Kasab says they planned to destroy financial status of Mumbai

Mumbai, Apr 18 (PTI) Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab, the
lone gunman arrested during November 26 terror strikes here,
said he and other perpetrators of the attacks planned to
target places frequented by tourists in order to destroy the
financial status of Mumbai.

According to Kasab, head of the Lashkar-e-Taiba Amir
Hafiz Saeed told them at a training camp that "Indias
financial strength is because of foreign visitors. So, to
destroy the financial power you have to attack places which
are frequented by foreigners and other places as well."

The disclosure was part of the confession read out by
special public prosecutor Ujwal Nikam to a special court while
opening the prosecution's case against Kasab.

Kasab yesterday retracted the confession, made before
a magistrate in February, alleging it was extracted out of him
by police officials through torture.

In the parts of the confession read to the court,
Kasab has said they were told they would go to "jannat"
(heaven) if they died while on the mission.

"LeT operative Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi told us that it
was time for jihad and said our community had been fighting in
Kashmir for the last 15 years", he said.

"Despite that, the Indian government has not freed
Kashmir. Now, we have to fight a war with India and claim
Kashmir back we were told," Kasab stated.

In the confession, Kasab has also described the
training he underwent while in Pakistan including multiple
camps in which he was taught use of assault rifles, rifles,
pistols, rocket-launcher and hand grenade.

"Apart from that, we were trained in use of satellite
phone, GPS system, map reading, how to climb mountains after
starving for 60 hours with a weight on our backs," Kasab said.

They were also given training in the working of
intelligence agencies and how to use methods to deceive
persons following them while driving on road and also how to
sail to India using a hijacked vessel, he has said.

"During our training on the sea, we were taught how to
use maps, how to gauge depths of the sea, how to use to GPS to
make a sea route, how to use fishermen's net, how to drive a
ship," Kasab has stated.

"While crossing the sea, Indian Navy ships could
question us. So, to mislead them by telling that we were
fishermen, we were trained in this," he said.

At one training camp, a "Major General" had come there
and made them practise on targets and had chosen him as being
one of the best shooters, Kasab said.

"He pointed towards me and told the others 'Your
firing should be like this mujahideen'," Kasab, a resident of
Faridkot in Pakistan, said. Kasab and two others face trial
for the terror strikes which claimed over 160 lives. PTI