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Intel sharing reviewed on Mumbai terrorist

Obama prepares to visit site of '08 attack

PLOTTER: David Coleman Headley made videotapes of potential targets in Mumbai, including those attacked in November 2008. (Associated Press)PLOTTER: David Coleman Headley made videotapes of potential targets in Mumbai, including those attacked in November 2008. (Associated Press)
Mugshot"If we had information that could have helped to prevent the attacks or pinpoint specific aspects of the attacks, we certainly would have shared that," said Ben Rhodes, deputy national security adviser for strategic communication. (Associated Press)
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The Obama administration has ordered a review of U.S. intelligence about David Coleman Headley, the Pakistani-American involved in plotting the 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai, to find out whether intelligence agencies failed to share reports that may have helped prevent the attack.

The review comes on the eve of President Obama's visit to India and as a senior Indian official accused the U.S. of failing to share information on Headley, who traveled on reconnaissance missions to India before and after the attack.

James Clapper, the director of national intelligence, has ordered the "after-action review," an official in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) said, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

"This is an after-action review initiated by the director of national intelligence to determine comprehensive intelligence-community lessons learned — the ODNI is working with the appropriate [intelligence community] elements," the official said.

The official said such a review is an important part of "improving existing processes."

A horse-drawn carriage awaits a rider in front of the Taj Mahal hotel in Mumbai on Thursday. President Obama is scheduled to stay at this hotel, which was the scene of one of the so-called A horse-drawn carriage awaits a rider in front of the Taj Mahal hotel in Mumbai on Thursday. President Obama is scheduled to stay at this hotel, which was the scene of one of the so-called "26/11" attacks. (Associated Press)

Ben Rhodes, deputy national security adviser for strategic communication, told reporters on Wednesday that the national intelligence director had ordered a "full review of everything that we knew related to the Headley case."

Terrorists killed 164 people, including six Americans, and wounded many more in the attack on Mumbai, which lasted three days and involved terrorists using assault rifles and grenades in hotels.

According to recent reports by ProPublica and the New York Times, Headley's two ex-wives told U.S. law enforcement officials in 2005 and 2007 that he was training with the anti-India terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba in Pakistan and also had shopped for night-vision goggles and other equipment.

Headley made five trips to Mumbai before the 2008 attacks: in September 2006, February and September 2007, and April and July 2008. On each visit, he made videotapes of potential targets, including those attacked in November 2008.

In March 2009, he made a sixth trip to India to conduct additional surveillance, including at the National Defense College in New Delhi and at Chabad Houses in several cities.

Story Continues →

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About the Author
Ashish Kumar Sen

Ashish Kumar Sen

Ashish Kumar Sen is a reporter covering foreign policy and international developments for The Washington Times.

Prior to joining The Times, Mr. Sen worked for publications in Asia and the Middle East. His work has appeared in a number of publications and online news sites including the British Broadcasting Corp., Asia Times Online and Outlook magazine.

 

Comments

Hyderali says:

5 hours, 51 minutes ago

Mark as offensive

It is understandable there is mistrust between Pakistan and USA over terrorism because Pak Army intelligence always alerts the terrorists whenever the information to attack the terrorists is shared with them. That is how all the Al Qaeda and Taliban chiefs have managed to evade capture or death at the hands of US drones. Pak Army was at the forefront of creating such Islamic terror groups and they are not going to help anyone destroy their own creations.

However, there is no real reason such mistrust of countries like India who are under similar attacks from such terrorists. Indian authorities had no hand in forming such terror groups. The only real reason for such mistrust is racism. Islamic terrorists can exploit such racism among potential allies to divide them and attack them one at a time. USA with better intelligence service has the obligation to take a lead in co-operating with all the democratic states to share intelligence and work together. Otherwise, you can’t guarantee USA intelligence would remain good without the co-operation of like minded states.

jamalagrinaolcom says:

8 hours, 36 minutes ago

Mark as offensive

This is a laugh! President Obama wants a review of Intelligence sharing as to prevent terrorists' attacks. He and his liberal cohorts in the Administration, and in Congress, have insulted the intelligence branches over and over again, and have stifled them with prior inquires and with investigations into abuse, etc. For years, liberals have passed measures and laws that prevented Intelligence and Justice Depts. from sharing info that led up to the attacks on 9/11 of 2001. Does the name of Jamie Gorlick, under Janet Reno ring a bell? She personally stifled the intelligence and Justice Depts. with stifling regulations.

How about Frank Church, a Democrat Senator in the 1970s who wanted to dumb down the Intelligence Branches and take away their power thinking they were too strong.

Obama already declared that we are not fighting a war on terrorism like those liberals say who live in a fantasy world of eternal peace and love. But, now, Obama is coming into the world of reality that there are bad people in the world who want to kill us and destroy our country, and that his megalomaniac view of himself as some type of Messiah to the world is not working with radical Islam and the communists.

The blame cannot be laid at the feet of our intelligence agencies as they gather more than enough Intel for politicians to make the right decisions, if they would only take heed and make the right decisions based on that Intel. Also, Intel agents need to be put on the ground around the world to infiltrate groups who are plotting dastardly deeds against our nation. This is not in the play book for Obama liberal types who want to appease the enemy through useless talks rather that to be prepared for an enemy’s methods of attacks to destroy us.

We need to vote out these sleepwalkers and “peace at any cost” appeasers and return our nation with leaders who understand economics, individual freedoms, sovereignty, and that there are bad people in this world who will only back off from attacks from a nation who is strong on defense, and ready to retaliate with power if it is attacked, or provoked.
.

realtimer says:

1 day, 3 hours ago

Mark as offensive

Another FISA failure?

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