India too wants to send a Commission to Pak
Vishwa Mohan, TNN, Dec 24, 2010, 02.56am IST
NEW DELHI: India has written to Pakistan seeking to send a commission to question all the seven jailed 26/11 masterminds — including Zakir-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, Zarar Shah and Abu al-Qama — as well as to collect their 'voice samples'.
The testimonies of the Lashkar commanders, whom Pakistan was forced to arrest after global outrage, as well as their voice samples are crucial to the 26/11 investigation. However, New Delhi's move is being seen as a response to Islambad's insistence on sending a Pakistani commission to interview chief metropolitan magistrate R V Sawant Waghule, who recorded Kasab's statement, and Mumbai Police inspector Ramesh Mahale, who is the investigating officer in the case.
India, which had suspected the request to be a dilatory tactic of the accused belonging to ISI's favourite terror gang, came around to heed the plea only to deny Pakistan an alibi not to punish the choreographers of the Mumbai massacre.
It, however, has decided that a three-member team from Pakistan will be allowed only to record statements, rather than question the magistrate and Mahale.
India's counter-move could create some awkward moments for Pakistan simply because having asked for access to one of its own, Islamabad will find it difficult to refuse to let in an Indian team.
India had been asking for voice samples of the Lashkar commanders to tally with recordings of those who had directed Kasab and other gunmen to kill andburn on the fateful day. It has also asked for information on others — including gang leader of Lashkar Hafiz Saeed and retired and serving Pakistani army officers — who were involved in the terror plot.
The names had been handed over by Union home minister P Chidambaram to Pakistan's interior minister Rehman Malik during their meeting in Islambad in June.
Although Malik promised to look into the demand favourably, he later took refuge in judicial processes stating that his government would have to follow the court's direction in this regard. Pakistan had subsequently told India that three of the seven arrested — Lakhvi, Zarar Shah and Qama — had refused to provide their voice samples invoking self-incrimination clause (not giving evidence against themselves) before the court.
The FBI investigation details and American terrorist David Coleman Headley's account have clearly pointed to the presence of four LeT commanders in the control room from where the Mumbai massacare was choreographed. National Investigating Agency, has in a report based on Headley's interrogation, said that the Headley could recognise voices of Abu-al-Qama, Sajid Majid and Abu Qahafa among those who directed the gunmen.
The agency, in its 106-page report, says, "Headley could not recognise the fourth voice. He believes that the person giving instruction to the terrorists at Chabad House was Sajid Majid. Sajid instructed the terrorist to kill everybody including women in the Chabad House. Abu-al-Qama was the person giving instructions to terrorist at Taj"....http://localhost/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=Q0FQLzIwMTAvMTIvMjQjQXIwMDEwOA==&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom
Friday, December 24, 2010
Monday, December 20, 2010
David Coleman Headley: Chargesheet against him by Indian agency will take time...the decision locks in Kasab's fate
Headley to be charged after Kasab’s trial?
Vishwa Mohan \TNN
New Delhi: American Lashkare-Taiba terrorist David Coleman Headley may not be chargesheeted in India till Ajmal Kasab’s conviction in the 26/11 case is confirmed by the apex court.
The indication comes from a leaked US embassy cable, which detailed an old conversation between home minister P Chidambaram and FBI director Robert Mueller. Chidambaram, during his meeting with Mueller on February 23, noted that the government would not file formal charges against Headley until Kasab’s trial was finished “fearing that Kasab would use the Headley charges to delay the conclusion of his own trial”. He had referred to the case, which is being investigated by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
Though the home minister had expressed apprehension before the FBI chief at the time when Kasab’s case was being tried in a lower court, an official—privy to the NIA’s move and ongoing investigation—said, “The concern remains unchanged as the terrorist’s conviction is currently being heard by the Bombay high court for confirmation. Once the HC confirms Kasab’s conviction (death penalty), the matter will go to the Supreme Court in due course.”
Officials said the NIA would not like to file a chargesheet against Headley till Kasab’s matter was concluded as the fear that the 26/11 attacker may use such charges to delay the legal process still exists.
The NIA has filed a case against Headley, Canadian citizen Tahawwur Hussain Rana and others who entered into a criminal conspiracy with members of the LeT and the Hu-JI to commit terrorist acts in New Delhi and other places in India.
The case was filed against them in November last year under Sections 121A, 120 (B) IPC, UAP Act and Section-18 of the SAARC Convention (Suppression of Terrorism) Act, 1993.
Chidambaram had also requested access to Headley’s wife, Shazia. Indian agencies have, however, not gained such access so far. “A letter rogatory to this effect would be sent to the US in due course,” said an official.
Referring to the home minister’s concerns regarding Headley, the US embassy cable said, “In reply to Chidambaram’s observation that the worst outcome would be a light sentence of two or three years for Headley, Mueller said Headley was looking at a considerably longer sentence.”
http://localhost/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JTS8yMDEwLzEyLzIwI0FyMDAxMDg=&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom
Vishwa Mohan \TNN
New Delhi: American Lashkare-Taiba terrorist David Coleman Headley may not be chargesheeted in India till Ajmal Kasab’s conviction in the 26/11 case is confirmed by the apex court.
The indication comes from a leaked US embassy cable, which detailed an old conversation between home minister P Chidambaram and FBI director Robert Mueller. Chidambaram, during his meeting with Mueller on February 23, noted that the government would not file formal charges against Headley until Kasab’s trial was finished “fearing that Kasab would use the Headley charges to delay the conclusion of his own trial”. He had referred to the case, which is being investigated by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
Though the home minister had expressed apprehension before the FBI chief at the time when Kasab’s case was being tried in a lower court, an official—privy to the NIA’s move and ongoing investigation—said, “The concern remains unchanged as the terrorist’s conviction is currently being heard by the Bombay high court for confirmation. Once the HC confirms Kasab’s conviction (death penalty), the matter will go to the Supreme Court in due course.”
Officials said the NIA would not like to file a chargesheet against Headley till Kasab’s matter was concluded as the fear that the 26/11 attacker may use such charges to delay the legal process still exists.
The NIA has filed a case against Headley, Canadian citizen Tahawwur Hussain Rana and others who entered into a criminal conspiracy with members of the LeT and the Hu-JI to commit terrorist acts in New Delhi and other places in India.
The case was filed against them in November last year under Sections 121A, 120 (B) IPC, UAP Act and Section-18 of the SAARC Convention (Suppression of Terrorism) Act, 1993.
Chidambaram had also requested access to Headley’s wife, Shazia. Indian agencies have, however, not gained such access so far. “A letter rogatory to this effect would be sent to the US in due course,” said an official.
Referring to the home minister’s concerns regarding Headley, the US embassy cable said, “In reply to Chidambaram’s observation that the worst outcome would be a light sentence of two or three years for Headley, Mueller said Headley was looking at a considerably longer sentence.”
http://localhost/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JTS8yMDEwLzEyLzIwI0FyMDAxMDg=&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom
Saturday, December 18, 2010
WikiLeaks: Bio-Terror Threat Stalks India.....Chidambaram bares it all before Mueller over Headley
Secret Cables Said India More Prominent On Al-Qaida Radar
Vishwa Mohan \TNN
New Delhi: Even as India has so far not become the victim of bio-terrorism, the jihadi groups active in the country have long been looking to tap the vast resource of researchers pursuing biology and bio-tech to launch such strikes as and when they get an opportunity.
Such concerns were expressed by US diplomats, who in the secret embassy cables from New Delhi mentioned how India was a potential bioterror target, WikiLeaks claims. It also states that “India is becoming more prominent on al-Qaida’s radar”.
Some post-26/11 cables also referred to home minister P Chidambaram’s deep concerns about the presence of terrorist sleeper cells, which could be waiting to strike any time. It also referred to how Chidambaram, during his meeting with FBI director Robert Mueller on February 23, had complained that Pakistan had “done damn near nothing” to prosecute the Mumbai attack terror suspects.
Quoting the then additional secretary (international organizations), K C Singh, the US embassy cables on May 24, 2006, said the Indian intelligence was picking up chatter indicating jihadi groups were interested in bio-terrorism and seeking out “like-minded PhDs (researchers) in biology and bio-technology”.
The cable said, “He (Singh) compared the prospects of nuclear terrorism to bio-terrorism (an ideal weapon for terrorism...anthrax could pose a serious problem...it is no long an academic exercise for us) and indicated conceptual support for a joint bio-terrorism exercise.”
The US embassy dispatches, leaked late on Thursday, also referred to a number of observations made by Indian intelligence agencies during their interactions with American counterparts. One of the senior officials of India’s external intelligence agency RAW observed that “al-Qaida franchises, if not al-Qaida proper, are and have been very active in India”. He defined al-Qaida franchises as groups that espouse the same extremist ideology and share some logistical and funding infrastructure even while remaining discreet organizations, such as the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM).
The cable, dispatched on February 26, has disclosed almost everything that transpired between Chidambaram and Mueller in their meeting here in the North Block on February 23, just three days before the foreign secretary-level talks between India and Pakistan. It mentioned how Chidambaram, besides pitching for access to American Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist David Headley as early as possible also requested access to Headley’s wife Shazia, who, he said, was in Chicago.
Interestingly, the cable quoted Chidambaram as saying that “we (government of India) must be able to say we had access, even if Headley did not speak” showing his desperation amid domestic pressure on why the United States didn’t allow India access to Headley even four months after his arrest. Incidentally, India could get access to Headley in June when he spoke a lot about his role along with Lashkar jihadis, the ISI’s and the army’s in 26/11. The Indian investigators have, however, so far not gained access to Shazia.
About Shazia, the cable quoted Chidambaram as saying, “The government of India investigators can question her on the meaning of her alleged messages to Headley that she ‘saw your graduation’”. According to the cable, Chidambaram also confided that he had a feeling in his bones that “Headley was not acting alone in India” and expressed frustration over what he characterized as Headley’s false claim that he had no accomplices.
‘Osama pledged $20m for K-ultras’
London: Al-Qaida chief Osama Bin Laden had promised jihadis fighting in Kashmir that they will not “run short of funds” and was willing to “divert” $20 million to support Kashmir-oriented militancy, Indian officials were quoted as telling US diplomats by WikiLeaks.
In a cable dated May 24, 2006, MEA additional secretary K C Singh was said to have pointed out to Osama deputy Ayman al-Zawahiri’s April 29 video message praising “popular jihadi movements against Indians in Kashmir” and calling India “the best candidate for carrying out the Zionist-Crusader scheme to humiliate, weaken, and dismember Pakistan”.
----http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JTS8yMDEwLzEyLzE4I0FyMDEyMDA=&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom
Vishwa Mohan \TNN
New Delhi: Even as India has so far not become the victim of bio-terrorism, the jihadi groups active in the country have long been looking to tap the vast resource of researchers pursuing biology and bio-tech to launch such strikes as and when they get an opportunity.
Such concerns were expressed by US diplomats, who in the secret embassy cables from New Delhi mentioned how India was a potential bioterror target, WikiLeaks claims. It also states that “India is becoming more prominent on al-Qaida’s radar”.
Some post-26/11 cables also referred to home minister P Chidambaram’s deep concerns about the presence of terrorist sleeper cells, which could be waiting to strike any time. It also referred to how Chidambaram, during his meeting with FBI director Robert Mueller on February 23, had complained that Pakistan had “done damn near nothing” to prosecute the Mumbai attack terror suspects.
Quoting the then additional secretary (international organizations), K C Singh, the US embassy cables on May 24, 2006, said the Indian intelligence was picking up chatter indicating jihadi groups were interested in bio-terrorism and seeking out “like-minded PhDs (researchers) in biology and bio-technology”.
The cable said, “He (Singh) compared the prospects of nuclear terrorism to bio-terrorism (an ideal weapon for terrorism...anthrax could pose a serious problem...it is no long an academic exercise for us) and indicated conceptual support for a joint bio-terrorism exercise.”
The US embassy dispatches, leaked late on Thursday, also referred to a number of observations made by Indian intelligence agencies during their interactions with American counterparts. One of the senior officials of India’s external intelligence agency RAW observed that “al-Qaida franchises, if not al-Qaida proper, are and have been very active in India”. He defined al-Qaida franchises as groups that espouse the same extremist ideology and share some logistical and funding infrastructure even while remaining discreet organizations, such as the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM).
The cable, dispatched on February 26, has disclosed almost everything that transpired between Chidambaram and Mueller in their meeting here in the North Block on February 23, just three days before the foreign secretary-level talks between India and Pakistan. It mentioned how Chidambaram, besides pitching for access to American Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist David Headley as early as possible also requested access to Headley’s wife Shazia, who, he said, was in Chicago.
Interestingly, the cable quoted Chidambaram as saying that “we (government of India) must be able to say we had access, even if Headley did not speak” showing his desperation amid domestic pressure on why the United States didn’t allow India access to Headley even four months after his arrest. Incidentally, India could get access to Headley in June when he spoke a lot about his role along with Lashkar jihadis, the ISI’s and the army’s in 26/11. The Indian investigators have, however, so far not gained access to Shazia.
About Shazia, the cable quoted Chidambaram as saying, “The government of India investigators can question her on the meaning of her alleged messages to Headley that she ‘saw your graduation’”. According to the cable, Chidambaram also confided that he had a feeling in his bones that “Headley was not acting alone in India” and expressed frustration over what he characterized as Headley’s false claim that he had no accomplices.
‘Osama pledged $20m for K-ultras’
London: Al-Qaida chief Osama Bin Laden had promised jihadis fighting in Kashmir that they will not “run short of funds” and was willing to “divert” $20 million to support Kashmir-oriented militancy, Indian officials were quoted as telling US diplomats by WikiLeaks.
In a cable dated May 24, 2006, MEA additional secretary K C Singh was said to have pointed out to Osama deputy Ayman al-Zawahiri’s April 29 video message praising “popular jihadi movements against Indians in Kashmir” and calling India “the best candidate for carrying out the Zionist-Crusader scheme to humiliate, weaken, and dismember Pakistan”.
----http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JTS8yMDEwLzEyLzE4I0FyMDEyMDA=&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Focus back on Indian Mujahideen (IM) after Varanasi blast
Post-Varanasi, govt on hunt for 31 'wanted'
Vishwa Mohan, TNN, Dec 15, 2010, 04.41am IST
NEW DELHI: As the Varanasi blast put security agencies' focus back on the banned terror outfit Indian Mujahideen (IM), the Centre has shared an updated dossier of 31 most wanted terrorists — including 19 of IM and 12 of the other Lashkar-SIMI front, Jama-i-tul Ansarul Muslimeen (JIAM) — with states, asking them to launch a manhunt for them. Security agencies believe that 10 terrorists may be hiding somewhere in the country.
With a majority of them suspected to be in West Asian countries like the UAE and Qatar on Pakistani passports, India has sought help from these nations in the wake of the Varanasi blast.
"A list, comprising 17 top IM terrorists, including Bhatkal brothers — Riyaz and Iqbal — the outfit's bombmaker Yasin Bhatkal, financer Mohsin Chaudhary and technical expert Abdus Subhan Usman Qureshi alias Tauqeer, has also been with Pakistan for over nine months," said a senior home ministry official. New Delhi had shared these details with Islamabad during foreign secretary-level talks in February.
Among these 31 terrorists, eight — Shahnawaz Alam (Sanjarpur), Sharfuddin alias Dildar (Sarai Meer), Abu Rashid (Sanjarpur), Asadullah (Gulami Ka Pura), Ariz Khan (Kot area), Mirza Shahbad Baig (Raja Ka Quila), Mohammed Sajid (Sarai Meer) and Mohammed Khalid (Saraimeer) — hail from different villages/tehsils of Azamgarh district in Uttar Pradesh.
Ten are from Karnataka (three of them from Bhatkal town), six belong to Kerala (all from Kannur), three from Maharashtra and two each from Gujarat and Jharkhand. The Centre has also circulated photographs of 20 of them.
Official sources said, the states have already formed special teams for joint operation in coordination with Intelligence Bureau (IB). These teams will make "concerted efforts" to apprehend the absconding IM and JIAM terrorists within the country, they added.
The role of JIAM cadres — front of banned SIMI that contributed the most in formation of IM at the behest of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) — are suspected in the July 25, 2008, blasts in Bangalore where nine bombs exploded, killing a woman and injuring 20 people.
Probe agencies have found a clear role of IM in a series of blasts in different Indian cities — Faizabad, Lucknow, Varanasi, Jaipur, Ahmedabad and Delhi — during 2007-08 that had claimed nearly 500 lives.....http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=Q0FQLzIwMTAvMTIvMTUjQXIwMTkwMA==&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom
Vishwa Mohan, TNN, Dec 15, 2010, 04.41am IST
NEW DELHI: As the Varanasi blast put security agencies' focus back on the banned terror outfit Indian Mujahideen (IM), the Centre has shared an updated dossier of 31 most wanted terrorists — including 19 of IM and 12 of the other Lashkar-SIMI front, Jama-i-tul Ansarul Muslimeen (JIAM) — with states, asking them to launch a manhunt for them. Security agencies believe that 10 terrorists may be hiding somewhere in the country.
With a majority of them suspected to be in West Asian countries like the UAE and Qatar on Pakistani passports, India has sought help from these nations in the wake of the Varanasi blast.
"A list, comprising 17 top IM terrorists, including Bhatkal brothers — Riyaz and Iqbal — the outfit's bombmaker Yasin Bhatkal, financer Mohsin Chaudhary and technical expert Abdus Subhan Usman Qureshi alias Tauqeer, has also been with Pakistan for over nine months," said a senior home ministry official. New Delhi had shared these details with Islamabad during foreign secretary-level talks in February.
Among these 31 terrorists, eight — Shahnawaz Alam (Sanjarpur), Sharfuddin alias Dildar (Sarai Meer), Abu Rashid (Sanjarpur), Asadullah (Gulami Ka Pura), Ariz Khan (Kot area), Mirza Shahbad Baig (Raja Ka Quila), Mohammed Sajid (Sarai Meer) and Mohammed Khalid (Saraimeer) — hail from different villages/tehsils of Azamgarh district in Uttar Pradesh.
Ten are from Karnataka (three of them from Bhatkal town), six belong to Kerala (all from Kannur), three from Maharashtra and two each from Gujarat and Jharkhand. The Centre has also circulated photographs of 20 of them.
Official sources said, the states have already formed special teams for joint operation in coordination with Intelligence Bureau (IB). These teams will make "concerted efforts" to apprehend the absconding IM and JIAM terrorists within the country, they added.
The role of JIAM cadres — front of banned SIMI that contributed the most in formation of IM at the behest of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) — are suspected in the July 25, 2008, blasts in Bangalore where nine bombs exploded, killing a woman and injuring 20 people.
Probe agencies have found a clear role of IM in a series of blasts in different Indian cities — Faizabad, Lucknow, Varanasi, Jaipur, Ahmedabad and Delhi — during 2007-08 that had claimed nearly 500 lives.....http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=Q0FQLzIwMTAvMTIvMTUjQXIwMTkwMA==&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Politics over Hemant Karkare's death...Lashkars and Pakistan must be happy
IM had plans to kill Karkare, reveals email
Vishwa Mohan, TNN, Dec 12, 2010, 12.51am IST
NEW DELHI: Slain Mumbai ATS chief Hemant Karkare was on the hit list of the Indian Mujahideen (IM), the proxy of Lashkar-e-Taiba, which has among its senior cadre a number of youth from Sanjarpur and other parts of Uttar Pradesh's Azamgarh district.
Three months before Karkare was gunned down by Lashkar terrorists, their Indian comrades belonging to IM had directly threatened for what his team was doing to neutralise the terror threat.
In a clear warning to Karkare, the IM in its email on August 23, 2008, had said: "Let us notify you, especially the top officials of ATS like Hemant Karkare and allies that our line of attack has already been masterminded for you".
Besides Karkare, the IM had also mentioned about the then Gujarat police chief P C Pande and joint commissioner of police (crime) Ashish Bhatia as the trio had launched a major crackdown against its cadre in various joint operations after the July 26, 2008, serial blasts in Ahmedabad.
Expressing intense hate towards Karkare, Pande and others, the IM wrote: "O you cowardly bast**** of ATS Gujarat, ATS Mumbai, ACB, Gujarat Police and fools like thereof! you are the most foolish enemies the Mujahideen of Islam have ever fought against! Look! we are directly challenging you that Insha Allah we will carry out our next attacks right under you close vigil...".
The threat was issued just after a joint operation by police teams of Gujarat and Maharashtra working with Intelligence Bureau made some crucial arrests. Altogether, 10 IM cadres were arrested in August, 2008.
David Coleman Headly, the US-born Pakistani Lashkar terrorist, also told his interrogators from National Investigation Agency that he was told by Sajid, one of the Lashkar commanders who guided the 26/11 attackers, that Kasab and his fellow terrorists had eliminated senior police officers of Mumbai.
Senior sources in the home ministry who worked with Karkare are aghast by Congress leader Digvijay Singh's statement, giving the impression that Karkare could have been killed by Hindu terrorists. They are concerned that the unwarranted and unsubstantiated statements would make it difficult for the police personnel to proceed against the IM operatives and sympathisers who last week showed their resilience and capabilities by setting off the blast in Varanasi on December 7.
They said that repeated endorsements of the claim of family members of the terror accused from Azamgarh that police was harassing innocents had emboldened the terrorists, while demoralising police personnel.
They make particular mention of visits of poliiticians to Mr Bhai of Sanjarpur and Dr Javed of Azamgarh, whose sons are accused in terror attacks which claimed hundreds of innocent lives. Two sons of Sanjarpur -- Saif and (Dr) Shahnawaz -- figure among those identified by police as hardcore IM members. Saif was nabbed after being cornered by Delhi Police at Batla House, while Shahnawaz, an Unani doctor, continues to dodge police to plot terror activities.
Asadullah, son of Dr Javed, a noted orthopaedic surgeon of Azamgarh who is the leader of the radical Muslim outfit Ulema Council, is also suspect of terrorist activities.
Senior police sources point out that Karkare was a key figure in the operation involving police forces of several states to bust the IM modules comprising youth whom residents of Sanjarpur insist being `innocent'.
They also say the statements by Digvijay and, early on, by former minister A R Antulay only underscore the significance of Kasab's arrest. "Had he not been arrested, Pakistan could have easily washed its hands off the Mumbai attack. They had already secured fake Indian IDs for Kasab. In fact, Kasab was even sporting the trademark Hindu red threads", said a senior officer.
Importantly, Headley recieved commendation from his Lashkar commanders when he told them that he had procured similar threads from Mumbai's Sidhi Vinayak Temple.
There is fear that defence counsel of Kasab, who has denied the killing of Karkare and other Mumbai top cops -- Ashok Kamate and Vijay Salaskar -- may seize upon Digvijay's statement......http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=Q0FQLzIwMTAvMTIvMTIjQXIwMDEwNg==&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom
Vishwa Mohan, TNN, Dec 12, 2010, 12.51am IST
NEW DELHI: Slain Mumbai ATS chief Hemant Karkare was on the hit list of the Indian Mujahideen (IM), the proxy of Lashkar-e-Taiba, which has among its senior cadre a number of youth from Sanjarpur and other parts of Uttar Pradesh's Azamgarh district.
Three months before Karkare was gunned down by Lashkar terrorists, their Indian comrades belonging to IM had directly threatened for what his team was doing to neutralise the terror threat.
In a clear warning to Karkare, the IM in its email on August 23, 2008, had said: "Let us notify you, especially the top officials of ATS like Hemant Karkare and allies that our line of attack has already been masterminded for you".
Besides Karkare, the IM had also mentioned about the then Gujarat police chief P C Pande and joint commissioner of police (crime) Ashish Bhatia as the trio had launched a major crackdown against its cadre in various joint operations after the July 26, 2008, serial blasts in Ahmedabad.
Expressing intense hate towards Karkare, Pande and others, the IM wrote: "O you cowardly bast**** of ATS Gujarat, ATS Mumbai, ACB, Gujarat Police and fools like thereof! you are the most foolish enemies the Mujahideen of Islam have ever fought against! Look! we are directly challenging you that Insha Allah we will carry out our next attacks right under you close vigil...".
The threat was issued just after a joint operation by police teams of Gujarat and Maharashtra working with Intelligence Bureau made some crucial arrests. Altogether, 10 IM cadres were arrested in August, 2008.
David Coleman Headly, the US-born Pakistani Lashkar terrorist, also told his interrogators from National Investigation Agency that he was told by Sajid, one of the Lashkar commanders who guided the 26/11 attackers, that Kasab and his fellow terrorists had eliminated senior police officers of Mumbai.
Senior sources in the home ministry who worked with Karkare are aghast by Congress leader Digvijay Singh's statement, giving the impression that Karkare could have been killed by Hindu terrorists. They are concerned that the unwarranted and unsubstantiated statements would make it difficult for the police personnel to proceed against the IM operatives and sympathisers who last week showed their resilience and capabilities by setting off the blast in Varanasi on December 7.
They said that repeated endorsements of the claim of family members of the terror accused from Azamgarh that police was harassing innocents had emboldened the terrorists, while demoralising police personnel.
They make particular mention of visits of poliiticians to Mr Bhai of Sanjarpur and Dr Javed of Azamgarh, whose sons are accused in terror attacks which claimed hundreds of innocent lives. Two sons of Sanjarpur -- Saif and (Dr) Shahnawaz -- figure among those identified by police as hardcore IM members. Saif was nabbed after being cornered by Delhi Police at Batla House, while Shahnawaz, an Unani doctor, continues to dodge police to plot terror activities.
Asadullah, son of Dr Javed, a noted orthopaedic surgeon of Azamgarh who is the leader of the radical Muslim outfit Ulema Council, is also suspect of terrorist activities.
Senior police sources point out that Karkare was a key figure in the operation involving police forces of several states to bust the IM modules comprising youth whom residents of Sanjarpur insist being `innocent'.
They also say the statements by Digvijay and, early on, by former minister A R Antulay only underscore the significance of Kasab's arrest. "Had he not been arrested, Pakistan could have easily washed its hands off the Mumbai attack. They had already secured fake Indian IDs for Kasab. In fact, Kasab was even sporting the trademark Hindu red threads", said a senior officer.
Importantly, Headley recieved commendation from his Lashkar commanders when he told them that he had procured similar threads from Mumbai's Sidhi Vinayak Temple.
There is fear that defence counsel of Kasab, who has denied the killing of Karkare and other Mumbai top cops -- Ashok Kamate and Vijay Salaskar -- may seize upon Digvijay's statement......http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=Q0FQLzIwMTAvMTIvMTIjQXIwMDEwNg==&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Indian Mujahideen....down but not out
Low-intensity Varanasi blast sign of IM's weak fire-power?
Vishwa Mohan, TNN, Dec 10, 2010, 10.37pm IST
NEW DELHI: The arrest of Indian Mujahideen (IM) key bombmaker Arif two years ago and escape of another explosive expert of the outfit, Yasin Bhatkal, to Pakistan appears to have weakened the group's fire-power, which possibly explains that IM has now resorted to low-intensity crude bomb as was evident in the Tuesday's Varanasi blast.
Although the security and intelligence agencies believe that real objective of the low-intensity blast could be to divert attention from Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba ( LeT) -- the mother outfit of the IM -- they do not discount the fact that the arrest of Arif could have made a severe dent on the IED capability of the terror group.
Arif, in his late 30s and a resident of Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh, was arrested from Mumbai during a crackdown in the wake of Delhi serial blasts in September 2008. Electrician by profession, Arif, who got bomb-making training in Pakistan, was responsible for making all the bombs used by IM in carrying out blasts in various cities -- Faizabad, Varanasi, Lucknow, Jaipur, Ahmedabad and Delhi -- during 2007-08.
Arif, who was chargesheeted along with 20 others by the Mumbai Police in February 2009, had allegedly also made circuit-based bombs used by IM in Surat in 2008.
Agencies here believe that Yasin Bhatkal was another bombmaker of the terror outfit. Yasin had, however, escaped to Pakistan along with Bhatkal brothers -- Riyaz and Iqbal -- leaving the IM with hardly anyone who could make sophisticated IEDs, the kind used by the outfit in serial blasts in 2007 and 2008.
Officials, however, do not undermine the terrorists' capabilities, saying that the IM could be down due to crackdown during 2008-09, but it is certainly not out as 20 of its top cadres are still at large.
As the ongoing probe into the Varanasi blast case clearly pointed at the IM's hands in the the terror attack, the Centre on Thursday shared names, photographs and other details of active IM cadres with all states and asked them to look for the terrorists.
"The home ministry dispatched the particulars of the IM terrorists to the states and advised them to be on alert and look for them as some of them could be hiding with the help of their sympathisers," said a senior home ministry official.
He said though majority of the top IM leadership was currently either living in Pakistan or in the Gulf countries, five-six were in different parts of India.
Top IM leaders including Riyaz Bhatkal -- founder of IM who hails from the coastal Karnataka town of Bhatkal; his brother Iqbal, Yasin, Amir Raza Khan -- controller of IM operations in India; Abdus Subhan Qureshi alias Tauqeer, Mufti Sufiyan and Abu Aiman are all suspected to be in Pakistan. Others, including Shahnawaz, are suspected to be in some West Asian countries.
"Besides these 20 against whom Interpol Red Corner Notices (RCN) have been pending, there must be a number of sympathisers and other foot-solidiers of the IM in many parts of the country," added the official..............http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JTC8yMDEwLzEyLzExI0FyMDAxMDI=&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom
Vishwa Mohan, TNN, Dec 10, 2010, 10.37pm IST
NEW DELHI: The arrest of Indian Mujahideen (IM) key bombmaker Arif two years ago and escape of another explosive expert of the outfit, Yasin Bhatkal, to Pakistan appears to have weakened the group's fire-power, which possibly explains that IM has now resorted to low-intensity crude bomb as was evident in the Tuesday's Varanasi blast.
Although the security and intelligence agencies believe that real objective of the low-intensity blast could be to divert attention from Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba ( LeT) -- the mother outfit of the IM -- they do not discount the fact that the arrest of Arif could have made a severe dent on the IED capability of the terror group.
Arif, in his late 30s and a resident of Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh, was arrested from Mumbai during a crackdown in the wake of Delhi serial blasts in September 2008. Electrician by profession, Arif, who got bomb-making training in Pakistan, was responsible for making all the bombs used by IM in carrying out blasts in various cities -- Faizabad, Varanasi, Lucknow, Jaipur, Ahmedabad and Delhi -- during 2007-08.
Arif, who was chargesheeted along with 20 others by the Mumbai Police in February 2009, had allegedly also made circuit-based bombs used by IM in Surat in 2008.
Agencies here believe that Yasin Bhatkal was another bombmaker of the terror outfit. Yasin had, however, escaped to Pakistan along with Bhatkal brothers -- Riyaz and Iqbal -- leaving the IM with hardly anyone who could make sophisticated IEDs, the kind used by the outfit in serial blasts in 2007 and 2008.
Officials, however, do not undermine the terrorists' capabilities, saying that the IM could be down due to crackdown during 2008-09, but it is certainly not out as 20 of its top cadres are still at large.
As the ongoing probe into the Varanasi blast case clearly pointed at the IM's hands in the the terror attack, the Centre on Thursday shared names, photographs and other details of active IM cadres with all states and asked them to look for the terrorists.
"The home ministry dispatched the particulars of the IM terrorists to the states and advised them to be on alert and look for them as some of them could be hiding with the help of their sympathisers," said a senior home ministry official.
He said though majority of the top IM leadership was currently either living in Pakistan or in the Gulf countries, five-six were in different parts of India.
Top IM leaders including Riyaz Bhatkal -- founder of IM who hails from the coastal Karnataka town of Bhatkal; his brother Iqbal, Yasin, Amir Raza Khan -- controller of IM operations in India; Abdus Subhan Qureshi alias Tauqeer, Mufti Sufiyan and Abu Aiman are all suspected to be in Pakistan. Others, including Shahnawaz, are suspected to be in some West Asian countries.
"Besides these 20 against whom Interpol Red Corner Notices (RCN) have been pending, there must be a number of sympathisers and other foot-solidiers of the IM in many parts of the country," added the official..............http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JTC8yMDEwLzEyLzExI0FyMDAxMDI=&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom
Friday, December 10, 2010
Terror attack on Varanasi: IM Behind Blast But Was Not Sure Of Target
Centre, UP fight over Varanasi Intel inputs
Rajeev Dixit, Pervez Iqbal Siddiqui & Vishwa Mohan \TNN
Varanasi/Lucknow/New Delhi: Even as the finger of suspicion for Tuesday’s Varanasi blast pointed at the Indian Mujahiddeen, the Centre and Uttar Pradesh government on Wednesday crossed swords over whether actionable intelligence inputs were passed on to the state.
Exposing faultlines in the country’s intelligence set up, the state government virtually negated the Centre’s assertions blaming lax security at Varanasi for Tuesday’s terror attack.
Touring Varanasi on Wednesday, Union home minister P Chidambaram insisted that the UP government had been given intelligence inputs as early as February 25 on Varanasi being a possible terror target.
‘‘We had cautioned all state governments that in the runup to 26/11 and Babri Masjid demolition anniversary, we can expect threats from terrorists. In fact, as far as UP is concerned, a specific advice was given on February 25 that the Dasaswamedh Ghat was one of the targets.’’ Later in the evening, he is learnt to have briefed the Cabinet Committee on Security in New Delhi about the blast and the alert which had existed there since February.
Hours after Chidambaram’s statement in Varanasi, UP cabinet secretary Shashank Shekhar Singh read out Mayawati’s statement at a press conference in Lucknow that said there was no actionable intelligence on a terror strike in Varanasi.
"An alert was received on February 25 this year. But that was meant to be up to Dussehra in October. Expecting that input to be specific and actionable even after the festival is not justified. Stating that UP was alerted and given concrete information by central intelligence agencies regarding a possible attack in advance is far from reality,’’ the CM’s statement said.
Singh said two general alerts were also issued regarding the anniversaries of 26/11 and the demolition of Babri Masjid on December 6. ‘‘Those alerts were general in nature to maintain vigil on these days.’’
Strongly denying that security at the ghat was lax on Tuesday, Singh said: ‘‘As a routine exercise, ghats where Ganga aarti is held are sanitised at 5pm every day and this exercise was carried out on Tuesday as well. There was no laxity on Tuesday.’’ The Varanasi ghats have been on the IM’s terror radar for long. Both the Centre and the UP police have known about it ever since Shahzad Ahmed — involved in the September 2008 Batla House encounter — revealed the plan to Delhi Police during his interrogation in February. Shahzad, a key IM operative arrested from UP’s Azamgarh district for his alleged role in the Delhi serial blasts, had also told interrogators that the German Bakery and the Ghat in Varanasi were future terror targets.
Now, after Tuesday’s terror strike in Varanasi substantiating what Shahzad told cops over nine months ago, the Centre on Wednesday repeated its advisory to states and Union Territories (UTs) where Lashkar-e-Taiba — which set up IM as its Indian front — had identified a number of terror targets including religious places, Chabad Houses, National Defence College in Delhi, Bhabha Atomic Centre in Mumbai and other places across the country.
‘‘We’ve asked the states and UTs to remain on alert...without lowering their guard. We suspect the IM, as it mentioned in its email, may target any of such places as and when they get an opportunity,’’ a top home ministry official said.
Pointing at the IM’s email, officials in Delhi said it seemed even the terror outfit was not sure of the target. That would explain why it didn’t specify Varanasi in the text.
‘‘It seems the terrorists had kept the common text of the email ready a day before (the anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolition) and sent it after hitting one of their identified targets,’’ said an official. Though there has not been any lead in the probe of the blast case so far, security and intelligence agencies do not have any doubt about the role of IM in it.In Lucknow, additional director general of police Brij Lal, who heads the anti-terror squad probing the blast, said the picture was far from clear. ‘‘There is no concrete evidence of the involvement of any particular group. It will be highly immature to say anything at this stage.’’
However, a government source in Delhi turned the needle of suspicion on the IM. An official said: ‘‘The IM email has only corraborated what Shahzad told the police in February.’’
But the source added it would be premature to take any one name and say he was behind the blast. The outfit still has nearly 20 main operatives. While three or four of them are still in India, 16 to 17 operate out of Pakistan and the Gulf countries. Among them are Riyaz Bhatkal — the IM founder from the coastal Karnataka town of Bhatkal — and his brother Yasin, a bombmaker and Amir Raza Khan, controller of IM operations in India. Abdus Subhan Qureshi alias Tauqeer, Mufti Sufiyan and Abu Aiman are suspected to be in Pakistan....http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JTC8yMDEwLzEyLzA5I0FyMDAxMDE=&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom
Rajeev Dixit, Pervez Iqbal Siddiqui & Vishwa Mohan \TNN
Varanasi/Lucknow/New Delhi: Even as the finger of suspicion for Tuesday’s Varanasi blast pointed at the Indian Mujahiddeen, the Centre and Uttar Pradesh government on Wednesday crossed swords over whether actionable intelligence inputs were passed on to the state.
Exposing faultlines in the country’s intelligence set up, the state government virtually negated the Centre’s assertions blaming lax security at Varanasi for Tuesday’s terror attack.
Touring Varanasi on Wednesday, Union home minister P Chidambaram insisted that the UP government had been given intelligence inputs as early as February 25 on Varanasi being a possible terror target.
‘‘We had cautioned all state governments that in the runup to 26/11 and Babri Masjid demolition anniversary, we can expect threats from terrorists. In fact, as far as UP is concerned, a specific advice was given on February 25 that the Dasaswamedh Ghat was one of the targets.’’ Later in the evening, he is learnt to have briefed the Cabinet Committee on Security in New Delhi about the blast and the alert which had existed there since February.
Hours after Chidambaram’s statement in Varanasi, UP cabinet secretary Shashank Shekhar Singh read out Mayawati’s statement at a press conference in Lucknow that said there was no actionable intelligence on a terror strike in Varanasi.
"An alert was received on February 25 this year. But that was meant to be up to Dussehra in October. Expecting that input to be specific and actionable even after the festival is not justified. Stating that UP was alerted and given concrete information by central intelligence agencies regarding a possible attack in advance is far from reality,’’ the CM’s statement said.
Singh said two general alerts were also issued regarding the anniversaries of 26/11 and the demolition of Babri Masjid on December 6. ‘‘Those alerts were general in nature to maintain vigil on these days.’’
Strongly denying that security at the ghat was lax on Tuesday, Singh said: ‘‘As a routine exercise, ghats where Ganga aarti is held are sanitised at 5pm every day and this exercise was carried out on Tuesday as well. There was no laxity on Tuesday.’’ The Varanasi ghats have been on the IM’s terror radar for long. Both the Centre and the UP police have known about it ever since Shahzad Ahmed — involved in the September 2008 Batla House encounter — revealed the plan to Delhi Police during his interrogation in February. Shahzad, a key IM operative arrested from UP’s Azamgarh district for his alleged role in the Delhi serial blasts, had also told interrogators that the German Bakery and the Ghat in Varanasi were future terror targets.
Now, after Tuesday’s terror strike in Varanasi substantiating what Shahzad told cops over nine months ago, the Centre on Wednesday repeated its advisory to states and Union Territories (UTs) where Lashkar-e-Taiba — which set up IM as its Indian front — had identified a number of terror targets including religious places, Chabad Houses, National Defence College in Delhi, Bhabha Atomic Centre in Mumbai and other places across the country.
‘‘We’ve asked the states and UTs to remain on alert...without lowering their guard. We suspect the IM, as it mentioned in its email, may target any of such places as and when they get an opportunity,’’ a top home ministry official said.
Pointing at the IM’s email, officials in Delhi said it seemed even the terror outfit was not sure of the target. That would explain why it didn’t specify Varanasi in the text.
‘‘It seems the terrorists had kept the common text of the email ready a day before (the anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolition) and sent it after hitting one of their identified targets,’’ said an official. Though there has not been any lead in the probe of the blast case so far, security and intelligence agencies do not have any doubt about the role of IM in it.In Lucknow, additional director general of police Brij Lal, who heads the anti-terror squad probing the blast, said the picture was far from clear. ‘‘There is no concrete evidence of the involvement of any particular group. It will be highly immature to say anything at this stage.’’
However, a government source in Delhi turned the needle of suspicion on the IM. An official said: ‘‘The IM email has only corraborated what Shahzad told the police in February.’’
But the source added it would be premature to take any one name and say he was behind the blast. The outfit still has nearly 20 main operatives. While three or four of them are still in India, 16 to 17 operate out of Pakistan and the Gulf countries. Among them are Riyaz Bhatkal — the IM founder from the coastal Karnataka town of Bhatkal — and his brother Yasin, a bombmaker and Amir Raza Khan, controller of IM operations in India. Abdus Subhan Qureshi alias Tauqeer, Mufti Sufiyan and Abu Aiman are suspected to be in Pakistan....http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JTC8yMDEwLzEyLzA5I0FyMDAxMDE=&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Varanasi blast: Indian Mujahideen is back.....threatened to come again
Indian Mujahideen claims responsibility for Varanasi blast
Vishwa Mohan, TNN, Dec 8, 2010, 12.48am IST
NEW DELHI: The blast in Varanasi during the ceremonial aarti on Tuesday was a terror attack clearly meant to coincide with the anniversary of Babri Masjid demolition a day earlier.
The Centre immediately sounded a nationwide alert with special stress on four major cities — Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Hyderabad — in wake of the blast. An email sent by Indian Mujahideen, which promptly claimed responsibility for the attack, said it was meant to avenge the demolition on December 6, 1992. Endorsing the line that a masjid, once erected, cannot be removed from its site, the email, replete with profanities against Hindus and their gods, also attacked Indian judiciary for the verdict of the Allahabad High Court in the Ayodhya case.
Reiterating the criticism of the Leftists and secular activists that the verdict placed "aastha" (faith) over facts and endorsing the view of Marxist historians that Ram was a mythical figure, the Indian Mujahideen email mocked Indian democracy as "demonocracy" and called upon Muslims to disobey false judges. The IM, as in mails it sent after previous terror attacks, stressed a great deal on riots, paraphrasing an alleged remark of Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi to say, "We have now achieved skills to teach Newton's 3rd law in their own terms."
Agencies were still verifying the authenticity of the claim, particularly because of the 30 minute-lag between the device going off in Varanasi and when the email reached news channel India TV and other media outlets in India and Pakistan. But the IM pamphlet, which also called upon Muslims to oppose any attempt at a compromise over the temple-mosque dispute, once again showed both the presence and capability of terror modules.
The low intensity of the blast could also be because of the international pressure on Lashkar, the mother outfit of IM, after investigation into the 26/11 attack on Mumbai demonstrated how the outfit has mutated into a global terror threat.
A low-intensity blast serves the objectives of demonstrating its firepower and resolve without attracting serious consequence.
One interesting aspect of the email was the reference to the recent events- for instance, the report last week that the SIT set up by the Supreme Court had failed to find substantial evidence that Gujarat CM deliberately let 2002 Gujarat riots continue. Similarly, it takes great umbrage at protests organized by "cowardly saffron Hindus at the behest of IB against the separatist Kashmiri leaders like Syed Ali Shah Gilani......http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JTS8yMDEwLzEyLzA4I0FyMDE5MDE=&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom
Vishwa Mohan, TNN, Dec 8, 2010, 12.48am IST
NEW DELHI: The blast in Varanasi during the ceremonial aarti on Tuesday was a terror attack clearly meant to coincide with the anniversary of Babri Masjid demolition a day earlier.
The Centre immediately sounded a nationwide alert with special stress on four major cities — Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Hyderabad — in wake of the blast. An email sent by Indian Mujahideen, which promptly claimed responsibility for the attack, said it was meant to avenge the demolition on December 6, 1992. Endorsing the line that a masjid, once erected, cannot be removed from its site, the email, replete with profanities against Hindus and their gods, also attacked Indian judiciary for the verdict of the Allahabad High Court in the Ayodhya case.
Reiterating the criticism of the Leftists and secular activists that the verdict placed "aastha" (faith) over facts and endorsing the view of Marxist historians that Ram was a mythical figure, the Indian Mujahideen email mocked Indian democracy as "demonocracy" and called upon Muslims to disobey false judges. The IM, as in mails it sent after previous terror attacks, stressed a great deal on riots, paraphrasing an alleged remark of Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi to say, "We have now achieved skills to teach Newton's 3rd law in their own terms."
Agencies were still verifying the authenticity of the claim, particularly because of the 30 minute-lag between the device going off in Varanasi and when the email reached news channel India TV and other media outlets in India and Pakistan. But the IM pamphlet, which also called upon Muslims to oppose any attempt at a compromise over the temple-mosque dispute, once again showed both the presence and capability of terror modules.
The low intensity of the blast could also be because of the international pressure on Lashkar, the mother outfit of IM, after investigation into the 26/11 attack on Mumbai demonstrated how the outfit has mutated into a global terror threat.
A low-intensity blast serves the objectives of demonstrating its firepower and resolve without attracting serious consequence.
One interesting aspect of the email was the reference to the recent events- for instance, the report last week that the SIT set up by the Supreme Court had failed to find substantial evidence that Gujarat CM deliberately let 2002 Gujarat riots continue. Similarly, it takes great umbrage at protests organized by "cowardly saffron Hindus at the behest of IB against the separatist Kashmiri leaders like Syed Ali Shah Gilani......http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JTS8yMDEwLzEyLzA4I0FyMDE5MDE=&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom
Monday, December 6, 2010
Did US share LeT's Modi plot with India in June, 2009?
Lashkar planned to kill Narendra Modi: Wikileaks
Vishwa Mohan, TNN, Dec 6, 2010, 12.52am IST
NEW DELHI: Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba had made elaborate plans in June last year to assassinate Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi, according to one of the American diplomatic cables made public by whistleblower website WikiLeaks.
The cable identifies a Pakistani Lashkar member, Shafiq, as the mastermind of the plot that was to be executed by a module led by an Indian Lashkar operative, Hussein. The hit job was to be carried out by one Sameer, an India-based Lashkar terrorist.
The timing of the plot is significant. It was hatched seven months after Lashkar's attack on Mumbai in November 2008. The cable underlines that the pressure on Pakistan post-26/11 did not deter Lashkar from planning fresh terror attacks.
Modi has been on the hit list of jihadi terror groups who have cited the Gujarat riots during his tenure to find recruits and to radicalise sections of Indian Muslims.
The module, possibly led by Hussein in India, was tasked with two other jobs -- including establishment of a training camp and an "unspecified work" involving a car. Details were, however, not mentioned in the leaked US embassy cable which claimed to derive these information from "multiple sources".
The leaked cable, part of the `Diplomatic Security Daily' sent to Washington from different US missions, was despatched on June 19 last year. "LeT member Shafiq Khafa, possibly preparing for operation, and Hussein -- an India-based Lashkar-e-Taiba member -- continued operational planning on three tasks in early June. The tasks were associated with a possible operation against Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi, the establishment of a training camp and unspecified work involving a car. Hussein would coordinate his activities with an India-based colleague identified as Sameer," the cable said.
The cable on the plot against Modi is part of the category called "key concerns" of the US embassy messages. Another leaked cable on India has mentioned about hindrance posed by disagreements within various agencies over Indian cyber security programmes.
It says, "The government of India continues efforts to advance its computer security programmes -- particularly in the light of increased concerns over Chinese computer network exploitation efforts -- but the progress is hampered by significant disagreements within its departments."
Referring to key Indian organisations like department of telecommunication (DoT) and Research & Analysis Wing (RAW), which are involved in developing and implementing security policies, the US cable said, "Although the Indian Army is primarily responsible for the security of military networks, Indian officials acknowledge Army representatives have been largely left out of the discussion."
It also mentioned that some other key organisations like National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO) and Defence Intelligence Agency have reportedly failed to offer significant contributions.
The leaked cable also referred to the concerns expressed by private security companies. It said, "Private security companies are concerned that the lack of input from the private sector may lead to unfair regulations regarding telecommunications monitoring."
vishwa.mohan@timesgroup.com
http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=Q0FQLzIwMTAvMTIvMDYjQXIwMDEwNw==&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom
Vishwa Mohan, TNN, Dec 6, 2010, 12.52am IST
NEW DELHI: Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba had made elaborate plans in June last year to assassinate Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi, according to one of the American diplomatic cables made public by whistleblower website WikiLeaks.
The cable identifies a Pakistani Lashkar member, Shafiq, as the mastermind of the plot that was to be executed by a module led by an Indian Lashkar operative, Hussein. The hit job was to be carried out by one Sameer, an India-based Lashkar terrorist.
The timing of the plot is significant. It was hatched seven months after Lashkar's attack on Mumbai in November 2008. The cable underlines that the pressure on Pakistan post-26/11 did not deter Lashkar from planning fresh terror attacks.
Modi has been on the hit list of jihadi terror groups who have cited the Gujarat riots during his tenure to find recruits and to radicalise sections of Indian Muslims.
The module, possibly led by Hussein in India, was tasked with two other jobs -- including establishment of a training camp and an "unspecified work" involving a car. Details were, however, not mentioned in the leaked US embassy cable which claimed to derive these information from "multiple sources".
The leaked cable, part of the `Diplomatic Security Daily' sent to Washington from different US missions, was despatched on June 19 last year. "LeT member Shafiq Khafa, possibly preparing for operation, and Hussein -- an India-based Lashkar-e-Taiba member -- continued operational planning on three tasks in early June. The tasks were associated with a possible operation against Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi, the establishment of a training camp and unspecified work involving a car. Hussein would coordinate his activities with an India-based colleague identified as Sameer," the cable said.
The cable on the plot against Modi is part of the category called "key concerns" of the US embassy messages. Another leaked cable on India has mentioned about hindrance posed by disagreements within various agencies over Indian cyber security programmes.
It says, "The government of India continues efforts to advance its computer security programmes -- particularly in the light of increased concerns over Chinese computer network exploitation efforts -- but the progress is hampered by significant disagreements within its departments."
Referring to key Indian organisations like department of telecommunication (DoT) and Research & Analysis Wing (RAW), which are involved in developing and implementing security policies, the US cable said, "Although the Indian Army is primarily responsible for the security of military networks, Indian officials acknowledge Army representatives have been largely left out of the discussion."
It also mentioned that some other key organisations like National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO) and Defence Intelligence Agency have reportedly failed to offer significant contributions.
The leaked cable also referred to the concerns expressed by private security companies. It said, "Private security companies are concerned that the lack of input from the private sector may lead to unfair regulations regarding telecommunications monitoring."
vishwa.mohan@timesgroup.com
http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=Q0FQLzIwMTAvMTIvMDYjQXIwMDEwNw==&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Telecom Scam....2G probe will go beyond politicians' and bureaucrats' alleged misdeeds
2G scam: CBI probing four ex-babus
Vishwa Mohan & Pradeep Thakur, TNN, Nov 19, 2010, 01.50am IST
NEW DELHI: The CBI on Thursday said it was investigating four former senior bureaucrats for their alleged connection with a powerful lobbyist, Nira Radia, who is being probed for her alleged role in the 2G spectrum scam. In fact, a top CBI official said the former bureaucrats could even be booked "if evidence of collusion and payoff emerge" during the ongoing probe.
On Thursday, TOI had reported that four ex-bureaucrats were under serious scrutiny for their links with Radia and her firm Noesis Consultancy.
The bureaucrats are former Telecom Regulatory Authority of India chairman and disinvestment secretary Pradip Baijal, former economic affairs secretary C M Vasudev, former industrial policy and promotion secretary Ajay Dua and former TRAI member D P S Seth.
The CBI official said the agency was seeking to figure out that the jobs the bureaucrats got with Radia's firm was in exchange for any favour they may have extended to the lobbyist.
"The agency has been probing whether the four, who either took up post-retirement jobs in different private companies at one or the other point of time or worked independently as advisors to private players, had favoured the lobbyist Nira Radia's firm in one or the other way during their service period," a top CBI official said.
"One aspect of the 2G scam probe is to find out their roles. If we find something, a case will also be registered against them in due course," he explained.
The official also said that Radia remains at the centre of the escalating probe into the spectrum scam. "Over 5,000 call records of Radia are also being minutely looked into to ascertain the exact role played by her company Noesis Strategic Consulting Services relating to 2G spectrum allotment," the official said.
Stating that the entire probe will be completed in the next four-five months to meet the Supreme Court's deadline, he said R K Chandolia -- who was the private secretary to former telecom minister A Raja -- would also be called for questioning.
The official said the basic tenet of the probe would be whether Raja received any kickbacks. "If yes, what was the modus operandi and how did it change hands," he said.
Baijal, during his interview to a TV channel, admitted that he did advise Tata Teleservices on spectrum issues but said no investigating agency had approached him so far. "I did advise Tata Teleservices on spectrum issues. I am their advisor and consultant and have nothing to hide. Nira Radia is my partner. I am aware of everything. But no investigating agency has approached me till date," Baijal said.
The other ex-bureaucrats also defended their associations. During an interview to a channel, Vasudev acknowledged his affiliation with Noesis, but denied having any link with any telecom company. He also said he had quit Noesis. "I am not with the firm (Noesis). I left it a year ago. I was invited to do development work and had nothing to do with telecom sector even when I was in that firm," Vasudev said.
Seth, on his part, told news channels that he was an independent advisor on regulatory and technical issues and had nothing to do with policy matters.....http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JTS8yMDEwLzExLzE5I0FyMDAxMTA=&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom
Vishwa Mohan & Pradeep Thakur, TNN, Nov 19, 2010, 01.50am IST
NEW DELHI: The CBI on Thursday said it was investigating four former senior bureaucrats for their alleged connection with a powerful lobbyist, Nira Radia, who is being probed for her alleged role in the 2G spectrum scam. In fact, a top CBI official said the former bureaucrats could even be booked "if evidence of collusion and payoff emerge" during the ongoing probe.
On Thursday, TOI had reported that four ex-bureaucrats were under serious scrutiny for their links with Radia and her firm Noesis Consultancy.
The bureaucrats are former Telecom Regulatory Authority of India chairman and disinvestment secretary Pradip Baijal, former economic affairs secretary C M Vasudev, former industrial policy and promotion secretary Ajay Dua and former TRAI member D P S Seth.
The CBI official said the agency was seeking to figure out that the jobs the bureaucrats got with Radia's firm was in exchange for any favour they may have extended to the lobbyist.
"The agency has been probing whether the four, who either took up post-retirement jobs in different private companies at one or the other point of time or worked independently as advisors to private players, had favoured the lobbyist Nira Radia's firm in one or the other way during their service period," a top CBI official said.
"One aspect of the 2G scam probe is to find out their roles. If we find something, a case will also be registered against them in due course," he explained.
The official also said that Radia remains at the centre of the escalating probe into the spectrum scam. "Over 5,000 call records of Radia are also being minutely looked into to ascertain the exact role played by her company Noesis Strategic Consulting Services relating to 2G spectrum allotment," the official said.
Stating that the entire probe will be completed in the next four-five months to meet the Supreme Court's deadline, he said R K Chandolia -- who was the private secretary to former telecom minister A Raja -- would also be called for questioning.
The official said the basic tenet of the probe would be whether Raja received any kickbacks. "If yes, what was the modus operandi and how did it change hands," he said.
Baijal, during his interview to a TV channel, admitted that he did advise Tata Teleservices on spectrum issues but said no investigating agency had approached him so far. "I did advise Tata Teleservices on spectrum issues. I am their advisor and consultant and have nothing to hide. Nira Radia is my partner. I am aware of everything. But no investigating agency has approached me till date," Baijal said.
The other ex-bureaucrats also defended their associations. During an interview to a channel, Vasudev acknowledged his affiliation with Noesis, but denied having any link with any telecom company. He also said he had quit Noesis. "I am not with the firm (Noesis). I left it a year ago. I was invited to do development work and had nothing to do with telecom sector even when I was in that firm," Vasudev said.
Seth, on his part, told news channels that he was an independent advisor on regulatory and technical issues and had nothing to do with policy matters.....http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JTS8yMDEwLzExLzE5I0FyMDAxMTA=&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom
Thursday, November 18, 2010
VIP Security...much needed downsizing
VIP protectee count down 50%
Vishwa Mohan, TNN, Nov 18, 2010, 01.25am IST
NEW DELHI: Constant rationalisation of the VIP security system by the government sees the number of protectees in the Central list substantially reduced from 423 in 2008 to 207 as on date -- over 50% decrease in number of those who get police protection at taxpayers' expense.
The sharp decline happened after the Union home ministry has weeded out those from the Central list of VIP protectees who do not have any `actual' threat on the basis of assessment made by both security and intelligence agencies. The pruning exercise had begun last year when the ministry, on the basis of field inputs, felt that a number of persons, mainly politicians, had got security cover despite having no `actual' threat to them.
"At present, the number of protectees in the Central list is 207, of whom 35, 55, 66 and 51 have been given Z+, Z, Y and X category security cover, respectively... Security is provided to individuals based on threat assessment by security agencies," the minister of state for home affairs Mullappally Ramachandran had said in written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.
Though the pruning exercise has not affected the high-risk individuals who get Z+ category security cover, the list of VIPs in other categories -- Z, Y and X -- saw sharp decline with the ministry weeding out those from the list who got security on some flimsy grounds.
As many as 243 VIPs -- politicians, bureaucrats and others -- used to get Y category security as compared to 81 of X category, 68 of Z category and 31 of Z+ category security cover in 2008. The VIPs under the Y-category security cover currently avail of seven Personal Security Officers (PSOs) and house-guards while those under X category get two PSOs.
Similarly, the higher category protectees get more PSOs and number of house-guards. While Z+ category protectees get 20 PSOs (including head constables and constables), an escort and a pilot vehicle, the Z category ones get 13 PSOs (including HCs and constables) and an escort vehicle. Among the four categories of the VIP security, the Y-category list consists of the highest number of individuals. In fact, majority of them are enjoying the security cover, thanks to their positions in the government.
At present, senior political leaders like L K Advani, Narendra Modi, Mayawati, Mulayam Singh Yadav, Jayalalitha, Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah and N Chandrababu Naidu and retired IPS officer K P S Gill are among 35 protectees who enjoy Z+ category security cover.
During the comprehensive review and rationalisation exercise of the entire VIP security system, the home ministry had withdrawn last year the X-category security cover of many individuals including former Chief Justice of India Y S Sabarwal; former MPs Govinda, Anwar Hussain; UP strongman and politician D P Yadav and MLA from Matia Mahal in Delhi Shoiab Iqbal.
Officials in the security agencies believe that the list of Z+ category security given to high-risk individuals has, however, grown with a couple of leaders, of late, insisting on getting it only by `overplaying' the actual threat perception. "They have succeeded because they are on the right side of the ruling political spectrum," said an official without identifying these VIPs.
Vishwa Mohan, TNN, Nov 18, 2010, 01.25am IST
NEW DELHI: Constant rationalisation of the VIP security system by the government sees the number of protectees in the Central list substantially reduced from 423 in 2008 to 207 as on date -- over 50% decrease in number of those who get police protection at taxpayers' expense.
The sharp decline happened after the Union home ministry has weeded out those from the Central list of VIP protectees who do not have any `actual' threat on the basis of assessment made by both security and intelligence agencies. The pruning exercise had begun last year when the ministry, on the basis of field inputs, felt that a number of persons, mainly politicians, had got security cover despite having no `actual' threat to them.
"At present, the number of protectees in the Central list is 207, of whom 35, 55, 66 and 51 have been given Z+, Z, Y and X category security cover, respectively... Security is provided to individuals based on threat assessment by security agencies," the minister of state for home affairs Mullappally Ramachandran had said in written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.
Though the pruning exercise has not affected the high-risk individuals who get Z+ category security cover, the list of VIPs in other categories -- Z, Y and X -- saw sharp decline with the ministry weeding out those from the list who got security on some flimsy grounds.
As many as 243 VIPs -- politicians, bureaucrats and others -- used to get Y category security as compared to 81 of X category, 68 of Z category and 31 of Z+ category security cover in 2008. The VIPs under the Y-category security cover currently avail of seven Personal Security Officers (PSOs) and house-guards while those under X category get two PSOs.
Similarly, the higher category protectees get more PSOs and number of house-guards. While Z+ category protectees get 20 PSOs (including head constables and constables), an escort and a pilot vehicle, the Z category ones get 13 PSOs (including HCs and constables) and an escort vehicle. Among the four categories of the VIP security, the Y-category list consists of the highest number of individuals. In fact, majority of them are enjoying the security cover, thanks to their positions in the government.
At present, senior political leaders like L K Advani, Narendra Modi, Mayawati, Mulayam Singh Yadav, Jayalalitha, Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah and N Chandrababu Naidu and retired IPS officer K P S Gill are among 35 protectees who enjoy Z+ category security cover.
During the comprehensive review and rationalisation exercise of the entire VIP security system, the home ministry had withdrawn last year the X-category security cover of many individuals including former Chief Justice of India Y S Sabarwal; former MPs Govinda, Anwar Hussain; UP strongman and politician D P Yadav and MLA from Matia Mahal in Delhi Shoiab Iqbal.
Officials in the security agencies believe that the list of Z+ category security given to high-risk individuals has, however, grown with a couple of leaders, of late, insisting on getting it only by `overplaying' the actual threat perception. "They have succeeded because they are on the right side of the ruling political spectrum," said an official without identifying these VIPs.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Project Visa...
New 'P' visa for expats in power, steel sectors
Vishwa Mohan, TNN, Nov 17, 2010, 03.03am IST
NEW DELHI: The government has introduced a separate visa regime -- called `P' (Project) Visa -- within the employment visa for foreign nationals coming to India for "execution of projects in the power and steel sectors".
The new regime will pave the way for foreign companies to bring "highly skilled or skilled" foreign nationals to India for executing projects of their Indian clients (companies) for a maximum period of one year without getting into the nitty-gritty of the two existing work-related visa regimes -- Business (B) and Employment (E) Visas. The facility will, however, not be available to companies in other sectors.
"Guidelines issued recently for `P' visa have come out with certain conditions, which are to be strictly followed while granting such visas. Project Visa will be issued only after approval from concerned authorities in India, the processing of which may take 45-50 days," said a senior home ministry official.
India had felt the need for a separate visa regime after it imposed strict restrictions on issuing of Business and Employment Visas last year. The home ministry had in June 2009 found that thousands of foreign nationals, mainly unskilled or semi-skilled workers from China, used the `B' visa route to come to India instead of coming on the `E' visas which are meant for only skilled or highly skilled professionals.
Though the government had subsequently asked all such `B' visa holders to return to their countries and come back only after converting their visas (from B to E), the decision sent alarm bells ringing across the private industry as it feared substantial delay in ongoing projects. Considering the implication of the decision on certain infrastructure projects, the government had asked a Committee of Secretaries (CoS) to look for an alternative to address such concerns.
"The separate visa regime for execution of projects in the power and steel sectors is the result of the CoS recommendation," said the official.
The guidelines for `P' Visa clearly say that its validity will initially be for the duration of the project/contract with multiple-entry facility. "It, however, cannot exceed one year. Besides, a person coming under `P' Visa cannot take employment in the same Indian company for a period of two years from the date of commissioning of the project," said the official.
Besides highly skilled or skilled workers who can be issued such visas on the basis of "sector specific ceilings on the maximum number of visas allowed for each project in the steel and power sectors", the Project Visa can also be issued to two chefs and two interpreters per project.
The guidelines also say: "A Project Visa holder cannot engage in another project either of the same company or of a different company and his or her work will be restricted to the location of the project."
According to the guidelines, the Indian company engaging the foreign national for executing the project/contract "will be responsible for the conduct of the foreign national during his or her stay in India and also for the departure of such foreign national upon expiry of the visa".
Besides, the Project Visa holder will have to register with the FRO/FRRO concerned within 14 days of arrival if the validity of the visa is more than 180 days......http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JS00vMjAxMC8xMS8xNyNBcjAxMTAw&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom
Vishwa Mohan, TNN, Nov 17, 2010, 03.03am IST
NEW DELHI: The government has introduced a separate visa regime -- called `P' (Project) Visa -- within the employment visa for foreign nationals coming to India for "execution of projects in the power and steel sectors".
The new regime will pave the way for foreign companies to bring "highly skilled or skilled" foreign nationals to India for executing projects of their Indian clients (companies) for a maximum period of one year without getting into the nitty-gritty of the two existing work-related visa regimes -- Business (B) and Employment (E) Visas. The facility will, however, not be available to companies in other sectors.
"Guidelines issued recently for `P' visa have come out with certain conditions, which are to be strictly followed while granting such visas. Project Visa will be issued only after approval from concerned authorities in India, the processing of which may take 45-50 days," said a senior home ministry official.
India had felt the need for a separate visa regime after it imposed strict restrictions on issuing of Business and Employment Visas last year. The home ministry had in June 2009 found that thousands of foreign nationals, mainly unskilled or semi-skilled workers from China, used the `B' visa route to come to India instead of coming on the `E' visas which are meant for only skilled or highly skilled professionals.
Though the government had subsequently asked all such `B' visa holders to return to their countries and come back only after converting their visas (from B to E), the decision sent alarm bells ringing across the private industry as it feared substantial delay in ongoing projects. Considering the implication of the decision on certain infrastructure projects, the government had asked a Committee of Secretaries (CoS) to look for an alternative to address such concerns.
"The separate visa regime for execution of projects in the power and steel sectors is the result of the CoS recommendation," said the official.
The guidelines for `P' Visa clearly say that its validity will initially be for the duration of the project/contract with multiple-entry facility. "It, however, cannot exceed one year. Besides, a person coming under `P' Visa cannot take employment in the same Indian company for a period of two years from the date of commissioning of the project," said the official.
Besides highly skilled or skilled workers who can be issued such visas on the basis of "sector specific ceilings on the maximum number of visas allowed for each project in the steel and power sectors", the Project Visa can also be issued to two chefs and two interpreters per project.
The guidelines also say: "A Project Visa holder cannot engage in another project either of the same company or of a different company and his or her work will be restricted to the location of the project."
According to the guidelines, the Indian company engaging the foreign national for executing the project/contract "will be responsible for the conduct of the foreign national during his or her stay in India and also for the departure of such foreign national upon expiry of the visa".
Besides, the Project Visa holder will have to register with the FRO/FRRO concerned within 14 days of arrival if the validity of the visa is more than 180 days......http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JS00vMjAxMC8xMS8xNyNBcjAxMTAw&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
FICN racket....the ISI-underworld network...Pakistan is allegedly using Dawood's network
For first time, India to name Pakistan in fake currency racket
Vishwa Mohan, TNN, Nov 16, 2010, 02.11am IST
NEW DELHI: With India having collected concrete evidence against Pakistan for allegedly printing and circulating fake Indian currency notes (FICNs), New Delhi will for the first time name Islamabad at various international fora soon.
An official said: "India will first approach the Financial Action Task Force -- an inter-governmental body -- whose purpose is the development and promotion of national and international policies to combat money laundering and terror financing. Subsequently, the matter will be raised before World Bank, IMF and Interpol."
Government sources said that a detailed dossier was being prepared incorporating the findings of various agencies like CBI and NIA which had over the years collected evidence, on how the FICNs were being printed at Quetta in Balochistan using "sophisticated machines" and "currency papers" which are actually meant for printing Pakistani currency notes.
Some time ago, the NIA in the chargesheet in an FICN case of Mumbai had clearly hinted at Pakistan's hand in printing and circulation of fake Indian currency. The chargesheet had said: "After thoroughly examining the FICN, it can be concluded that the notes have been printed on highly sophisticated machines which a common man cannot acquire since such machines involve huge capital investment. The perfection of window and watermarks formation indicates the manufacture of FICN paper on regular currency making machines which can only be owned by a country/state."
The chargesheet also said: "The wilful circulation of such high quality FICN printed abroad and smuggled into the country with the intent to threaten the economic security and sovereignty of India, therefore, tantamounts to a terrorist act committed to cause damage and destruction of India's legal tender and monetary system, thereby impeding the economic security of India."
Besides, the security agencies in India recently intercepted conversation between some Pakistani officials and their Indian agents which suggested that FICNs worth Rs 40 crore was ready to be sent to India. Only recently, the CBI had busted a racket by arresting seven persons in Delhi, Haryana, Bihar and West Bengal. Fake currency notes worth Rs one crore -- mostly in denomination of Rs 500 and Rs 100 -- were recovered from their possession.
"This gang had got all the FICNs from Pakistan. Forensic examination of the seized currency notes suggest that the paper used for the purpose was the one which was actually meant for printing Pakistan's currency," said a senior official.
It is suspected that Pakistan might have imported currency paper from European countries beyond its requirement and subsequently diverted it to print FICNs. The agencies here have found that while the FICNs are printed using Pakistan state agencies, these are being circulated through the underworld network of Dawood Ibrahim and his henchmen in West Asian and South-East Asian countries.
The FICNs seized in the recent past, officials said, showed that these notes were brought in by agents from Pakistan via Bangladesh, Nepal, Bangkok, Colombo, Dubai and sometimes Kuala Lumpur.
vishwa.mohan@timesgroup.com
--http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JTS8yMDEwLzExLzE2I0FyMDEyMDA=&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom
Vishwa Mohan, TNN, Nov 16, 2010, 02.11am IST
NEW DELHI: With India having collected concrete evidence against Pakistan for allegedly printing and circulating fake Indian currency notes (FICNs), New Delhi will for the first time name Islamabad at various international fora soon.
An official said: "India will first approach the Financial Action Task Force -- an inter-governmental body -- whose purpose is the development and promotion of national and international policies to combat money laundering and terror financing. Subsequently, the matter will be raised before World Bank, IMF and Interpol."
Government sources said that a detailed dossier was being prepared incorporating the findings of various agencies like CBI and NIA which had over the years collected evidence, on how the FICNs were being printed at Quetta in Balochistan using "sophisticated machines" and "currency papers" which are actually meant for printing Pakistani currency notes.
Some time ago, the NIA in the chargesheet in an FICN case of Mumbai had clearly hinted at Pakistan's hand in printing and circulation of fake Indian currency. The chargesheet had said: "After thoroughly examining the FICN, it can be concluded that the notes have been printed on highly sophisticated machines which a common man cannot acquire since such machines involve huge capital investment. The perfection of window and watermarks formation indicates the manufacture of FICN paper on regular currency making machines which can only be owned by a country/state."
The chargesheet also said: "The wilful circulation of such high quality FICN printed abroad and smuggled into the country with the intent to threaten the economic security and sovereignty of India, therefore, tantamounts to a terrorist act committed to cause damage and destruction of India's legal tender and monetary system, thereby impeding the economic security of India."
Besides, the security agencies in India recently intercepted conversation between some Pakistani officials and their Indian agents which suggested that FICNs worth Rs 40 crore was ready to be sent to India. Only recently, the CBI had busted a racket by arresting seven persons in Delhi, Haryana, Bihar and West Bengal. Fake currency notes worth Rs one crore -- mostly in denomination of Rs 500 and Rs 100 -- were recovered from their possession.
"This gang had got all the FICNs from Pakistan. Forensic examination of the seized currency notes suggest that the paper used for the purpose was the one which was actually meant for printing Pakistan's currency," said a senior official.
It is suspected that Pakistan might have imported currency paper from European countries beyond its requirement and subsequently diverted it to print FICNs. The agencies here have found that while the FICNs are printed using Pakistan state agencies, these are being circulated through the underworld network of Dawood Ibrahim and his henchmen in West Asian and South-East Asian countries.
The FICNs seized in the recent past, officials said, showed that these notes were brought in by agents from Pakistan via Bangladesh, Nepal, Bangkok, Colombo, Dubai and sometimes Kuala Lumpur.
vishwa.mohan@timesgroup.com
--http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JTS8yMDEwLzExLzE2I0FyMDEyMDA=&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom
Sunday, November 14, 2010
26\11 Mumbai terror attacks: Pakistan doesn't appear to be sincere in its efforts to punish the perpetrators
`Hand over voice samples of LeT terrorists'
Vishwa Mohan, TNN, Nov 14, 2010, 06.43am IST
NEW DELHI: India will reiterate its demand with Pakistan, asking it to hand over 'voice samples' of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists who have been in jail for their involvement in the 26\11 terror attacks and arrest the other key players including Hafiz Saeed and Sajid Majeed. New Delhi will send its formal communication to Islamabad ahead of the second anniversary of the Mumbai carnage.
"It will be second such request to Islamabad after Union home minister P Chidambaram raised the issue with his Pakistani counterpart Rehman Malik during their meeting in June. The matter had also come up as a follow-up during foreign minister-level talks in July," said a senior government official.
Although Malik had then promised to look at India's demand favourably, he later took recourse to judicial processes stating that his government would have to follow the court's direction in this regard. Pakistan had subsequently told India that three of the seven arrested ones -- Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, Zarar Shah and Abu-al-Qama -- had refused to provide their voice samples invoking self-incrimination clause (not giving evidence against themselves) in the law before the court.
Besides these three, the four other whose voice samples are being demanded by India are: Hamad Amin Sadiq, Shahid Jamil Riaz, Jamil Ahmed and Younas Anjum. India has been insisting for their 1voice samples' as it wants to match them with the `recorded' voices of the four persons who had been passing instructions to attackers from their Pakistan-based control room during 26\11. The `voice samples' will also help Indian sleuths in connecting certain dots which emerged during various intercepts.
Terming Pakistan's latest dossier to India as its "unreasonable demand", the home ministry official said it was nothing but only a "delaying tactic" on the part of Islamabad. Pakistan had demanded post-mortem reports of all 166 Mumbai terror victims and guns and clothes of terrorists, besides machines of boat and ruck-sack bags used by attackers.
The FBI investigation details and American terrorist David Coleman Headley's account have clearly pointed out presence of four LeT terrorists in control room during 26\11. Though Headley's account given to the NIA does not have any evidence-value as it was not allowed to be recorded under the prescribed law, his inputs will aid Indian agencies in further investigation.
The NIA, in its Headley's interrogation report, stated that the American Lashkar terrorist could recognise voices of Abu-al-Qama, Sajid Majid and Abu Qahafa. The agency in its 106-page report says: "Headley could not recognise the fourth voice. He believes that the person giving instruction to the terrorists at Chabad House was Sajid Majid. Sajid instructed the terrorist to kill everybody including women in the Chabad House. Abu-al-Qama was the person giving instructions to terrorist at Taj".
Headley also told his NIA interrogators in June that it was Abu Qahafa who told the attackers that "the entire Muslim Ummah (Muslim nation) was looking upto them and that they should not fail them". Quoting Sajid, Headley told the Indian agency that Abu Hamza was also present in the control room, though he could not recognise his voice.
Read more: `Hand over voice samples of LeT terrorists' - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Hand-over-voice-samples-of-LeT-terrorists/articleshow/6921485.cms#ixzz15ELXBvrS
Vishwa Mohan, TNN, Nov 14, 2010, 06.43am IST
NEW DELHI: India will reiterate its demand with Pakistan, asking it to hand over 'voice samples' of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists who have been in jail for their involvement in the 26\11 terror attacks and arrest the other key players including Hafiz Saeed and Sajid Majeed. New Delhi will send its formal communication to Islamabad ahead of the second anniversary of the Mumbai carnage.
"It will be second such request to Islamabad after Union home minister P Chidambaram raised the issue with his Pakistani counterpart Rehman Malik during their meeting in June. The matter had also come up as a follow-up during foreign minister-level talks in July," said a senior government official.
Although Malik had then promised to look at India's demand favourably, he later took recourse to judicial processes stating that his government would have to follow the court's direction in this regard. Pakistan had subsequently told India that three of the seven arrested ones -- Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, Zarar Shah and Abu-al-Qama -- had refused to provide their voice samples invoking self-incrimination clause (not giving evidence against themselves) in the law before the court.
Besides these three, the four other whose voice samples are being demanded by India are: Hamad Amin Sadiq, Shahid Jamil Riaz, Jamil Ahmed and Younas Anjum. India has been insisting for their 1voice samples' as it wants to match them with the `recorded' voices of the four persons who had been passing instructions to attackers from their Pakistan-based control room during 26\11. The `voice samples' will also help Indian sleuths in connecting certain dots which emerged during various intercepts.
Terming Pakistan's latest dossier to India as its "unreasonable demand", the home ministry official said it was nothing but only a "delaying tactic" on the part of Islamabad. Pakistan had demanded post-mortem reports of all 166 Mumbai terror victims and guns and clothes of terrorists, besides machines of boat and ruck-sack bags used by attackers.
The FBI investigation details and American terrorist David Coleman Headley's account have clearly pointed out presence of four LeT terrorists in control room during 26\11. Though Headley's account given to the NIA does not have any evidence-value as it was not allowed to be recorded under the prescribed law, his inputs will aid Indian agencies in further investigation.
The NIA, in its Headley's interrogation report, stated that the American Lashkar terrorist could recognise voices of Abu-al-Qama, Sajid Majid and Abu Qahafa. The agency in its 106-page report says: "Headley could not recognise the fourth voice. He believes that the person giving instruction to the terrorists at Chabad House was Sajid Majid. Sajid instructed the terrorist to kill everybody including women in the Chabad House. Abu-al-Qama was the person giving instructions to terrorist at Taj".
Headley also told his NIA interrogators in June that it was Abu Qahafa who told the attackers that "the entire Muslim Ummah (Muslim nation) was looking upto them and that they should not fail them". Quoting Sajid, Headley told the Indian agency that Abu Hamza was also present in the control room, though he could not recognise his voice.
Read more: `Hand over voice samples of LeT terrorists' - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Hand-over-voice-samples-of-LeT-terrorists/articleshow/6921485.cms#ixzz15ELXBvrS
Thursday, November 11, 2010
No place for corruption...A Raja's ouster from the Union Cabinet is almost clear
Raja on thin ice as opposition set on ouster
Vishwa Mohan & Pradeep Thakur, TNN, Nov 11, 2010, 12.59am IST
NEW DELHI/CHENNAI: With the Opposition set to shut down Parliament to force the ouster of telecom minister A Raja in light of the CAG's indictment of his role in the 2G spectrum scam, his term in office looks precarious.
As the Opposition paralysed both Houses and made plain its intent to continue doing so till the DMK minister remained in government, there were indications that Congress was planning to take up the matter with the telecom minister's political boss, M Karunanidhi.
Sources in the government acknowledged that the CAG's ``pinpointed'' indictment of Raja in the Rs 1.7 lakh crore 2G spectrum scam may have rendered his stay untenable, and indicated that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh may be constrained to speak with the TN chief minister after his return from the G20 summit in Seoul on Friday.
Pranab Mukherjee, finance minister and government's chief troubleshooter, had a meeting with the telecom minister who has resolutely proclaimed his innocence but has lately been looking beleaguered in view of the CAG report and adverse remarks by the Supreme Court on a petition alleging inaction in investigating the spectrum scam.
Karunanidhi has so far stonewalled discreet suggestions from Congress that Raja be asked to step down to dispel the darkening cloud of corruption over UPA-2. The DMK chief argued that the telecom minister needed to stay in view of the asssembly elections scheduled for next year.
But with the CAG report adding to the opposition's already formidable armoury, Congress feels the need for swift action.
Before the censure from CAG, Supreme Court had expressed its annoyance with his continuation in government in the face of allegations of a scam on his watch.
BJP-led opposition forced both Houses to adjourn by raising slogans against corruption in spectrum allocation, hosting of Commonwealth Games and the Adarsh housing society scam. They demanded Raja's resignation and a parliamentary probe into the allocation of spectrum.
Protests resumed as soon as the Houses reconvened, with the opposition again targeting Raja. Sources in the opposition said they would carry on the agitation till their demand for Raja's ouster was met.
In Chennai, opposition AIADMK ramped up its demand for Raja's scalp even as top DMK leaders rushed to defend him.
"Why should he (Raja) resign? How can you compare him with Kalmadi and Chavan, as inquiry committees confirmed the two leaders' role in the respective irregularities? Whatever Raja did was based on Trai norms. The CBI investigation is on, let it end first," said DMK MP TKS Elangovan.
However, there was a sense of unease in the lower rungs and apprehensions that the albatross of corruption may prove expensive during the elections. "Raja issue is a cancer. If our leader doesn't take action against Raja immediately, the party will definitely lose the upcoming election. The issue has also become a weapon for the opposition to attack us," said Srinivas Perumal, a party worker from Nagercoil.....http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JQ0gvMjAxMC8xMS8xMSNBcjAwMTA1&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom
Vishwa Mohan & Pradeep Thakur, TNN, Nov 11, 2010, 12.59am IST
NEW DELHI/CHENNAI: With the Opposition set to shut down Parliament to force the ouster of telecom minister A Raja in light of the CAG's indictment of his role in the 2G spectrum scam, his term in office looks precarious.
As the Opposition paralysed both Houses and made plain its intent to continue doing so till the DMK minister remained in government, there were indications that Congress was planning to take up the matter with the telecom minister's political boss, M Karunanidhi.
Sources in the government acknowledged that the CAG's ``pinpointed'' indictment of Raja in the Rs 1.7 lakh crore 2G spectrum scam may have rendered his stay untenable, and indicated that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh may be constrained to speak with the TN chief minister after his return from the G20 summit in Seoul on Friday.
Pranab Mukherjee, finance minister and government's chief troubleshooter, had a meeting with the telecom minister who has resolutely proclaimed his innocence but has lately been looking beleaguered in view of the CAG report and adverse remarks by the Supreme Court on a petition alleging inaction in investigating the spectrum scam.
Karunanidhi has so far stonewalled discreet suggestions from Congress that Raja be asked to step down to dispel the darkening cloud of corruption over UPA-2. The DMK chief argued that the telecom minister needed to stay in view of the asssembly elections scheduled for next year.
But with the CAG report adding to the opposition's already formidable armoury, Congress feels the need for swift action.
Before the censure from CAG, Supreme Court had expressed its annoyance with his continuation in government in the face of allegations of a scam on his watch.
BJP-led opposition forced both Houses to adjourn by raising slogans against corruption in spectrum allocation, hosting of Commonwealth Games and the Adarsh housing society scam. They demanded Raja's resignation and a parliamentary probe into the allocation of spectrum.
Protests resumed as soon as the Houses reconvened, with the opposition again targeting Raja. Sources in the opposition said they would carry on the agitation till their demand for Raja's ouster was met.
In Chennai, opposition AIADMK ramped up its demand for Raja's scalp even as top DMK leaders rushed to defend him.
"Why should he (Raja) resign? How can you compare him with Kalmadi and Chavan, as inquiry committees confirmed the two leaders' role in the respective irregularities? Whatever Raja did was based on Trai norms. The CBI investigation is on, let it end first," said DMK MP TKS Elangovan.
However, there was a sense of unease in the lower rungs and apprehensions that the albatross of corruption may prove expensive during the elections. "Raja issue is a cancer. If our leader doesn't take action against Raja immediately, the party will definitely lose the upcoming election. The issue has also become a weapon for the opposition to attack us," said Srinivas Perumal, a party worker from Nagercoil.....http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JQ0gvMjAxMC8xMS8xMSNBcjAwMTA1&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
American terrorist David Coleman Headley: Mystery continues....
Did US sit on info Headley gave on 26/11?
New Delhi Is Likely To Send A Set Of Questions To DC Regarding His Past
Vishwa Mohan\TNN
New Delhi: As the United States’ response to Indian concerns over David Coleman Headley has still left a few questions unanswered, New Delhi is likely to seek further clarifications from Washington by sending it a set of questions on the American Lashkar terrorist’s past in due course.
The US, in its one-page response to India about the finding of its review of the Lashkar terrorist case, on Monday admitted for the first time that “some information relating to Headley was available” to its government officials prior to “the Mumbai attacks”. It, however, stated that “it was not sufficiently established that he (Headley) was engaged in plotting a terrorist attack in India”.
Referring to the one-page report, an Indian government official said the US response was silent on when and why his connections to the US government ended. “There is a crucial question whether the US knew about Headley’s terror links when he had visited India in March last year,” said an official.
The US Director of National Intelligence, James R Clapper, had initiated the review into Headley’s US government connections after reports in October that two of the Lashkar terrorist’s ex-wives had informed the American authorities between 2005 and 2008 about his terror links.
The DNI office in its statement on Monday said: “The review finds that the United States government did not connect Headley to terrorism until 2009, after the attacks on Mumbai. Had the US government sufficiently established he was engaged in plotting a terrorist attack in India, the information would have most assuredly been transferred promptly to the Indian government.”
The Indian clarification may also include a question on why there was no mention in Headley’s passport that he had changed his name.
Officials here said that had there been any indication about Headley changing his name from Dawood Gilani and that he was a Pakistani-American, it would have definitely alerted Indian immigration officials during his multiple visits here.
The US, however, in its response took refuge in the “policies and procedures” that existed at the time in America. It mentioned that the “new watchlisting policies and procedures” were enacted much later — after the Christmas Day bomb scare in December last year.
The DNI statement said: “Since the December 2009 attempted terrorist attacks on the US, the Obama administration has focused on information sharing reforms — new watchlisting policies and procedures have been enacted, as well as an increased focus on the pursuit of seemingly desperate and unrelated information regarding reports on individuals and their activities.”...http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=Q0FQLzIwMTAvMTEvMTAjQXIwMTMwMA==&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom
New Delhi Is Likely To Send A Set Of Questions To DC Regarding His Past
Vishwa Mohan\TNN
New Delhi: As the United States’ response to Indian concerns over David Coleman Headley has still left a few questions unanswered, New Delhi is likely to seek further clarifications from Washington by sending it a set of questions on the American Lashkar terrorist’s past in due course.
The US, in its one-page response to India about the finding of its review of the Lashkar terrorist case, on Monday admitted for the first time that “some information relating to Headley was available” to its government officials prior to “the Mumbai attacks”. It, however, stated that “it was not sufficiently established that he (Headley) was engaged in plotting a terrorist attack in India”.
Referring to the one-page report, an Indian government official said the US response was silent on when and why his connections to the US government ended. “There is a crucial question whether the US knew about Headley’s terror links when he had visited India in March last year,” said an official.
The US Director of National Intelligence, James R Clapper, had initiated the review into Headley’s US government connections after reports in October that two of the Lashkar terrorist’s ex-wives had informed the American authorities between 2005 and 2008 about his terror links.
The DNI office in its statement on Monday said: “The review finds that the United States government did not connect Headley to terrorism until 2009, after the attacks on Mumbai. Had the US government sufficiently established he was engaged in plotting a terrorist attack in India, the information would have most assuredly been transferred promptly to the Indian government.”
The Indian clarification may also include a question on why there was no mention in Headley’s passport that he had changed his name.
Officials here said that had there been any indication about Headley changing his name from Dawood Gilani and that he was a Pakistani-American, it would have definitely alerted Indian immigration officials during his multiple visits here.
The US, however, in its response took refuge in the “policies and procedures” that existed at the time in America. It mentioned that the “new watchlisting policies and procedures” were enacted much later — after the Christmas Day bomb scare in December last year.
The DNI statement said: “Since the December 2009 attempted terrorist attacks on the US, the Obama administration has focused on information sharing reforms — new watchlisting policies and procedures have been enacted, as well as an increased focus on the pursuit of seemingly desperate and unrelated information regarding reports on individuals and their activities.”...http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=Q0FQLzIwMTAvMTEvMTAjQXIwMTMwMA==&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom
Sunday, November 7, 2010
American terrorist David Coleman Headley's interrogation report...as claimed by NIA
'26/11 terrorists planned to attack Mumbai police HQ'
TNN, Nov 2, 2010, 03.39am IST
NEW DELHI: Had the 26/11 attackers landed during the day on Mumbai's coast, the Mumbai police headquarters at Crawford Market would have also been attacked on the first day of the carnage.
The 10 Pakistani terrorists including Ajmal Kasab — the lone arrested attacker — landed ashore on November 26 night and therefore they moved to CST as per the Lashkar's Plan B.
This was shared by American Lashkar terrorist David Coleman Headley with interrogators of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in June. He also told the Indian sleuths that originally, 13 attackers — including an Indian (possibly from Maharashtra) who was considered a good "asset" — were trained for the attack, but Lashkar commander Sajid Majid later dropped three of them from the mission.
"One Indian, possibly from Maharashtra who was considered an asset, was finally dropped as Sajid wanted to use him elsewhere. I have no information as to what happened to this Indian boy," Headley is believed to have told the NIA team which questioned him in the wake of the American terrorist's plea bargaining with US prosecuting agencies.
Under the plea bargaining, the US agency had accepted his demand of not being extradited to India, Pakistan or Denmark.
During his questioning, Headley also gave details of Lashkar's attack on IISc in Bangalore where an IIT professor M C Puri was killed. He told the NIA team that the entire operation was executed by LeT's commander Abu Hamza. Another terrorist Abdul Aziz had supervised this operation in December 2005.
Headley, who has been under the witness protection programme of the US agency, had also told interrogators that he, on being asked, could "identify the persons and locations" in India, Pakistan, US and Denmark that he had mentioned during his questioning.
Officials here, however, believe that the NIA's interrogation report does not have any evidence value as per Headley's plea bargaining agreement. "The US had, in fact, not even allowed the NIA the video or audio recordings of the interrogation proceedings," said an official.
'CDs of Bajrangi’s hate speech used to incite Lashkar cadre'
TNN, Nov 3, 2010, 04.10am IST
NEW DELHI: Use of videos of alleged atrocities on Indian Muslims during the Gujarat riots by terror groups to motivate jihadis had never been a secret, but how one particular CD -- Babu Bajrangi's video -- clicked with trainers to send an instant message among trainees, including a New Zealander convert, is something which Indian sleuths had never heard of.
This was revealed to them by none other than American Lashkar terrorist David Coleman Headley who had not only been trained watching the CD in terror camps in Pakistan but had also seen how even the New Zealander got enraged watching the video and vowed to visit India for jihad.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) -- which questioned Headley in Chicago in June -- has also mentioned in its 106-page interrogation report about these training programmes and the presence of the convert from New Zealand in one of the terror camps in Pakistan.
Headley had told NIA: "Sajid, Muzzammil and Abu Qahafa (all Lashkar commanders) showed me a number of CDs of atrocities on Indian Muslims. Babu Bajrangi's videos of Gujarat riots were also shown (during one of the training programmes)."
In the video referred to by Headley, the right-wing Bajrang Dal leader Babu Bajrangi was shown spitting venom against Muslims in Gujarat during the 2002 riots. He purportedly said on camera during the riots that he would not spare a single Muslim, no matter what he had to do for this.
Headley told the NIA that he and fellow jihadis not only got arms training and various techniques used by spies but also learned how to be a leader in any mission.
According to his disclosure, the Lashkar organises specific training programmes on leadership by conducting various seminars. "This course is called Dhaura-e-Tadribul Musaleen. During this Dhaura, speeches were given by Hafiz Saeed, Andur Rehman Makki and others," he said.
He also mentioned that during one of the seminars, Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Maulana Masood Azhar had come and given a long speech on waging jihad against India.
Read more: 'CDs of Bajrangi’s hate speech used to incite Lashkar cadre' - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/6861274.cms?prtpage=1#ixzz14XaoWfRw
TNN, Nov 2, 2010, 03.39am IST
NEW DELHI: Had the 26/11 attackers landed during the day on Mumbai's coast, the Mumbai police headquarters at Crawford Market would have also been attacked on the first day of the carnage.
The 10 Pakistani terrorists including Ajmal Kasab — the lone arrested attacker — landed ashore on November 26 night and therefore they moved to CST as per the Lashkar's Plan B.
This was shared by American Lashkar terrorist David Coleman Headley with interrogators of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in June. He also told the Indian sleuths that originally, 13 attackers — including an Indian (possibly from Maharashtra) who was considered a good "asset" — were trained for the attack, but Lashkar commander Sajid Majid later dropped three of them from the mission.
"One Indian, possibly from Maharashtra who was considered an asset, was finally dropped as Sajid wanted to use him elsewhere. I have no information as to what happened to this Indian boy," Headley is believed to have told the NIA team which questioned him in the wake of the American terrorist's plea bargaining with US prosecuting agencies.
Under the plea bargaining, the US agency had accepted his demand of not being extradited to India, Pakistan or Denmark.
During his questioning, Headley also gave details of Lashkar's attack on IISc in Bangalore where an IIT professor M C Puri was killed. He told the NIA team that the entire operation was executed by LeT's commander Abu Hamza. Another terrorist Abdul Aziz had supervised this operation in December 2005.
Headley, who has been under the witness protection programme of the US agency, had also told interrogators that he, on being asked, could "identify the persons and locations" in India, Pakistan, US and Denmark that he had mentioned during his questioning.
Officials here, however, believe that the NIA's interrogation report does not have any evidence value as per Headley's plea bargaining agreement. "The US had, in fact, not even allowed the NIA the video or audio recordings of the interrogation proceedings," said an official.
'CDs of Bajrangi’s hate speech used to incite Lashkar cadre'
TNN, Nov 3, 2010, 04.10am IST
NEW DELHI: Use of videos of alleged atrocities on Indian Muslims during the Gujarat riots by terror groups to motivate jihadis had never been a secret, but how one particular CD -- Babu Bajrangi's video -- clicked with trainers to send an instant message among trainees, including a New Zealander convert, is something which Indian sleuths had never heard of.
This was revealed to them by none other than American Lashkar terrorist David Coleman Headley who had not only been trained watching the CD in terror camps in Pakistan but had also seen how even the New Zealander got enraged watching the video and vowed to visit India for jihad.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) -- which questioned Headley in Chicago in June -- has also mentioned in its 106-page interrogation report about these training programmes and the presence of the convert from New Zealand in one of the terror camps in Pakistan.
Headley had told NIA: "Sajid, Muzzammil and Abu Qahafa (all Lashkar commanders) showed me a number of CDs of atrocities on Indian Muslims. Babu Bajrangi's videos of Gujarat riots were also shown (during one of the training programmes)."
In the video referred to by Headley, the right-wing Bajrang Dal leader Babu Bajrangi was shown spitting venom against Muslims in Gujarat during the 2002 riots. He purportedly said on camera during the riots that he would not spare a single Muslim, no matter what he had to do for this.
Headley told the NIA that he and fellow jihadis not only got arms training and various techniques used by spies but also learned how to be a leader in any mission.
According to his disclosure, the Lashkar organises specific training programmes on leadership by conducting various seminars. "This course is called Dhaura-e-Tadribul Musaleen. During this Dhaura, speeches were given by Hafiz Saeed, Andur Rehman Makki and others," he said.
He also mentioned that during one of the seminars, Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Maulana Masood Azhar had come and given a long speech on waging jihad against India.
Read more: 'CDs of Bajrangi’s hate speech used to incite Lashkar cadre' - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/6861274.cms?prtpage=1#ixzz14XaoWfRw
Thursday, October 28, 2010
American terrorist: US role in Headley's episode continues to haunt India......almost to the point of disbelief and major apprehension!
26/11 attacks: Home secy, US envoy spar over lack of info on Headley
Vishwa Mohan & Sachin Parashar, TNN, Oct 28, 2010, 12.42am IST
NEW DELHI: With just a little over a week to go for US President Barack Obama's visit, the simmering unease regarding when exactly Washington warned India about Lashkar terrorist David Headley came out in the open, with both sides picking holes in each other's contentions.
The exchange took on a distinctly sharp note shortly after Union home secretary G K Pillai on Wednesday expressed "disappointment" over India not having received any specific terror input. US ambassador Timothy Roemer shot back, saying US had provided "regular and consistent" information to India prior to the Mumbai attacks.
"Let's address the Headley issue headlong," Roemer said in front of TV cameras, pointing to cooperation against terror before and after 26/11 that was "saving lives daily". As 9/11 commissioner, he saw US denied access to prime al-Qaida plotter Khalid Sheikh Mohammed but India had been granted "unprecedented" access to Headley, he said.
Roemer's remarks, however, led to a more emphatic intervention from Pillai. "...We are a little disappointed that the name of David Headley was not shared with us either pre-26/11 or after 26/11 when he subsequently came to India also," he said.
Pillai's remarks are, in fact, the first 'official' admission from India about Indian agencies' assertions that the US knew about Headley's 'activities' much before it actually informed India about him. Asked if there was an impression that while India has been forthcoming in sharing information with the US, the US has not been sharing all, Pillai told a news channel: "I think partly true, but not fully. I think they have shared but I would appreciate if it had been much more than what they have been doing".
The emerging irritation over an area where India and US have had no differences is not the best augury for the Obama visit, and indicates a divergence of views. The US believes it has been more than forthcoming in helping India on 26/11 while the home ministry clearly feels it should have been told of Headley's Lashkar identity.
Pillai said information on Headley could have helped Indian authorities nab the Pakistan-born US citizen when he visited India after the attack, in March 2009. US authorities finally held Headley on October 9, 2009, when he was boarding a flight at Chicago.
Responding to queries on the US authorities reportedly failing to act on information from one of Headley's wives, Roemer said India had been given "unprecedented" access to Headley and that the US was not afraid of what he might reveal. "When India asked America for access to Headley, we gave it. Because India is our strategic partner and our friend and somebody with whom we share intelligence on regular and consistent basis," he said.
"So, India could sit down with Headley and ask him what happened prior to Mumbai. We are not afraid what he will say. In fact, we provided that opportunity to India to ask anything they want," the US envoy added.
Opinion is divided on whether US would have revealed a "source" and an "agent" in Headley. It is also not clear when exactly American agencies concluded that he had changed from being a double agent to a convert to the Lashkar cause. His arrest was preceded by a detailed FBI operation, taping his conversations with accomplice Tahawwur Hussain Rana.
On whether or not Headley was a double agent providing information to US authorities about terror groups, Pillai said, "It could be. We don't know if Headley was a source for the US. That is something the US government has never said he was".
Clearly rattled by constant assertions by Indian authorities, including the external affairs ministry, Roemer said the US cannot be accused of hiding any information about the terror accused. "The US shared intelligence on a regular and consistent basis with the government of India prior to the Mumbai attacks. We have also shared information with the government of India after the Mumbai attacks. Now, it's historic and unprecedented in nature. It is saving lives on a daily basis," said Roemer.
Pillai's remark came barely a week after both foreign minister S M Krishna and foreign secretary Nirupama Rao stated that information shared about Headley before the Mumbai attacks was "non-specific".
Indian agencies have all along believed that Headley had also worked for US agencies and therefore he had been in touch with Lashkar terrorists as a 'double agent'. He might have turned rogue and switched his side completely towards Lashkar prior to the 26\11 terror attacks....http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=Q0FQLzIwMTAvMTAvMjgjQXIwMDMwMA==&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom
Vishwa Mohan & Sachin Parashar, TNN, Oct 28, 2010, 12.42am IST
NEW DELHI: With just a little over a week to go for US President Barack Obama's visit, the simmering unease regarding when exactly Washington warned India about Lashkar terrorist David Headley came out in the open, with both sides picking holes in each other's contentions.
The exchange took on a distinctly sharp note shortly after Union home secretary G K Pillai on Wednesday expressed "disappointment" over India not having received any specific terror input. US ambassador Timothy Roemer shot back, saying US had provided "regular and consistent" information to India prior to the Mumbai attacks.
"Let's address the Headley issue headlong," Roemer said in front of TV cameras, pointing to cooperation against terror before and after 26/11 that was "saving lives daily". As 9/11 commissioner, he saw US denied access to prime al-Qaida plotter Khalid Sheikh Mohammed but India had been granted "unprecedented" access to Headley, he said.
Roemer's remarks, however, led to a more emphatic intervention from Pillai. "...We are a little disappointed that the name of David Headley was not shared with us either pre-26/11 or after 26/11 when he subsequently came to India also," he said.
Pillai's remarks are, in fact, the first 'official' admission from India about Indian agencies' assertions that the US knew about Headley's 'activities' much before it actually informed India about him. Asked if there was an impression that while India has been forthcoming in sharing information with the US, the US has not been sharing all, Pillai told a news channel: "I think partly true, but not fully. I think they have shared but I would appreciate if it had been much more than what they have been doing".
The emerging irritation over an area where India and US have had no differences is not the best augury for the Obama visit, and indicates a divergence of views. The US believes it has been more than forthcoming in helping India on 26/11 while the home ministry clearly feels it should have been told of Headley's Lashkar identity.
Pillai said information on Headley could have helped Indian authorities nab the Pakistan-born US citizen when he visited India after the attack, in March 2009. US authorities finally held Headley on October 9, 2009, when he was boarding a flight at Chicago.
Responding to queries on the US authorities reportedly failing to act on information from one of Headley's wives, Roemer said India had been given "unprecedented" access to Headley and that the US was not afraid of what he might reveal. "When India asked America for access to Headley, we gave it. Because India is our strategic partner and our friend and somebody with whom we share intelligence on regular and consistent basis," he said.
"So, India could sit down with Headley and ask him what happened prior to Mumbai. We are not afraid what he will say. In fact, we provided that opportunity to India to ask anything they want," the US envoy added.
Opinion is divided on whether US would have revealed a "source" and an "agent" in Headley. It is also not clear when exactly American agencies concluded that he had changed from being a double agent to a convert to the Lashkar cause. His arrest was preceded by a detailed FBI operation, taping his conversations with accomplice Tahawwur Hussain Rana.
On whether or not Headley was a double agent providing information to US authorities about terror groups, Pillai said, "It could be. We don't know if Headley was a source for the US. That is something the US government has never said he was".
Clearly rattled by constant assertions by Indian authorities, including the external affairs ministry, Roemer said the US cannot be accused of hiding any information about the terror accused. "The US shared intelligence on a regular and consistent basis with the government of India prior to the Mumbai attacks. We have also shared information with the government of India after the Mumbai attacks. Now, it's historic and unprecedented in nature. It is saving lives on a daily basis," said Roemer.
Pillai's remark came barely a week after both foreign minister S M Krishna and foreign secretary Nirupama Rao stated that information shared about Headley before the Mumbai attacks was "non-specific".
Indian agencies have all along believed that Headley had also worked for US agencies and therefore he had been in touch with Lashkar terrorists as a 'double agent'. He might have turned rogue and switched his side completely towards Lashkar prior to the 26\11 terror attacks....http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=Q0FQLzIwMTAvMTAvMjgjQXIwMDMwMA==&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
American terrorist David Coleman Headley....jihadi or professional spy?
ISI even has a 'Nepal set-up': Headley
Vishwa Mohan, TNN, Oct 27, 2010, 03.39am IST
NEW DELHI: Pakistani spy agency ISI does not only have a " Karachi set-up" to bleed India using locals through the Lashkar network, but also has an exclusive " Nepal set-up" to pursue its design by putting Nepalese and their Indian relatives on the job.
The revelation came from American terrorist David Coleman Headley who had told the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in June about the existence of the `Nepal set-up', which has its network in India, to aid ISI as and when needed. The basic component of the set-up is to use the network of Nepalese Muslims through their friends and relatives in India.
Headley told his interrogators: "Abdur Rehman (retired Major of Pakistan Army) has a set-up in eastern part of Nepal which has sizable Muslim population. I got an impression that there was close coordination between the `Karachi set-up' and 'Nepal set-up', both run by him (at the behest of ISI)."
Sketchy details of the `Nepal set-up' are there in the Headley's 106-page interrogation report, compiled by NIA. The American terrorist, who was arrested by FBI in Chicago in October last year, told the agency: "One Papu of Nepal whose son is in India, is an important component of Abdur Rehman's set-up." He, however, claimed that he did not have any information about Papu.
The reference to the `Nepal set-up' had also come up during his interrogation when he told the NIA sleuths that Rehman had once hinted to him about taking help from his `Nepal set-up' for carrying out the attack on the National Defence College (NDC) in Delhi. Rehman had put in place the set-up when he visited Nepal twice during 2005-06. As it was an exclusive ISI set-up, Rehman did not share details of his Nepal visit with any Lashkar member.
Obviously, the easy movement of Nepalese citizens (without passport and visa requirements) in India could be the reason behind setting up the ISI base among the Muslim population in Nepal.
The `Karachi set-up' was also put in place by Rehman who had trained some Indian youths for carrying out attacks in India and thereby giving an impression of `home-grown terror'.
Headley, who had been on a mission to finalize the plan to attack a Danish newspaper establishment in Copenhagen at the time of his arrest, also claimed that he had, in fact, volunteered as a suicide bomber for the `Denmark plot', if Rehman found it difficult to have cadres ready for a `hit and escape' type of action.
He was, however, arrested on October 3 last year at Chicago airport while he was going to Pakistan to share finer details of the Danish plot with Rehman and Sajid (another Lashkar commander).
Headley's interrogation report also points out at growing apprehensions among Lashkar cadres about the Pakistan government's roles in war against Talibans on the western front. As some of the LeT's cadres had already dropped their Kashmir mission for fighting alongside fellow jihadis in Afghanistan, the outfit faced some differences within the cadres as well as with ISI.
Headley claimed that once he and Rehman (who opted out of the Kashmir mission for operation against western forces in Afghanistan unlike Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi) along with others had even discussed "a plan to assassinate then President Pervez Musharraf". He later said Zaki (who was focused on his Indian mission) had, however, been angry at them for discussing such a thing.....http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JQkcvMjAxMC8xMC8yNyNBcjAxMTAw&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom
Vishwa Mohan, TNN, Oct 27, 2010, 03.39am IST
NEW DELHI: Pakistani spy agency ISI does not only have a " Karachi set-up" to bleed India using locals through the Lashkar network, but also has an exclusive " Nepal set-up" to pursue its design by putting Nepalese and their Indian relatives on the job.
The revelation came from American terrorist David Coleman Headley who had told the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in June about the existence of the `Nepal set-up', which has its network in India, to aid ISI as and when needed. The basic component of the set-up is to use the network of Nepalese Muslims through their friends and relatives in India.
Headley told his interrogators: "Abdur Rehman (retired Major of Pakistan Army) has a set-up in eastern part of Nepal which has sizable Muslim population. I got an impression that there was close coordination between the `Karachi set-up' and 'Nepal set-up', both run by him (at the behest of ISI)."
Sketchy details of the `Nepal set-up' are there in the Headley's 106-page interrogation report, compiled by NIA. The American terrorist, who was arrested by FBI in Chicago in October last year, told the agency: "One Papu of Nepal whose son is in India, is an important component of Abdur Rehman's set-up." He, however, claimed that he did not have any information about Papu.
The reference to the `Nepal set-up' had also come up during his interrogation when he told the NIA sleuths that Rehman had once hinted to him about taking help from his `Nepal set-up' for carrying out the attack on the National Defence College (NDC) in Delhi. Rehman had put in place the set-up when he visited Nepal twice during 2005-06. As it was an exclusive ISI set-up, Rehman did not share details of his Nepal visit with any Lashkar member.
Obviously, the easy movement of Nepalese citizens (without passport and visa requirements) in India could be the reason behind setting up the ISI base among the Muslim population in Nepal.
The `Karachi set-up' was also put in place by Rehman who had trained some Indian youths for carrying out attacks in India and thereby giving an impression of `home-grown terror'.
Headley, who had been on a mission to finalize the plan to attack a Danish newspaper establishment in Copenhagen at the time of his arrest, also claimed that he had, in fact, volunteered as a suicide bomber for the `Denmark plot', if Rehman found it difficult to have cadres ready for a `hit and escape' type of action.
He was, however, arrested on October 3 last year at Chicago airport while he was going to Pakistan to share finer details of the Danish plot with Rehman and Sajid (another Lashkar commander).
Headley's interrogation report also points out at growing apprehensions among Lashkar cadres about the Pakistan government's roles in war against Talibans on the western front. As some of the LeT's cadres had already dropped their Kashmir mission for fighting alongside fellow jihadis in Afghanistan, the outfit faced some differences within the cadres as well as with ISI.
Headley claimed that once he and Rehman (who opted out of the Kashmir mission for operation against western forces in Afghanistan unlike Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi) along with others had even discussed "a plan to assassinate then President Pervez Musharraf". He later said Zaki (who was focused on his Indian mission) had, however, been angry at them for discussing such a thing.....http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JQkcvMjAxMC8xMC8yNyNBcjAxMTAw&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Arundhati Roy:..Is she one of the most misunderstood authors\persons\liberals in India?
Fit case to try Geelani, Roy for sedition: Cops
Vishwa Mohan, TNN, Oct 26, 2010, 12.19am IST
NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police has said that there is a fit case for trying separatist Kashmiri leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Booker Prize-winning author Arundhati Roy for making `seditious' speeches here last week, but the Centre is unlikely to rush into any action.
Sources said that Delhi Police's legal wing has, after examining the contents of the anti- India speeches of Geelani and Roy, recommended that cases under section 124(A) of the Indian Penal Code can be registered against the duo.
The opinion presents the Centre with a dilemma. It has been taunted by the BJP for not taking action against Geelani and Roy for their anti-India rhetoric. At the same time, it also has to reckon with the consequences of action against Geelani and Roy since it is sure to be painted as persecution and milked for putting the country in the dock at a time when secessionists and sympathisers have been shrewdly trying to put J&K on the global frontburner.
Roy, in particular, has been adept at turning such situations into PR feasts, said a senior official, adding that the matter needs to be looked more through the prism of a politician rather than the view of Delhi cops.
Section 124(A) deals with attempt to incite disaffection, hatred and contempt, "by words, either spoken or written, or by signs, or by visible representation, or otherwise", against govenment established by law. Life imprisionment is the maximum punishment prescribed for those convicted under the section.
Failure to punish can have its own costs, with the BJP set to pounce upon it as another evidence of the "soft-on-terror" charge it has frequently levelled against the UPA government. Indeed, home minister P Chidambaram's announcement that the Delhi Police would take action against Geelani and others if it is established prima facie that the laws have been violated, came after a sharp attack from BJP's Arun Jaitley.
The ministry will, however, give its go-ahead to the Delhi Police's call after consulting the law ministry soon amid apprehensions in certain quarters within the government that such a drastic step may just trivialise the larger issue of Kashmir problem.
Geelani and Roy made their speeches attacking India and justifying J&K's secession at a seminar organised by human rights activists, liberals and Maoist sympathisers. Security agencies see the coalition itself as a cause of concern in view of the growing indications of attempts to knock the Maoists and the Islamist secessionists into a front. The lead up to the Commonwealth Games saw the intelligence agencies intercepting messages pointing to ISI's anxiety to forge an alliance of Kashmiri extremists, remnants of Khalistani outfits, the Maoists and the underworld to organise terror strikes on India......http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=Q0FQLzIwMTAvMTAvMjYjQXIwMDMwNg==&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom
Vishwa Mohan, TNN, Oct 26, 2010, 12.19am IST
NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police has said that there is a fit case for trying separatist Kashmiri leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Booker Prize-winning author Arundhati Roy for making `seditious' speeches here last week, but the Centre is unlikely to rush into any action.
Sources said that Delhi Police's legal wing has, after examining the contents of the anti- India speeches of Geelani and Roy, recommended that cases under section 124(A) of the Indian Penal Code can be registered against the duo.
The opinion presents the Centre with a dilemma. It has been taunted by the BJP for not taking action against Geelani and Roy for their anti-India rhetoric. At the same time, it also has to reckon with the consequences of action against Geelani and Roy since it is sure to be painted as persecution and milked for putting the country in the dock at a time when secessionists and sympathisers have been shrewdly trying to put J&K on the global frontburner.
Roy, in particular, has been adept at turning such situations into PR feasts, said a senior official, adding that the matter needs to be looked more through the prism of a politician rather than the view of Delhi cops.
Section 124(A) deals with attempt to incite disaffection, hatred and contempt, "by words, either spoken or written, or by signs, or by visible representation, or otherwise", against govenment established by law. Life imprisionment is the maximum punishment prescribed for those convicted under the section.
Failure to punish can have its own costs, with the BJP set to pounce upon it as another evidence of the "soft-on-terror" charge it has frequently levelled against the UPA government. Indeed, home minister P Chidambaram's announcement that the Delhi Police would take action against Geelani and others if it is established prima facie that the laws have been violated, came after a sharp attack from BJP's Arun Jaitley.
The ministry will, however, give its go-ahead to the Delhi Police's call after consulting the law ministry soon amid apprehensions in certain quarters within the government that such a drastic step may just trivialise the larger issue of Kashmir problem.
Geelani and Roy made their speeches attacking India and justifying J&K's secession at a seminar organised by human rights activists, liberals and Maoist sympathisers. Security agencies see the coalition itself as a cause of concern in view of the growing indications of attempts to knock the Maoists and the Islamist secessionists into a front. The lead up to the Commonwealth Games saw the intelligence agencies intercepting messages pointing to ISI's anxiety to forge an alliance of Kashmiri extremists, remnants of Khalistani outfits, the Maoists and the underworld to organise terror strikes on India......http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=Q0FQLzIwMTAvMTAvMjYjQXIwMDMwNg==&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Enemy Properties continue to haunt policy makers in India
Chidambaram, Khurshid in row over Enemy Property Bill
Vishwa Mohan, TNN, Oct 21, 2010, 01.14am IST
NEW DELHI: The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved a bill meant to amend the Enemy Property Act 1968, after a heated exchange between home minister P Chidambaram and minority affairs minister Salman Khurshid.
Sources in the Cabinet said sparks flew in the meeting when Khursheed expressed reservations about the way the home ministry had handled the matter after courts restored "enemy properties" to Raja of Mehmoodabad M A M Khan and others.
Chidambaram, according to those present, responded, saying the minority affairs minister had been the Raja's counsel and this indicated a conflict of interest.
With Khurshid also retorting, PM Manmohan Singh had to intervene to calm matters down. Singh is said to have remarked that enough was enough, and it was time to put an end to the argument.
The confiscated properties were declared "enemy property" after the 1965 war with Pakistan and have been placed under state-appointed custodians.
The bill stipulates that the custodian's control will cease to exist in case of those "enemy properties" whose titles were settled by courts in favour of a "legal heir", who is an Indian citizen by birth, before July 2 this year. The Raja of Mehmoodabad will be the biggest beneficiary if the proposed legislation gets Parliament's nod, as the courts have recognized his claim over properties worth hundreds of crores, including sprawling real estate in Lucknow and various UP towns.
But Raja's worries are not going to abate, considering that the bill has to be cleared by Parliament's standing committee on home. The panel is headed by BJP's M Venkaiah Naidu and includes party veteran L K Advani, not a comforting position for the Raja, considering BJP's opposition to the move to let the properties go back to the descendants of those who left for Pakistan.
The proposed amendments will, however, end the scope for any fresh litigation in the matter and virtually give the Centre absolute power to take decision on divestment.
The proposed law — the Enemy Property (Amendment and Validation) Second Bill, 2010 — says, ''The enemy property shall continue to vest in the custodian till it is divested by the central government and enemy property could be divested only to owner or his lawful heir." Other proposed amendments include transfer of any enemy property shall not include any transfer or any claim of transfer made through oral will or oral gift, or if it has been done without permission of competent authority and "no court shall order divestment from custodian or direct central government to divest enemy property".
---http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JTC8yMDEwLzEwLzIxI0FyMDAxMDA=&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom
Vishwa Mohan, TNN, Oct 21, 2010, 01.14am IST
NEW DELHI: The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved a bill meant to amend the Enemy Property Act 1968, after a heated exchange between home minister P Chidambaram and minority affairs minister Salman Khurshid.
Sources in the Cabinet said sparks flew in the meeting when Khursheed expressed reservations about the way the home ministry had handled the matter after courts restored "enemy properties" to Raja of Mehmoodabad M A M Khan and others.
Chidambaram, according to those present, responded, saying the minority affairs minister had been the Raja's counsel and this indicated a conflict of interest.
With Khurshid also retorting, PM Manmohan Singh had to intervene to calm matters down. Singh is said to have remarked that enough was enough, and it was time to put an end to the argument.
The confiscated properties were declared "enemy property" after the 1965 war with Pakistan and have been placed under state-appointed custodians.
The bill stipulates that the custodian's control will cease to exist in case of those "enemy properties" whose titles were settled by courts in favour of a "legal heir", who is an Indian citizen by birth, before July 2 this year. The Raja of Mehmoodabad will be the biggest beneficiary if the proposed legislation gets Parliament's nod, as the courts have recognized his claim over properties worth hundreds of crores, including sprawling real estate in Lucknow and various UP towns.
But Raja's worries are not going to abate, considering that the bill has to be cleared by Parliament's standing committee on home. The panel is headed by BJP's M Venkaiah Naidu and includes party veteran L K Advani, not a comforting position for the Raja, considering BJP's opposition to the move to let the properties go back to the descendants of those who left for Pakistan.
The proposed amendments will, however, end the scope for any fresh litigation in the matter and virtually give the Centre absolute power to take decision on divestment.
The proposed law — the Enemy Property (Amendment and Validation) Second Bill, 2010 — says, ''The enemy property shall continue to vest in the custodian till it is divested by the central government and enemy property could be divested only to owner or his lawful heir." Other proposed amendments include transfer of any enemy property shall not include any transfer or any claim of transfer made through oral will or oral gift, or if it has been done without permission of competent authority and "no court shall order divestment from custodian or direct central government to divest enemy property".
---http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JTC8yMDEwLzEwLzIxI0FyMDAxMDA=&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Civil Services Examination...a new beginning...much awaited indeed!
New syllabus for 2011 prelims
UPSC Wants To Test Candidates’ Aptitude More Than Their Subject Knowledge
Vishwa Mohan TNN
New Delhi: Introducing a system of level-playing field for aspirants of India’s elite services—IAS, IFS, IPS and others—the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has come out with a new syllabus for the 2011 preliminary examination, which among other skills and aptitude of the candidates will test their knowledge on “environmental ecology, bio-diversity and climate change”.
The aspirants will also be tested for English language comprehension skills. As of now, the English language test is part of qualifying papers without having any weightage in the civil services (Main) examination. Those with good English skills could now stand a greater chance to qualify for the main. The new syllabus will have two common papers of 200 marks each, unlike the current system that gives more weightage to subject paper (300 marks) than the common general awareness paper (150 marks).
Most government panels had advocated for laying greater emphasis on “aptitude” of candidates than their subject knowledges, arguing that specialists or experts of any particular subject may not necessarily be good civil servants. “The new syllabus will provide a level-playing field and equity, since all candidates will have to attempt common papers unlike the current format which provides for only one common paper,” an official said.
The first paper under the new syllabus will be more or less like the current general awareness paper with certain additions to it on issues like climate change and biodiversity.
The second paper—being introduced by replacing the optional (subject) paper-—will have aptitude, data interpretation and English language comprehension skills, more or less on the lines of MBA entrance test in India.
The second paper comprises general comprehension; inter-personal skills, including communication skills; logical reasoning and analytical ability; decision making and problem solving; general mental ability; basic numbers and their relations (secondary level); and data interpretation (charts, graphs, tables and data sufficiency). The English language comprehension skills will also be of secondary level.
The first paper, on the other hand, will test civil services aspirants on current events of national and international importance, Indian history, Indian and world geography, Indian polity and governance, economic and social development and general science, besides environmental ecology, bio-diversity and climate change.
The new syllabus is only meant for preliminary examination, which shortlists candidates for the CS (Main) Examination. “The syllabus for the CS (Main) will be changed in due course,” a ministry of personnel official said.
TESTING TIMES
• In 2011 UPSC prelims, candidates will be tested on environmental ecology, biodiversity and climate change and English language comprehension skills
• There will now be 2 common papers of 200 marks each, unlike 300 marks for subject paper and 150 for general awareness now
• The first paper will be like general awareness plus questions on climate change and bio-diversity
• The second paper will have aptitude, data interpretation and English language comprehension skills, more or less on the lines of MBA entrance tests in India
---http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JTS8yMDEwLzEwLzE5I0FyMDE1MDA=&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom
UPSC Wants To Test Candidates’ Aptitude More Than Their Subject Knowledge
Vishwa Mohan TNN
New Delhi: Introducing a system of level-playing field for aspirants of India’s elite services—IAS, IFS, IPS and others—the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has come out with a new syllabus for the 2011 preliminary examination, which among other skills and aptitude of the candidates will test their knowledge on “environmental ecology, bio-diversity and climate change”.
The aspirants will also be tested for English language comprehension skills. As of now, the English language test is part of qualifying papers without having any weightage in the civil services (Main) examination. Those with good English skills could now stand a greater chance to qualify for the main. The new syllabus will have two common papers of 200 marks each, unlike the current system that gives more weightage to subject paper (300 marks) than the common general awareness paper (150 marks).
Most government panels had advocated for laying greater emphasis on “aptitude” of candidates than their subject knowledges, arguing that specialists or experts of any particular subject may not necessarily be good civil servants. “The new syllabus will provide a level-playing field and equity, since all candidates will have to attempt common papers unlike the current format which provides for only one common paper,” an official said.
The first paper under the new syllabus will be more or less like the current general awareness paper with certain additions to it on issues like climate change and biodiversity.
The second paper—being introduced by replacing the optional (subject) paper-—will have aptitude, data interpretation and English language comprehension skills, more or less on the lines of MBA entrance test in India.
The second paper comprises general comprehension; inter-personal skills, including communication skills; logical reasoning and analytical ability; decision making and problem solving; general mental ability; basic numbers and their relations (secondary level); and data interpretation (charts, graphs, tables and data sufficiency). The English language comprehension skills will also be of secondary level.
The first paper, on the other hand, will test civil services aspirants on current events of national and international importance, Indian history, Indian and world geography, Indian polity and governance, economic and social development and general science, besides environmental ecology, bio-diversity and climate change.
The new syllabus is only meant for preliminary examination, which shortlists candidates for the CS (Main) Examination. “The syllabus for the CS (Main) will be changed in due course,” a ministry of personnel official said.
TESTING TIMES
• In 2011 UPSC prelims, candidates will be tested on environmental ecology, biodiversity and climate change and English language comprehension skills
• There will now be 2 common papers of 200 marks each, unlike 300 marks for subject paper and 150 for general awareness now
• The first paper will be like general awareness plus questions on climate change and bio-diversity
• The second paper will have aptitude, data interpretation and English language comprehension skills, more or less on the lines of MBA entrance tests in India
---http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JTS8yMDEwLzEwLzE5I0FyMDE1MDA=&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Karnataka crisis:...It finally ended in favour of BSY....Will it last?...Eyes set on HC's hearing scheduled for Oct. 18
All Abuzz As BSY Readies For Retake
Fresh Confidence Vote on October 14
Vishwa Mohan & Asha Rai
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
New Delhi/Bangalore: The BJP saw him as a tormentor, but governor H R Bhardwaj has ended up, if unwittingly, a benefactor for the B S Yeddyurappa government, and may even help it survive the life-threatening crisis.
The BJP on Tuesday seized upon Bhardwaj’s ‘offer’ to allow a fresh majority test in which the numbers are likely to favour it.
Unfortunately, the second trust vote, on Thursday, is unlikely to resolve the political crisis facing the state as the Karnataka High Court has
posted for October 18 the next hearing on petitions submitted by the 16 dissident MLAs against Speaker KG Bopaiah’s decision to disqualify them.
The HC reserved its order on the petitions of 11 disqualified BJP legislators, while setting October 18 as the next day of hearing on petitions from the five similarly placed independents. The vacation bench of the Karnataka High Court heard the arguments of the 11 dissident BJP MLAs on Tuesday morning, and those of the 5 independent dissidents in the afternoon. As the latter wanted to make an amendment to their plea, the hearing was postponed to Monday, leaving the state in a state of flux.
Interestingly, the BJP had initially attacked the governor’s ‘offer’, demanding his recall. Its mood changed after the court desisted from staying operation of the order terminating membership of the 16 MLAs. “I am going to seek a vote of confidence on the 14th at 11am. I am confident of winning the vote of confidence,’’ Yeddyurappa declared after a meeting with members of the BJP core group in New Delhi.
The BJP legislators camping in Delhi left for Bangalore on Tuesday night.
Much hinges on the high court’s interpretation of the Constitution and its reading of the precedents. If the high court, next week, rules that the disqualification of the MLAs was invalid, it would set the cat among the pigeons once again and put the governor in the piquant situation of having to ask the CM to prove his majority for a third time in less than 10 days — something unheard in the history of India.
Asking for a second trust vote within days of the first one is unprecedented as the law stipulates that there should be a gap of six months. However, the governor has held that the first confidence vote was not valid given the bizarre circumstances under which it was held.
Bhardwaj, who on Monday had recommended dismissal of the government, cloaked the Uturn as an act of sympathy. In fact, however, he had to retrace his step after the Centre frowned upon his haste, fearing that it could be politically counter-productive by giving the BJP an opportunity to play victim.
At the press conference in Bangalore, Bhardwaj tried to sound magnanimous, though many discerned a streak of imperiousness when he claimed how he had shown sympathy for Yeddyurappa when the CM was in tears.
The BJP, which on Tuesday seized upon governor H R Bhardwaj’s ‘offer’ to allow a fresh majority test, is cautiously optimistic about its chances of passing the floor test on Thursday.
With the high court not staying disqualification of the independents and the 11 BJP rebels, the party has to just hold on to the tally of 105 it notched on Monday to go past the new magic figure of 104. It also has the cushion of Speaker Bopaiah’s casting vote. However, the party leadership has resolved to win the contest on Thursday by a margin of more than five votes in order to nip the argument that Yeddyurappa’s government could win only after disqualifying the five independents.
With the JD(S), led by the father-son duo of HD Deve Gowda and HD Kumaraswamy, equally determined to thwart the ruling party, the stage seems set for intense horse-trading and a repeat of the mayhem seen on Monday.
In the meantime, hectic parleys continued within the various political groupings in Bangalore. The opposition, keen to keep its flock together, moved the dissidents MLAs to a resort on the outskirts of the city. The JD(S) was in the thick of the action as it has the most to gain if its current coup translates into a power grab.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday deliberated with his cabinet colleagues from Karnataka the political situation in the state.
VERBAL DUEL ON A DIFFERENT PITCH
I am prepared to give you another opportunity to hold a fresh vote to support your contention by October 14 at 11 am... The chief minister was in tears ... I had sympathy for him. I have fully cooperated with him on all matters — H R Bhardwaj, GOVERNOR
I am confident of winning the vote of confidence on the 14th... I have been facing difficulties since the past two-and-half years. I have tackled them successfully and this time also I’ll overcome them —B S Yeddyurappa, CHIEF MINISTER
It is a constitutional issue. We want to do justice. We have to have discussions for that. What if the verdict is given on Monday or thereafter? What difference does it make — HC bench hearing disqualified MLAs’ appeals
Nothing wrong... The governor is well within his constitutional rights to ask the CM to prove majority for the second time... What took place on Monday was unconstitutional — B K Hariprasad
AICC GEN SECY
In the history of India have you heard anybody being given an opportunity twice to prove the vote of confidence? This is unconstitutional— H D Kumaraswamy, JD(S) STATE CHIEF
---http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JQkcvMjAxMC8xMC8xMyNBcjAwMTAw&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom
Fresh Confidence Vote on October 14
Vishwa Mohan & Asha Rai
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
New Delhi/Bangalore: The BJP saw him as a tormentor, but governor H R Bhardwaj has ended up, if unwittingly, a benefactor for the B S Yeddyurappa government, and may even help it survive the life-threatening crisis.
The BJP on Tuesday seized upon Bhardwaj’s ‘offer’ to allow a fresh majority test in which the numbers are likely to favour it.
Unfortunately, the second trust vote, on Thursday, is unlikely to resolve the political crisis facing the state as the Karnataka High Court has
posted for October 18 the next hearing on petitions submitted by the 16 dissident MLAs against Speaker KG Bopaiah’s decision to disqualify them.
The HC reserved its order on the petitions of 11 disqualified BJP legislators, while setting October 18 as the next day of hearing on petitions from the five similarly placed independents. The vacation bench of the Karnataka High Court heard the arguments of the 11 dissident BJP MLAs on Tuesday morning, and those of the 5 independent dissidents in the afternoon. As the latter wanted to make an amendment to their plea, the hearing was postponed to Monday, leaving the state in a state of flux.
Interestingly, the BJP had initially attacked the governor’s ‘offer’, demanding his recall. Its mood changed after the court desisted from staying operation of the order terminating membership of the 16 MLAs. “I am going to seek a vote of confidence on the 14th at 11am. I am confident of winning the vote of confidence,’’ Yeddyurappa declared after a meeting with members of the BJP core group in New Delhi.
The BJP legislators camping in Delhi left for Bangalore on Tuesday night.
Much hinges on the high court’s interpretation of the Constitution and its reading of the precedents. If the high court, next week, rules that the disqualification of the MLAs was invalid, it would set the cat among the pigeons once again and put the governor in the piquant situation of having to ask the CM to prove his majority for a third time in less than 10 days — something unheard in the history of India.
Asking for a second trust vote within days of the first one is unprecedented as the law stipulates that there should be a gap of six months. However, the governor has held that the first confidence vote was not valid given the bizarre circumstances under which it was held.
Bhardwaj, who on Monday had recommended dismissal of the government, cloaked the Uturn as an act of sympathy. In fact, however, he had to retrace his step after the Centre frowned upon his haste, fearing that it could be politically counter-productive by giving the BJP an opportunity to play victim.
At the press conference in Bangalore, Bhardwaj tried to sound magnanimous, though many discerned a streak of imperiousness when he claimed how he had shown sympathy for Yeddyurappa when the CM was in tears.
The BJP, which on Tuesday seized upon governor H R Bhardwaj’s ‘offer’ to allow a fresh majority test, is cautiously optimistic about its chances of passing the floor test on Thursday.
With the high court not staying disqualification of the independents and the 11 BJP rebels, the party has to just hold on to the tally of 105 it notched on Monday to go past the new magic figure of 104. It also has the cushion of Speaker Bopaiah’s casting vote. However, the party leadership has resolved to win the contest on Thursday by a margin of more than five votes in order to nip the argument that Yeddyurappa’s government could win only after disqualifying the five independents.
With the JD(S), led by the father-son duo of HD Deve Gowda and HD Kumaraswamy, equally determined to thwart the ruling party, the stage seems set for intense horse-trading and a repeat of the mayhem seen on Monday.
In the meantime, hectic parleys continued within the various political groupings in Bangalore. The opposition, keen to keep its flock together, moved the dissidents MLAs to a resort on the outskirts of the city. The JD(S) was in the thick of the action as it has the most to gain if its current coup translates into a power grab.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday deliberated with his cabinet colleagues from Karnataka the political situation in the state.
VERBAL DUEL ON A DIFFERENT PITCH
I am prepared to give you another opportunity to hold a fresh vote to support your contention by October 14 at 11 am... The chief minister was in tears ... I had sympathy for him. I have fully cooperated with him on all matters — H R Bhardwaj, GOVERNOR
I am confident of winning the vote of confidence on the 14th... I have been facing difficulties since the past two-and-half years. I have tackled them successfully and this time also I’ll overcome them —B S Yeddyurappa, CHIEF MINISTER
It is a constitutional issue. We want to do justice. We have to have discussions for that. What if the verdict is given on Monday or thereafter? What difference does it make — HC bench hearing disqualified MLAs’ appeals
Nothing wrong... The governor is well within his constitutional rights to ask the CM to prove majority for the second time... What took place on Monday was unconstitutional — B K Hariprasad
AICC GEN SECY
In the history of India have you heard anybody being given an opportunity twice to prove the vote of confidence? This is unconstitutional— H D Kumaraswamy, JD(S) STATE CHIEF
---http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JQkcvMjAxMC8xMC8xMyNBcjAwMTAw&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom
Karnataka crisis:....Are the mining lobbies playing their games?
Day of disgrace leaves K’taka govt on brink
Guv Calls For Prez Rule After Chaotic Trust Vote
Asha Rai & Vishwa Mohan \ TNN
Bangalore/New Delhi:
The Karnataka High Court holds the key to the survival of the BJP government, after Governor H R Bhardwaj on Monday recommended its dismissal, terming its victory in a trust vote — secured amid ugly scenes and after the controversial disqualification of 16 MLAs, particularly five Independents — as ‘‘unconstitutional’’.
On Tuesday, the court is to hear a petition by disqualified MLAs, challenging the decision of Speaker K G Bopaiah.
Even as the BJP slammed the governor in the wake of strong indications that he had recommended dismissal of the government and imposition of President’s rule, the Centre is learnt to have upheld Bhardwaj’s determination that the trust vote was unconstitutional and that B S Yeddyurappa’s government had lost majority support.
Congress’s Core Group reviewed the situation and is learnt to have held that the Speaker was wrong in disqualifying the Independents, who could have tipped the scales. It, however, decided to wait for the HC’s ruling before taking a call.
The Union Cabinet, scheduled to meet on Tuesday evening, may accept Bhardwaj’s recommendation if the court does not order a fresh vote in the presence of an observer.
The Yeddyurappa government, just like the A B Vajpayee government at the Centre in 1999, would have been defeated by one vote, had the five Independents not been disqualified by the Speaker just before the trial of strength.
BJP’s hopes hinge on an order passed by the Supreme Court in 1996 where it, broadly speaking, held that a legislator could lose his ‘Independent” character even if he did not formally join a political party.
In what could bolster the speaker’s case, the Supreme Court in 1996 had held that an independent MLA would cease to be so without joining a political party if he had been obeying the whip of a party, appearing on its platform and attending its programmes.
BJP sources claim that in the light of SC’s definition, speaker K G Bopaiah was right in disqualifying the five Independents who were supporting the BJP, before crossing over to the rival camp. Their contention is that these MLAs had become members of the BJP legislature party and, hence, were liable to be punished by disqualification for violating the party’s whip.
That the resolution of the power tussle is going to turn on the Constitution and law, with the court having to arbitrate, may seem ironic after the ugly spectacle that unfolded in Vidhana Soudha on Monday. Nadir is too tame a word to capture the depths Karnataka politics plumbed on Monday. A hand-wringing sense of shame, anguish and helplessness engulfed the people as politicians held the state hostage to their personal pelf and greed.
From 8am onwards, Vidhana Soudha had the look of an arena under siege, with the air thick with tension. The 11 rebel BJP MLAs were prevented from entering the assembly as the speaker, disregarding the governor’s advice, had disqualified them. They were thus unable to participate in the confidence vote.
A dissident independent MLA, Goolihatti Shekar, bared his chest, a la Salman Khan and grabbed national TV eyeballs. In unprecedented scenes, with the speaker’s permission, police carrying firearms were allowed to enter the assembly for the first time ever in the history of the country. Initially, leader of the opposition in the assembly, Congress’ Siddaramaiah, was prevented by the police from entering the hall. Dissident MLAs jousted with the marshals while elsewhere, a slugfest erupted between police and the media pack at the site.
In the commotion, the motion of confidence was passed by a voice vote and the assembly adjourned. The action shifted to the high court and Raj Bhavan, the governor’s house. After the tamasha, it was still unclear which way the state was headed, at the end of the day. While the governor is said to have recommended imposition of President’s rule as the trust vote was a “farce”, the Congress claimed it had the requisite numbers to form the government and took 119 MLAs to meet the governor to prove its point.
Countdown To Manic Monday
Oct 5
Minister M P Renukacharya and 6 ministers revolt against reshuffle, along with some legislators
Oct 6
18 rebel MLAs submit letter to Governor Bhardwaj withdrawing support from govt. CM sacks four ministers, 3 quit. Guv gives CM B S Yeddyurappa (BSY) till Tuesday to prove majority
Oct 7
Rebels shift to a Goa resort; former Goa CM Parrikar wins over Renukacharya. BSY gets a breather
Oct 8
Speaker issues notices to 11 rebels. Subtext is if they’re disqualified, the effective strength of the assembly reduces, enabling BSY to pass floor test
Oct 9
JD(S) unshackles 17 rebels from BJP's clutches, flies them to Chennai
Oct 10
Governor asks Speaker not to disqualify rebels, let them vote
Oct 11
Speaker ignores guv’s advice. BSY govt wins vote, disregarding parliamentary norms. Ugly scenes in House; police in uniform called in; opposition MLAs come to blows with House staff, an MLA tears off his shirt. Guv sends report to Centre recommending President’s rule
WHAT NEXT?
If Karnataka HC annuls disqualification of MLAs, it will put BSY’s govt in trouble. But if HC upholds disqualification, it will put stamp of legitimacy on trust vote and ensure continuation of govt
If there is no immediate intervention from the court, the Centre may accept Governor’s recommendation and impose President’s rule, keeping the House in suspended animation
Guv may ask Congress and JD(S), which have been claiming numbers, to give governmentformation exercise a shot
PRECEDENTS TO GO BY
Goa Drama
When two BJP MLAs and an independent withdrew support to Goa CM Manohar Parrikar, speaker Vishwas Satarkar disqualified independent F N Rodrigues on Feb 28, 2005 just hours before the Assembly session. But governor S C Jamir dismissed the govt soon after. A month later, pro tem speaker Francisco Sardinha disqualified UGDP MLA Mathany Saldanha, helping Congress CM Pratapsingh Rane survive a trust vote on the strength of the speaker’s casting vote. The ensuing instability forced the Centre to impose President’s rule shortly thereafter
Anti-defection Law
Karnataka speaker’s disqualification of 5 independent MLAs is indefensible as they did not join any party
But his action against 11 BJP MLAs is debatable because in a 1994 case, Ravi S Naik vs Union of India, the SC interpreted the expression
"voluntarily giving up membership” widely enough to allow the speaker to draw such an inference even without a resignation letter....................http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JQkcvMjAxMC8xMC8xMiNBcjAwMTAw&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom
Guv Calls For Prez Rule After Chaotic Trust Vote
Asha Rai & Vishwa Mohan \ TNN
Bangalore/New Delhi:
The Karnataka High Court holds the key to the survival of the BJP government, after Governor H R Bhardwaj on Monday recommended its dismissal, terming its victory in a trust vote — secured amid ugly scenes and after the controversial disqualification of 16 MLAs, particularly five Independents — as ‘‘unconstitutional’’.
On Tuesday, the court is to hear a petition by disqualified MLAs, challenging the decision of Speaker K G Bopaiah.
Even as the BJP slammed the governor in the wake of strong indications that he had recommended dismissal of the government and imposition of President’s rule, the Centre is learnt to have upheld Bhardwaj’s determination that the trust vote was unconstitutional and that B S Yeddyurappa’s government had lost majority support.
Congress’s Core Group reviewed the situation and is learnt to have held that the Speaker was wrong in disqualifying the Independents, who could have tipped the scales. It, however, decided to wait for the HC’s ruling before taking a call.
The Union Cabinet, scheduled to meet on Tuesday evening, may accept Bhardwaj’s recommendation if the court does not order a fresh vote in the presence of an observer.
The Yeddyurappa government, just like the A B Vajpayee government at the Centre in 1999, would have been defeated by one vote, had the five Independents not been disqualified by the Speaker just before the trial of strength.
BJP’s hopes hinge on an order passed by the Supreme Court in 1996 where it, broadly speaking, held that a legislator could lose his ‘Independent” character even if he did not formally join a political party.
In what could bolster the speaker’s case, the Supreme Court in 1996 had held that an independent MLA would cease to be so without joining a political party if he had been obeying the whip of a party, appearing on its platform and attending its programmes.
BJP sources claim that in the light of SC’s definition, speaker K G Bopaiah was right in disqualifying the five Independents who were supporting the BJP, before crossing over to the rival camp. Their contention is that these MLAs had become members of the BJP legislature party and, hence, were liable to be punished by disqualification for violating the party’s whip.
That the resolution of the power tussle is going to turn on the Constitution and law, with the court having to arbitrate, may seem ironic after the ugly spectacle that unfolded in Vidhana Soudha on Monday. Nadir is too tame a word to capture the depths Karnataka politics plumbed on Monday. A hand-wringing sense of shame, anguish and helplessness engulfed the people as politicians held the state hostage to their personal pelf and greed.
From 8am onwards, Vidhana Soudha had the look of an arena under siege, with the air thick with tension. The 11 rebel BJP MLAs were prevented from entering the assembly as the speaker, disregarding the governor’s advice, had disqualified them. They were thus unable to participate in the confidence vote.
A dissident independent MLA, Goolihatti Shekar, bared his chest, a la Salman Khan and grabbed national TV eyeballs. In unprecedented scenes, with the speaker’s permission, police carrying firearms were allowed to enter the assembly for the first time ever in the history of the country. Initially, leader of the opposition in the assembly, Congress’ Siddaramaiah, was prevented by the police from entering the hall. Dissident MLAs jousted with the marshals while elsewhere, a slugfest erupted between police and the media pack at the site.
In the commotion, the motion of confidence was passed by a voice vote and the assembly adjourned. The action shifted to the high court and Raj Bhavan, the governor’s house. After the tamasha, it was still unclear which way the state was headed, at the end of the day. While the governor is said to have recommended imposition of President’s rule as the trust vote was a “farce”, the Congress claimed it had the requisite numbers to form the government and took 119 MLAs to meet the governor to prove its point.
Countdown To Manic Monday
Oct 5
Minister M P Renukacharya and 6 ministers revolt against reshuffle, along with some legislators
Oct 6
18 rebel MLAs submit letter to Governor Bhardwaj withdrawing support from govt. CM sacks four ministers, 3 quit. Guv gives CM B S Yeddyurappa (BSY) till Tuesday to prove majority
Oct 7
Rebels shift to a Goa resort; former Goa CM Parrikar wins over Renukacharya. BSY gets a breather
Oct 8
Speaker issues notices to 11 rebels. Subtext is if they’re disqualified, the effective strength of the assembly reduces, enabling BSY to pass floor test
Oct 9
JD(S) unshackles 17 rebels from BJP's clutches, flies them to Chennai
Oct 10
Governor asks Speaker not to disqualify rebels, let them vote
Oct 11
Speaker ignores guv’s advice. BSY govt wins vote, disregarding parliamentary norms. Ugly scenes in House; police in uniform called in; opposition MLAs come to blows with House staff, an MLA tears off his shirt. Guv sends report to Centre recommending President’s rule
WHAT NEXT?
If Karnataka HC annuls disqualification of MLAs, it will put BSY’s govt in trouble. But if HC upholds disqualification, it will put stamp of legitimacy on trust vote and ensure continuation of govt
If there is no immediate intervention from the court, the Centre may accept Governor’s recommendation and impose President’s rule, keeping the House in suspended animation
Guv may ask Congress and JD(S), which have been claiming numbers, to give governmentformation exercise a shot
PRECEDENTS TO GO BY
Goa Drama
When two BJP MLAs and an independent withdrew support to Goa CM Manohar Parrikar, speaker Vishwas Satarkar disqualified independent F N Rodrigues on Feb 28, 2005 just hours before the Assembly session. But governor S C Jamir dismissed the govt soon after. A month later, pro tem speaker Francisco Sardinha disqualified UGDP MLA Mathany Saldanha, helping Congress CM Pratapsingh Rane survive a trust vote on the strength of the speaker’s casting vote. The ensuing instability forced the Centre to impose President’s rule shortly thereafter
Anti-defection Law
Karnataka speaker’s disqualification of 5 independent MLAs is indefensible as they did not join any party
But his action against 11 BJP MLAs is debatable because in a 1994 case, Ravi S Naik vs Union of India, the SC interpreted the expression
"voluntarily giving up membership” widely enough to allow the speaker to draw such an inference even without a resignation letter....................http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JQkcvMjAxMC8xMC8xMiNBcjAwMTAw&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom
US President Barack Obama's visit to India:...what is the real purpose?
Obama likely to visit 26/11 sites during Nov visit
Vishwa Mohan, TNN, Oct 16, 2010, 12.45am IST
NEW DELHI: US President Barack Obama is likely to visit the places attacked by terrorists during the 26/11 assault on Mumbai, in what may strongly symbolize the burgeoning cooperation between the two countries against terrorism.
Official sources indicated that during his visit starting on November 5, Obama may visit places where "shootouts occurred" during the 26/11 attack.
There are indications that Obama, who has chosen to stay at the iconic Taj Mahal Hotel, which was ravaged by the 26/11 attackers but has since been restored, is likely to visit Chabad House, the Jewish centre also known as Nariman House, and Leopold Cafe. There is also a possibility of his going to see the Oberoi Trident, another Mumbai hotel targeted as part of a plot scripted by ISI and executed by the Lashkar-e-Taiba.
Clarity on the details, including the possibility of his going to Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus where terrorists struck first on the night of November 26, 2008, will emerge after a meeting that officials of central and US agencies are scheduled to have with Mumbai cops on October 25.
"His presence at the places attacked on 26/11 will be seen as a statement of solidarity," said a source, adding that India was keen on Mumbai's inclusion in the US president's itinerary.
Obama's visit takes place against the backdrop of growing conviction in the US that terror groups like Lashkar, reared by ISI, have moved beyond their India-centric focus to meld with the wider web of jihadi terror and pose a threat to other countries as well.
The Mumbai attack was crucial in sensitizing the global community to the danger facing India. The recognition, belated according to many counter terror officials here, was the reason the Obama administration agreed to give access to US-born Lashkar jihadi David Coleman Headley who receed targets for Ajmal Kasab and his companions.
The heightened awareness of Pakistan's unwillingness and inability to rein in terror groups has also cleared the way for very close cooperation among the counterterror authorities, as evident during the lead-up to the Commonwealth Games.
Top sources in the government speak of a perfect tandem between Indian and foreign counterterror agencies, American as well as others, that helped nip the terror threat to the Games. Intercepts with domestic agencies had pointed to the anxiety of ISI-Lashkar combine to launch terror attacks on India during the Games.
Their desperation to stage a spectacular attack, intercepts showed, had led the plotters to seek to rope in a whole range of potential accessories — from the Mumbai underworld to Khalistani and Kashmiri terror groups to Naxalites and criminals....http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=Q0FQLzIwMTAvMTAvMTYjQXIwMDEwMw==&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom
Vishwa Mohan, TNN, Oct 16, 2010, 12.45am IST
NEW DELHI: US President Barack Obama is likely to visit the places attacked by terrorists during the 26/11 assault on Mumbai, in what may strongly symbolize the burgeoning cooperation between the two countries against terrorism.
Official sources indicated that during his visit starting on November 5, Obama may visit places where "shootouts occurred" during the 26/11 attack.
There are indications that Obama, who has chosen to stay at the iconic Taj Mahal Hotel, which was ravaged by the 26/11 attackers but has since been restored, is likely to visit Chabad House, the Jewish centre also known as Nariman House, and Leopold Cafe. There is also a possibility of his going to see the Oberoi Trident, another Mumbai hotel targeted as part of a plot scripted by ISI and executed by the Lashkar-e-Taiba.
Clarity on the details, including the possibility of his going to Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus where terrorists struck first on the night of November 26, 2008, will emerge after a meeting that officials of central and US agencies are scheduled to have with Mumbai cops on October 25.
"His presence at the places attacked on 26/11 will be seen as a statement of solidarity," said a source, adding that India was keen on Mumbai's inclusion in the US president's itinerary.
Obama's visit takes place against the backdrop of growing conviction in the US that terror groups like Lashkar, reared by ISI, have moved beyond their India-centric focus to meld with the wider web of jihadi terror and pose a threat to other countries as well.
The Mumbai attack was crucial in sensitizing the global community to the danger facing India. The recognition, belated according to many counter terror officials here, was the reason the Obama administration agreed to give access to US-born Lashkar jihadi David Coleman Headley who receed targets for Ajmal Kasab and his companions.
The heightened awareness of Pakistan's unwillingness and inability to rein in terror groups has also cleared the way for very close cooperation among the counterterror authorities, as evident during the lead-up to the Commonwealth Games.
Top sources in the government speak of a perfect tandem between Indian and foreign counterterror agencies, American as well as others, that helped nip the terror threat to the Games. Intercepts with domestic agencies had pointed to the anxiety of ISI-Lashkar combine to launch terror attacks on India during the Games.
Their desperation to stage a spectacular attack, intercepts showed, had led the plotters to seek to rope in a whole range of potential accessories — from the Mumbai underworld to Khalistani and Kashmiri terror groups to Naxalites and criminals....http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=Q0FQLzIwMTAvMTAvMTYjQXIwMDEwMw==&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom
Sunday, October 10, 2010
American terrorist:..the threat continues....Pakistan hardly honours Interpol's notices
Red corner notice against five Pakistanis for 26/11
Vishwa Mohan, TNN, Oct 8, 2010, 01.41am IST
NEW DELHI: Interpol, at India's behest, has issued Red Corner Notices (RCN) against five people, including a retired and two serving Pakistani army majors, for their direct role in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.
The RCNs have been issued against HuJI commander Ilyas Kashmiri, Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist Sajid Majid, serving Pakistani army officers Major Iqbal and Major Sameer Ali and retired officer Major Abdur Rehman on the basis of non-bailable warrants secured against them by the National Investigating Agency (NIA) through a Delhi court.
The global arrest notice against Kashmiri comes at a time when intelligence agencies have found inputs about his involvement in other plots against India as well.
The names of the five men were disclosed by American terrorist David Coleman Headley during his interrogation by NIA and the FBI. "Besides the Mumbai terror attack, they were involved in a series of attacks in India from time to time," the RCNs issued against them said.
Though Pakistan has a history of ignoring the world police body's notices against terrorists, the move may put some pressure on it to deliver on its promises to the international community.
The case of Lashkar founder and JuD chief Hafiz Saeed -- against whom India had secured an RCN in the wake of 26/11 -- is a blatant example of Pakistan's stand over Interpol and UN Security Council notices against terrorists linked to al-Qaida.
Saeed, despite being put on the list of global terrorists, has not only been moving freely in Pakistan but has also been making provocative anti-India and anti-America speeches in various public gatherings. Another Lashkar commander and one of the 26/11 masterminds, Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, is the other accused against whom Interpol had issued an RCN in the Mumbai attack case.
All these terrorists along with others, including Zarah Shah, Abu al-Qama and Abu Kahafa, had closely worked with Headley in executing LeT's plot to attack Mumbai in November 2008 in which 160 people, including six US citizens, were killed.
LeT's operational commander Sajid Majid alias Sajid Mir of Lahore had played a crucial role in planning and executing 26/11. He was also one of the handlers of Headley who was arrested by FBI at Chicago airport in October last year.
HuJI commander Ilyas Kashmiri is also a member of al-Qaida's deadly 313 Brigade, which is believed to be one of the outfits that trained the 10 Mumbai attackers, including the arrested Ajmal Kasab.
Headley's interrogation and subsequent investigation revealed that serving Pakistan army officers Major Sameer Ali and Major Iqbal, along with the retired Major Syed Abdur Rehman, had worked with Lashkar to carry out the 26/11 attack....http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JQ0gvMjAxMC8xMC8wOCNBcjAwMTAx&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom
Vishwa Mohan, TNN, Oct 8, 2010, 01.41am IST
NEW DELHI: Interpol, at India's behest, has issued Red Corner Notices (RCN) against five people, including a retired and two serving Pakistani army majors, for their direct role in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.
The RCNs have been issued against HuJI commander Ilyas Kashmiri, Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist Sajid Majid, serving Pakistani army officers Major Iqbal and Major Sameer Ali and retired officer Major Abdur Rehman on the basis of non-bailable warrants secured against them by the National Investigating Agency (NIA) through a Delhi court.
The global arrest notice against Kashmiri comes at a time when intelligence agencies have found inputs about his involvement in other plots against India as well.
The names of the five men were disclosed by American terrorist David Coleman Headley during his interrogation by NIA and the FBI. "Besides the Mumbai terror attack, they were involved in a series of attacks in India from time to time," the RCNs issued against them said.
Though Pakistan has a history of ignoring the world police body's notices against terrorists, the move may put some pressure on it to deliver on its promises to the international community.
The case of Lashkar founder and JuD chief Hafiz Saeed -- against whom India had secured an RCN in the wake of 26/11 -- is a blatant example of Pakistan's stand over Interpol and UN Security Council notices against terrorists linked to al-Qaida.
Saeed, despite being put on the list of global terrorists, has not only been moving freely in Pakistan but has also been making provocative anti-India and anti-America speeches in various public gatherings. Another Lashkar commander and one of the 26/11 masterminds, Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, is the other accused against whom Interpol had issued an RCN in the Mumbai attack case.
All these terrorists along with others, including Zarah Shah, Abu al-Qama and Abu Kahafa, had closely worked with Headley in executing LeT's plot to attack Mumbai in November 2008 in which 160 people, including six US citizens, were killed.
LeT's operational commander Sajid Majid alias Sajid Mir of Lahore had played a crucial role in planning and executing 26/11. He was also one of the handlers of Headley who was arrested by FBI at Chicago airport in October last year.
HuJI commander Ilyas Kashmiri is also a member of al-Qaida's deadly 313 Brigade, which is believed to be one of the outfits that trained the 10 Mumbai attackers, including the arrested Ajmal Kasab.
Headley's interrogation and subsequent investigation revealed that serving Pakistan army officers Major Sameer Ali and Major Iqbal, along with the retired Major Syed Abdur Rehman, had worked with Lashkar to carry out the 26/11 attack....http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JQ0gvMjAxMC8xMC8wOCNBcjAwMTAx&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom
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