The arrest of two men in Chicago on terrorism charges linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) has revived fears about the Pakistani militant group's global reach and its ability to plot attacks in India and around the world.
A major attack in India could trigger Indian retaliation in Pakistan and draw the nuclear-armed neighbours into a conflict that would also torpedo US hopes of stabilising Afghanistan.
David Headley and Tahawwur Hussain Rana were arrested last month and accused of plotting an attack on Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten, which ran cartoons of the prophet Mohammad in 2005, US authorities said in court documents.
According to the court documents, they discussed their plans with members of LeT and al Qaeda linked Pakistan-based militant Ilyas Kashmiri. The terrorist outfit also talked to them about possible attacks in India and suggested these should be given priority over the alleged plot in Denmark.
Neither Headley, a US citizen who had spent time in Pakistan, nor Rana, a Canadian citizen born in Pakistan, have entered pleas so far. Rana's lawyer said he would deny the charges.
Officials have long worried that LeT, blamed for the attacks on Mumbai, could use its big network of support in the Pakistani diaspora to hit Western targets.
The Chicago case showed how powerful that network could be. And it suggested the group was still actively planning attacks in India, and raised fears it could use Western nationals who might escape police attention to strike there.
Home minister P Chidambaram said India was also investigating whether the two men had links to the Mumbai attack, which killed at least 166 people.
"Chicago really exemplifies the group's capabilities and the leadership's priorities," said Washington-based analyst Stephen Tankel, who is writing a book on the group.
Lashkar "remains committed to an India-first approach, but also poses a real threat to the West."
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