Rana knew of Mumbai attacks well in advance: FBI

The FBI on Monday submitted fresh evidence against Pakistan-born terror suspect Tahawwur Hussain Rana alleging that he "knew well in advance" that Lashkar terrorists would strike Mumbai in November 2008.

Rana was arrested by the FBI in October on charges of plotting and planning terrorist attacks in India and Denmark. His bail plea hearing is scheduled for tomorrow.

The Pakistani-Canadian has denied the charges and has offered a security of nearly a million dollars in support of his bail application.

Meanwhile, the US prosecutors submitted a memorandum seeking detention of Rana pending trial, thereby opposing his bail petition.

The FBI in its latest affidavit filed before a Chicago Court refuted Rana's claims that he believed in non-violence and that his believes are akin to that of Mahatma Gandhi.

"Ironically, in invoking the name of a man who embodied the principles of non-violence and speaking the truth, Rana seeks to mislead this court as to the extent of his admiration and support for mass murderers," federal prosecutors said.

Federal prosecutors alleged that Rana brought before the court witnesses who had little inkling of who he actually was.

Referring to the taped telephonic conversation that Rana had with another terror suspect David Coleman Headley during a long car drive on September 7, 2009, the FBI said the duo had discussed about the Mumbai terrorist attack in November 2008, in which 166 people, including six Americans, were killed.

"It is clear from the conversation and extrinsic corroboration that Rana was told just days before the Mumbai attacks that the attacks were about to happen.

"Elsewhere in the conversation, Rana asked Headley to pass Rana's compliments directly to the specific Lashkar-e-Tayyiba member they both knew who had coordinated the attacks," the latest FBI document said.

"Later in that conversation, Rana and Headley both discussed targeting the National Defense College in Delhi, India for a future attack. Simply put, Rana's own statements in this conversation, among others, completely belie his argument to this court that he is either a dupe or pacifist," it said.

The FBI alleged that Rana met Abdur Rahman Hashim Syed, a retired Pakistani Army Brigadier, who is known as "Pasha" in Dubai.

"Pasha" is a retired Pakistani military officer who was allegedly Headley's direct link to Ilyas Kashmiri, one of Pakistan's most wanted terrorists and a direct link to al-Qaeda.

The FBI produced portions of the transcripts that discuss how Rana had learned during an in-person meeting between him and Pasha in Dubai that the Mumbai attacks were to happen.

"Travel records for Rana corroborate that he was in Dubai days before the Mumbai attacks and was returning from China when the attacks occurred.

"Rana flew to Dubai and arrived on November 21, 2008. He remained in Dubai until November 24, 2008. On November 24, 2008, Rana traveled to China from Dubai. Then, on November 26, 2008 – the day the Mumbai attacks started – Rana boarded a plane to return to America," the FBI said.

The FBI charged that Rana had conceded about his Dubai meetings in his post-arrest statements. Further, Rana acknowledged that he had met with "Pasha" in Dubai and that "Pasha" even stayed with him.

"Rana, however, falsely denied being told by "Pasha" specifically that the Mumbai attacks were about to happen.  Instead, Rana claimed that "Pasha" only told him that 'they were saying that you know, we are fighting in Kashmir, and we are doing all this thing, and there things which we are planning and all that'," the FBI affidavit said.

In short, the evidence shows that Rana was told in advance that the attacks in Mumbai were to happen. He can at best claim unconvincingly that he was hearing that some other attack was about to happen, the FBI alleged.

Federal prosecutors said far from advocating non-violence, Rana's own statements reveal his support for the brutal killing of 166 people.

"Rana was told of the attacks before they happened and offered compliments and congratulations to those who carried them out afterwards," it said.

"Even if one were to credit Rana's false post-arrest claim that his compliments were directed to 'one of the main planners' for LeT – a designated terrorist organisation – only related to attacks in Kashmir, it is quite clear that Rana is no Gandhi," the FBI said.