Before 26/11, David Headley read book on 'art of ripping, poking vital targets'

Six months before the 2008 Mumbai attacks, David Headley purchased several books with sinister titles like the Brutal Art of Ripping, Poking & Pressing Vital Targets, which FBI says assisted him in his criminal activities.

Headley maintained books and other documents that would assist in his criminal activity, said Lorenzo Benedict, FBI's Special Agent in a 158-page submission before a Chicago court, which was unsealed on Wednesday.

More specifically, in April 2008, Headley purchased books with titles like International Fugitive, Silent Killing -Nazi Counters to Fairbairn-Sykes Techniques, Counter-insurgency, How to Bury Your Goods Boxing Mastery, Combat Conditioning, Ragnar's Guide to Interviews, Investigations and Interrogations, Gladiator Conditioning Course, Executive Protection and Brutal Art of Ripping, Poking & Pressing Vital Targets.

According to an email confirmation dated April 26, 2008, which was sent to one of Headley's accounts, a vendor shipped these books to "David C Headley," at an address in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

In a footnote, the FBI agent said that in December 2007, Headley received an email from a third party located overseas, who advised him that he was researching a role for a film in which he would portray a suicide bomber, and requested Headley to obtain three books, titled Counter-insurgency, Extreme Self Defence, and The Covert Bug Book.

Headley, who is now languishing in a Chicago jail and awaiting his sentencing, has pleaded guilty on all counts related to his involvement in the Mumbai terrorist attacks.

The FBI agent said Headley used the cell phone of a subscriber who was long dead so that he can go undetected in his surveillance activities.

The FBI said Headley got this new cell phone following the news of the death of al-Qaeda commander Illyas Kashmiri on September 18, 2009. The news after some time proved to be wrong.

According to the court document, Headley contacted a representative of US Cellular and falsely identified himself as the deceased account holder for the previously-used cell phone number.

"Headley indicated that he wished to change his number because he had given his phone number to too many people and asked if the new phone number could be unlisted such that his number would not appear on the caller ID of the person to whom he made calls," the FBI said.

Headley also possessed cameras and other electronic equipment that would assist him in his surveillance activities in India, it said.

Following a court order this week, the US Attorney in Chicago unsealed more than 350 pages of documents related to the trial of Tahawwur Rana for his role in providing support to Lashkar-e-Taiba and conspiracy in the Mumbai massacre, along with Headley.

Headley was arrested on October 3, 2009 while he was trying to catch a plane in Philadelphia, with Pakistan being his final destination.