New Delhi: In an exclusive interview, Faiza Outalha, the third wife of David Coleman Headley, spoke freely to STAR News' Sheela Raval. This is the first and only ever television interview given by Headley's young Moroccan Faiza Outalha. It provides a chilling insight into the mind of Headley, formerly known as Daood Sayed Gilani, and his thinking and psyche. Faiza recounts her life in Lahore, time spent with her Pakistani-American husband between 2004 and 2008, and the secretive ways of his influential friends in militant groups — like Lashkar-e-Taiba — the army, politics.

The National Investigative Agency is on look out for Faiza, who is believed to have worked as a messenger for Headley and LeT in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks case. Faiza left Pakistan in early 2009 and returned to her home country, Morocco and has been living in Meknes. Sheela traced her to the northern Moroccan town after 14 months, crisscrossing eight countries and eleven cities, and exchanging with her over 100 emails. Sheela convinced her to speak on camera and Faiza spoke with her for four hours, during which emerged an incredibly descriptive account of the life of a terrorist's family members.

Faiza told Sheela that she was married to Headley for over four years. Their Nikah was performed in Lahore in a very close knit affair. Her family gave consent over phone, while a few of Daood's relatives and friends were also present.

KEY POINTS
• Conspirator of 26/11 Mumbai attacks Abdur Rehman Hashim Syed aka Pasha and his wife Ambareen were family friends of Headley and his young third wife Faiza Outalha
• Known and visited Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed’s residence in Lahore
• Headley was abusive, moody and violent husband
• Headley used Moroccan national, Faiza as cover on his recce trip to Mumbai in July 2007 Mumbai 2007 recce trip was a “honeymoon” tour for Headley and Outalha
• Faiza Outalha had warned the US consulate, Taj Palace and Hotel in Karachi of impending terrorist attacks but dubbed as a “crazy”
• Faiza came to India via Wagha in 2008 summer
26/11 Mumbai attacks were watched by Headley and wife on television at home in Lahore
• Headley bragged about his American spy job to the third wife, Faiz.
• Faiza has sought divorce from her terrorist husband Headley jailed in Chicago
• Faiza could have been used as a messenger by Headley and LeT.
• Faiza had sought Hafiz Saeed’s help to sort out her domestic issues with Headley

Faiza talked about Headley's influential friend Abdur Rehman Hashim Syed, or Pasha, and his wife Ambareen, who also acted as her local guardians in Headley's absence. Faiza recounted her dangerous quest to meet the LeT chief Hafiz Saeed in person and her visits to his house in Lahore. She talked about how she was well treated by "soft-spoken and well mannered" Saeed and his wife, who had invited her for dinner.

In her interview with Sheela, Faiza gave a vivid account on those three fateful nights in  November 2008, when Mumbai was bleeding and burning. Along with Headley, she  watched it all on television from their house in Lahore. She admitted that she had come to Mumbai with her husband in 2007 and stayed at Taj Mahal Palace and Hotel Trident Oberoi.

In her interview with Sheela, Faiza gave definite answers on Headley's LeT links and his role in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. She described her honeymoon in Mumbai – and how posing as a love-struck couple, Headley captured some prominent landmarks of Mumbai on his camera.

Sometimes philosophical and at others distraught, Faiza sought to distance herself from her husband's activities. She has been writing mails to Headley's advocate John Theis in the US, seeking divorce and her rights as his legally-wedded wife. She complained that she was left out of his will that distributed his properties spread to his two former wives and four children across the world and money.

Faiza recounted an incident where Headley had his bodyguard strike her on the head violently, nearly fatally wounding her in a court in Lahore. And the court took note of the incident and had sent Headley to jail for a week. She spoke of being routinely beaten up by Headley, who was a "moody and crazy" spy according to her.

Coming from a humble background from a small town in Morocco, Faiza went to Pakistan to study medicine. At a social gathering she met the "handsome" David, who stole her heart with his smart and suave mannerism. Faiza described her romance with Headley as a fairy tale. She spoke of her romantic "normal" days – where they used to go for movies or candle-lit dinner at swanky restaurants in Lahore. But all was short lived — until she found out about his former Pakistani wife Shazia and children from his phone records. She told Sheela that this didn't go down well with Headley.

She spoke of her strained relationship with her husband and his suspicious escapades, which made her take the second trip to India in July 2008 from Pakistan via the road at Wagah and time spent in Manali – where she met George A Mapp, a US citizen. Her friendship with Mapp didn’t go down well with her husband – who ordered her to end it in October 2008.  

US authorities had given Indian investigators direct access to Headley but there is suspicion in India about why his name was not shared earlier. Faiza talked about her visit to the American consulate in Islamabad. In her interview, Faiza gave detailed account of her conversations with the officials. According to her, the consulate officers didn’t take her seriously when she informed them that Headley worked with militant groups and was planning attacks in Mumbai and Karachi hotels.

Her repeated attempts to inquire about Headley's US job as DEA agent of US (something he often bragged about) were ignored, according to Faiza.  She also spoke of warning not only the FBI but also Hotel Taj Palace in Mumbai and a hotel in Karachi to inform about impending terrorist attacks. However, they yielded no response - and she was dubbed as "crazy" person.

Faiza Outalha, the third wife of David Coleman Headley, is the latest discovery in the unfolding saga of the devastating Mumbai attacks of November 26, 2008.