A Pakistani-American who helped plan the 2008 terrorist attack on Mumbai has been sentenced to 35 years in prison.
David Coleman Headley conducted meticulous scouting missions before 10 gunmen carried out the devastating assault that left 160 people dead, including children, and is often referred to as India's 9/11.
The 52-year-old was sentenced on 12 counts, including conspiracy to aid the Pakistani-based militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba, which mounted the attacks on the landmark Taj Mahal Hotel and other targets.
"I don't have any faith in Mr Headley when he says he's a changed person and believes in the American way of life," said US District Judge Harry Leinenweber in imposing the sentence, which was in the range of what prosecutors had requested for Headley's widespread cooperation.
Headley faced a maximum sentence of life in prison. He pleaded guilty and cooperated to avoid the death penalty and extradition to India.
The bloody scene at a Mumbai train station after the attack The attackers arrived by boat on November 26, 2008, carrying grenades and automatic weapons, and fanned out to hit multiple targets, including a crowded train station, a Jewish centre and the Taj Mahal Hotel. TV cameras captured much of the three-day rampage live.
Before the judge imposed the sentence, a victim shot in the attack gave emotional testimony.
Linda Ragsdale, a Tennessee children's author, spoke through tears describing how she lost friends in the attacks and her own injuries. She said she was haunted by the sounds of people suffering and her recovery from the wounds continues.
"I know what a bullet can do to every part of the human body," she said. "I know the sound of life leaving a 13-year-old child. These are things I never needed to know, never needed to experience."
The attack heightened the strain in an historically strained relationship between India and Pakistan, which have fought three major wars. Indian officials accuse Pakistani intelligence of helping to plan the assault - an allegation Pakistan denies.
Last year, India secretly hanged the lone surviving gunman, Mohammed Ajmal Kasab.
Headley was born Daood Gilani to a Pakistani father and American mother. He changed his name in 2006 to travel more easily to and from India.
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