American admits planning 2008 Mumbai terror attacks
American admits planning 2008 Mumbai terror attacks
Friday, 19, Mar 2010 11:26
By Richard James.
A US man has pleaded guilty to scouting targets for the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks which resulted in the deaths of 166 people.
David Headley also pleaded guilty to plotting a revenge attack against the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten which published controversial cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad in 2005 sparking outrage in the Muslim world.
The 49-year-old was arrested in October and is said to have been cooperating with US investigators since then.
At a court in Chicago on Thursday Headley reversed his previous not guilty plea to admit the 12 counts of conspiracy in an attempt to avoid the death sentence and being extradited to India, Pakistan or Denmark.
The US justice department revealed though that he will not be formally sentenced until after he finishes cooperating with authorities.
Prosecutors are expected to now ask for a lesser sentence but Headley could still face life in prison.
US attorney general Eric Holder said in a statement: "Not only has the criminal justice system achieved a guilty plea in this case, but David Headley is now providing us valuable intelligence about terrorist activities."
Headley, a Pakistani-American, is said to have made a series of trips to Europe and India while in contact with Lashkar-e-Taiba, the Islamic militant group accused of being behind the Mumbai attacks.