CHICAGO, Jan 24: An American was sentenced on Thursday to 35 years in prison for the key role he played in a 2008 terrorist attack on Mumbai, leaving open the possibility that he could one day go free.

David Coleman Headley’s meticulous scouting missions facilitated the assault by 10 gunmen, which killed 160 people.

The attackers arrived by boat on Nov 26, 2008, carrying grenades and automatic weapons, and fanned out to hit multiple targets, including a crowded train station, a Jewish centre and the landmark Taj Mahal Hotel.

The maximum sentence Headley, 52, faced was life in prison. He agreed to cooperate with the US authorities and pleaded guilty in 2010 to 12 counts to avoid what would have been his maximum sentence: death. He also secured a promise not to be extradited to India.

US District Judge Harry Leinenweber said he considered Headley’s cooperation with federal prosecutors in imposing a sentence within the range that prosecutors had requested, even though “the damage that was done was unfathomable”.

The judge added, “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.”—AP