New Documentary Looks at the ‘Perfect Terrorist’ Behind the Mumbai Attacks

The Takeaway

Three years ago this week 10 gunmen lay siege to the city of Mumbai. They arrived by boat from Karachi, Pakistan and for for three days, they launched a series of attacks on two 5-star hotels, a train station and a small Jewish hostel. A total of 166 people were killed, and more than 300 were injured. The mastermind behind the attacks, called India’s 9/11, was an American citizen named David Headley, who spent more than two years mapping out targets and creating a plan for the attacks. None of the gunmen had been to Mumbai before, but Headley lived there. He even honeymooned at one of the targets, the luxury Taj Hotel.  Headley is the subject of   new “Frontline”  documentary called “A Perfect Terrorist.”
The documentary is a joint work of PBS and the investigative site ProPublica.  Sebastian Rotella, senior reporter at ProPublica and Tom Jennings, producer of “A Perfect Terrorist,” tell the story of David Headley, the man behind the Mumbai attacks.

Invest in independent global news

The World is an independent newsroom. We’re not funded by billionaires; instead, we rely on readers and listeners like you. As a listener, you’re a crucial part of our team and our global community. Your support is vital to running our nonprofit newsroom, and we can’t do this work without you. Will you support The World with a gift today? Donations made between now and Dec. 31 will be matched 1:1. Thanks for investing in our work!