Chicago, Jan 15 (IANS) Two Pakistani origin men, Tahawwur Rana and his associate David Coleman Headley, indicted for the Mumbai terror attacks, also planned to use truck bomb filled with explosives to blow up a Danish newspaer.
A fresh indictment against Rana and Headley unsealed in a Chicago court Thursday also charges retired Pakistani military officer Abdur Rehman Hashim Syed and Ilyas Kashmiri, a leader of terrorist organisation Harakat-ul Jihad Islami (HUJI) in Pakistan described as having been in regular contact with Al Qaeda’s No. 3, Sheikh Mustafa Abu al-Yazid.

All the four are accused of being involved with the plans to attack newspaper Jyllands Posten, which in 2005 printed 12 cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad that sparked outrage in the Muslim world.

According to the indictment, Headley met Rehman and members of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (Let) terrorist group in Pakistan in October 2008 and discussed the prospect of an attack on the newspaper, including extensive surveillance work that Headley would perform.

Rehman is said to have introduced Headley to Kashmiri who allegedly came up with the idea of the truck bomb. Kashmiri is also reported to have put Headley in contact with various associates in a number of European countries “who could provide Headley with money, weapons and manpower for the newspaper attack”.

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, the indictment said.

In late January 2009, Headley travelled to Pakistan and met separately to discuss the planning with Abdur Rehman and LeT 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 also indicated that he could provide manpower for the operation and that Lashkar’s participation was not necessary, the indictment alleges. S Subsequently, in March 2009, Lashkar Member A advised Headley that LeT had put the newspaper attack on hold because of pressure in the aftermath of the Mumbai attacks, according to the charges.