Tried to prevent Mumbai attacks: Headley's ex-wife

Washington, April 17 (IANS) The estranged wife of admitted Pakistani American terrorist David Coleman Headley claims she tried to prevent the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attack by going to US authorities abroad, but they did not bother.

"So I went to them and I then started saying stuff, I said he's going to bomb everything, he's a criminal. They didn't bother," Faiza Outalha was quoted as saying by Chicago's WLS-TV/DT.

Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operative Headley, who has confessed to his role in scouting targets for the Mumbai in a plea deal with the US government was an avowed terrorist when he married Outalha, according to the television station that tracked her to Morocco.

"I'm covering my face right now, yes, because I'm afraid that people really could look at, see my face and pursue me or come and try to harm me," she was quoted as saying.

"It was love at first sight, you know, and we just married and, you know, it was so quick," Outalha said.

"He betrayed me in every way, many lies, he's been lying to me, I mean the marriage, he fooled me to this marriage."

Headley, alias Daood Gilani, claims he worked with officials from Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) agency to survey attack sites in India, even while on a Mumbai honeymoon with his new wife.

Indian authorities have sent a formal request to Morocco to hand over Outalha in the continuing investigation of the Mumbai attacks

If she cooperates, they hope that Outalha will offer information about the LeT founder and leader Hafiz Mohammad Saeed, for whose successful prosecution US announced a $10 million bounty two weeks ago, WLS-TV said.

(Arun Kumar can be contacted at arun.kumar@ians.in)