FBI had info on 26/11 carnage
New Delhi, Dec. 15: India has mounting suspicion that the US investigating agency, FBI, knew about the 26/11 terror plot in detail but did not share “complete” information about the deadly attack, that left 166 people dead.
Top government sources said that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) knew of the 26/11 plot as early as September 2008 since it had warned India about a possible “sea-borne” terror strike on the Taj Mahal hotel in Mumbai by the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Tayyaba (LeT).
The fact that such “specific” information was available with the US agencies has raised eyebrows among Indian investigators probing US citizen David Headley’s involvement in the Mumbai attacks. “We believe that Headley had told the CIA about the terror plot being hatched in Mumbai. In such a case, the US agencies had more information about the Mumbai plot which was not shared with India,” a top government official said. Indian agencies are also questioning the US agencies for granting smooth passage to Headley into India in March 2009, months after the 26/11 terror strike. “It is surprising that the FBI knew of Headley’s involvement in the 26/11 attack and yet allowed him to enter India in March this year,” the official said.
Indian invesitgators believe that Headley had links with the LeT a year prior to the Mumbai attack.What has peeved Indian investigators more is that fact that the FBI has told the Indian agencies that “'Headley does not want to be questioned by Indian agencies.” Indian agencies are probing a “'bigger plot” where Headley was work ing as a “double agent” for the CIA as well as the LeT.
Another challenge for Indian investigators is Pakistan’s refusal to share ‘’voice samples’’ of the five suspected LeT terrorists arrested by the Pakistani authorities after the 26/11 attack.
“Two or three names (of LeT terrorists) given by Pakistani authorities don’t exist, which is why Pakistan is sharing the voice samples with us,” a top government official said. Indian agencies have got photographs or Headley as well as his handlers. The official pointed out that Headley has named the top brass of the LeT, including its founder Hafiz Saeed, operational commanders Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, Yusuf Muzammil and Sajid Mir, and a serving Pakistani Army officer ,identified as Major Iqbal, as being a part of the 26/11 plot. “Headley and Kasab had never met but they had the same handlers,” the official said. During his multiple visits to India, Headley spent several lakhs of rupees, including Fake Indian Currency (FICN) believed to have been brought from Pakistan. Headley used credit cards issued by American banks Indian investigators are trying to find out who had paid his credit card bills in the American banks.About Headley’s accomplice, Pakistani-Canadian Tahawwur Hussain Rana, sources said that Rana had done an extensive ‘’recce’’ of shopping malls in Mumbai.
Latest Comments
I guess India is preparing for an administrative surrender to country whose politicians and their administration really work. I would not be surprised, in the next 50 years if India's security issues are sorted out, decided and instructed by external agencies or other US agencies, for that matter every decision on every internal and external issues Like justice, equality, opportunity, rights, liberties, duties of citizens and officers, working standards, social and living standards in terms of quality, border security and surveillance will be decided out of India. Because, most of our politicians lack perception and direction, and they depend for perception on one source politically. Very few have some idea what to do but then when they start doing we all know what happens or who stops them. Its about time India identifies its issues and works on them indigenously. We have too many issues to work upon. How much time do we need, as a country, to act on them? Once elected our Governments should work as an agent of the people to work, build and deliver the expectations of people beyond their expectations. My perspective might sound like fantasy, but that’s what the American politicians have achieved. Punjab is over worked let’s start considering whole of India as India. What I foresee is that one day our political system reaches a stage where all issues stand on their face and they have no solutions and even if they have they are scared to implement fearing failure. That is what it is like in Pakistan. That’s the time when we voluntarily let some one decide for us. The people are then so much in distress that they let any country take over the governance. Are we almost there? Wake up and start working.
More from National
Post your comment