How Tahawwur Rana & David Headley Plotted Beheadings in Denmark Under ‘Mickey Mouse Project’

Behind a deceptively light codename lay a chilling plan to storm a Danish newspaper and behead its staff—Rana and Headley’s failed terror plot exposed in detail.

New Delhi | April 10, 2025 — As Tahawwur Rana arrives in India to face trial for his role in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, chilling details of another international terror conspiracy involving him and David Headley have resurfaced — a plot ominously codenamed “The Mickey Mouse Project.”

The Real Story Behind the Name

Despite its cartoonish alias, the Mickey Mouse Project was anything but harmless. It was a sinister revenge mission against Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten, which had enraged radical Islamist groups by publishing controversial cartoons of Prophet Muhammad in 2005.

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Targeting the newspaper’s cultural editor Flemming Rose and cartoonist Kurt Westergaard, the plot involved storming the publication’s Copenhagen office with guns and explosives, according to Headley’s later testimony. The ultimate objective? To behead staff members and toss their heads into the streets of Copenhagen as a terror symbol.

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How the Plot Was Foiled

Rana, a Pakistani-born Canadian and former army cadet, had settled in Chicago, where he ran an immigration consultancy that Headley used as cover to travel and plan attacks. While the duo plotted the Danish operation, Headley was also helping Lashkar-e-Taiba plan the 2008 Mumbai attacks.

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The Mickey Mouse Project never came to fruition. In October 2009, Headley was arrested by the FBI, which effectively shut down the plot. He later entered into a plea deal with U.S. prosecutors, confirming Rana’s involvement and detailing both the Mumbai and Denmark plots.

Extradition and Aftermath

Rana is now being extradited to India, where he will face a slew of terrorism-related charges, including conspiracy, waging war against the state, and murder. He is also expected to be interrogated about his role in helping Headley across multiple terror operations.

This revelation about the Danish plot further cements Rana’s position not just as a facilitator of 26/11 but as a key player in global terror networks — one whose reach spanned continents and whose plans, if successful, would have sent shockwaves across the world.

Tags:
Tahawwur Rana, David Headley, Mickey Mouse Project, Jyllands-Posten, Danish newspaper attack plot, Kurt Westergaard, Flemming Rose, Prophet Muhammad cartoons, terrorism, NIA, FBI, Mumbai attacks, global jihad, Denmark, beheading plot