National

David Headley first trained by Lashkar, then ISI

CHICAGO May 27 , 2011-Dissatisfied with the military and espionage training received by Mumbai attacks accused David Coleman Headley from the Lashkar-e-Taiba, Pakistan's spy agency ISI gave him special coaching in surveillance tactics before 26/11. 

The training was given by Major Iqbal, Headley's ISI handler, on the streets and in a two-storey safe house in Lahore near the airport, the 50-year-old said. 

"ISI did provide me (espionage) training," Headley told a Chicago court as he was grilled by defence attorney Charles Swift who's trying to prove Headley's friend and co-accused, businessman Tahawwur Rana, was in the dark about the Lashkar operative's terror role. 

Headley told the court that when he met Major Iqbal in 2006, he was told Lashkar's training was "very elementary" and "not very good". So Major Iqbal, who was identified by Headley as Chaudhery Khan, decided to personally coach him. It was a double-storey house with a small compound outside in a residential neighbourhood, Headley described. 

In answer to repeated questions on Thursday, Headley said he did not know the full name of Major Iqbal, but was sure he was from the ISI. Although Headley never saw Major Iqbal in military uniform, he came to meet him several times in a military jeep and his subordinates had military designations, he said. 

He was introduced as Major Iqbal to him. 

Headley said he never went to the ISI headquarters and added that he was introduced to Major Iqbal by military personnel. 

The disclosures are part of the testimony of Headley, who has pleaded guilty, and cements India's charges that elements of ISI were involved in the 26/11 attack. Delhi's fears are being corroborated by information given by federal prosecutors in the documents to the court, which have been unsealed. 

The ISI and Major Iqbal were particularly motivated by the fact that he was born in the US. As an American national, he would be able to conceal his real identity in India, they felt. 

"They (ISI and Major Iqbal) wanted me to have a business so as to have the ability to have a long-term stay in India. In discussion with them I suggested it to take the help of Dr Rana's (Tahawwur Rana) business to get this objective," he said. 

According to the new documents, Headley began attending terror training camps of the Lashkar in February 2002. By December 2003, Headley had attended five separate courses, and had been trained in, among other things, Lashkar's philosophy, the use of weapons and grenades, combat tactics, survival skills and counter-surveillance methods. 

After completing several camps, Headley became acquainted with senior Lashkar member Zaki-ur Rehman Lakhvi, who was responsible for Lashkar's military operations and one of the brains behind 26/11. 

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President rejects mercy plea of 2 death row convicts

NEW DELHI May 27 , 2011 - The death row waiting list has shortened by two with President Pratibha Patil rejecting the mercy petitions of two convicts — Devinder Pal Singh Bhullar of Punjab and Mahender Nath Das of Assam — clearing the way for their execution.

Rashtrapati Bhawan sources confirmed that the President rejected Das's plea last month while she denied Bhullar's mercy plea on Wednesday. This is the first time after 2004 – when the BJP attacked the government for sitting on Parliament attack accused Afzal Guru's mercy plea — that the President has given the nod for executions.

The rejection of Bhullar's mercy plea comes after the Supreme Court on Monday expressed "surprise" over the eight-year delay in disposal of his plea.

Bhullar was sentenced to death by a trial court on August 25, 2001, for plotting terror attacks on Punjab SSP Sumedh Singh Saini in 1991 and then Youth Congress president M S Bitta in 1993, leading to several deaths in Delhi.

On Monday, Bhullar's lawyer K T S Tulsi had urged the Supreme Court that either his mercy petition be decided expeditiously or his death sentence be commuted.

While the Opposition parties have lashed out at the "delay" in taking a decision in the case of Afzal Guru's petition, home minister P Chidambaram maintains that there is no fixed time for deciding the mercy petitions and that the ministry will go serial wise on deciding the pleas.

At least 15 cases have been referred, and decision obtained in 11. The case of three persons sentenced to death in the assassination of former PM Rajiv Gandhi and two other terrorist cases are currently pending as is the Parliament attack accused Afzal Guru's case.

Guru's wife Tabasum Afzal had petitioned the President on October 3, 2006, for commutation of his death sentence. The Delhi government was asked for its view. The Delhi government's comments were furnished by the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi in June 2010, and they are being examined by the home ministry.

Under Article 72 of the Constitution, the President is empowered to grant pardon and commute the death sentence of a convict. She can also suspend and remit the death sentence of a condemned prisoner on the advice of the Centre. 

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Mamata lives like 'aam aadmi' in 1st week as CM

Kolkata May 27 , 2011 - After being sworn in as the Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee has completed seven days in office on Friday, a week in which she has literally taken the city of Kolkata by storm.

In her first week as the Chief Minister, Mamata walked, scolded, and even gave a lesson or two on how to man traffic. Refusing VIP security, Mamata Banerjee took her role of an aam Chief Minister a little too seriously leaving the police gasping for breath.
She waited in traffic like any other person and to keep her people on their toes she even made surprise visits, like some hospitals she visited unannounced on her way to the writers' buildings .
But for the people of Kolkata who have so far been used to wailing sirens and police convoys, Mamata Banerjee's unassuming black Santro and her people connect has impressed quite a few.
She was once known as a mercurial leader with erratic ways. But as the Chief Minister, she is now using that as an advantage. With her unusual methods, she sure does know how to keep the cameras rolling.


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HSC results will be out at 1 pm today

MUMBAI May 27 , 2011 -  The suspense over the result day of Std XII state board exams is finally over. The Maharashtra state board will announce the results of the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examinations on Friday at 1 pm. Like last year, the names of the toppers will not be announced.

"We have seen earlier that students get stressed out competing for ranks. So last year, the board decided to do away with the system. On Friday, students will get to see their results online and they will get the hardcopy of marksheets on June 6," said Ravindra Bhise, secretary of the state board, Mumbai.

The state education department had said that it planned to announce the results earlier than last year's corresponding date. This, however, could not be accomplished. Last year, the HSC results were announced on May 25 and this year, it is May 27. "We tried our best. Apart from bringing out the results early, our aim was to avoid any last-minute hitches. We have managed to compile all the results on time and it is not inordinately late," said Ujjwaladevi Patil, the board chairperson. She added that this time, the officials have made sure that students can check their results more easily and their scores will be declared online. "Students can also get to know how much they have scored by sending a message to a particular number on their cellphones," she said.

Students can log on to http://mahresult.nic.in, www.msbshse.ac.in, www.mh-hsc.ac.in and www.rediff.com after 1 pm. They can also type MHHSC followed by their seat numbers and text message it to 573335000. Students from Mumbai can type MHSC followed by their seat numbers to 08800654242. 

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President rejects mercy plea of two death row convicts

New Delhi, May 27 -After sparing 18 people the noose in the last as many months, President Partibha Patil has now rejected the mercy petitions of two convicts on death row.

Khalistan Liberation Force terrorist Devender Pal Singh Bhullar and a murder convict from Assam, Mahender Nath Dass, will be the first persons to be sent to the gallows since rapist-killer Dhananjay Chatterjee was hanged in 2004 after then President APJ Kalam rejected his mercy plea. This is the first time Patil has refused to grant presidential pardon.
Rashtrapati Bhawan spokesperson Archana Dutta confirmed that a decision had been taken in the Bhullar case, but refused to say what it was.
Home ministry sources confirmed that the mercy plea of 47- year- old Bhullar, who was accused of a murderous attack on former Youth Congress president M. S. Bitta in 1993, had been rejected.
"He escaped to Germany after the 1993 blast and was deported to India in 1995 to India, following which he was booked under TADA," the source said.
Dass was convicted in a murder case and his mercy plea had been pending since 2000.
Incidentally, the decision in Bhullar's case comes within two days of the Supreme Court issuing a notice to the government to explain why his mercy plea had been pending for the past eight years.

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26/11: ‘ISI, Lashkar collaborated closely'

NEW DELHI, May 27-Lashkar-e-Taiba supreme commander Hafiz Muhammad Saeed told the 10-member assault team, which attacked Mumbai in November 2008, that “being shot would feel like a pinprick, bloodstains would be like rose petals, and that angels would come down to take their souls.”

Saeed's exhortation, revealed in documents filed by prosecutors in the ongoing trial of Chicago-based terror suspect Tahawwur Rana, was made after the assault team members were told they were expected to die in the attack on Mumbai — rather than escape as earlier planned.

Details contained in the prosecution's proffer of evidence — a legal document that contains a summary of the arguments it intends to present — offer substantial new information on the 26/11 Mumbai plot.

Sajid Mir, the Lashkar's commander of transnational operations, had overall control of the tactical planning of the operation, and issued directions to the attackers using Internet and satellite phone links.

Mir, the proffer records, was instrumental in the decision that the assault team would fight until its members were killed, and personally ordered the execution of two hostages held at Mumbai's Chabad House.

Muzammil Bhat, a long-standing veteran of the Lashkar's operations in Jammu and Kashmir, was responsible for training the assault teams to the high standards needed to execute Mir's plans.

Rana, the proffer states, told co-accused Pakistani-American David Coleman Headley, in a September 2009 conversation, that the nine Lashkar operatives, who died in the attack, deserved the Nishan-e-Haider — Pakistan's highest military honour. Headley and Rana also discussed plans for future operations during the conversation, which was being secretly recorded by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Even though the trial in Chicago centres around Rana, the proffer makes clear that Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence Directorate played a key role in the attack and monitored each stage of the operation. It provided professional intelligence-tradecraft training and funds, and appears to have played a key role in target selection.

Plan to attack BARC

In April 2008, for example, Headley was ordered to conduct reconnaissance around the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) by his ISI handler, who he knew as Major Iqbal. Major Iqbal asked him to explore the viability of an assault on staff housing around the complex.

But later that month, Headley told the NIA in a separate interview, Rana informed him of a bilateral agreement binding both India and Pakistan not to use force against each other's nuclear installations — a discussion that suggests the ISI may have decided an attack on the BARC would invite retaliation.

Keywords: 26/11, Mumbai Terror, ISI, cross-border terrorism, David Coleman Headley, Tahawwur Rana, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Hafiz Muhammad Saeed


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States News

Ultra groups irked over Centre’s stand

GUWAHATI, May 26 – All is not well in the process of talks with the militant outfits of Assam as at least two outfits have accused the Government of India of giving “preferential treatment” to the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) and demanded that the laws should be equal for all.

Highly placed official sources told The Assam Tribune that the pro-talk faction of the National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB) recently sent a letter to the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh alleging that same rules were not applied in case of all the militant outfits of the region. The outfit, which now calls itself NDFB (Progressive) welcomed the decision of the ULFA to come for talks, but at the same time said that the Government showed extraordinary softness towards the ULFA.

The NDFB (P) demanded that the Government should clarify whether the ULFA members surrendered arms or any agreement of suspension of operation was signed with the outfit. The letter said that as far as the people of

Assam know, the ULFA did not surrender weapons nor any agreement on suspension of operations was signed. Despite that, senior Ministers of the Government of India were hobnobbing with the leaders of the ULFA, the letter said. The NDFB (P) demanded that the Government should clarify whether the ban on the ULFA has been withdrawn.

The yardstick for talks with all militant outfits was different from that of the ULFA and the Government failed to force the ULFA members to move to the designated camps and there was no restriction on the movement of the ULFA leaders as was the case with other militant outfits. The ULFA leaders have been allowed to address public meetings. They have also been allowed to collect money in the name of donations while if other militant outfits do the same, they are accused of extortions, the letter added.

The NDFB (P) went on to allege that the ULFA was treated above the law because it is an “Assamese outfit”. It alleged that the “chauvinist Assam Government” always treated Assamese people as above the law and the Government of India is also dancing to the tunes of the Assam Government to hurt the sentiments of the indigenous groups.

Sources said that the DHD(J), commonly known as the Black Widow group, has also echoed similar sentiments in a letter to the Government of India.

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Patil clears execution of two death row convicts

NEW DELHI, May 26 – After seven years, the go-ahead has been given for execution of two murder convicts that could start the process of clearing the long list of death row convicts, including Afzal Guru and Rajiv Gandhi assasination convicts, awaiting punishment, reports PTI.

President Pratibha Patil has rejected the mercy petitions of Devinder Pal Singh Bhullar of Punjab and Mahendra Nath Das of Assam following the recommendations from the Union Home Ministry, sources in the Ministry said.
The Rashtrapati Bhavan declined to comment.
Bhullar was sentenced to death by a trial court on August 25, 2001, for plotting terror attacks on Punjab SSP Sumedh Singh Saini in 1991 and the then Youth Congress president M S Bitta in 1993 leading to several deaths in Delhi.
A couple of days ago, Bhullar’s advocate K T S Tulsi had urged in the Supreme Court that either his mercy petition should be decided expeditiously or alternatively his death sentence be commuted.
The President has also rejected the mercy petition of Das who has been found guilty of murdering one Hara Kanta Das.
This is for the first time since 2004, when the go ahead has been given for the execution of Dhanjay Chatterjee, that the President has given the nod for any execution.
While the Opposition parties have lashed out at the “delay” in taking a decision on Parliament attack case convict Afzal Guru’s petition, Home Minister P Chidambaram had said there was no fixed time for deciding the mercy petitions.
Chidambaram has been adopting a policy of going serial wise on deciding mercy petitions since taking over the charge of the Home Ministry in 2008.
At least 15 cases have been referred and decision obtained in 11. The case of three persons sentenced to death in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and two other terrorist cases were higher in the order than the Afzal Guru case.
Guru’s wife Tabasum Afzal had petitioned the President on October 3, 2006, for commutation of his death sentence. The Delhi government was asked for its view. The Delhi government’s comments were furnished by the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi in June 2010 and they are under examination of the Home Ministry for submission to the President.
Under Article 72 of the Constitution, the President is empowered to grant pardon and commute the death sentence of a convict. She can also suspend and remit the death sentence of a condemned prisoner, albeit with the advice of the Union government.


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BG project to be completed by 2013

NEW DELHI, May 26 – The much-delayed Lumding-Silchar Broad Gauge Conversion project is now scheduled to be completed by December 2013, as authorities are grappling with law and order and land acquisition problems.
A review meeting chaired by the (DoNER minister Bijoy Krishna Handique took stock of the “Broad Gauge conversion of the Lumding – Silchar – Jiribam Railway Line” Project facing a delay of over 15 years. Secretary, Ministry of DoNER along with the representatives from the Railways attended the meeting.
The Railway authorities apprised that out of 377 km formation is ready for 331 km and 110 km of track have been completed. They also informed that 17 tunnels of length 10650 metres are under construction out of which, four tunnels with a length of 5650 metres are complete, official sources said.
Work on the most critical bridge on Doyang river is on in full swing and would be completed by December 2012. The construction of the longest
tunnel with a length of 3.235 km is under progress after the works restarted from October, 2010. The tunnel is expected to be completed by December, 2013, said sources.
The entire Broad Gauge Conversion is scheduled to be commissioned by that time. Land acquisition issues in certain small areas in three districts of Barak Valley are still pending with the State Government. At least eight companies of Central Para-military forces have been deployed for providing security to the construction sites, sources said.
The DoNER Minister expressed concern that the project has taken an unusually long time of more than 15 years after the date of commencement and there has been a strong resentment among the people, particularly in the Barak Valley, sources said.
He told Railway officials that he would review the project in September at Silchar and advised that Railways may speed up the implementation. He also suggested Railways may consider designating a PRO for briefing the public about the progress of the project and also seek their help in timely completion.
The cost of the project was revised to Rs 3909 crore and is identified under the category “Infrastructure in the North East” by Prime Minister’s Office for special monitoring by Ministry of DoNER.


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Arunachal to approach for CBI or NIA probe

ITANAGAR, May 26 – The Arunachal Pradesh government will soon approach the Centre for a CBI or NIA probe into the April 30 helicopter crash that killed former Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu and four others on board.
Chief Minister Jarbom Gamlin told a students’ delegation that his government will soon approach the Centre for a probe into the crash.
A team of All Arunachal Pradesh Students Union and North East Students Union met him and submitted a memorandum demanding a probe by CBI and NIA into the April 30 Pawan Hans chopper crash that killed Khandu.
The apex student bodies also demanded tracing of the anonymous phone call which had delayed the search operations and also sought retrieval of the contents of the black box of the ill-fated helicopter, official sources said.
Gamlin said that the Civil Aviation Ministry has already ordered an inquiry into the mishap through a committee headed by Air Marshal (Retd) P S Ahluwalia and it is expected that a report will be submitted within three months as per the terms of reference of the panel. 


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Fireball to be held on May 29

GUWAHATI, May 26 – With the twin objectives of encouraging the youth to join the armed forces and to keep music alive, the third edition of Fireball, one of the major musical events organized in Guwahati, would be held on May 29 at Shilpgram.
As promised by the organizers, the event would be bigger than its previous editions with the likes of Indus Creed, the biggest rock band in India, joining the show this time. The event is organized in the memory of Vir Chakra awardee Kargil hero Captain Jintu Gogoi.
“Fireball is one of the major musical events organized around the city of Guwahati. Rocka Rolla, a Guwahati-based event management company, has initiated the event. We promote music from the North-east and also organize various musical events in the region. We would make this event bigger than its earlier editions,” David Koch of Rocka Rolla said.
The first Fireball was organized on May 4, 2008 at Shilpgram in Guwahati. Second edition of the musical show was held on February 14, 2010, where Bhayanak Maut an Indian metal band from Mumbai, enthralled the crowd along with Angarag Mahanta and his band East India Company.
“This year Fireball is dedicated to the memory of great musicians we lost including Ashish Adhikari, Dhruba Sarma and Rakesh Barua. All of them were very instrumental in promoting music and inspiring the young generation towards good music,” he added.
Along with Indus Creed (Mumbai), Shades of Retribution (Assam) and Alice In a Wonderland (Nagaland) would also perform in the event.

GUWAHATI, May 26 – Bringing an end to all speculations, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today returned from New Delhi with the list of his council of Ministers and the new Ministers will be sworn in by the Governor JB Patnaik tomorrow. Official sources said that the swearing in ceremony would be held at the Pragjyoti ITA Centre for Performing Arts, Machkhowa at 4 pm tomorrow. Meanwhile, the Governor will also administer oath to senior Congress member Dr Bhumidhar Barman as pro-tem Speaker of the Assembly tomorrow. Dr Barman will administer oath to the members of the Assembly on June 6 before the election of the new Speaker of the House. The council of Ministers will have several new faces, while, a few senior members of the Congress and former Ministers will not be included in the new Ministry. In the last Ministry from 2006 -2011, the Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) had three members, but with Congress getting absolute majority this time, only one BPF member will be included in the Ministry this time. There was confusion about the lone BPF member to be included in the Ministry, which delayed sending of the list to the Raj Bhawan for the approval of the Governor. But official sources said that finally the name of Chandan Brahma has been cleared for inclusion in the Ministry. The Congress has also decided to nominate former Minister Pranab Gogoi and Bhimananda Tanti for the posts of Speaker and Deputy Speaker respectively. Congress sources said that former Speaker Tanka Bahadur Rai, Rajiv Lochan Pegu, former Deputy Speaker Pranati Phukan, Ajit Singh, Siddique Ahmed, Dr Ardhendu Kumar Dey, Nilamani Sen Deka and Basanta Das would be the new faces in the Ministry, while, Pradyut Bordoloi, Prithibi Majhi, Gautam Roy, Khorsing Ingty, Rockybul Hussain, Dr Nazrul Islam, Himanta Biswa Sarma , Ajanta Neog and Akan Bora will be retained. Party sources said that though senior member Dr Bhumidhar Barman would not be included in the Ministry, he would be accommodated elsewhere.

AHMEDABAD, May 26 – Social activist Anna Hazare today exuded confidence that the Jan Lokpal Bill will have ‘enough tooth’ to send the corrupt in jail, reports PTI.

“The multi-crore scams like Adarsh, CWG are surfacing ... But scamsters are not being sent to jail. For sending such scamsters to jail there will be this Jan Lokpal Bill,” Hazare said at an event here.

“In the last 62 years, no law has been enacted in the country to put brakes on corruption, which is not good in a law-driven democratic country like India,” he said.

The government was saying why do we need people (civil society) from outside for drafting the bill, I told them they are not outsiders, Hazare said adding that people in democracy are politicians’ boss as they vote them to power.

On January 26, 1950, a day when India became sovereign republic, people of the country turned your bosses, Hazare said.

“When I spoke like this the government went silent,” Hazare said.

“I mean to say that in a democratic set up it is necessary to take civil society with you if the nation has to make progress, he said. If a law is to be enacted then the public must be consulted on it, like we are doing, Hazare said adding that an effective legislation like the RTI Act came into existence in a similar fashion.

Swami Agnivesh, while sharing dais with Hazare said that the Jan Lokpal bill draft is likely to get finalised before June 30.

Gogoi ministry to take oath today

May 27 , 2011

GUWAHATI - Bringing an end to all speculations, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today returned from New Delhi with the list of his council of Ministers and the new Ministers will be sworn in by the Governor JB Patnaik tomorrow.

Official sources said that the swearing in ceremony would be held at the Pragjyoti ITA Centre for Performing Arts, Machkhowa at 4 pm tomorrow.

Meanwhile, the Governor will also administer oath to senior Congress member Dr Bhumidhar Barman as pro-tem Speaker of the Assembly tomorrow. Dr Barman will administer oath to the members of the Assembly on June 6 before the election of the new Speaker of the House.

The council of Ministers will have several new faces, while, a few senior members of the Congress and former Ministers will not be included in the new Ministry. In the last Ministry from 2006 -2011, the Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) had three members, but with Congress getting absolute majority this time, only one BPF member will be included in the Ministry this time. There was confusion about the lone BPF member to be included in the Ministry, which delayed sending of the list to the Raj Bhawan for the approval of the Governor. But official sources said that finally the name of Chandan Brahma has been cleared for inclusion in the Ministry.

The Congress has also decided to nominate former Minister Pranab Gogoi and Bhimananda Tanti for the posts of Speaker and Deputy Speaker respectively.

Congress sources said that former Speaker Tanka Bahadur Rai, Rajiv Lochan Pegu, former Deputy Speaker Pranati Phukan, Ajit Singh, Siddique Ahmed, Dr Ardhendu Kumar Dey, Nilamani Sen Deka and Basanta Das would be the new faces in the Ministry, while, Pradyut Bordoloi, Prithibi Majhi, Gautam Roy, Khorsing Ingty, Rockybul Hussain, Dr Nazrul Islam, Himanta Biswa Sarma , Ajanta Neog and Akan Bora will be retained. Party sources said that though senior member Dr Bhumidhar Barman would not be included in the Ministry, he would be accommodated elsewhere.