Chicago: Pakistani-American David Coleman Headley, accused of plotting the 26/11 Mumbai attacks at the behest of Lashkar-e-Toiba and conspiring to target a Danish newspaper, on Thursday pleaded guilty to all terror charges before a US court .
Forty-nine-year-old Headley, who faces six counts of conspiracy involving bombing public places in India, murdering and maiming persons in India and providing material support to foreign terrorist plots and LeT; and six counts of aiding and abetting the murder of US citizens in India, could have been sentenced to death if convicted.
But his plea agreement with federal prosecutors ruled out the death penalty and extradition to India, Pakistan and Denmark, provided that he cooperates with the government's terrorism investigations.
"Headley will cooperate in foreign investigation conducted in the US," his lawyer John Theis told reporters after the hearing.
Headley, a Chicago resident who was arrested by the FBI's joint terrorism task force on October 3, 2009, told US District Judge Harry Leinenweber that he wanted to change his plea to guilty, in an apparent bid to get a lighter sentence than the maximum death penalty.
Son of a former Pakistani diplomat and a Philadelphia socialite, Headley, who was wearing an orange jumpsuit with hands and legs shackled, admitted guilty in all 12 counts during half an hour long hearing.
He also admitted using his friend Tahawwur Rana's immigration company as a cover for surveillance activities in India and Denmark on behalf of Pakistan-based terrorist groups, including LeT.
Headley, admitted that he participated in planning the November 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India, as well as later planning to attack a Danish newspaper.
He also admitted that he attended training camps in Pakistan operated by Lashkar-e-Taiba on five separate occasions between 2002 and 2005.
In late 2005, Headley received instructions from three members of Lashkar to travel to India to conduct surveillance, which he did five times leading up to the Mumbai attacks three years later that killed six Americans among 166 people and wounded hundreds more.
A 35-page plea agreement containing a detailed recitation of Headley's participation in terror conspiracies was presented when he changed his plea to guilty.
"By this plea agreement defendant agrees to enter a voluntary plea of guilty to all counts," said the plea agreement of Headley.
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