Major Iqbal told me that I should recruit some employee of BARC who would give us classified information and would be ready to work for the ISI
David Coleman Headley
Mumbai : Pakistani-American terrorist David Coleman Headley Friday said al-Qaeda was in touch with him to attack Delhi’s National Defence College (NDC) and unravelled the plot by Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Pakistan spy agency ISI to target Mumbai airport, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) and the naval air station here.
Headley also told Special Judge GA Sanap via video-link from the US that he attempted to develop close relations with a Shiv Sena member as he thought LeT would be interested in future to either attack the Shiv Sena Bhawan here or assassinate its head (the late Bal Thackeray).
Continuing his deposition for the fourth day, Headley claimed he discouraged LeT about the naval air station and Siddhivinayak temple as targets for the attack as they were heavily guarded.
“Major Iqbal expressed disapproval of certain areas I had recced as targets. I felt that Major Iqbal was unhappy because Mumbai airport was not selected and included as one of the targets for the 26/11 attack,” he said.
Headley testified in detail on how al-Qaeda was also interested in carrying out attacks in India after 26/11 strike. “After the 26/11 terror attack, I met Ilyas Kashmiri (of al-Qaeda) in February 2009 and he asked me to visit India again as they were also interested in carrying out terrorist activities in India. He mentioned a few places like the NDC, which was their primary target,” he said.
The Pakistani-American terrorist also said NDC was a high-value target as it housed senior military officers, from Brigadier to General rank.
“Abdul Rehman Pasha (Al-Qaeda member) said that if this attack is successful then we would be able to kill more Brigadiers and Generals than any killed in the wars between India and Pakistan in the past,” said the 55-year-old who recently turned approver in the 26/11 terror attacks case.
Headley said he had videographed BARC at Trombay in Mumbai in July 2008 and that LeT had asked him to recruit some employee of BARC who would work for ISI. “I also visited and videographed BARC. Major Iqbal told me that in some future date I should recruit some employee of BARC who would give us classified information and would be ready to work for the ISI,” he said, adding that he had handed over the video to Sajid Mir and Major Iqbal. PTI
