Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Tayyaba runs a series of well-oiled courses for budding terrorists, ranging from religious indoctrination to military and intelligence training, which are aimed at boosting militancy in Kashmir.
David Headley, a Pakistani-American LeT operative, provided an insight into the religious, military and intelligence training being imparted by LeT, which has been responsible for the Mumbai attacks and is considered a threat by the US, in his testimony during the recently-concluded trial of co-accused Tahawwur Rana.
50-year-old Headley told the court that he went for religious training by the LeT in 2002; the three-month operational military training in 2003; and the LeT leadership course in 2004. In between, he did a course in intelligence in 2003.
“I did the basic — the religious course in the beginning. I did a preliminary course, a military. And then I did the advanced course. Then I did the intelligence course. Then I did the anti-terrorist course. Then I did the leadership course. And that’s it,” Headley told the court in response to a question from the defence attorney.
All these courses, he said, were directed towards fighting in Kashmir.
Headley told the court that LeT taught them “small unit tactics,” for “conventional and guerrilla warfare” in both “urban and country settings,” so that LeT terrorists could fight against the Indian Army.
“And that was your aim, that you were going to fight in that battle?” he was asked.
“That is correct”, Headley Headley responded during the trial.
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...Worked for Lashkar, DEA simultaneously
June 26 David Headley, who has pleaded guilty to his involvement in Mumbai attacks, went for training with LeT while he was still working as an informant with the US government’s Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Testifying before a Chicago court during the recently-concluded trial of co-accused Tahawwur Rana, Headley conceded that he was still working with DEA when he first attended an LeT meeting in 1999.
“Yes,” Headley told the court, when the defence attorney asked: “1999 (the year when Headley visited Pakistan). But you were still working with the DEA when you went into the first Lashkar meeting. —PTI