Thaindian News

Chicago, April 2 (IANS) A Pakistani-American taxi driver in Chicago has been indicted on two counts of providing material support to Al Qaeda by attempting to send funds to a terrorist leader in Pakistan linked with Pakistani-American terror suspect David Headley.
Raja Lahrasib Khan, a naturalized US citizen from Pakistan, was arrested last week on charges of attempting to transfer funds to Ilyas Kashmiri, an alleged terrorist leader who tried to help organize an attack against Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten that published cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed, according to US officials.

Justice Department spokesman Randall Samborn said the indictment cancels a scheduled April 7 hearing before a US magistrate, and a formal arraignment will be scheduled shortly before a US District Court judge.

Kashmiri is an alleged leader of Harakat-ul Jihad Islami, a group the US Justice Department said has “trained terrorists [and] executed attacks in the state of Jammu and Kashmir under Indian control.”

Earlier this month, Headley, who officials say had ties to Kashmiri, pleaded guilty for his role in planning the November 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. Authorities say Headley had planned the attack on the newspaper in coordination with Kashmiri. The attack was never carried out.

The investigation leading to Khan’s arrest is unrelated to the investigation that resulted in the charges against Headley and his Pakistani-accused, Tahawwur Hussain Rana, who is also alleged to have participated in the Denmark plot.