The Curious Case of Daood Gilani alias David Headley & co

Patni · Post by **Patni** » 07 Jan 2010 18:03

I am a Pakistani army deserter: Terror suspect Rana

IANS, 7 January 2010, 02:25pm IST
CHICAGO: Pakistani-Canadian terror suspect Tahawwur Hussain Rana, under investigation for possible links to 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, offered a novel plea for bail saying as he is a deserter from the Pakistani army he's not a flight risk.
Rana, arrested for plotting to attack a Danish newspaper made the deserter plea before US District Judge Matthew Kennelly in a Chicago court on Wednesday making a bond request that has already been denied by another federal judge. Rana contended that because he deserted the military and isn't welcome back in Pakistan, he's not a flight risk and should be released on bond.
It is unclear whether the federal grand jury indictment that the government promises before Jan 14 will include additional terrorism charges against Rana. Rana's attorneys say that the allegations are serious, but maintain the defendant's role as alleged in the complaint is comparatively minor, given the scope and purpose of the supposed plot.

Regardless, the motion filed by Rana's lawyers provided new details about his background-including Rana's admitted desertion from the Pakistani army.

"Defendant's Pakistani background should raise no concerns whatsoever regarding risk of flight," it said suggesting that while serving as a physician in the Pakistani military Rana suffered from two high altitude conditions as he was transported to high elevation in the Northern Areas of Pakistan without proper acclimatisation.

Rana then requested and was granted leave to seek medical treatment and subsequently flew to England for treatment, the motion said. Rana's extended treatment forced him to overstay his leave, making him a de jure deserter from the Pakistani military.

"Defendant has not returned to Pakistan since, and any attempt to flee to Pakistan would be met with incarceration and court martial proceedings. As such, Defendant presents no risk of fleeing to Pakistan because to do so would only change the location of his detention," the motion said.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 07 Jan 2010 21:32

Didn't Indian investigators show Rana was quite busy traveling to and fro to TSP to cooridnate with Headley and the terror handlers?

Patni · Post by **Patni** » 07 Jan 2010 22:50

ramana wrote:Didn't Indian investigators show Rana was quite busy traveling to and fro to TSP to cooridnate with Headley and the terror handlers?

AFAIK it was headley with frequent visits to paki land and not rana. Rana was visiting china on 26/11 and flown back to usa the day after and was in dubai just before and thats where he had a meeting with pasha where he was told about impending attack.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 07 Jan 2010 22:56

Wasn't Rana supposed to have family in TSPA and was handling the finances for the duo?

a_kumar · Post by **a_kumar** » 07 Jan 2010 23:03

If GoI could do anything about it, then it should whole-heartedly work towards getting these guys a bail.

There is no way they will even get a peek at these guys otherwise! Gov can indefinitely hide behind the checks and balances. To their credit, these checks and balances do indeed make it difficult.

Patni · Post by **Patni** » 07 Jan 2010 23:44

ramana wrote:Wasn't Rana supposed to have family in TSPA and was handling the finances for the duo?

All of rana's family migrated to Canada in mid 90's. Very little if any info came out initially about his years in paki land.
I had trouble finding any reference to his medical background or his army years as captain in tspa. I had came across a news report in which, a relative of rana's family from his wife side in India, mentioned about him not doing too well financially and that he had done some years of business in pak after his military service. So it seems things are not as simple as they are made out to be! he cant be an army deserter and still run businesses in pakistan before migrating to canada.
Rana and wife met relatives in Meerut, Hapur, went to Taj

“We could not believe that Rana could be involved in terror activities. When I met him, he told me that he runs an immigration business. I believe that if Rana was involved in such activities, then he would have not stayed in a cheap hotel at Agra where they paid Rs 400 for a room. I came to know that Rana was facing a financial crisis and, during the trip, it was my wife who took care of most of the expenses,” said Akbar Ali, who is an advocate.
“This was the second time I met Rana after his marriage. Around 15 years ago, I had visited Pakistan and Rana was then a captain in the Pakistan military. Both Rana and his wife Samraz Akhtar were MBBS doctors. Rana’s wife ran a clinic in Bahawalpur. Later, I got to know that two years after their marriage, Rana left his job and started some business,” said Akbar Ali.

Patni · Post by **Patni** » 07 Jan 2010 23:58

I find it a little baffling why the judges in rana's case keep changing? so far his motions has been brought up in front of three different judges already with a clear indication that the case may finally go to some other judge! does not sound a routine thing to me.

Judges so far : 1) Judge Matthew F. Kennelly 2) Magistrate Judge Nan R. Nolan & 3) Chief Judge James F. Holderman
Judge declines to hear Rana bail plea

Pakistani-Canadian terror suspect Tahawwur Rana will have to spend more days in custody after a US judge on Thursday did not hear his bail plea, saying an expected indictment against him may send the case to a different judge.

Rana, who has appealed against his detention and was making renewed efforts to be freed on bond, appeared before US
District Judge Matthew Kennelly in the US District Court, Northern District of Illinois in Chicago.

But the prosecutors said they expect to obtain an indictment against Rana, under investigation for possible
links to 26/11 terror attacks, by January 14. After the indictment, Rana's case could be handled by a different judge.

Then judge Kennelly said since he was not certain he would continue to be in charge of the case after the
indictment, he would not act on Rana's bail request just yet.

Gagan · Post by **Gagan** » 07 Jan 2010 23:59

Rana wouldn't have put in that plea in that court in Chicago if it was so easy to prove he travelled to pakistan. The opposition lawyers would find that out in a jiffy.

So take his sworn affidavit as true for now. (Until some news paper comes out with an intel leak)

Rangudu · Post by **Rangudu** » 08 Jan 2010 00:11

The usual modus operandi for TSPA terror travelers is to fly to a "friendly" third country like Dubai, Nepal or even Thailand and from there they travel to TSP using passports under different names.

That way, their real passport has no TSP stamp and there is deniability.

In this case, if anyone believes that Rana has not been to TSP for years, then I have bridge to sell them...

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 08 Jan 2010 01:12

Praveen Swami on Headless probe

Headley probe hits brick wall

Headley breakthrough hits brick wall

Praveen Swami

Pakistan uncooperative in hunt for top Lashkar operative Sajid Mir, FBI tells India
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Headley did recce of Mumbai targets on Mir’s orders

FBI believes Headley was a minor cog in Lashkar’s machinery

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NEW DELHI: Four weeks ago, when the Federal Bureau of Investigation charged Pakistani-American jihadist David Headley with having played a key role in the terrorist attack on Mumbai in November 2008, India was hopeful of a breakthrough that would lead to the identification of key perpetrators. Instead, the investigation has run into a brick wall.

Despite sustained diplomatic pressure on Pakistan, government sources in New Delhi have told The Hindu, the United States has failed to secure the arrest of Sajid Mir — the top Lashkar-e-Taiba operative alleged to have tasked Headley with reconnaissance of the targets.

Mir is also alleged to have used Headley to carry out surveillance for an assault on the offices of the Jyllands Posten newspaper in Copenhagen. FBI investigators, the sources said, now believe Headley was a relatively minor cog in the Lashkar’s machinery. During hours of questioning, Headley was unable to cast light on who in the Lashkar hierarchy planned and authorised the attack.

{They need to let Indian Police question him}

Headley, the sources said, may have been just one of multiple Lashkar operatives who carried out reconnaissance in Mumbai.

Notably, the sources said, Headley’s confession did not appear to fully account for the detailed videotape of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus train station, which surviving Lashkar assault-team member Mohammad Ajmal Amir Kasab said he had been shown during training.

Bar the confession, the FBI has so far gathered little evidence on the attacks. Part of the reason for that, FBI officials have told their Indian counterparts, has been Pakistan’s failure to arrest Mir or to allow them to question other key suspects held in that country.

In February, Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency charged Lashkar operatives Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, his deputy Mazhar Iqbal and Abdul Wajid with “planning, preparation, [and] execution of [the] Mumbai terrorist attacks.” But the FIA made no reference to Mir, or to Headley’s surveillance.

Pakistan has also offered little information on the linkages between the Lashkar and al-Qaeda — one of the key revelations thrown up by the Headley investigation.

Mir’s plans for an assault on the Jyllands Posten were preceded by al-Qaeda calls for assaults on the newspaper.

In March 2008, al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri had published The Exoneration, a 188-page book which repeatedly referred to the cartoons published by the Jyllands Posten, and called for the assassination of their authors. For reasons that remain unexplained, al-Qaeda was unable to mount such an operation. However, the FBI’s investigation suggests, Mir took on the task on its behalf.

Most likely Headley was a US agent sent to penetrate L-e-T and in turn became a Paki agent. Just like the Jordanian bomber. So Pak doesnt want to reveal any more.

Any way since the crime in Mumbai has occured while the planned attack on Danish cartoonists has been thwarted why dont the US extradiate Headley to India as a show of their partnership in peace gesture? They can be present when India question him with their HR brigade.

Avinash R · Post by **Avinash R** » 08 Jan 2010 22:18

NIA team visits Kufri to probe visit by Headley's ex-wife
IANS, 8 January 2010, 01:25pm IST

SHIMLA/NEW DELHI: Sleuths of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) visited Himachal Pradesh's Kufri town to track the footprints of Mumbai terror suspect David Coleman Headley's estranged Moroccan wife who is said to have made a reconnaissance trip to the state in 2008.

After visiting Manali late December, the investigating team made a stop at Kufri, another popular tourist resort on the outskirts of Shimla, to find out whether Faiza Outalha had stayed there.

The security agencies suspect that Outalha carried out reconnaissance of some places targeted by Mumbai attackers.

A Himachal Pradesh police official confirmed that NIA sleuths visited a popular resort in Kufri earlier this week to find whether Outalha spent time there.

The sleuths believe she also visited the Kalyani helipad and The Retreat, the summer holiday resort of the Indian president, on the outskirts of Shimla.

"The investigators have scrutinised and collected log books of the resort and recorded the statements of their staff members. They also visited The Retreat and examined the visitor's book there," the police official said.

"Headley himself had never visited Manali but we understand that Outalha did. We are still in the process of collecting evidence," said another intelligence official in New Delhi.

Last month, the team visited Manali to know whether Headley's friends - an American couple along with Outalha - had visited the place to look at the Jewish centre in 2008.

The sleuths visited Chabad House, the Jewish centre located on the Club House Road in Manali, to inquire if Headley's accomplices had visited there. It is believed that Outalha had met up with the American couple here.

"So far the investigators have not been able to lay hand on any concrete evidence, suggesting Outalha's visit to towns in Himachal Pradesh," said the official.

The Chabad House in Mumbai was a target in the November 2008 terror attack, in which more than 170 people were killed.

hnair · Post by **hnair** » 09 Jan 2010 06:56

They released the photos of the CIA officers killed by the Pakistanis. yet they are not releasing Headley's mug

Gagan · Post by **Gagan** » 09 Jan 2010 07:27

My thinking is this:

The undisputables in front of us are:
1. A group of pakistani citizens (numbering 10 as far as we know) attacked mumbai on 26/11/2008 and were goaded on by their terror handlers affiliated to the LET from Pakistan.

2. Because this is the LET, we know that the linkages with the ISI are indeed very strong. Pakistan's dragging its feet in bringing the LET individuals involved smirks of a guilty party protecting its partner.

The corollary that can be derived from the above:
1. It would be correct to assume that the ISI probably outsources terror attacks to the various jehadi groups, who receive payments to complete a job. The ISI probably whets the various proposals put forward by the jehadi groups and gives the green light after the matter is discussed with the army core group.
2. Such major attacks as the IC-814 hijack, the Parliament attack, the Kaluchak and other massacres, and Mumbai 26/11 will likely have been OKed by the top brass of the pakistan army and perhaps some closely knit civilians.

What we need to know more about
1. The role played by the external factors / Nations which interact with the Pakistan Army leadership.
We all know that pakistan has its 3 and a half friends which ensure the continued life as opposed to the sure death of that nation and that army.
The question is, why do these 3.5 friends continue to support pakistan and its army? What service does the pakistan army provide them?

We all know that it is the pakistan army which keeps Pakistan's relations with India hostile by deliberate actions. The question is, what role do these 3.5 friends play with their acts of commission or omission in this behaviour?

China we all believe is in a direct race with India and Japan for leadership of Asia and then the world. The house of Saud has never had good relations with India, they have always maintained a stoic distance with India. Britain has played host to every group that India has called a terrorist group, indulged in terrorist activities against India, all the way from the Khalistanis to the Tamil tigers and the various north east groups. Perhaps the only exceptions are the islamists and the maoists. But even here, Peter Davy comes to mind (Did he really act after informing RAW about the impending Purulia airdrop as has been recently suggested?). The US has always had a love-hate relationship with India. Only recently have we seen the Indo-US relationships being more positive.

So it is a toss up, certain words can not be put in writing. It won't be difficult for RAW to find out from its informers in the Pakistan Army and the ISI about the above mentioned acts of omission and commission. The Pakistan Army leadership and the terrorist groups are guilty for sure, the larger conspiracy, if there is one, is something that GoI probably knows of, and its actions will be tempered based of these factors. We mortals need to ultimately have faith in the powers that be, for they act in view of the knowledge they have but can never share with the ordinary citizens.

JMT

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 09 Jan 2010 08:59

Moved some posts to Mumbai Terrorist Attack thread.

Patni · Post by **Patni** » 09 Jan 2010 09:53

NIA likely to file chargesheet against Headley & Rana

9 Jan 2010, 0441 hrs IST, ET Bureau
NEW DELHI: The NIA is hoping to file a chargesheet against terror suspects David Coleman Headley and Tahawwur Rana, charged by the FBI for their role in the 26/11 attacks, by January-end or early February, according to sources in the Union home ministry.
The NIA, which has been probing the activities and movements of Headley during his nine visits to India between 2006 and 2009, and Rana’s sole visit to Mumbai ahead of 26/11, is likely to complete its investigations soon.

While a supplementary chargesheet will be filed in the 26/11 case, charging Headley with carrying out the reconnaissance of targets, including Taj and Trident Hotels, Leopold Cafe and Nariman House, Rana is likely to be named as a financier of the recce mission.

The NIA chargesheet will document the visits of Headley and Rana to other cities, including Delhi, Ahmedabad, Agra, Pushkar, Goa, Kochi and Pune.

The NIA probe has covered the places where they stayed and the possible targets they recceed, besides the people they interacted with and if these meetings were to set up terror modules.

Avinash R · Post by **Avinash R** » 09 Jan 2010 19:26

FIR against hotel where terror suspect Rana stayed

PTI, 9 January 2010, 05:52pm IST

AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat police have registered an FIR against the owner of hotel 'Lemon Tree' here, where terror suspect Tahawwur Hussain Rana had stayed with his wife in 2008, for violation of various rules.

"We have filed an FIR against the owner of the Lemon Tree hotel, and two others for violation of Registration of Foreigners Act and a notification of city police commissioner," Additional Commissioner of Police, Special Branch, G S Malik told reporters.

Those against whom FIR has been lodged are owner of the hotel Patanjali Govind Keshvani, former manager Prashant Malhotra and present manager Shubash Sharma.

Rana, a Canadian national of Pakistani origin, arrested by FBI along with David Headley for plotting terror strikes in India, had stayed at the hotel on November 18 and 19, 2008 with his wife Samraz Akhtar.

Special Branch of Ahmedabad police has found that the hotel had not informed it about the stay of a foreign national by submitting the 'C' form which is mandatory, Malik said.

"An inquiry revealed that there was no mention of the duo's stay in the hotel register though the computer records show their presence," he said.

Patni · Post by **Patni** » 09 Jan 2010 20:29

Headley may not appear in next court hearing

Yoshita Singh/PTI / Chicago January 9, 2010, 13:59 IST

Pakistani-American David Coleman Headley, charged with conspiracy in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, may not be present at a status hearing of his case scheduled next week in a court here.

The hearing, during which the court will be updated on the progress of the case, has been set for January 12 before Judge Harry Leinenweber in the US District Court in the Northern District of Illinois.

After his arrest, Headley had first appeared in the court on December 9 when he had pleaded not guilty to charges that he plotted terrorist attacks in India and Denmark.

US citizen Headley, along with another terror suspect Pakistani-Canadian Tahawwur Rana, were arrested by FBI in October last year. Indian investigators say that he conducted a recce of the Mumbai attack sites.

The FBI has also charged him with criminal conspiracy in the 26/11 attacks.
"It is possible that Headley will not be present for the hearing on Tuesday since his presence has been waived by the defence," a spokesman for US Attorney's office said today.

He said "nothing significant" is expected to happen during Tuesday's hearing for which Headley would be needed in the court. Headley's attorney John Theis said the January 12 hearing would be a routine matter during which the court would be updated by the defence and prosecution on the progress and status of the case.

Theis said no new plea or motion would be filed during that hearing and added that there is no change in Headley's not guilty plea. Suspected Lashkar-e-Toiba operative Headley was arraigned in December in a hearing that lasted for only a couple of minutes.

During that court appearance, he had waived his right to be indicted by a grand jury, which meant that he had waived his right to have prosecutors present their evidence against him to a grand jury and obtain an indictment.

If convicted, Headley could face the "maximum statutory penalty" of life imprisonment or death.

However, in the charges filed by the FBI, the government has said that Headley is cooperating with the investigation, possibly to avoid the death penalty.

Security agencies in India, probing the footprints Headley and Rana, may also file a chargesheet against the duo in the country by this month-end for allegedly waging a war against India, Home Ministry sources said in New Delhi.

Once the chargesheet is filed against the two, Indian security agencies are likely to press America for the access of both for interrogation and subsequent extradition.

It sure looks like a deal has been worked out between headley's defense team and Prosecutors! Very little if any details will be made public during the trial and more then likely that he will disappear in some sort of witness protection program.

Lalmohan · Post by **Lalmohan** » 10 Jan 2010 22:08

headley has done deals before, he is doing them again. this time he'll dangle someone big to the CIA and they will do whatever it takes to get it done - even if it turns out to be a damp squib. no one in this mix really gives a rat's musharraf about Indian interests. nor should we expect anyone to do so

Avinash R · Post by **Avinash R** » 10 Jan 2010 22:25

Rana's firm's operations may help track terror links: Officers

Jan 10, 2010 at 1148 hrs

Chicago: US sleuths probing the operations of an immigration business run by Pakistani-Canadian LeT operative Tahawwur Hussain Rana feel that allowing the firm to continue to function will help monitor its clients for "possible terrorist ties".

49-year-old Rana's immigration consultancy firm First World Immigration, located in the Indian-Pakistani street Devon Avenue here, is being probed for possible acts of immigration fraud as part of wider investigation into an international terror plot against India and Denmark.

"Despite the firm's alleged ties to terror, there is value in allowing First World Immigration to continue doing business as normal since it made it easier for the FBI to monitor its clients for possible terrorist ties. If you shut it down, those people are lost to the wind," NBC Chicago quoted a senior law-enforcement official as saying.

It said the case against the businessman based in Chicago is especially troubling because it is a rare example of how a seemingly legitimate American business in this case, Rana's visa-processing firm may have been used as a front for an overseas terrorist network that targets Americans.

The FBI has said Rana's accomplice David Coleman Headley, charged with criminal conspiracy in the Mumbai attacks, used the immigration firm as cover for his travels to India and Denmark as he scouted for terror targets.

Rana is under investigation for links to the Mumbai strikes that killed 166 people. His First World has offices in Chicago, New York and Toronto.

Federal authorities are working to determine the immigration status of people who entered the US with the help of First World to ensure they do not pose any threat.

As part of a widening probe into the international terror plot, US authorities are also sharpening their sights on the firm in search of possible acts of immigration fraud.

However, Rana's lawyer Patrick Blegen has said in a new motion filed in a Chicago court that as a result of FBI raids on Rana's businesses and his detention, his businesses have effectively been shut down and are worth nowhere near what they were previously estimated.

According to court filings, Rana allegedly conspired to bring foreigners to the US under false pretences.

In e-mail conversations, Rana advised an alleged member of Lashkar-e-Taiba about "loopholes" to get individuals into the US.

"Whenever you find easy way to come to US, immediately think there is a catch to it," Rana allegedly wrote in an e-mail, warning against using student visas.

In another message, Rana allegedly suggested that one individual be brought in under a false occupation. "Make him a cook," the e-mail said.

I guess FBI thinks terrorists who intend to use services of First World Immigration wont read newspapers, particularly indian ones.

Gagan · Post by **Gagan** » 10 Jan 2010 22:34

What US law has the duo broken for them to be doing deals with the US courts, and they not being available to Indian intel and law enforcement agencies to interrogate?

Their US citizenship and presence within the US legal system is allowing them protection in a manner that is similar to how Pakistan escapes India's gauntlet by striking at India from massa's lap.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 11 Jan 2010 09:14

NIA is questioning Mumbai socialites on Headley

A well known socialite in Mumbai was also undergoing questioning for several hours by the NIA to find out more about how Headley . . .Pictures of him with some western diplomats surprised the investigators as they feared that these envoys may have compromised with some security issues inadvertently to Headley. They said that some of these contacts established in the club had helped Headley in doing a recce of some of the locations in Mumbai ahead of the 26/11 terror strikes in 2008.

Patni · Post by **Patni** » 12 Jan 2010 08:35

Headley's status hearing postponed till Feb 23

Chicago, Jan 11, (PTI) :

The status hearing of Pakistani-American David Coleman Headley, charged with conspiracy in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, scheduled in a court here on Tuesday has been postponed till February 23.

The hearing was scheduled for January 12 before US Judge Harry Leinenweber in US District Court of Illinois. However, "tomorrow's hearing has now been cancelled and postponed till February 23," spokesman for US Attorney's office Randall Samborn told reporters. Samborn said the hearing has been postponed "by agreement of both parties".

Headley has been charged with conspiring in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks that killed 166 people. The FBI charges also allege he had made several trips to India prior to the attacks to scout for terror targets and then shared the information with conspirators in Pakistan. After his arrest in October last year, Headley had first appeared in the court on December 9 when he was arraigned and he had pleaded not guilty to charges that he plotted terror attacks against India and Denmark.z

Headley's presence has been waived by the defence, which means he need not be present for court hearings in the future. His lawyer John Theis said the status hearing is a routine matter where the court would be updated by the defence and prosecution on the progress and status of the case. Suspected LeT operative Headley's arraignment in December had lasted for only a couple of minutes. Then he had waived his right to be indicted by a grand jury, which meant he had waived his right to have prosecutors present their evidence against him to a grand jury and obtain an indictment.

Patni · Post by **Patni** » 13 Jan 2010 09:32

Charges Expected in Terrorism Probe

By EVAN PEREZ and DOUGLAS BELKIN
JANUARY 13, 2010

Federal prosecutors are expected to file charges against a Chicago businessman this week in a probe of conspirators in the 2008 Mumbai terror attack and a scheme to attack a Danish newspaper, people familiar with the matter said.

Tahawwur Hussain Rana, a Pakistani-born Canadian citizen, has already been accused by federal prosecutors of plotting with David Headley, also of Chicago, and Pakistani militants to attack the offices of the newspaper, which in 2005 published satirical cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad. Prosecutors filed a criminal complaint against Mr. Rana in October, and the government faces a Thursday deadline to file an indictment.
It wasn't clear what charges the indictment would contain. But federal prosecutors alleged in the complaint filed last fall that Mr. Rana knew of the Mumbai attacks in advance. Investigators homed in on Mr. Rana's alleged involvement after Mr. Headley began cooperating with investigators following his October arrest, according to people familiar with the matter.

Prosecutors allege Mr. Headley traveled to Mumbai to scout locations targeted in the attack, which killed more than 160 people. Court documents introduced in Mr. Rana's case alleged he was in Mumbai and traveled to Dubai five days before the attack.

Government affidavits filed in the Rana and Headley cases portrayed Mr. Rana, 49 years old, as deeply involved in discussing possible attack targets with Pakistani militants.

Attorneys for both men, who are in federal custody in Chicago, have denied all charges. Patrick Blegen, representing Mr. Rana, has argued his client should be freed on bond. "Mr. Rana categorically denies involvement in the tragic events in Mumbai of November 2008," Mr. Blegen said in November.

Mr. Rana's friendship with Mr. Headley dates back to a Pakistani military school called Cadet College Hasan Abdal, where both were students. Mr. Rana became a doctor and served in the Pakistani military during the Gulf War in Iraq, a U.S. federal judge said at Mr. Rana's detention hearing.

He married Samraz Akhtar Rana in 1990 and moved to the U.S. four years later. He became a permanent resident of Canada in 1997 and a citizen in 2001. Some of his family members now live in the Ottawa area.

In 1995, Mr. Rana bought a modest red-brick bungalow in Chicago's far north side, according to Cook County land records in Chicago. The family, which now includes three teen-age children, was courteous but not particularly friendly, said Pat Schein, a next-door neighbor.

Mr. Rana, who wears glasses and a graying beard, incorporated First World Immigration Services in Illinois in 1996. Mr. Rana also owns a grocery store in Chicago and a farm southwest of Chicago that provides halal meat for Muslim customers.

Mr. Rana regularly prayed at the Jame Mosque in the West Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago, which is home to many Pakistanis. Assadukllah Karimi, assistant imam, described him as "gentle" and "humble."

Mr. Rana is a member of the Iqbal Society, a social group that gathers to discuss the poetry and philosophy of the Persian intellectual Muhammad Iqbal, who espoused peaceful political action.

In early 2008, federal prosecutors said, Messrs. Rana and Headley began to communicate via multiple email accounts, with Mr. Headley sending some messages from Pakistan.

Mr. Rana arranged a number of Mr. Headley's trips abroad, including to Pakistan and Denmark, federal prosecutors said. Mr. Headley sometimes portrayed himself to border agents as an employee of Mr. Rana's immigration firm.

In November 2008, federal prosecutors said, Mr. Rana met in Dubai with a former Pakistani military officer, nicknamed Pasha, whom U.S. prosecutors have charged with conspiracy in the plot against the Danish newspaper.

In September 2009, Messrs. Rana and Headley appeared to discuss how Mr. Rana learned from Pasha about the Mumbai plot, according to translations of the conversations wiretapped by the government and cited by U.S. prosecutors.

In December, Mr. Blegen told a federal judge that prosecutors took the conversation out of context and Mr. Rana didn't know about the Mumbai attacks before they occurred.
—Phred Dvorak contributed to this article.

The article provides time line for major events in rana's life.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 14 Jan 2010 02:39

From Pioneer

Rana too set to be charged with 26/11

Rana too set to be charged with 26/11

S Rajagopalan | Washington

Faced with a Thursday deadline, the US federal prosecutors are gearing up to formally indict Tahawwur Hussain Rana, the Chicago-based Pakistani-Canadian, amid expectations of a broader charge-sheet relating to the Mumbai terror attacks.

With new information dug up over the past three months on the nexus between Rana and co-accused David Coleman Headley relating to the Mumbai carnage, the indictment is set to be more wide-ranging than what the duo originally faced at the time of their arrest last October.

A secretly taped conversation between the two men not only revealed that Rana knew of the Mumbai attacks well in advance, but he actually complimented the Lashkar-e-Tayyeba for its ruthless execution. As in the case of Headley, the original complaint against Rana was confined to the plot to attack a Danish newspaper, at LeT’s behest, for publishing the controversial cartoons on Prophet Mohammad.

However, as new incriminating details relating to 26/11 came to the fore in the course of FBI probe, the prosecution effected an overhaul, giving prominence to the Mumbai attacks. Headley has since been charged with conspiracy relating to the carnage that killed about 170 people, including six Americans. The grand jury indictment against Rana will be “a much wide-ranging terrorism investigation than he originally faced in October”, ABC7News reported from Chicago, citing sources familiar with the investigation.

It quoted federal agents as saying that Rana’s wider involvement first became apparent when co-defendant David Headley began cooperating with the investigation. Court records and federal affidavits show that both men travelled extensively leading up to the Mumbai attacks in November 2008.

Although Rana’s attorney Patrick Blegen has repeatedly said that his client is not a terrorist and should be freed on bond, federal authorities have managed to keep Rana locked up on the grounds that he was a flight risk. There are a number of points of connection between Rana and Headley relating to 26/11, the report says citing law enforcement sources, pointing out that the two men had surveyed the places that the attackers targeted — the Taj and the Trident hotels, the train terminal and the Jewish Nariman House.

While Headley had stayed at the Taj and the Trident in 2007, Rana stayed in a guest house. Rana had left Mumbai just five days prior to the attacks. Both Headley and Rana were in Pakistan during the attacks, leaving the place only after their conclusion, the report said mentioning that investigators are examining pictures and video footage of the targets that were shown to Pakistani terrorists and were allegedly provided by Headley and Rana. Although a Canadian national, Rana has made Chicago his home, where he bought a red-brick bungalow in 1995. Chicago is the centre of his immigration consultation business.

What is the progress in India?

Karna_A · Post by **Karna_A** » 14 Jan 2010 05:58

Mostly the matters are disposed at Brigadier/Major General level so Top brass can maintain deniability, although general guidelines are provided by Top Brass similar to how D-company was moved to Dubai or offshore boats before major press conferences.

Gagan wrote: The corollary that can be derived from the above:
1. It would be correct to assume that the ISI probably outsources terror attacks to the various jehadi groups, who receive payments to complete a job. The ISI probably whets the various proposals put forward by the jehadi groups and gives the green light after the matter is discussed with the army core group.

JMT

Gagan · Post by **Gagan** » 14 Jan 2010 06:08

The routine terror attacks in J&K are at that level and also the bomb attacks in India.

But incidents like Chhatisinpura, Parliament attack, IC-814, 26/11 can't happen without the ISI chief and the COAS not approving it. Recently we have the news story about Perver Musharraf meeting the ULFA leader Anup Chetia in Dacca.

The top leadership in Pakistan in intimately involved in terrorism against India. GOI doesn't take a stand lightly when it says that Pakistan is a State Sponsor of Terror.

sum · Post by **sum** » 14 Jan 2010 18:23

Gagan wrote:The routine terror attacks in J&K are at that level and also the bomb attacks in India.

But incidents like Chhatisinpura, Parliament attack, IC-814, 26/11 can't happen without the ISI chief and the COAS not approving it. Recently we have the news story about Perver Musharraf meeting the ULFA leader Anup Chetia in Dacca.

The top leadership in Pakistan in intimately involved in terrorism against India. GOI doesn't take a stand lightly when it says that Pakistan is a State Sponsor of Terror.

Sad thing is the powers that be are fully aware of all this and more ( which could never make it to the media) but are still chary of acting and punishing Pak for its misdeeds.

Gagan · Post by **Gagan** » 14 Jan 2010 19:01

The even sadder part is that the media is treating this meeting between Musharraf and Chetia (when musharraf was el-presidente) as a one off incident. This news seems lost in the silly halla of cricket news, stock market boom and chaman ki asha

Ravi Karumanchiri · Post by **Ravi Karumanchiri** » 15 Jan 2010 07:04

Canadian charged in Mumbai attacks

Tahawwur Rana indicted in U.S. for helping to carry out 2008 urban bombings that killed more than 160 Indians

Bill Curry
Ottawa — Globe and Mail Update
Published on Thursday, Jan. 14, 2010 6:10PM EST
Last updated on Thursday, Jan. 14, 2010 6:39PM EST

Pakistani-Canadian Tahawwur Rana has been charged in connection to the 2008 wave of urban bombings that rocked Mumbai and killed more than 160 people.

The American charges, approved today by a federal grand jury, allege Mr. Rana provided material support in preparation for and in carrying out the Mumbai attacks. He is also indicted on a count of providing material support to Lashkar e Tayyiba, a Pakistan-based militant group that is on the U.S. list of terrorist organizations.
...
Read more at the source: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/wor ... le1431570/

Gagan · Post by **Gagan** » 15 Jan 2010 07:43

Can he now be extradited to india?

Patni · Post by **Patni** » 15 Jan 2010 08:48

Department of Justice Press Release: Tahawwur Rana and David Headley Indicted for Alleged Roles in India and Denmark Terrorism Conspiracies Ilyas Kashmiri and Retired Pakistan Major Charged in Denmark Plot

For Immediate Release
January 14, 2010
U.S. Department of Justice
Office of Public Affairs
(202) 514-2007/TDD (202) 514-1888
CHICAGO—A federal grand jury today returned a superseding indictment adding three defendants, including Tahawwur Rana, to charges filed last month against David Coleman Headley, alleging that they and others participated in conspiracies involving a planned terrorist attack against a Danish newspaper and the November 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India, that killed approximately 164 people, including six Americans.

The 12-count superseding indictment contains the identical charges that were filed against Headley on Dec. 7, 2009, while adding Rana as a defendant in three of the counts charging material support of the terrorism plots in Denmark and India, as well as in support of the designated foreign terrorist organization Lashkar e Tayyiba. Also indicted were Ilyas Kashmiri, an allegedly influential terrorist organization leader in Pakistan who is alleged to be in regular contact with leaders of al Qaeda, and Abdur Rehman Hashim Syed (Abdur Rehman), a retired major in the Pakistani military, both of whom were charged in two conspiracy counts relating to the Denmark terrorism plot.

Both Rana and Abdur Rehman were charged separately in previous court filings, but today’s indictment charges Kashmiri for the first time, although he was identified by name in the charges filed previously against Rana, Abdur Rehman, and Headley.

Rana, 49, a Canadian citizen, Chicago resident, and native of Pakistan, has remained in federal custody in Chicago since he was arrested on Oct. 18, 2009, in connection with the planned attack in Denmark. He was indicted today on three counts of providing material support to terrorism or a terrorist organization—one count of providing material support in preparation for and in carrying out the Mumbai attacks; one count of providing material support to the Denmark terrorism plot; and one count of providing material support to Lashkar e Tayyiba (Lashkar). Translated as the “Army of the Good,” Lashkar operated in Pakistan for the principal purpose of fighting to separate from India portions of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. Lashkar was designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the United States in December 2001.

No date has been set yet for Rana to be arraigned in federal court in Chicago. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Harry D. Leinenweber.

Kashmiri and Abdur Rehman, also known as “Major Abdur Rehman” and “Pasha,” were each charged with one count of conspiracy to murder and maim persons in Denmark, and one count of providing material support to the Danish terrorism plot. Neither man is in U.S. custody.

Headley, 49, a U.S. citizen and Chicago resident, faces the same 12 counts that were filed against him last month—six counts of conspiracy involving bombing public places in India, murdering and maiming persons in India and Denmark, providing material support to foreign terrorist plots, and providing material support to Lashkar, and six counts of aiding and abetting the murder of U.S. citizens in India. Headley has remained in federal custody in Chicago since he was arrested in Chicago on Oct. 3, 2009. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges but previously authorized the Justice Department to disclose that he is cooperating in the ongoing investigation.

In 2002 and 2003, Headley allegedly attended terrorism training camps in Pakistan maintained by Lashkar, and conspired with its members and others, including Rana, Kashmiri and Abdur Rehman, in planning and executing the attacks in Denmark and India. He allegedly conducted extensive surveillance of targets in Mumbai for more than two years preceding the November 2008 attacks that killed approximately 164 people and left hundreds more injured.

The superseding indictment was announced by Patrick J. Fitzgerald, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Robert D. Grant, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of the FBI; and David Kris, Assistant Attorney General for National Security. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California and the FBI offices in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., are also participating in the investigation and prosecution.

Mumbai Terror Attacks

According to the charges, unnamed Lashkar Member A, who served as a “handler” for Headley and another person associated with Lashkar, advised Headley in late 2005 that Headley would be traveling to India to perform surveillance of potential targets for Lashkar. Headley changed his given name of Daood Gilani on Feb. 15, 2006, in Philadelphia, enabling him to present himself in India as an American who was neither Muslim nor Pakistani. In the spring of 2006, Lashkar Member A and a Lashkar associate discussed with Headley the idea that he could open an immigration office in Mumbai as a cover for his surveillance activities.

In approximately June 2006, Headley allegedly traveled to Chicago, advised Rana of his assignment to scout potential targets in India, and obtained approval from Rana, who owned First World Immigration Services in Chicago and elsewhere, to open a First World office in Mumbai as cover for his activities. Rana allegedly directed an individual associated with First World to prepare documents supporting Headley’s cover story of opening a First World office in Mumbai, and advised Headley how to obtain a visa for travel to India. Headley misrepresented his birth name, his father’s true name and the purpose of his travel in his visa application, the indictment alleges.

In July 2006, unnamed Person A in Pakistan gave Headley approximately $25,000 to establish and operate the Mumbai office of First World and to pay for living expenses while Headley carried out his assignment for Lashkar, the charges add.

Headley later made five extended trips to Mumbai—in September 2006, February and September 2007, and April and July 2008—each time taking photographs and making videotapes of various potential targets, including those attacked in November 2008, and using his association with First World as cover for his travels. Before each trip, Lashkar members and associates allegedly instructed Headley regarding specific locations where he was to conduct surveillance, and Headley traveled to Pakistan after each trip to meet with Lashkar members and associates, report on the results of his surveillance, and provide the surveillance photos and videos.

During his meetings with Lashkar members and associates in Pakistan after the September 2007 surveillance trip to Mumbai, Lashkar Member A showed Headley a styrofoam mockup of the Taj Mahal hotel, and Person A provided Headley with approximately $2,000 worth of Indian currency for expenses, according to the indictment. Before the April 2008 surveillance trip, Lashkar Member A provided Headley with an additional $1,000 worth of Indian currency. In addition, Lashkar Members A and B provided Headley with a global positioning system device and showed him how to use it to record the locations of possible landing sites and potential targets in Mumbai, which Headley then used during his surveillance trips in April and July 2008, the charges state.

Before the July 2008 visit, Person A provided an additional $1,500 worth of Indian currency to Headley to keep the First World office open, but approved closing that office in the future and opening a new business in Delhi, India, to be used as cover for future activities. During Headley’s July 2008 surveillance mission, Person A communicated with Headley by passing messages to him through Rana, the indictment alleges.

Starting Nov. 26, 2008, and continuing through Nov. 28, 2008, 10 attackers trained by Lashkar carried out multiple assaults with firearms, grenades and improvised explosive devices against multiple targets in Mumbai, including the Taj Mahal and Oberoi hotels, the Leopold Café, the Chabad House, and the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus train station, each of which Headley allegedly had scouted in advance, killing approximately 164 victims.

The six Americans killed during the three-day siege are identified in the charges as Ben Zion Chroman, Gavriel Holtzberg, Sandeep Jeswani, Alan Scherr, his daughter Naomi Scherr, and Aryeh Leibish Teitelbaum.

Denmark Terror Plot

Regarding the Denmark terror plot, Headley allegedly conspired between October 2008, and Oct. 3, 2009, with Kashmiri, Abdur Rehman and others to plan and carry out terrorist attacks, including murder and maiming, against the facilities of the Morgenavisen Jyllands-Posten, a Danish newspaper, and two of its employees, Editor A and Cartoonist A. In 2005, the newspaper had published 12 cartoons, some of which depicted the Prophet Mohammed, setting off protests throughout the Muslim world. In early 2008, the Jyllands-Posten and other Danish newspapers republished one of the cartoons which had drawn particularly strong criticism.

Today’s indictment alleges that Headley met with Lashkar Member A in Pakistan in October 2008 and discussed the prospect of an attack on the newspaper, including extensive surveillance work that Headley would perform. Lashkar Member A allegedly provided Headley with a thumb drive containing information about Denmark, the city of Copenhagen, and the newspaper. In late December 2008 and early January 2009, after reviewing with Rana how he had performed surveillance of the targets attacked in Mumbai, Headley advised Rana of the planned attack on the Danish newspaper and his intended travel to Denmark to conduct surveillance of its facilities. Headley allegedly obtained Rana’s approval and assistance to identify himself as a representative of First World and gain access to the newspaper’s offices by falsely expressing interest in placing advertising for First World in the newspaper. At the same time, while in Chicago, Headley exchanged emails with Abdur Rehman to continue planning for the attack and to coordinate his travel to Denmark to conduct surveillance. Before departing Chicago, Headley and Rana caused business cards to be made that identified Headley as a representative of the Immigration Law Center, the business name of First World, according to the charges.

Headley allegedly traveled in January 2009, from Chicago to Copenhagen, Denmark, to conduct surveillance of the Jyllands-Posten newspaper offices in Copenhagen and Aarhus and to videotape the surrounding areas. On Jan. 29, 2009, Rana, posing as Headley, allegedly sent an e-mail to the Jyllands-Posten pretending to be interested in placing an advertisement in the newspaper on behalf of First World.

In late January 2009, Headley traveled to Pakistan and met separately to discuss the planning with Abdur Rehman and Lashkar Member A. In February 2009, Abdur Rehman allegedly took Headley to meet with Kashmiri in the Waziristan region of Pakistan. During the meeting, Kashmiri allegedly indicated that he had reviewed the surveillance videos made by Headley and suggested using a truck bomb in the operation. Kashmiri further indicated that he could provide manpower for the operation and that Lashkar’s participation was not necessary, the indictment alleges. Subsequently, in March 2009, Lashkar Member A advised Headley that Lashkar put the newspaper attack on hold because of pressure in the aftermath of the Mumbai attacks, according to the charges.

In May 2009, Headley and Abdur Rehman met again with Kashmiri in Waziristan and Kashmiri allegedly directed Headley to meet with his European contacts who could provide Headley with money, weapons, and manpower for the newspaper attack. In late July and early August 2009, Headley traveled from Chicago to various places in Europe, including Copenhagen, attempting to obtain assistance from Kashmiri’s contacts and, while there, made approximately 13 additional surveillance videos, according to the charges.

In September 2009, Headley and Rana allegedly spoke about reports that Kashmiri had been killed in a drone attack and the implications of his possible death for the plan to attack the newspaper. Later that month, Abdur Rehman, from Pakistan, allegedly called Headley to report that Kashmiri was not killed and was anxious to move forward with attacking the newspaper. In the late summer of 2009, Rana and Headley allegedly agreed that funds that had been provided to Rana could be used to fund Headley’s work in Denmark.

On Oct. 3, 2009, Headley was arrested at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago, intending ultimately to travel to Pakistan to meet with and deliver the approximately 13 surveillance videos to Abdur Rehman and Kashmiri, the indictment alleges.

The charges identify Kashmiri as an influential leader of Harakat-ul Jihad Islami (HUJI), an organization that trained terrorists and executed attacks in the state of Jammu and Kashmir under Indian control and other areas. Kashmiri based his operations from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) of western Pakistan, an area which served as a haven for terrorist organizations, including al Qaeda. Kashmiri allegedly was in regular contact with al Qaeda and in particular with an al Qaeda leader, Mustafa Abu al Yazid, also known as “Sheik Said al Masri.”

According to the indictment, in June 2008, al Qaeda, through its media wing known as “As Sahab Media,” took credit for an attack on the Danish Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan, and called for further attacks against Danish interests to avenge the publication of the cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohamed first published in the Jyllands-Posten in 2005. In August 2008, al Qaeda released a video through As Sahab Media calling for further attacks in retaliation for the publication of the cartoons, and Mustafa Abu al Yazid, among others, appeared in the video. The indictment alleges that in July 2009, Headley provided the al Qaeda video to Rana in Chicago.

The counts against Headley charging conspiracy to bomb public places in India that resulted in deaths and aiding and abetting the murders of U.S. nationals each carry a maximum statutory penalty of life imprisonment or death. All of the other counts against Headley carry a maximum of life imprisonment, except providing material support to the Denmark terror plot—against all four defendants—carries a maximum prison term of 15 years.

The other two material support counts against Rana, and the conspiracy to murder and maim people in Denmark against Kashmiri and Abdur Rehman, also carry a maximum of life in prison.

The government is being represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel Collins and Victoria J. Peters, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Grigg and Janet Hudson of the Los Angeles U.S. Attorney’s Office, with assistance from the Counterterrorism Section of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.

The public is reminded that an indictment contains mere allegations and is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and are entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Patni · Post by **Patni** » 15 Jan 2010 09:59

What David Headley, terror suspect, looks like

Aditya_V · Post by **Aditya_V** » 15 Jan 2010 11:10

He looks totally Paki to me, no wonder the Bhatt's entertained him.

sum · Post by **sum** » 15 Jan 2010 12:26

Finally, a "real" pic compared to the grainy stuff till now.

Patni · Post by **Patni** » 15 Jan 2010 17:51

Tahawwur Hussain Rana documents

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
NORTHERN DISTRICT OF ILLINOIS
EASTERN DIVISION
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA )
) No. 09 CR 830
v. )
) Judge Harry D. Leinenweber
ILYAS KASHMIRI, )
ABDUR REHMAN HASHIM SYED, ) SUPERSEDING INDICTMENT
a/k/a “Major Abdur Rehman,” )
a/k/a “Pasha,” )
DAVID COLEMAN HEADLEY, ) Violations: Title 18, United
a/k/a “Daood Gilani,” ) States Code, Sections 956(a)(1),
TAHAWWUR HUSSAIN RANA ) 2332(a)(1) and (2); 2332f(a)(2),
) 2339A, 2339B and 2.

Official indictment document in PDF format.

Jarita · Post by **Jarita** » 15 Jan 2010 22:23

Aditya_V wrote:He looks totally Paki to me, no wonder the Bhatt's entertained him.

He looks like a white guy. What a scary face?

Amber G. · Post by **Amber G.** » 15 Jan 2010 22:35

Some what related:
Pentagon Report on Fort Hood Shooting Details Failures

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 15 Jan 2010 23:00

Gagan wrote:Can he now be extradited to india?

X-Posting your own reply!

Gagan wrote:I have to say this at this point.

In one way perhaps it is better that these two guys are not extradited to India. The moment they are, the probe will end then and there. Pakistan will stop cooperating with India, and India will have no leverage to see this through.

The fact that these guys are being charged in massa land gives some hope that pakistan will be arm twisted into convicting the accused. Weather this hope on my part will prove to be true or false, time will tell.

More than that in the court of world opinion the TSP perfidy gets more visibility.

I think India should plan to send some victims of the terrorist attack as witnesses to testify of the consequences of the attack.

Lalmohan · Post by **Lalmohan** » 16 Jan 2010 01:39

Aditya_V wrote:He looks totally Paki to me, no wonder the Bhatt's entertained him.

much more mediterranean/latino, with an accent (which he no doubt has) he can pass himself off convincingly as american, especially to desi janata

Rudradev · Post by **Rudradev** » 16 Jan 2010 01:57

Jarita wrote: What a scary face?

Probably a lot less scary after its nose/mouth are covered up and 10-12 gallons of water poured on it