Political India: Engaging America

From The Hindu

David Coleman Headly, accused of doing the background planning for the Mumbai terror attacks of 2008, will change his plea to guilty on federal charges, a United States district court said.

Mr. Headley originally pleaded not guilty to 12 charges in connection to attacks in India; he is further charged with a plot to attack Jyllands-Posten, a Danish newspaper that published cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammed — which however did not take place. Mr. Headley was arrested by FBI agents in Chicago in October while trying to board a plane for Philadelphia.

In a one-paragraph filing the court today said that Headley is scheduled for a change-of-plea hearing on Thursday before United States District Judge Harry Leinenweber. However the filing offered no further clarifications with regards to which charges Headley would change his plea for.

Reports quoted John Theis, Headley’s lawyer as saying that he and Headley “have been in discussions with the government” and Thursday’s action would reflect the results.

PTI adds

The son of a Pakistani diplomat and a Philadelphia socialite, Headley had so far pleaded not guilty to the charges and has remained in federal custody at the Metropolitan Correctional Centre here since he was arrested in October 2009.

John Theis, Headley’s lawyer, refused to give any details when asked whether a plea deal has been worked out for Headley, who has been “cooperating in the ongoing investigation“.

If convicted, Headley faces maximum penalty of life imprisonment or death.

Mr. Theis said: "We have had discussions with the government regarding the plea bargain. We are working on it and we expect there will be a plea agreement."

However, Headley’s cooperation in the investigation is seen as a way to escape death penalty.

Spokesman for Chicago U.S. Attorney Patrick J. Fitzgerald, Randall Samborn said Headley would be present in court for the March 18 hearing.

Mr. Samborn too declined to comment on what charges Headley would be pleading guilty to.

In the 12 count indictment, Headley, a 49 year old Chicago resident, faces 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, providing material support to Lashkar and six counts of aiding and abetting the murder of U.S. citizens in India.

The FBI had also charged Headley’s friend from a Pakistani military school, city-businessman Tahawwur Hussain Rana with providing material support to the Mumbai attacks as well as to the terrorist organisation LeT.

Pakistani-Canadian Rana has pleaded not guilty to the charges and said that he was duped by Headley.

Rana has been denied bail by the court and is held at the Correctional centre since his October arrest. A hearing for his case has been set for March 29.

Headley was first arrested in 1998 for conspiring to smuggle heroin into the U.S. from Pakistan. However, after his arrest he cooperated with the investigation, giving information about his involvement in drug trafficking and his Pakistani suppliers.

Due to his cooperation, he was sentenced to less than two years in prison and shortly thereafter went to Pakistan to conduct undercover surveillance operations for the Drug Enforcement Administration.

In 2002 and 2003, Headley allegedly attended terrorism training camps in Pakistan maintained by Lashkar and conspired with its members and others, including co-accused Rana, Ilyas Kashmiri and Abdur Rehman in planning and executing the attacks on India and a Danish newspaper.

He conducted extensive surveillance of targets in Mumbai between September 2006 and July 2008, taking photographs and making videotapes of various potential targets, including those attacked in the November 2008 attacks that killed approximately 164 people and left hundreds more injured.

After every trip to India, Headley allegedly travelled to Pakistan to share videos and photographs of the targets in India with Lashkar members.