Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Dr. Tahuwwar Rana’s Trial – Day Two


Colin Freeze's direct tweets from the Chicago courtroom on May 24, 2011
Day Two
  1. Getting ready for #Ranatrial Day 2. Hoping to hear Headley talk about what he was doing on 26/11. .... Starts in 1 hour.
  2. #Ranatrial Day 2 is about to begin...
  3. Headley Rana back in court
  4. H(eadley) stands at attention at attention like a soldier when judge comes in. Muscular man. Rana skinny, in a rumbled suit.
  5. March 2008 Chicago. Rana-Headley talk. "I told him that I had been asked too look at landing sites around Mumbai...." #Ranatrial
  6. "I told (Rana) I thought the plan was going to move ahead ... People were going to come from Pakistan... Lasker fighters." #Ranatrial
  7. Headley often fuzzy on specific details re his conversations with Major Iqbal, said to be serving ISI
  8. Jist of testimony is DH was seeking guidance from Iqbal (ISI) and Pasha (Army) on dealing w/Shiv Sana. Fwd'd RR's emails 2 them. #Ranatrial
  9. "Please figure out how we can use this Raja Rege guy" Email DH sent to Pak's Iqbal, and Chicago's Rana. (I may not have quote 100%)
  10. RR thought he was being brought into Chicago firm as investor. Headley says ISI told him to court RR for 2 reasons... #Ranatrial
  11. DH testifies ISI told him RR/SS ties good 4 "strengthening our cover" & "thru him I could make contact with military personnel" #Ranatrial
  12. Headley emailed RR to say the biz partnership could get SS "guaranteed large audiences" if they brought speakers to NY/Chicago. #Ranatrial
  13. Headley says there was no plot to harm SS's Raja Rege. "That would be equivalent to killing the goose that laid the golden egg." #Ranatrial
  14. (Maybe someone in India could explain why Pak agents' alleged infiltration of Shiv Sena matters in big scheme of things? #Ranatrial
  15. Trial is back and back on track ... Headley talking targets now.
  16. In mid 2008 Headley is back in Pakistan meeting ISI Maj. Iqbal and LeT's Sajid Mir. Separate meetings. #Ranatrial
  17. Major Iqbal "didn't give me the list. He told me the Chabbad House (sp?) would be added ... b/c it was a front for the Mossad." #Ranatrial
  18. LET Sajid Mir gave Headley the list. "He add the Chabbad House." (Sp? Blanking)
  19. Also listed were the Taj, a Naval airstation, and a Shiv Sena temple (Siddibinayak, I think.) #Ranatrial
  20. Mumbai's Central Train station was on the initial list, but oonly as a exit point for the shooters Headley testifies. #Ranatrial
  21. ISI Major Iqbal "was upset the Bombay Airport was not included on the list" Headley testifies. #Ranatrial
  22. Summer 08: Headley, exfiltrating from India, returns to Pakistan for more briefings with Iqbal/Mir. #Ranatrial
  23. It was September 08 when Lashkar-e-Taiba settles on "stronghold option." #Ranatrial
  24. There was a three person meeting in October between Headley, LET's Sajid Mir and ISI's Major Iqbal. #Ranatrial
  25. Oct. 08 Headley told LET has decided on suicide mission. "Stronghold option is where attackers lockthemselves in a building..." #Ranatrial
  26. "... And fight to the death." #Ranatrial
  27. Headley used intermediaries to tell best friend Rana not to come to Mumbai in Nov 08. #Ranatrial
  28. "I asked Pasha (ret'd army) to advise Dr. Rana not to go to India. So he wouldn't get caught in some...situation," says Headley. #Ranatrial
  29. Headley felt that he "got even" with India through Mumbai massacre. Pak as a whole wasn't, but he was. #Ranatrial
  30. Think Headley said his casus beli was his primary school getting bombed by India when he was a kid. (Not 100%) #Ranatrial
  31. Headley says 26/11 operation was a relief on some level.Was afraid Indian *or Pakistani * govts might get wind of plot, stop it. #Ranatrial
  32. In post-mortem with LET, H learned terror group was surprised by the reaction. Indians, US asking lots of questions re: Lashkar. #Ranatrial
  33. Cops showed up at Headley's cousin's house in Philly, urging DH check in with a US consulate. LET wanted to know if Rana solid. #Ranatrial
  34. LET's Mir said the one caught gunmen had "disobeyed orders" to stay at target and work in tandem resulting in his capture. #Ranatrial
  35. But the terror plots never stopped. 17 days BEFORE 26/11 LET's Mir gave Headley with a lot of general files on Copenhagen... #Ranatrial
  36. This was the kickoff of what Headley's "Mickey Mouse Project" A plan targetting the Denmark newspaper that mocked Mohammed. #Ranatrial
  37. "Casus belli" = latin term for justification for acts of war. My term, not Headley's, FYI.
  38. Also, Headley was given ****a thumbdrive** of files relating to copenhagen by LET. Dropped the word in earlier Tweet.
  39. @Indus_v Yes . Headley said he and LET brass believed SS too be "terrorists."
  40. Back in trial. US marshalls have directed me to sit in courtroom corner with worst mobile-phone reception. #Ranatrial
  41. We're onto the "MMP" -- Mickey Mouse plot to kill Denmak cartooonist " -- which is less intriguing than Mumbai plot.
  42. In Nov. 2009 LET gave Headley thumbdrive with JPGs of Denmark cartooonist Westergaard (sp?) and paper's cultural editor. #Ranatrial
  43. However H's friend Pasha (ret'd army general) warned "Lashkar guys have a habit of making plans and backing off of them." #Ranatrial
  44. Pasha offered to introduce H totribal area types "who had connections with al-Qaeda." Namely Said al-Masri (sp?) & I. Kashmiri. #Ranatrial
  45. Q. Why did you call it the Mickey Mouse Project. Headley: "It was about a cartoon...." #Ranatrial
  46. @romeokardong No. Different Pasha. This one left Pak Army for Lashkar in 2002.
  47. Few weeks after Mumbai, Headley was in Chicago filling Rana in on MMP.Same modus operandi:false flag immigration firm for recce. #Ranatrial
  48. Rana tried to "comfort me, calm me down" after Mumbai. Told him what prayers to say, etc. #Ranatrial
  49. "Dr. Rana said India deserved it." #Ranatrial
  50. Looped in on MMP in Denmark, Rana said "discussion on this matter had been overdue." #Ranatrial "No coverage, no attack, nothing."
  51. Chicago consultancy had branches in Toronto/New York. "I asked the New Yoork and Toronto office to remember me," Headley says. #Ranatrial
  52. Headley needed all First World Immigration branches to backstop his story he was a consultant. Got Rana to print business cards. #Ranatrial
  53. Headley had a dream about the Prophet Mohammed standing beside an open grave. Asked handlers if it was "auspicious" for MMP. #Ranatrial
  54. In early 09 Headley went to Denmark for initial surveillance of newspaper for his MMP.
  55. Ok, catching up: LET felt there was already too much heat to back a Denmark ooperation. Headley directed to go to Waziristan. #Ranatrial
  56. Envisions another run at Chabbad House with Headley doing recce. Attack would draw in more Indian brigadiers to be killed than in 4 wars.
  57. Headley doesn't feel too good abot returning to India. Envisions death and incapacitation. writes his best bud Rana with his last will...
  58. Headley testifies LET felt Jewish women were fair game -- Israel drafts women. #Ranatrial
  59. "After approaching from behind place the barrel on the back of their head and fire" SAJID said. #Ranatrial
  60. The Mumbai Massacre gunmen in Jewish centre needed coaching from LET higherups to kill hostages. #Ranatrial
  61. In May 09 LET is out of the MMP Denmark plot and AQ is in. Headley goes to Waziristan to meet Ilyas Kashmiri. #Ranatrial
  62. Kashmiri tells Headley an AQ team "coming out of England" being assembled. Gives 80000 rupees. Would be fight to the death. #Ranatrial
  63. Kashmiri: "Danish response forces would not be as incompetent or as timid as the Indians." Warned siege would be short lived. #Ranatrial
  64. Kashmiri envisions gunmen shooting newspaper hostages dead and throwing their heads out of the window. #Ranatrial
  65. Headley goes back to Chicago and says he brings Tahawwur Rana up to speed on all emerging plots. #Ranatrial
  66. A Maj. Samir Ali emails Headley a few weeks later tooo confirm Pasha's release. #Ranatrial
Trial has concluded for today. Lost quite a few tweets at the end there into the ether. But hope you got the jist.

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