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Posted on 12/15/2009 3:50:38 PM PST by cold start
NEW DELHI: India's suspicion that US was not coming clean on David Coleman Headley, the US-based Lashkar jehadi who facilitated 26/11 by providing Ajmal Kasab and others with precise information about their targets, has deepened.
The growing disquiet in the government here which believes that Headley was a US agent who went rogue was expressed by a senior government official. "It is very strange that the US did not inform us of Headley's visit to India in March this year when he, by their own account, had been under their surveillance since at least September 2008," the official said, pointing out that India would have arrested the terrorist had it known about his identity.
"We suspect that the reluctance is because Headley was a double agent and the Americans may not like him to be exposed to Indian agencies," the official said.
He also echoed the suspicion that Headley may be negotiating a deal with the US for a lighter sentence in exchange for more information about jehadis, including his co-accused Tahawwur Hussain Rana.
The growing belief here that Headley was an agent who went rogue, as first reported by TOI on November 27, stems from his history as an agent of the US's Drug Enforcement Agency. As already established, the US-based Lashkar jehadi was arrested for drug trafficking in 1997. He got away with a light sentence after he squealed on drug traffickers.
The collaboration, investigation by US media suggests, deepened in the following years and Headley was allowed to go to Pakistan soon after 9/11 terror attacks on the US. In his new role, he is suspected to have worked for the CIA which has huge covert operations going on in Pakistan and Afghanistan. In any case, DEA and CIA agents working in Af-Pak region routinely segue into each other's roles to fight terrorism fuelled by proceeds of opium smuggling.
Because of his Pakistani origin, Headley successfully infiltrated the jehadi groups, particularly Lashkar-e-Toiba, and kept briefing the Americans on the jehadi outfit's plans, including the one to attack Mumbai in September last year.
But the loyalties of Headley, who was raised as a Muslim, started tipping towards jehadi outfits and the Americans did not realise this till they were caught unawares by 26/11.
Headley, who has visceral hatred for India, as disclosed by his former wife to Philadelphia Inquirer, had obviously kept the plot from his American handlers.
The Inquirer, in its report, highlighted this fact. Quoting Headley's ex-wife, the report said, "Infidels. He (Headley) would use words like that when he would see an Indian person in the street, he used to spit, spit in the street to make a point".
The surveillance on him confirmed the "defection" to the jehadi camp, bringing out his plan to attack the Danish newspaper and Jewish targets as well as links with dreaded terrorist Ilyas Kashmiri who hates India and the US with equal intensity.
But while Headley has been arrested, Americans may be loath to allow Indians direct access to him and not just for the fear of uncomfortable details of their previous collaboration. The jehadi, who was earlier known as Daood Salim Gilani, has been very forthcoming and his testimony may be crucial for the conviction of Rana who has become a bigger target for the US because of suspicion that he may have used his immigration firm to bring in Pakistanis of suspect credentials into the US on forged travel documents.
The FBI affidavit against Rana makes it clear that the two have fallen out with Rana claiming that he was duped by Headley. Rana has been keeping mum while Headley has been cooerating with the interogators, FBI sources have confirmed to US media.
Headley, who moved extensively in Pakistan and Afghanistan and can be a reservoir of information for the US counter-terrorism effort, is also suspected to have made it plain to Americans that his cooperation was contingent upon his being kept off limits for Indians.
There is an appreciation of the compulsion of US agencies. The fact that it was FBI which tipped off about Lashkar's plans and was crucial to the breakthrough in the 26/11 probe is also widely acknowledged.
But there is growing frustration with the delay in accessing information about and from Headley. In fact, the official's criticism came on a day when FBI's fresh chargesheet against Headley's co-accused Rana listed details that the American agency had initially not shared with their Indian counterparts. The document filed by the FBI in a Chicago court seeking Rana's continued detention mentioned Gujarat's Somnath temple and Bollywood stars among targets identified by Lashkar.
FBI's chargesheet against Headley was silent about these targets. "Why are they sharing things in bits and pieces on a matter that is so crucial for us", said another official familiar with the details of the cooperation with the American investigating agency.
The matter has even acquired political dimension with CPM, known for its anti-US stand, pouncing upon it. The matter was raised by Brinda Karat in Rajya Sabha.
Headley's dealings with US agencies dates to 1988, almost 10 years before his arrest in New York, when he caught in Frankfurt for smuggling drugs. He was handed over to DEA. Even then, he got off with a lighter sentence by testifying against his partners. Referring to those arrests, Philadelphia Inquirer on Sunday reported, "It quickly became clear to federal law enforcement officials in New York that Headley knew a great deal about heroin trade between US and Pakstan and was wiling to cooperate. Headley went to work for DEA, making heroin cases against at least three Pakistani men".
Indian investigators, meanwhile, found that Headley during his multiple visits to India had spent a lot of money running into lakhs of rupees through credit cards issued by American banks and in fake Indian currency, believed to have been brought from Pakistan.
"It is found during the probe that in most of the instances where Headley had paid cash amount, a few currency notes in the entire payment would be fake which he had procured during his trips to Pakistan", said an official.
Indian investigators are now trying to find out who had paid his credit card bills in the American banks.
Maybe Headley was a very good freind of Obama’s?
?
If he was a good friend of Obama’s, he didn’t “go rogue” but was that way all along.
I think that India may be sensing that Bambi is a [Muslim] Pakistani in his heart.
We have a lot of national interests in common with India.
Sounds like Headley was a snitch, a paid informant, not a DEA agent. I’ve read some amusing “news” items from the Times of India, but this takes the cake.
Deadly Headley was aterrorist, most likely one of Obammer’s friends. We need to get closer to the republic of India and move away from the vampire grip of muzzie saudia and pakiland and the commie chicoms.
Agreed.
from...(much more...go to the bottom of the scrollbar at link below and work up until you come to title)
http://intellibriefs.blogspot.com/
Headley: A Quadruple Agent
Please refer to my article of December 15,2009, titled “ Headley’s Case Figures in Senate Committee” available at http://www.southasiaanalysis.org/papers36/paper3549.html .
2. A reader in the US has drawn my attention to some other references to the Headley case in the transcript of the Committee hearing. I had missed these references in my earlier article. These are annexed.
3. While forwarding these references, the reader has also made the following observations. I am not in a position to comment on his observations:
a) There have been multiple classified hearings prior to recent public revelations wherein Headley was discussed. I base this on the highlighted comment made by Senator Lieberman and by looking at the committee’s calendar. It would be reasonable to infer that at least some key government elements in the US were aware of Headley’s actions for a while now
(b) Also based on the same discussion, it appears that the relevant US agencies were possibly downplaying Headley’s actions as only a threat outside of the US as opposed to threats to the US directly.
(c) If a well informed person like Senator Lieberman can publicly raise questions on how long Headley was being allowed to operate from the US, then so should Indian authorities.
4.In my article of November 10,2009, titled “ FBI Affidavit Against Headley: References to India” available at http://www.southasiaanalysis.org/papers35/paper3496.html I had extracted references to India from the affidavits filed by the FBI in the Chicago court. The significant extracts are again re-produced below:
On July 3, 2009, Lashkar-e-Taiba Member A sent HEADLEY an email in which Lashkar-e-Taiba Member A said, “i need to see you for some new investment plans.”
On July 8, 2009, HEADLEY sent Lashkar-e-Taiba Member A an email which stated, in part: “What do you want me to do? Where are you interested in making investments?”
In another email on July 8, 2009, HEADLEY told Lashkar-e-Taiba Member A that “I think when we get a chance we should revisit our last location again and say hi to Rahul. “Following his arrest, HEADLEY acknowledged that, in this email, “Rahul” refers to a prominent Indian actor with the first name “Rahul.”
Lashkar-e-Taiba Member A replied to the above email on July 8, 2009 and told HEADLEY in an email that “to see Rahul is a good idea coz have some work for you over there too. Matters are good enough to move forward....”
On July 9, 2009, HEADLEY responded: “When you say “move forward” do you mean in the North direction or towards Rahul? Also in the future if we need to meet to discuss anything, do I have to come all the way over there or can we meet somewhere in the middle like Africa or Middle East?”
The same day, Lashkar-e-Taiba Member A responded that “I mean towards Rahul.”
On July 10, 2009, HEADLEY sent an email to Lashkar-e-Taiba Member A in which he stated: “I would like to know a few things if you can tell me:1) What is the status with the Northern project, is it still postponed indefinitely? 2) The visit to Rahul’s place, is it for checking out real estate property like before, or something different and if so tell me what you can please. Also is it exactly in Rahul’s city or different one? 3) How long do you think I will need to stay at Rahul’s place to complete this task? 4) Will I have to stay there continuously for a while, or back and forth like before?”
(thanks to FReeper Squantos for the link...scrolling his homepage)
There to help and share........:o)
If ya find a dead link let me know if ya have time !
stay safe !
Thanks much. The first time I recall seeing/scrolling your homepage. Some great resources there.
I need to update some dead links and do some maintenance but there as a resource for freepers etc ........:o)
Stay safe !
News.REDIFF.com: "DECEPTIVE ANSWERS AT THE AIRPORT LED TO HEADLEY'S ARREST" (SNIPPET: "Headley's cellphone was registered to a dead man, as was his Chicago apartment, according to the FBI. He changed his name from Daood Gilani in 2006 to further his cover, according to the FBI.") (Last updated December 9, 2009, 14:55 IST)
Chicago.FBI.gov - DOJ Press Release: "CHICAGOAN CHARGED WITH CONSPIRACY IN 2008 MUMBAI ATTACKS IN ADDITION TO FOREIGN TERROR PLOT IN DENMARK Additional Charges Unsealed Alleging Retired Pakistani Major Conspired in Danish Plot" (SNIPPET: "The defendant, David Coleman Headley, a U.S. citizen, earlier this decade allegedly attended terrorism training camps in Pakistan maintained by Lashkar e Tayyiba (Lashkar), and conspired with its members and others in planning and executing the attacks in both Denmark and India, federal law enforcement officials announced today. Also today, a criminal complaint was unsealed in federal court in Chicago charging Abdur Rehman Hashim Syed (Abdur Rehman), a retired major in the Pakistani military, with conspiracy in planning to attack the Danish newspaper and its employees. Another Chicago man, Tahawwur Hussain Rana, a Canadian citizen and native of Pakistan, was arrested in October on federal charges filed in Chicago relating to the Danish terrorism plot.") (December 7, 2009)
OTTAWA CITIZEN.com: "NEW SUSPECT LINKED TO CARTOON PLOT Man detained at behest of FBI may have connection" (SNIPPET: "Illyas Kashmiri, a former Pakistani military officer and now a reputed commander of the Pakistan-based Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (HuJI) militant group, is believed to have been detained by Pakistan at the behest of the FBI, according to an unconfirmed report in The Times of India." SNIPPET: "If confirmed, Kashmiri's arrest will expand the global nature of the case, which already has connections to Chicago, Copenhagen, Mumbai and Kanata.") (November 24, 2009)
HINDUSTAN TIMES.com (PRESS TRUST OF INDIA): London - "PAKISTANI FATHER-SON DUO HELD IN ITALY OVER MUMBAI ATTACKS" (SNIPPET: "They said Indian agencies are also trying to find out whether the arrested persons had any links with David Coleman Headley and Tahawwur Hussain Rana...") (Last updated November 21, 2009, 15:01 IST)
PAJAMAS MEDIA.com - blog: "U.S. NOW EXPORTS TERROR: AMERICAN LINKED TO MUMBAI ATTACK A Chicago-area raid looks to have captured a planner of the massacre." by Rusty Shackleford (November 17, 2009)
INVESTIGATIVE PROJECT.org - For The Record - blog: "BOLLYWOOD ACTOR CAST IN REAL-LIFE CHICAGO TERROR PLOT" (November 16, 2009)
GLOBAL SECURITY NEWSWIRE.org (REUTERS): "SECURITY INCREASED AT INDIAN NUCLEAR SITES OVER POSSIBLE ATTACK" (November 16, 2009)
GLOBAL SECURITY NEWSWIRE.org (AP): "PAKISTANI TERRORISTS PLOTTING NEW ATTACKS IN INDIA, SINGH WARNS" (August 17, 2009)
TIMES OF INDIA: New Delhi - "HOTELS TOLD TO KEEP EYE ON FOREIGNERS" by Dwaipayan Ghosh, TNN (SNIPPET: "The David Headley case has spurred Delhi Police into stepping up its vigil on foreign tourists...") (November 16, 2009, 12:43 am IST)
TELEGRAPH INDIA.com: 'HEADLEY MAPPED ALL '26/11 TARGETS' - U.S. SUSPECT POSED AS JEW: POLICE" by Samyabrata Ray Goswami (SNIPPET: "The FBI seized a book called HOW TO PRAY LIKE A JEW from him at the time of his arrest in Chicago. He had prepared himself thoroughly to pose as a Jew," the officer said.") (November 15, 2009)SOUTH ASIA ANALYSIS GROUP - Paper no. 3506: "THE 313 BRIGADE - International Terrorism Monitor - Paper No. 579" by B. Raman (SNIPPET: "20. Ilyas sees himself as another Khalid Sheikh Mohammad and wants to carry out a spectacular terrorist strike in a Western country. The purpose of his trying to use David Coleman Headley, of Chicago arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation at Chicago on October 3, 2009, was for an attack on the Danish journal, which carried caricatures of the Prophet in 2005. A perusal of the FBI's affidavit against Headley shows that while Ilyas wanted a Mumbai -- 26/11 style attack in Copenhagen, Headley felt that a more feasible option would be to assassinate the cartoonist and his Editor.") (November 16, 2009)INDIAN EXPRESS.com - News: "HEADLEY AT THE TAJ, RANA ACROSS INDIA" (SNIPPET: "Meanwhile, a real estate agent, Sunny Singh, presented himself to the media today claiming that Headley approached him as recently as just over a month ago looking to rent an apartment in Bandra. "He came with a woman called Anna whom he introduced as his wife. He told me he had come with a reference from another woman named Marina," Singh claimed. "He was willing to pay around Rs 50,000 and a deal was nearly final but things did not work out when he refused to give his visa documents and a letter from his employer."") (Posted November 14, 2009, 0927 hrs)LONG WAR JOURNAL - Threat Matrix - blog: "PAKISTANI GENERALS LINKED TO U.S. TERROR SUSPECTS" by Bill Roggio (November 13, 2009)
NEWS.MSN.com: "FBI GETS 60 DAYS TO FILE CHARGES AGAINST INDIA TERROR PLOTTERS" (SNIPPET: "Chicago court’s chief Judge James F. Holderman has extended till next Jan 1, the period of filing indictment against the accused duo, David Coleman Headley, a Pakistan-born American national, and his Pakistan-born Canadian associate Tahawwur Hussain Rana.") (November 12, 2009)
SOUTH ASIA ANALYSIS GROUP - Paper no. 3500: "Extracts from FBI Affidavit Regarding Headley's Contacts With Individual A & Let Member A: International Terrorism Monitor - Paper No. 575" by B. Raman (November 11, 2009)
INDIA-SERVER.com: India - "GOVT WARNS CITIZENS AGAINST TERROR ATTACKS IN FIVE MAJOR CITIES" (SNIPPET: "This Home Ministry alert is based on the inputs available from FBI, which they obtained while interrogating David Headley. It is supported by Indian intelligence agencies' inputs. Reports have mentioned that Headley was in Delhi, Mumbai, Lucknow, Agra and Ahmedabad between 2006 and 2009 and hence the alerts are mainly for these cities.") (Last updated November 12, 2009)
CHICAGO TRIBUNE.com: "U.S. CITES AL-QAIDA DVDs IN PRESSING FOR SUSPECT'S DETAINMENT Chicago man allegedly plotted to attack Danish newspaper, target in India" by Jeff Coen (SNIPPET: "A federal judge could decide on Nov. 19 whether to release Rana, owner of a Chicago immigration business and a Grundy County meat processing plant, on bond pending trial.") (November 10, 2009)
OSINT.INTERNET-HAGANAH.com: "HEADLEY & RANA - FROM CHICAGO TO COPENHAGEN WITH LOVE" (SNIPPET: "My read of the complaints is that Headley was involved in ongoing efforts to support Pakistan-based terrorist outfits, primarily by travelling to prospective sites of future targets and conducting surveillance. I suspect that there is more to Rana providing support to Headley than just the fact that they both attended the same military academy.") (October 30, 2009)
TIMES OF INDIA: Washington - "TOP PAK DIPLOMAT KNEW U.S. LASHKAR OPERATIVES: FBI" (SNIPPET: "Pakistan's Consul General in Chicago personally knew both David Coleman Headley and Tahawwur Hussain Rana, nabbed by the FBI for planning to carry out a major terror attack in India at the behest of LeT, the US authorities have claimed.") (October 30, 2009, 2:02 pm IST)
Chicago.FBI.gov - DOJ Press Release: Chicago - "TWO CHICAGO MEN CHARGED IN CONNECTION WITH ALLEGED ROLES IN FOREIGN TERROR PLOT THAT FOCUSED ON TARGETS IN DENMARK" (SNIPPET: "The defendants charged in separate criminal complaints unsealed today in U.S. District Court in Chicago are David Coleman Headley, 49, and Tahawwur Hussain Rana, 48, also known as Tahawar Rana...") (October 27, 2009)
DINAH LORD - blog (WBBM780.com): "BREAKING: 2 MEN ARRESTED IN CHICAGO ON TERROR CHARGES" (SNIPPET: "WBBM's Regine Schlesinger reports the US Attorney's office in Chicago alleges that 49 year old David Coleman Headley. an American citizen who changed his name from Daood Gilani, and 48 year old Tahawar Rana, a Canadian citizen who lives in Chicago, were involved in a plot to support or carry out terror attacks.") (October 27, 2009, 9:26 am)
CHICAGO TRIBUNE.com: "2ND CHICAGO MAN TIED TO TERROR PLOT Man taken into custody at O'Hare was allegedly to meet with people linked to terrorist organizations" by Hal Dardick and Jeff Coen (SNIPPET: "The man was taken into custody Oct. 3 before he boarded a flight at O'Hare International Airport to Philadelphia, the first stop on a trip to Pakistan..." SNIPPET: "The owner of the plant, Tahawar Hussain Rana, also of Chicago, was arrested at his North Side home the same day as the raid on First World Management Services in Kinsman, northwest of Dwight." SNIPPET: "Rana financially supported the man involved in the terrorist plot, as well as the man's family, the source said.") (October 27, 2009)
TIMESonline.co.uk: "MUMBAI TERROR ATTACKS: AND THEN THEY CAME FOR THE JEWS" (SNIPPET: "One more question remains: how did the terrorists and their handlers apparently know the layout of Nariman House, and the schedule of its inhabitants, so well? Suspicion has fallen on Jackie, the Muslim cook. Since the siege, he says he has had about 100 interviews with police and officials, including Israelis. Solomon Sopher, a leader of the Mumbai Jewish community, says he thinks Jackie is suspected not of direct collusion with terrorists, but perhaps of unwittingly revealing information to scouts who struck up a friendship with him. Jackie denies this, and it is probable that if there were evidence against him, he would have been charged.") (November 1, 2009)
Thanks for the compilation, Cindy. OUTSTANDING work as usual. BTTT!
From the 1st link of your post...
“(c) If a well informed person like Senator Lieberman can publicly raise questions on how long Headley was being allowed to operate from the US, then so should Indian authorities.”
Exactly
Ditto.
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