Surviving gunman in Mumbai terror siege convicted

MUMBAI, India - An Indian court convicted the only surviving gunman in the bloody 2008 Mumbai siege Monday, ruling Mohammed Ajmal Kasab was guilty of murder and waging war for his role in the attacks that left 166 people dead and deeply shook India. Two Indians accused of helping plot the violence were acquitted.

India accused the Pakistan-based militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba of masterminding the attack. In his verdict, the judge said Kasab was a member of the group. The verdict also implicated Pakistanis still at large in the attacks, which is likely to complicate recent attempts by Islamabad and New Delhi to rekindle formal peace talks. Calls for retribution rang out from the streets of Mumbai, while in Pakistan doubts swirled about India's intentions and the fairness of the trial.

The November siege reverberated across India. Millions watched on television as the violence stretched over three days, leaving corpses scattered through the city.

The judge said Kasab, 22, had personally killed seven men and, with his partner - who was killed by security forces during the attacks - had a hand in 47 more deaths.

Kasab, his face shadowed by a light beard, spent most of the 2 1/2- hour proceeding slumped motionless in his seat, his head bowed. After standing briefly while the judge read out a summary of his guilt, Kasab sank silently to his seat and covered his eyes with his hand.

Kasab was convicted on nearly all the 86 charges against him, including murder and waging war against India. The handful of acquittals were on technicalities or for relatively minor charges. A sentencing hearing was set for today. Kasab faces a possible death sentence.