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Intel sharing reviewed on Mumbai terrorist

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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 national intelligence official, meanwhile, said the Indian government "will be consulted as appropriate."

Headley, a Chicago resident whose father was Pakistani and mother an American, pleaded guilty in March to a dozen federal terrorism charges. He admitted that he had participated in planning the Mumbai attacks with Lashkar-e-Taiba, which the State Department has designated as a foreign terrorist organization.

He also admitted planning to attack the Copenhagen and Aarhus offices of Morgenavisen Jyllands-Posten, a Danish newspaper that had published offensive images of the Prophet Muhammad.

Headley attended Lashkar-e-Taiba training camps in Pakistan on five occasions between 2002 and 2005. In late 2005, he received instructions from three of its members to travel to India to conduct surveillance.

At the training camps, he received indoctrination on the merits of waging jihad, or holy war; training in the use of weapons, grenades and close combat tactics; and survival and countersurveillance skills.

Headley changed his name from Daood Gilani in February 2006 so as to portray himself as American who was neither Muslim nor Pakistani while on Lashkar-e-Taiba missions in India.

As part of his plea agreement, Headley avoided the death sentence and extradition to India. A team of Indian officials, however, was allowed to interrogate him in the U.S. in June.

U.S. officials said they learned a lot about the Mumbai attacks after Headley's arrest.

"Not only did we share that information, but it is a signal of the strength of our counterterrorism cooperation that we provided access to Headley for the Indian security services so they were able to ask him questions directly which continued to flesh out the understanding of what took place on 26/11," Mr. Rhodes said.

"We share information with India as a partner whenever we have something we think is directly relevant to their security. We certainly did so in this instance."

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© Copyright 2010 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.

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, 52 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, 37 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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