Terror suspect Tahawwur Hussain Rana complimented members of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), saying they did a "good job" during the terror attacks in Mumbai last year, US prosecutors have alleged.
According to a 10-page memo filed by US prosecutors in a court on Monday, Rana asked co-conspirator
David Coleman Headley to "pass along a message for me" to LeT Member A, whom Rana had given the name 'Khalid bin waleed'.
"In the world, if there had been...a medal for command, top class," the documents quote as Rana saying.
It further adds that Headley then interrupts Rana and informs him that he already had passed that message and "I (Headley) took your (Rana's) name when I said it". Rana responded "there is no doubt, it is a very befitting name for him. Very good. Good job".
Headley then explained that while LeT Member A briefed the attackers on the targets, Headley identified a different LeT member by name as the trainer of the attackers."Training was by Abu Qahafa....this Jamaat (group) prepares people really well," he said.
Rana responded that "whatever mixture you guys have made, whichever person did it...yeah, there they stood their ground". Prosecutors added that "far from advocating non-violence, Rana's own statements reveal his support for the brutal killing of 170 people...It is quite clear that Rana is no Gandhi".
Headley has been charged with conspiring in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. Rana, through his lawyer Patrick Blegen, has denied that he was involved in the attacks that killed 167 people. Blegen was not available immediately for comment on the prosecutors' charges.