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
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