Mumbai 2008 Attacks: Pakistani Terrorist Pleads Guilty
Jul 20th, 2009 | no responses
Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab, 22, a Pakistani terrorist (the only one to be captured alive during the Mumbai’s deadly 26/11 siege last year) today pleaded guilty to 86 charges, including murder and waging war on India, in a Mumbai court.
Admitting his role in the carnage which left more than 160 people dead, Kasab said Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi of the banned militant group Lashkar-e-Tayyiba had been involved in plotting the attacks, reports the CNN.
“Kasab is one of 10 Pakistani nationals who police say unleashed terror on India’s financial capital for four days and three nights in November. Other gunmen were killed during the attacks.
“The gunmen attacked prominent Mumbai buildings including the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower (where US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton decided to stay last week) and Oberoi-Trident hotels, Mumbai’s historic Victoria Terminus train station and a Jewish cultural center, Chabad House.
” The man authorities claim is Kasab was caught on surveillance camera holding a gun (see file photo above, courtesy AFP/GETTY IMAGES) as he stalked and killed people inside the train station, police said. He’s also accused of shooting people at the city’s Cama hospital.
“CNN’s Mallika Kapur said Kasab had stood up in court and told the judge: ‘Sir, I plead guilty to my crime.’ Asked to clarify his plea, Kasab said he pleaded guilty to all charges, Kapur said.”
Indian authorities have said that the Mumbai attacks were directed by Lashkar-e-Taiba militants inside Pakistan. American intelligence agencies also agreed with this attribution. Pakistan initially contested this attribution, but agreed this was the case on 7 January 2009.
“The evidence, shown to friendly governments and media, provided a detailed sequence of training, supplying, and constant communications of attackers with handlers from Pakistan.
“In addition, Indian government officials said that the attacks were so sophisticated that they must have had official backing from Pakistani ‘agencies’, an accusation denied by Pakistan.” More here…)
