Headley charged with conspiracy in 26/11 attacks in US court

US national of Pakistan-origin David Coleman Headley was today charged in a court here with criminal conspiracy in the Mumbai terror attacks and having links with a retired Pakistani army Major who liaised between him and terror groups, including LeT and HuJI.

The charges filed in the Federal Court here said Headley conducted extensive surveillance of targets in Mumbai for more than two years preceding the 26/11 terrorist attacks, took pictures and videotapes of various targets, and supplied them to the perpetrators of the assault.

Headley was charged in a 12-count criminal information with six counts of conspiracy to bomb public places in India, murder and maim persons in India and Denmark, provide material support to foreign terrorist plots, provide material support to terror group Lashkar-e-Toiba, and six counts of aiding and abetting the murder of US citizens in India.

The charges were announced by Patrick J Fitzgerald, US Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Robert D Grant, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Forty nine-year-old Headley attended terror training camps in Pakistan run by LeT and conspired with its members and others in planning and executing the attacks, both in India and Denmark, the charges filed by federal law enforcement officials said.

A Pakistani army Major (retd) Abdur Rehman Hashim Syed played a central role in communicating with Headley and facilitating contacts with other co-conspirators in Pakistan, including LeT members.