How Tahawwur Rana, David Headley Plotted To Behead Newspaper Employees

Tahawwur Rana, a Pakistani-born Canadian national and key accused in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, is being extradited to India. The 64-year-old is being flown in on a special flight and will be produced before a Delhi court on Thursday, April 10, authorities said.

Rana has been named in a conspiracy case filed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in connection with the 2008 Mumbai attacks that left 166 people dead. However, his terror trail is not limited to Mumbai. Investigations and testimonies have linked him to another chilling plot that went by an unusual name - The Mickey Mouse Project.

What Is The Mickey Mouse Project?

Behind its cartoonish codename, The Mickey Mouse Project was an international terror plot aimed at the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten. The paper had drawn the ire of radical Islamist groups after publishing cartoons of Prophet Muhammad in 2005. Back in the day, the images triggered global protests and widespread condemnation in the Muslim world.

Rana, along with co-conspirator David Headley, plotted an attack to exact revenge. According to Headley's testimony, the plan was to storm the newspaper's office in Copenhagen using explosives and firearms.

The targets were Flemming Rose, the cultural editor, and Kurt Westergaard, the cartoonist whose work provoked outrage. The FBI later confirmed the chilling nature of the attack, saying the objective was to behead staff members and throw their heads into the streets of Copenhagen to send a message of terror.

Why The Plot Failed

Rana, a former cadet in the Pakistani military and a trained medical professional, later moved to Canada. There he gained citizenship before settling in Chicago.

The codename 'Mickey Mouse Project' was used by Headley and Rana to mask the gravity of their intentions. The plot, however, never reached execution. Headley was arrested in October 2009, preventing the attack from being carried out. He later entered a plea bargain with US prosecutors, admitting to his role not just in the Danish plot but also in scouting locations for the 2008 Mumbai attacks.