in history, David Headley
testified Wednesday.
Headley, a 26/11 co-accused who has pleaded guilty, was
giving his testimony on the third day of the trial of his
childhood friend Rana, a Pakistani-Canadian, who has been
slapped with 12 charges in connection with the November 2008
attack in which 166 persons were killed.
About the operation at Chhabad House in Mumbai, Headley
said Sajid Mir of the Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-
e-Taiba told the two boys(attackers) to use mattresses and
ambush the Special Forces who were descending down the
staircases. Six people were killed in the attack on Chhabad
house, a Jewish community centre.
According to Headley, a Pakistani-American, Rana said
this strategy was tactically brilliant and that he be called
Khalid bin Walid, a famous Arab military strategist during the
times of Prophet Mohammed in the seventh century.
Headley also said he told Sajid Mir that he has received
a compliment from Rana for his "tactical brilliance."
Headley said Sajid Mir expressed his frustration that he
did not follow all his instructions--one was "I was not
suppose to go back to India after the Mumbai attack and travel
to Denmark."
Headley told the court that Sajid Mir was in Karachi
during the Mumbai attack. He said couple of people was with
him.
Sajid was in contact with the attackers via phone and he
was watching TV coverage of the siege and seeing what was
going on in India.
Headley during his testimony to the government
prosecutor said that he had sent some emails to Rajaram Rege
of Shiv Sena. Yesterday, he spoke of a plot involving LeT and
ISI to assassinate Sena supremo Bal Thackeray.
He also indicated that Rana sent message for him
(Headley) from Major Iqbal, who was Headley's ISI handler.
This was before he took the last trip to Mumbai for
surveillance ahead of the attacks.
In July 2009, the following year around the 26th Headley
travelled to England, Sweden and Denmark to meet with two men
of Ilyas Kashmiri and discuss the Mickey Mouse Project related
to 'Jyllands Posten', the Danish newspaper which published the
controversial cartoons on Prophet Mohammed. The project
related to the plot to attack the newspaper.
The jury was shown 13 short videos taken by Headley of
the Danish Capital Copenhagen.
"I conveyed to them what Kashmiri wanted," Headley said.
"I asked for manpower and funds for the project. It was
lukewarm response ...they were not into it. "Instead of
10,000 pounds they gave me 2,000 pounds and gave no weapons,"
Headley added.
Headley then traveled to Copenhagen and did surveillance
of the building housing Jyllands Posten. Some videos showing
the surveillance Headley took in Copehagen were shown in
court.
A video of Kings Square where building of 'Jyllands
Posten' is located was also shown. Another video depicted a
parade in Copenhagen of some sorts.
Headley also had a discussion with Sajid Mir about the
parade--about throwing a grenade into the parade.
Headley also spoke to a captain in the parade and asked
if the weapons that the soldiers carrying were loaded. The
captain said that they were and although there was no threat
you never know, he said.
He also took video of the Copenhagen train station as a
location for "egress"--from where the attackers would escape
after the attack.
"I made video in January as well," Headley said.
Headley also visited barracks from where the parade
originated.
"On Aug 1, I messaged Rana to get a flight from
Philadelphia to Chicago no later than Aug. 10. The
arrangements for travel were made by Rana."