26/11 Mumbai attacks: Trial and related developments

[RPK]

Saeed free because of India: Pak- Politics/Nation-News-The Economic Times

NEW DELHI: Pakistan’s reluctance to act against the Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed was on display when Islamabad claimed that the information
provided by India on the Dawa chief’s involvement in the outrage was not enough for it to take legal action.

The latest statement from Pakistan has raised uncertainties over even a limited foreign secretary level talks before the UNGA session as opinion within Congress and outside forced Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to re-bracket dialogue with action on terror. On Monday, external affairs minister S M Krishna had said that real test for Pakistan’s action against India-specific terror will come when its acts decisively against Saeed.

“For any talks you have to build a favourable atmosphere, trust needs to be built up. In its absence, regardless of how many times the prime ministers or foreign ministers meet or foreign secretaries meet, it will have no impact,” the minister had said in an interview to a newspaper.

Pakistan’s denials on Saeed has not come as a surprise for Pakistan watchers. At his meeting with Mr Manmohan Singh at Sharm-el-Sheikh, all that Pakistani prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani promised was his willingness to “persuade” the Punjab government to take the case against Saeed. The Indian side had portrayed it as a “change of heart” on the part of Pakistan.

But the latest news from Islamabad clearly suggests that India was made to sign on the joint statement with hollow promises. Rejecting Indian leadership’s stand that it has given adequate information against Saeed, Islamabad’s foreign office spokesman Abdul Basit said that legal action was not possible on the basis of the Indian dossiers.

“It needs to be underlined that the dossiers and information received from India apropos Saeed are not really enough... to proceed legally as is being expected,” Mr Basit said. He said Pakistan was proceeding in the case of Saeed “according to our own laws.”

Within India, there has been little expectation of Pakistan moving against Saeed, who freely spews venom against India. ``Saeed is a collaborator of the ISI and Pakistan will not touch anyone who works closely with the ISI because it will expose the spy agency. Just as Sharm-el Sheikh joint statement collapsed before the ink could dry, the trust and verify policy has also met the same fate,’’ said former external affairs minister Yashwant Sinha.

From the beginning, Pakistan has shown no inclination of taking forward investigations into Saeed’s involvement in the attacks. The entire purpose of a joint investigation is that Islamabad can take forward the information and evidence provided by India and investigate on its own.

But that is clearly not taking place. Home minister P Chidambaram had said that the evidence provided in the three dossiers was sufficient for Pakistan to investigate role the of Saeed.

Though Islamabad is sticking to its position on Saeed, it also realises that it cannot be seen to be doing nothing in the Mumbai terror attack case. On a written request from Pakistan, Interpol on Thursday issued a global alert for 13 suspects wanted by the police authorities for the Mumbai attacks investigation.

The alert was sent out to the 186 member countries. If any of the Mumbai attacks suspects are located the Pakistani authorities will issue arrest warrants and seek their extradition, according to an Interpol statement.

 

[RPK]

Pak's Interpol move actually makes Saeed safer


New Delhi: A day after it banned 25 terrorist outfits - including the Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jamat-ud-Dawa - Pakistan on Thursday got the Interpol to sound a global alert for 13 terror suspects wanted in the November 26 Mumbai attacks case.


While the names of the suspects were not made public, Interpol confirmed it had circulated the list to all its 186 members.


However, sources say Islamabad is trying to wash its hands off any further action on the 26/11 perpetrators and the reference to Interpol is clearly intended to signal that the suspects were not in Pakistan.


“We want action from Pakistan on two counts, one is the action against the perpetrators of 26/11, another is dismantling terror infrastructure on their soil that targets us. The Interpol notice is a step in the first requirement,” said MoS, External Affairs, Shashi Tharoor.


Earlier, there was more Pakistani stonewalling on Lashkar chief Hafiz Saeed.


Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Abdul Basit, said in a statement, "We are proceeding in accordance with our laws, and it also needs to be underlined that we have received dossiers and information material from India, but the material contained in that dossier apropos Hafiz Saeed is not really enough and that doesn't really strengthen our hands to proceed legally as has been expected”.


Diplomatic sources told CNN-IBN that evidence on Saeed had been provided in five separate dossiers which included:



The police confession of Ajmal Kasab - where he names Saeed as having visited his terror training camp



Confessions of co-accused Fahim Ansari and Sabauddin also naming Saeed



The UN Security ban on Saeed and the Jamaat-ud-Dawa after the Mumbai attacks



His habitual and public anti-India speeches that purportedly instigated terror



The sources warned that Pakistan has been consistently trying to firewall Hafiz Saeed from any legal action and Thursday’s developments underscore that the Lashkar chief cannot be touched.

 

[RPK]

The Hindu : Front Page : India not fixated on Saeed, wants action on terror

New Delhi has followed policy of flexible containment since November 2008





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Fate of any one individual cannot serve as an “acid test” of Pakistan’s commitment

Insisting on action serves as a deterrent

to the Lashkar-e-Taiba


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New Delhi: Contrary to the demands of the Opposition and a section of the media, the government does not believe the fate of any one individual can serve as an “acid test” of Pakistan’s commitment to act against the perpetrators of last November’s terrorist attacks in Mumbai.

But senior officials acknowledge the line they are walking is a fine one, demanding that Islamabad act against high profile terror propagandists like Lashkar-e-Taiba chief Hafiz Saeed while not allowing the future course of Indian engagement with Pakistan to be narrowly tied to his status alone.

In the fog that has enveloped Indian politics post-Sharm-el-Sheikh, however, such subtleties tend to get lost on the UPA government’s critics.

On Tuesday, Opposition MPs cited a newspaper headline —“Saeed trial acid test for Pakistan: Krishna” — to demand that the government not agree to talks at any level with Islamabad until Saeed has been punished. The BJP asserted, on the basis of the same newspaper report, that the views of the External Affairs Minister differed from the contents of last month’s India-Pakistan joint statement and that the government should clarify which was correct. Had they read beyond the headline, of course, they would have seen that nowhere in the story did S.M. Krishna actually refer to the case against Saeed or any other individual as an “acid test,” let alone a precondition for the Foreign Secretary-level talks that the Sharm-el-Sheikh statement provides for.

Senior officials say the demand for such acid tests is simplistic and runs counter to the policy of flexible containment New Delhi has followed since November 2008. The government, they say, has been careful not to tie itself down to a narrow metric for measuring the degree to which Pakistan is taking action against terrorist groups operating from its soil. This ambiguity allows India the option to keep pressing Pakistan to do more than it has done at any point in time while keeping a window open for calibrated normalisation when it is clear that Islamabad may be unwilling or unable to neutralise all or some of its assets.

Dismantling terror


According to South Block sources, what New Delhi wants is action against the planners and perpetrators of the Mumbai attack and credible action by Islamabad to ensure that Pakistani territory is not used by terrorists to strike India. In practical terms, this means first disabling and then dismantling the infrastructure of terror that was developed as an instrument of military policy by Pakistan’s intelligence agencies over two decades. By all accounts, Saeed occupies an important spot in that infrastructure and Indian officials would like to see him put out of commission. Though they concede this is unlikely to happen, insisting on action serves as a deterrent to the LeT which might fear an increase in international pressure on Islamabad in the event of another attack. But if insistence is turned into a precondition, the strategy runs the risk of going down a dead-end.

Even if Islamabad fails to deliver on the Saeed front, the Indian side believes the proper and sustained prosecution of the LeT’s Zaki-ur-Rahman Lakhvi and Zarrar Shah would ultimately affect the ability of Saeed and all Pakistan-based terrorist handlers to run operations. Effective immunity and the presumption of official patronage have been the primary drivers behind the ability of jihadi organisations to recruit cadres. If that immunity were to disappear, even if for LeT foot soldiers, a crack in the terrorist infrastructure would have been effected.

 

[Pintu]

http://www.ptinews.com/news/217403_26-11-trial--Kasab-changes-mind-on-pleading-guilty

26/11 trial: Kasab changes mind on pleading guilty

STAFF WRITER 17:22 HRS IST

Mumbai, Aug 7 (PTI) Hours after informing a court that he wanted to plead guilty to all the charges framed against him in connection with the 26/11 blasts, prime accused Ajmal Kasab changed his mind and said and did not want to say anything.

When asked by Special Judge M L Tahailiyani why he said he wanted to plead guilty in the morning session of the court, Kasab replied, "Yun hi (Just like that)."

The court then asked if he was being influenced by someone to admit his guilt, but the Pakistani gunman said he was not.

When the judge asked him whether he wanted the trial to go on, 22-year-old Kasab replied: "Ji haan, aapki marzi se (Yes sir, with your permission).

 

[Pintu]

Kasab's U-turn stuns judge, says he wants to plead guilty - Mumbai - City - NEWS - The Times of India

Kasab's U-turn stuns judge, says he wants to plead guilty
Swati Deshpande, TNN 8 August 2009, 02:28am IST

MUMBAI: A ballistic expert was deposing in a monotone during the 26/11 terror trial on Friday when arrested Pakistani gunman Ajmal Kasab decided to attract some attention again.

He first informed special judge M L Tahaliyani that he wanted to plead guilty to all charges against him in the case. But barely an hour later, after conferring with his lawyer, he changed his stance and said he did not want to add anything to his earlier confession in court last month.

Kasab, clean-shaven with a fresh haircut, stood up before lunch break to tell the judge he wanted to speak to him; this was moments after prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam said he would be calling FBI witnesses to court.

"Do you want to speak to your lawyer?'' judge Tahaliyani asked considerately. "No, mujhe sara kabool hain (I accept everything),'' he said quietly.

"Do you know all the charges against you?'' the judge asked and he promptly replied: "Jo kuchh bhi ho raha hai... mujhe baki sab gunah kabool hai (Everything that is going on... I accept all other charges).'' The "other charges'' would essentially include the accusations of killing the police constable at Chowpatty and senior cops near Cama Hospital. The judge, finding his "statement to be too vague to be understood'', asked him to speak with his lawyer, Abbas Kazmi, and then get back to the court.

But, when court resumed, it was a changed Kasab who greeted the judge. "Aisa kuchh nahi hain (There's nothing like that),'' he now said. And, when the judge asked him why he was doing this, he just said: "Yun hi (Just like that).''

The judge then asked if he was being influenced by someone to admit any guilt but Kasab said he wasn't. The judge said: "It's not as if you confess and the court will convict you. Should the trial should go on?'' Kasab (22) said: "Ji, aapki marzi se (Yes, with your permission).''

Kasab's behaviour surprised the judge. Kazmi said it could be because of Shab-e-Baraat (Night of Blessings), which Muslims observed on Thursday night. "People believe they will be forgiven by God if they confess on this day,'' he said.

"I explained to him that the trial will go on because there are two other accused in the dock,'' Kazmi said. But Kasab was apparently under the impression that the trial would end if he admitted guilt.

The judge said Kasab would not make any more such statements for the day but special public prosecutor Nikam wasn't convinced. "Kasab is a great actor with military training from Pakistan who knows how to divert attention. The moment we informed the court that FBI officials would be examined as witnesses, he wanted to admit his guilt to all charges in an attempt to save his Pakistani masters,'' Nikam explained. He claimed that the trial would be over in a month and that Kasab's acts would not affect the case.

 

[Pintu]

Kasab changes mind on pleading guilty- Politics/Nation-News-The Economic Times

Kasab changes mind on pleading guilty
8 Aug 2009, 0307 hrs IST, ET Bureau

MUMBAI: Mumbai attacker Ajmal Kasab, who informed a Mumbai special court that he wanted to plead guilty of all charges framed against him in connection with the 26/11 blasts this morning, later changed his mind and said he did not want to say anything.

Kasab, who was asked by Special Judge M L Tahaliyani on his statement in the morning session of the court, replied: “Yun hi (Just like that).” The court then asked if he was being influenced by someone to admit his guilt, but the Pakistani attacker said he was not.

When the judge asked him whether he wanted the trial to go on, 22-year-old Kasab replied: “Ji haan, aapki marzi se (Yes sir, with your permission).”

As judge Tahaliyani expressed surprise over Kasab’s behaviour, defence counsel Abbas Kazmi said it was due to the auspicious day of Shab-e-baraat (night of blessings), which Muslims observed on Thrusday night. On this day people believe that if you confess, you are forgiven by god, Mr Kazmi told the court.

Later, Mr Kazmi told reporters that Kasab was frustrated and was under the impression that a verdict will be given if he pleads guilty to all charges. “I have explained to him that despite his pleading guilty to all charges the trial will go on because there are two other accused in the dock,” Mr Kazmi said.

In the morning when a witness was being examined, Kasab stood up in the dock and told judge Tahaliyani that he wanted to plead guilty. However, the court felt that Kasab was being very vague about his admission of guilt and was asked to talk with his lawyer before doing so.

Outside the court, special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam said Kasab was a “great actor” and had not only obtained military training from conspirators in Pakistan, but had also received training on how to mislead others. “The moment we informed the court that FBI officials will be examined as witnesses, Kasab got up to say he wanted to plead guilty to all charges,” he said.

This was done by Kasab to save his masters in Pakistan and it showed that the gunman did not want the prosecution to table evidence which FBI has collected in this case, Nikam claimed. “Kasab’s act will not affect the case and we shall conclude the trial within a month,” he said.

 

[RPK]

Pak claims bodies of four 26/11 terrorists- Hindustan Times

Pakistan government today officially claimed the bodies of four out of nine terrorists who were gunned in the ensuing clash with Maharashtra police on November 26 last year, according to television reports.

Pakistan, however, has not yet owned up the bodies of the other five terrorists who were shot that in the gunfire on 26/11.

Today's development is a U-turn on Pakistan's earlier stance where it had consistently denied its involvement in the Mumbai terror attacks last year which killed 166 people.

The bodies of the slain terrorists have been kept in J J Hospital in Mumbai.

 

[RPK]

Pakistan denies accepting bodies of 26/11 attackers - Pakistan - World - NEWS - The Times of India

ISLAMABAD/MUMBAI: Pakistan has denied it had agreed to accept the bodies of four of the nine terrorists killed in the 26/11 Mumbai carnage as has
been claimed by the Maharashtra home minister.

Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Abdul Basit told Online news agency in Islamabad that reports on this in the Indian media were baseless and fabricated.

"He strongly condemned this attitude of the Indian media and said that it was not a suitable time to publish such kind of baseless news items when only very recently the prime ministers of Pakistan and India had held a very important meeting in Sharm El Sheikh while the next course of secretary level dialogue was going to be held in New York on the (sidelines) of the UN General Assembly session," Online said.

Basit said Pakistan's high commission in New Delhi had never made any request to India on handing over the dead bodies of four of the 26/11 attackers.

He also wanted the Indian media to avoid carrying stories that might derail the Pakistan-India dialogue.

Maharashtra home minister Jayant Patil said in Mumbai on Monday that Pakistan had owned up to four of the nine terrorists who were gunned down during the Nov 26-29, 2008 attacks.

"Now, we shall pursue with the centre that Pakistan should accept the bodies of all the nine (terrorists) gunned down by security forces. We hope this matter will be sorted out in the next 10 days," Patil told reporters.

Patil said he was informed that the Pakistan government had accepted as its nationals four of the nine who carried out the 26/11 terror operation in Mumbai.

The bodies of nine terrorists are lying in the morgue of the Sir J.J. Hospital for the past nine months and their condition is not very good, Patil said.

When asked what the authorities would do about disposing of the bodies if Pakistan refused to accept them, Patil said that would be decided at the appropriate time.

Nine of the 10 terrorists, who attacked the city were killed in fierce gun battles with security forces during the 60-hour long operation last year at various places in the western metropolis.

Only one - Ajmal Amir Kasab - was captured alive and he is currently being tried in a Mumbai court.

 

[RPK]

BBC NEWS | South Asia | FBI may testify in Mumbai trial

Two FBI officers are expected to appear later before a special court in the Indian city of Mumbai to testify on last November's attacks.

Three other US nationals are also expected to give evidence, although using videoconferencing facilities.

More than 170 people were killed in the Mumbai attacks, nine of them gunmen.

Mohammad Ajmal Amir Qasab, a Pakistani national, faces 86 charges, including waging war on India, murder and possessing explosives.

After initially pleading not guilty, Mr Qasab confessed that he was one of the gunmen. The trial continues despite his admission.

Six of the people killed in the attacks were Americans, reports say.

"Two Federal Bureau of Investigation officers are likely to appear in person to tender evidence," special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam was quoted as saying by the Press Trust of India.

The identities of the FBI officers and the American nationals have been kept secret for security reasons, the prosecutor said.

This will be the first time that witnesses from outside India testify in the Mumbai attack case.

Mr Nikam said the FBI officers were expected to tell the court about how the gunmen were in touch with their handlers during the attacks and the kind of technology they had used.

The attacks led to a worsening of relations between India and Pakistan.

India blamed Pakistan-based fighters from the banned militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba.

In the immediate aftermath of the killings, Pakistan denied any responsibility, but later admitted the attacks had been partly planned on its soil.

Islamabad also eventually confirmed that Mr Qasab was a Pakistani citizen.

 

[RPK]

China blocking sanctions against JeM chief, India gives info - India - NEWS - The Times of India

: With China blocking UN Security Council sanctions against Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar, India has provided detailed information to
it about his involvement in terror activities and hopes Beijing would support the move.

The issue figured during the talks between Special Representatives -- national security adviser M K Narayanan and Chinese state councillor Dai Bingguo -- here last Friday and Saturday.

"We have shared with China the necessary information and our assessment about Masood Azhar," a source said but refused to specify whether the material was provided during the talks.

"India and China have similar concerns with regard to terrorism and we hope China will support the move to proscribe Azhar by the UN Security Council," the source added.

India is making efforts to get Azhar along with LeT terrorists Azam Cheema and Abdur Rahman Makki banned by the Security Council in December last year.

Azhar, founder of JeM outfit, is one of the three terrorists freed by India in exchange for hostages of Air India plane IC-814 which was hijacked in December 1999.

China has been blocking the effort, arguing that it did not have the necessary information about Azhar's involvement in terrorism.

Britain had earlier joined China in blocking the move but agreed to support after India provided information.

India now hopes that China will support the move, particularly in view of the recent unrest in Xinjiang province whose source is believed to have been in Pakistan.

The UNSC Resolution had put a ban on Jamaat-ud-Dawa, declaring it as a front for LeT which was held responsible for the Mumbai terror attack.

Afterwards, an effort was made to get Saeed proscribed by the UNSC but it was blocked by Britain and China, which wanted it to be put on hold.

 

[RPK]

Punish 26/11 mastermind Saeed: US to tell Pak - India - NEWS - The Times of India

The US will ask Pakistan to bring all perpetrators of the 26/11 terror attack, including Hafiz Saeed, to justice, US Ambassador Timothy J
Roemer said here on Wednesday, adding that Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) officials will testify in the trial of the Mumbai accused Mohammed Ajmal Amir alias Kasab this week.

"FBI officials are testifying in Mumbai this week," the US envoy to India told reporters. "The US stands firmly with India against terrorism."

"All people held in Pakistan in connection with the Mumbai attacks should be brought to justice," Roemer said when asked about the US stand on Pakistan's attitude towards Hafiz Saeed, the alleged mastermind of the Mumbai carnage.

The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Aug 3 let off the Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief and the main accused in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks citing lack of evidence.

The court adjourned the hearing of Hafiz Saeed indefinitely based on the admission from the Pakistani government officials, including Interior Minister Rehman Malik, that their government had no concrete evidence to prosecute the JuD chief.

 

[Pintu]

The Associated Press: FBI expert testifies at Mumbai terror attack trial

FBI expert testifies at Mumbai terror attack trial

By ERIKA KINETZ (AP) – 1 hour ago

MUMBAI, India — The gunmen who laid siege to the Indian city of Mumbai carried GPS devices and a satellite phone that shows they traveled from Pakistan to India, an FBI expert testified Wednesday at the trial of the lone surviving suspect.

Police recovered the devices during their investigation of the November attack, which killed 166 people. One GPS device was found on the fishing boat the ten gunmen hijacked and used to sail to Mumbai. Another was recovered from the Jewish center Nariman House and two more from the Taj Mahal hotel, sites of two gunbattles, according to an investigation report.

The data showed that the devices had traveled from a spot off the coast of Karachi, Pakistan, to Mumbai, the electronics expect from the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation said. The expert appeared anonymously per a court order.

It also indicated that they had been used around Karachi, Mumbai and Rawalpindi, a city in northern Pakistan where the accused Ajmal Kasab has said he first came into contact with members of Lashkar-e-Taiba, the radical Islamist group accused of masterminding the assault.

The evidence could help bolster Indian claims that Pakistan is not doing enough to clamp down on militants operating on its territory.

The court that's trying Kasab has issued arrest warrants for 22 Pakistanis accused of conspiring in the attack, including Hafiz Mohammed Saeed, founder of the Pakistan-based Islamist militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba. Saeed was released from house arrest in June by a Pakistani court because of insufficient evidence, sparking outrage in India.

Timothy Roemer, the new U.S. ambassador to India, told reporters in New Delhi Wednesday that "the United States stands firmly behind India against terrorism" and that the Obama administration is committed to working with India "to bring the perpetrators of this brutal attack, this bloodthirsty attack on Mumbai to justice."

Kasab, who has confessed to playing a role in the attack, could face the death penalty if convicted.

 

[Pintu]

Pakistan admits that Fahim went there with Fake passport...

Link to Indian Express Report :

Islamabad admits Fahim went to Pak on its fake passport

Regards

 

[Pintu]

Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan

Thursday, August 13, 2009

‘US to press Pakistan on Mumbai plotters’

NEW DELHI/MUMBAI: The Al Qaeda, Taliban and the Lashkar-e-Tayyaba are common enemies of the US and India and Washington is pressing Pakistan hard on the Mumbai attacks suspects, Timothy Roemer, the new US envoy to India, said on Wednesday, hinting at Hafiz Saeed, the LT founder India claims was behind the attack. Pakistan says the evidence given by India failed to build a case for Saeed’s arrest. Roemer said, “The US will keep pressing Pakistan for action against the Mumbai attacks’ planners.” reuters

 

[Pintu]

?US pressing Pak hard on Mumbai suspects? - India - NEWS - The Times of India

‘US pressing Pak hard on Mumbai suspects’
TNN 13 August 2009, 03:40am IST

NEW DELHI: The US will continue to press Pakistan to take action against the terrorists who attacked Mumbai last year, new US ambassador to India Tim Roemer said.

In his first interaction with journalists after presenting credentials on Tuesday, Roemer said, “The al-Qaida, the Taliban, Lashkar-e-Taiba... we have a common enemy with India. And we are pressing Pakistan hard on the Mumbai suspects.”

Roemer was a key member of the 9/11 Commission in the US Congress that investigated the World Trade Center attacks.

“This,” he said, “is high priority for the president (Barack Obama) and a high priority for the government to work with India on these efforts and to bring the perpetrators of this brutal attack, this blood-thirsty attack on Mumbai, to justice.” To this end, home minister P Chidambaram will be visiting the US to discuss cooperation on security. While he didn’t exactly name LeT chief Hafiz Saeed, he told a questioner who had asked about evidence on Saeed that he had told his government to ensure that everybody involved in the attacks should be prosecuted. “Wherever they are I have communicated to my government several times... that the people held in Pakistan for Mumbai attacks need to be brought to justice and that includes everybody that you mentioned,” he said.

Shashi Tharoor, minister of state for external affairs, however, pointedly named Hafiz Saeed as one of the people Pakistan had to take action against. As the “mastermind” of the attacks and chief of LeT and JuD, Saeed should be treated as prime accused.

 

[Pintu]

http://www.ptinews.com/news/227477_26-11--Terrorists-used-machine-imported-by-Pak

26/11: Terrorists used machine imported by Pak

STAFF WRITER 14:37 HRS IST

Mumbai, Aug 13 (PTI) The 26/11 terrorists had used an outboat machine, exported from Yamaha Motor Company in Japan to Pakistan, in their dingy to reach west Indian city Mumbai.

The fact was revealed on Thursday by the Company's representative, who deposed before the special court, hearing the Mumbai terror attack case, via video conferencing from the FBI office in Los Angeles.

This is for the first time that a witness from abroad is deposing via video conference link in a terror-related case in India.

The witness said the Yamaha machine was used in the boat by which the ten terrorists, including lone surviving gunman Mohammad Ajmal Kasab, arrived at the Mumbai coast.

"The engine had been dispatched by the Yamaha Company in Japan to Business and Engineering Trends Company in Pakistan on January 20 last year," the witness told special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam.

 

[RPK]

Take action against 26/11 terrorists, Krishna tells Pak

New Delhi/Islamabad: As Pakistan asked India to share information on fresh terror threats, New Delhi on Tuesday said unless Islamabad takes credible action against the 26/11 suspects, it will be 'extremely difficult' to resume meaningful talks.

India also underlined that it has already "shared solid proof of possible terror attacks" from the Pakistani territory.


"Unless visible and credible action is taken against the perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks, it will be extremely difficult to hold any meaningful talks with Pakistan," External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna said on the sidelines of a function held to release a book on India's foreign policy.


`Pakistan has owned four 26/11 terrorists`



"The prime minister has made his position clear," Krishna said when asked about Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's remarks on Monday about Pakistan-based terrorists plotting attacks against India.


"We are hoping that the perpetrators of 26/11 will be brought to justice," Krishna said.


The book, 'India's Foreign Relations - 2008 Documents', is dedicated to the memory of V. Venkateswara Rao and Brigadier R.D. Mehta, Indian diplomats who were killed in an attack on the Indian embassy in Kabul July 7, 2008.


The attack was blamed on Pakistan-backed Taliban militants, which put the India-Pakistan composite dialogue under stress.


Krishna's remarks came hours after Pakistan asked India to share information on fresh terror threats.


"If the (Indian) prime minister says something like this, we can't take it lightly," Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi told reporters on the sidelines of an official function in Islamabad.

Kasab wants to plead guilty to all charges



"If there is such information with (India), share it with the government of Pakistan so that we can pre-empt such an act," he said.


"In all sincerity, we would request India to share information they have and for our part we stand ready to cooperate fully in pre-empting any act of terror," Pakistan's Foreign Office said.


The Indian envoy in Pakistan asserted that proof of this had already been shared.


India has already provided to Pakistan solid proof of possible terror attacks being staged on it from this country, Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan Sharat Sabharwal was quoted as saying.

India provided enough evidences to Pakistan: Krishna



"Terrorists living on Pakistani soil are posing a serious threat to India and it is the responsibility of the Pakistani government to eliminate it," the Online news agency quoted Sabharwal as saying.


The terrorists who executed the 26/11 Mumbai carnage belonged to Pakistan and proof of this had been provided to Islamabad, which should take the necessary action in this regard, the envoy said.

 

[RPK]

US files case against 26/11 attackers: FBI - India - NEWS - The Times of India

NEW DELHI: Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) has told a Mumbai court that a case has been registered in the US regarding the 26/11 terror
attacks, in which six Americans were killed.

FBI has interrogated Pakistani nationals in connection with 26/11 attacks, an FBI agent told the Mumbai court, but he declined to reveal their names

A 10-member team of Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) arrived on Aug 12 on a visit to Mumbai to tender evidence in the 26/11 terror attack case.

This is for the first time FBI officers are deposing as witness in a terror case in India, Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam had told PTI.

One of the officers personally deposed on Aug 12 in the court saying forensic tests had revealed that terrorists had come from Karachi to Mumbai via sea route on November 26 last.

Another FBI witness would also depose this week to throw light on the 26/11 terror attack conspiracy.

FBI had conducted an independent probe into the terror attack in India.

 

[Pintu]

26/11: Pak national quizzed in US, says FBI

26/11: Pak national quizzed in US, says FBI

NDTV Correspondent, Thursday August 20, 2009, Mumbai

AP image

Another FBI agent deposed in the 26/11 trial at a Mumbai court on Thursday where he said that a case has been registered in the US regarding the Mumbai terror attacks, in which six Americans were killed.

He added that at least one Pakistani national has been interrogated in the US in connection with the case.

He, however, refused to disclose the names of people quizzed during the probe.

The case has been registered in Los Angeles as six Americans had been killed in the 26/11 attack in Mumbai, the witness told special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam. His name has been withheld.

The witness also said that investigations were still on and some Pakistani nationals have been interrogated.

However, he refused to divulge the names of Pakistani nationals who have been interrogated.

Public prosecutor Nikam said that investigations in the case filed by FBI in Los Angeles would cover conspiracy and role played by conspirators in the terror attacks.

Nikam also said the case was registered in USA because six Americans were killed in the attacks. The US laws provide for initiating investigations in case of murder of American nationals outside the country, he added.

This was the second FBI agent to depose in the Mumbai terror attack trial. The FBI had earlier said that they have satellite proof of a Karachi link to the attacks.

(With PTI inputs)

 

[Pintu]

http://www.ptinews.com/news/239107_Probe-in-26-11-Mumbai-attacks-still-on-in-USA

Probe in 26/11 Mumbai attacks still on in USA

STAFF WRITER 16:21 HRS IST

Mumbai, Aug 20 (PTI) A case pertaining to 26/11 terror attacks has been registered in USA in which some Pakistani nationals have been interrogated, a FBI agent said in his testimony before a special court here today, but refused to disclose the names of people quizzed during the probe.

The case has been registered in Los Angeles as six Americans had been killed in the 26/11 attack in Mumbai, the witness, whose name has been withheld, told special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam.

The witness said investigations were still on and some Pakistani nationals have been interrogated.

However, he refused to divulge the names of Pakistani nationals who have been interrogated.

Prosecutor Nikam told PTI that investigations in the case filed by FBI in Los Angeles would cover conspiracy and role played by conspirators in the terror attacks.