Headley's dual personality helped him evade suspicion: Uncle

Washington, Apr 30 (PTI) Pakistani-American terrorist
David Headley, who confessed to plotting the Mumbai attacks,
had a dual personality that enabled him to switch between a
Westerner and a devout Muslim and evade suspicion, according
to his maternal uncle.
49-year-old LeT operative Headley, arrested by FBI in
October last year, was born to an American mother and a
Pakistani father and grew up in Pakistan till his parents
divorced.
"It could not have been more different between the two
worlds. In one world, where he wants to be Pakistani, he was
considered to be an American. With Americans, he was being
seen as a Muslim. So he had to get used to a duality of life,"
Headley's maternal uncle William Headley told NDTV.
He said Headley, whose original name was Dawood Gilani,
came to the US from Pakistan at the age of 16 to reunite with
his mother, who had just found a man, her future husband, and
ended up ignoring him.
"...and it was terrible for him. He ended up living on
top of a bar. And there are not many devout Muslims who have
to live in a bar. I think it was confusing for him. The
cultures are so different," William said.
He said Headley is a harlequin -- a person having
different coloured eyes. "Usually one is blemished, but he has
a clear blue and a clear brown eye. So if you look at him, he
is split down the middle."
Headley was "almost like two different people," William
said. "They say East is East and West is West and never the
twain will meet... but they met in Dawood. I have seen all of
this. I would have him split down the middle... and he would
be David Armani and Dawood Gilani."
"David Headley had short slicked-back hair, very
clean-shaven, he'd be wearing an Armani suit...looking really
sharp. And he would have a bottle of Dom Perignon under his
arm. The other side would be Dawood Gilani... and would be in
native dress, and would have the long fundamentalist beard and
would have the Quran under his arm."
He changed his name to David Headley so he could come
back and forth, William said. "He could pose as either one,
and be completely believable, because it is partly true."
But, he said, Headley had never done anything against the
US, for which he worked as an undercover agent in the past.
Asked if he was in touch with Headley, he told the
channel, "Yes, through letters."
"He is in maximum security so (he) is only allowed
letters. Both my letters to him and his letters to me are read
by the authorities."
To a question whether Headley mentions his case, charges
against him and India, William replied: "He only said that we
should expect many surprises." PTI KIM
MRD


The information contained in this electronic message and any attachments to this
message are intended for the exclusive
use of the addressee(s) and may contain proprietary, confidential or privileged
information. If you are not the intended
recipient, you should not disseminate, distribute or copy this e-mail. Please
notify the sender immediately and destroy
all copies of this message and any attachments contained in it.



Delete & Prev | Delete & Next