Shahzad close friend of Mumbai massacre mastermind: Report

Betwa Sharma and Lalit K Jha
New York, May 7 (PTI) Times Square terror bombing plot
suspect Faisal Shahzad was a childhood friend of one of the
alleged masterminds of the 2008 Mumbai massacre, a media
report said, as US investigators traced his links to another
Pakistani militant outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad.
Quoting sources, ABC news said Shahzad was a close
childhood friend of one of the alleged masterminds of the
Mumbai carnage, in which more than 166 people were killed.
However, the television network did not identify the
Pakistani mastermind. While the lone surviving terror gunman
involved in the massacre, Ajmal Amir Kasab, has been sentenced
to death by an Indian court, seven other suspects including
LeT commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, are facing trial in a
Pakistani court.
The Pakistani Taliban are denying any role in the botched
car bombing, but have praised Shahzad for a "brave job done",
ABC said, adding that the suspected bomber was also in contact
with former Tehreek-e-Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud, who was
killed in a US missile strike in 2009.
"The Mehsuds had been family friends of Shahzad, who is a
son of a former high ranking Pakistani military officer," the
American television network said quoting Pakistani sources.
The US authorities are pressing Shahzad on his claims of
terrorist training and a high level FBI team is in Karachi to
question four apprehended members of Jaish-e-Mohammad militant
group.
Shahzad was in touch with a man named Mohammad Rehan who
helped him to travel to Peshawar and then to Waziristan and
introduced him to Taliban.
Rehan is one of the four suspected Jaish militants picked
up by Pakistani intelligence for questioning as a search for
Shahzad's terror links has led US and Pakistani investigators
to Karachi's Bathha mosque and religious school.
Rehan, ABC reported was detained as he left the mosque
after early morning prayers on Tuesday. The mosque is run by
Islamist militant group Jaish and Masood Azhar, the founder of
the outfit who was released from an Indian jail in 1999 in
exchange for a hijacked Indian Airlines plane, is a frequent
visitor.
Azhar was freed along with two other dreaded militants
Sheikh Omar, who is on death row in a Pakistani prison
convicted of beheading Wall Street reporter Daniel Pearl and
Kashmiri militant Mushtaq Ahmad Zargar. The three met Al-Qaeda
chief Osama bin Laden before leaving Kandahar for Pakistan, US
media reports said.
ABC said Jaish-e-Mohammad operated terrorist training
camps in Afghanistan during Taliban regime. PTI BS
RBT


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