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Mumbai gunman's confession sheds light on attack
2008-12-13
MUMBAI, India - The gunman captured in last month's Mumbai attacks told police he had originally intended to seize hostages and call the media to make demands, according to his confession statement obtained Saturday by The Associated Press. Mohammed Ajmal Kasab said he and his partner, who assaulted the city's main train station, had planned a rooftop standoff, but they couldn't find access to a roof, the statement says. The two killed dozens of people inside the station, but it's unclear if they ever held hostages. At least 164 people plus nine gunmen died in the three-day siege of India's financial capital that began Nov. 26. Kasab said the attacks were originally set for Sept. 27, though he doesn't explain why they were delayed. Police said Saturday that Kasab, who has been repeatedly interrogated since his arrest, has also written to Pakistani officials to request legal help. In a letter written Thursday, he asks for "legal aid" from the Pakistani consulate and to meet with a consular representative, said Rakesh Maria, Mumbai's chief investigator. The letter was forwarded to India's government to relay to Pakistani officials, but it was unclear whether it had been delivered, Maria said. A number of Indian lawyers -- including a prominent group of Mumbai attorneys -- have refused to defend Kasab against criminal charges amid outrage over the attacks. Kasab is being held on 12 offenses, including murder and waging war against the country, but has not yet been formally charged. According to police, 21-year-old Kasab said he was a Pakistani national and member of the banned terrorist organization Lashkar-e-Taiba. Islamabad has refused to acknowledge Kasab's nationality, complaining that India has yet to furnish any evidence. ___ AP Writer Muneeza Naqvi contributed to this report.
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