| Vol.2 | No.3 |
August 2003
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August 2003
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| Terrorism File | |
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South-East Asia’s War on Terror: An uphill struggle Bangkok – Police are scoring successes – but this underlines the extent of the task – Police have broken up suspected terrorist cells in the Philippines, Cambodia, Thailand, and Indonesia, and have seized deadly bomb-making materials in Malaysia and Thailand. It shows that South-East Asia’s terrorists are more widely spread and firmly entrenched than the authorities had originally imagined. The prime minister of Thailand crowned a recent visit to America with the announcement that Thailand had just arrested three members of Jamaah Islamiah (JI), the group thought to have orchestrated last year’s bombings in Bali. Four members of JI were arrested in Cambodia. The spate of arrests shows that South-East Asian governments are gathering better intelligence, and sharing it more smoothly. For example, America tipped off Malaysia’s authorities about one of their citizens’ links to al-Qaeda. Singapore provided the tip that led Thai police to their local cell, and the original information had come from a suspect arrested in Indonesia. Indonesian prosecutors are struggling to prove that JI even exists, let alone that Abu Bakar Basyir, a radical cleric, leads it. The Economist – June 28, 2003
JKLF warns of more attacks like Sunjwan Islamabad – June 30, 2003 – Pakistani-based Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front warned today that there would be more attacks like the one on the Sunjwan Army camp until Kashmiris were allowed self-determination. “India now should start thinking that the Kashmir issue must be resolved according to the wishes of the Kashmiri people,” JKLF leader S.M. Afzal said. In the deadliest attack in Kashmir since Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee’s peace offer to Pakistan, militants stormed the Sunjwan camp outside Jammu early on Saturday, killing 12 soldiers. The Indian Express – July 1, 2003
Lashkar terror network matches Al-Qaeda New Delhi – The Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Pakistanni-based terrorist outfit, has acquired a multinational composition of a scale rivaling even the Al Qaeda, says a home ministry report. It has managed to set up cells in several parts of the world with the help of Pakistan’s Inter Services Intelligence (ISI). Severn LeT members were arrested by the FBI last month when Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf was visiting the US, and had charged them with “stock-piling weapons and conspiring to wage jihad against India in support of terrorists in Kashmir.” But at that time the FBI had suppressed the information to avoid embarrassment to Musharraf. The presence of LeT in Saudi Arabia also came to light following the arrest of an Indian expatriate in Kuwait. Several kilogrammes of RDX and weapons were recovered from him. His interrogation led to several more arrests and disclosures about the close ties among LeT, the ISI and the D-Company. Intelligence inputs also indicate that LeT is trying to spread its network in Asian countries like Myanmar and Bangladesh. In India, LeT is responsible for attacks on Parliament, the Kaluchak Army camp, Red Fort and the recent Sanjwan Army camp. It is leant that LeT is now trying to raise new fidayeen groups in Jammu and Kashmir. The Times of India – July 3, 2003.
Al-Qaeda’s N-nexus with Pak Washington – The terrorist group Al-Qaeda was working with former scientists of Pakistan’s nuclear establishment to produce crude weapons of mass destruction, the CIA has said. In a May 2003 report, the CIA says that handwritten documents uncovered in Afghanistan suggest that the Al-Qaeda’s specialists did have nuclear physics and weaponisation knowledge. The CIA study, reported in Jane’s Intelligence Digest, names former scientists of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission, Bashir Ud-din Mahmood and Abdul Majeed, as the Al-Qaeda corroborators. Some reports indicate that Pakistan was collaborating with North Korea on nuclear matters even after 9/11 and as recently as last year when it reportedly used US-supplied C-130 transport planes to ferry material. The authors of the CIA report, titled Terrorist CBRN: Materials and Effects, believe al-Qaeda and other lesser-known terrorist groups to be capable of making an “improvised nuclear device” that would be “intended to cause a yield-producing nuclear explosion”. The report did not say where the Bush administration believes such an attack might be launched, but that it was “a high probability” that it would be in the next two years, according to Jane’s. The Times of India – July 4, 2003
20 killed as suicide bombers target Moscow concert Moscow – July 5, 2003 – Twenty people were killed and dozens wounded when two explosions went off at a rock festival here today. Two suicide women bombers set off the blasts in the crowd at the entrance to the festival when security guards prevented them form crossing the gates. The attack occurred barely hours after the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, signed a decree fixing the presidential poll in Chechnya for October 5. By another decree signed on Friday, Mr. Putin put the Interior Ministry in charge of ensuring law and order in Chechnya as of September 1. The idea is to gradually pull out the Army from Chechnya and pass on responsibility for pacifying the insurgency-torn region to the 12,000-strong Chechen police which are part of the Interior Ministry. The Hindu – July 6, 2003.
Report says US agencies understaffed for bioterror Washington – According to a study by a public service advocacy group, the government is likely to be overwhelmed in the event of a bioterrorism attack because of shortages in skilled medical and scientific personnel. “Perhaps more than any other terrorist threat, bioterrorism will place huge burdens on small pools of medical, scientific and technical expertise,” the study concluded. The study will be made public. The Asian Age – July 7, 2003. Ankara – July 6, 2003 – Nearly 200 people were injured, several seriously, from a series of explosions rocking a petrol station in the Turkish capital when a tanker truck filled with Liquefied Petroleum Gas was discharging its load at the station in the centre of the town. The Asian Age – July 7, 2003. Blast in Jakarta Singapore – July 14, 2003 - The Indonesian Parliament in Jakarta was today rocked by a high-intensity bomb explosion at an air-conditioning plant within the premises. Though no life was claimed, this sent a fresh wave of terror alarm across southeast Asia. Security officials suspected it to be the handiwork of Al-Qaeda’s alleged regional outfit, Jemaah Islaymiyah. The Hindu – July 15, 2003
Hizb chief warns of suicide attacks Muzaffarabad – July 15, 2003 – Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin has warned of “large-scale” suicide attacks if the international community, particularly the US, does not step in to resolve the long-running row over Kashmir. “The Indian army is killing the Kashmiris and when we kill them, it is dubbed as terrorism. This is unfortunate and unfair,” he added. The Hizb leader’s comments on United States mediation are in sharp contrast to the position taken by Maulana Abbas Ansari, the new chief of the All-Parties Hurriyat Conference – an amalgam of some 23 Kashmiri parties. The Hurriyat leader said on Sunday he was opposed to any American mediation for the resolution of the dispute. Hindustan Times – July 16, 2003 ‘Terrorists raising funds through fake goods’ Washington – July 16, 2003 – Groups like Al-Qaeda and Hezbollah have turned to trafficking in counterfeit consumer goods, like fake Nike shoes, Sony stereo equipment and Calvin Klein jeans, says a top official at the Interpol, who is scheduled to testify about the issue at a Congressional hearing. “Interpol is sounding the alarm that intellectual property crime is becoming the preferred method of funding for a number of terrorist groups,” states Ronald Noble, the Secretary-General of Interpol. Mr. Noble’s appearance marks the first time an Interpol Secretary-General has testified to a Congressional. “Law enforcement and the intelligence community have been telling us that a growing concern is the convergence of different types of illicit activities to further the gains of clandestine activities and operations,” Mr. Henry Hyde, Chairman of the International Relations Committee, said. The Hindu – July 17, 2003 Terror strike on Vaishno Devi route kills 7 Jammu – July 22, 2003 - At least seven pilgrims were killed and more than 20 critically wounded on Monday night in two grenade explosions at Ban Ganga, about 55 KMs north of Jammu, en-route to Vaishno Devi, a place of pilgrimage. This is the first militant attack on the pilgrimage route. The shrine attracts over 20,0-0-0 pilgrims daily. Hindustan Times – July 22, 2003
Brigadier killed in terror attack Jammu – July 22, 2003 – The General officer commanding-in-chief of the army’s northern command, Lt. General Hari Prasad, was injured and Brigadier V.K. Govil killed in one of the most dangerous and strategically significant terrorist attack on the army’s Tanda camp near Jammu on Tuesday afternoon. The attack came about seven hours after a suicide attack on the camp, which is near Akhnoor, 40 KMs from Jammu. Seven jawans were killed and six were injured. Major-General T.P. Sapru was wounded in the second attack, and Lt.-General T.P.S. Brar was also injured. What the army did concede, unfortunately, was that there was a major security lapse, which allowed a terrorist to remain undetected for seven hours in the camp. A group called al Shuhda Brigade claimed responsibility. The attack came close on the heels of the terrorist assault on Vaishno Devi pilgrims, in which seven people were killed and more than 40 injured. Hindustan Times – July 23, s2003. Spain – July 23 – Bombs tore through two hotels in Spanish seaside resorts on Tuesday, wounding 13 people, including seven foreign visitors, in what appeared to be a new campaign against tourists by Basque separatist group ETA. The explosions, about 10 minutes apart, wounded four policemen plus a civilian in Benidorm and eight people in Alicante, hospital officials in both cites said. ETA gave advance warning of the attacks in a call to a Basque newspaper, but the explosions took place 10 to 20 minutes earlier than the time mentioned. ETA is western Europe’s most active rebel group and has been branded a terrorist organization by the US and EU. The Asian Age – July 24, 2003 Belt-bombs seized near Moscow Moscow – July 25, 2003 – The Russian security forces have discovered a suicide bomber hideout near Moscow, capturing “shahid belts” that were presumably meant for attacks in the Russian capital. During a raid on an unoccupied house, six explosive-packed belts were discovered, which were of the same type as used by Chechen suicide bombers in the attack on Moscow rock concert on July 5, in which fifteen people had been killed and 60 others injured. The Hindu – July 26, 2003 ‘Hizb planning fidayeen attacks’ New Delhi – July 27, 2003 – The Hizb-ul Mujahideen is planning to launch fidayeen (suicide squad) attacks on VVIPs, which came to light through a conversation intercepted by Military Intelligence recently at Thana Mandi in Jammu and Kashmir. Mukhtiar Bhai, Hizb militant, reportedly vowed to carry out attacks and told his counterparts, “I am ready. Elders have told me to carry out suicide attacks.” Since the input comes in the backdrop of attacks on an Army camp and the Amarnath killings, intelligence agencies are not taking it lightly. The Delhi Police have already been asked to be extra vigilant and perform combing operations here to avert any terrorist strike. Under the leadership of the Pakistan-based chief, Syed Salauddin, the organization seems to have renewed its efforts to trigger a series of attacks apparently to regain attention and also increase its strength by joining hands with other militant outfits. The Hindu – July 26, 2003 Police station blown up Bettiam – July 26, 2003 – Activists of the Maoist Communist Centre (MCC) dynamited the newly constructed building of Govardhanana Police Station on the Indo-Nepal border in Bihar’s West Champaran district late last night, police said. None was injured in the attack, as police personnel had not till then been deployed. About 50 heavily armed MCC activists blew up he building and left behind naxalite literature. The Hindu – July 26, 2003 Orissa mine blast kills 10 policemen Bhubaneswar – July 30, 2003 – At least 10 security personnel engaged in anti-Naxal operations were killed on Wednesday in a landmine blast in Orissa’s Malkangiri district. State Director General of Police N.C. Padhi said the blast was triggered by extremists belonging to the People’s War Group (PWG). Hindustan Times – July 31, 2003 Jeddah – July 28, 2003 – Six suspected militants armed with guns and grenades were killed on Monday after Saudi Arab police raided their farm hideout in al-Qassim, 350 km north of the capital, Riyadh. Two policemen also were killed. Saudi Arabia has launched a series of terror raids after May 12 suicide bombings in Riyadh. More than 200 suspects have been reported arrested and more than a dozen killed since then in raids. The Hindu – July 29, 2003 Bomb on Mumbai bus kills 4 Mumbai – July 28, 2003 – A powerful bomb ripped through a Best bus in Mumbai’s Ghatkopar suburb on Monday evening, killing four people and injuring 31, which seems to be the handiwork of the Pakistan-based terrorist group Lashkar-e-Tayyaba, according to Mumbai police commissioner R.S. Sharma. Police source believe the explosion was meant to create terror during the buildup to the Kumbh Mela on August 1, 2003. Police sources said the modus operandi used was similar to the explosion that had shaken Ghatkopar on December 2, 2002. The Asian Age – July 29, 2003 5 Russian soldiers die in blast Moscow – July 30, 2003 – Five Russian soldiers were killed when a land mine set up by Chechen rebels shattered a military truck just outside Chechnya. The attack came a day after Russia’s top security official said all major rebel groups had been destroyed in Chechnya. The Hindu – July 31, 2003 World Watch : Al-Queda Bust Saudi Arabia – The government announced the capture of 16 al-Qaeda suspects and the seizure of an arsenal of weapons, including antitank launchers, rockets and more than 20 tons of chemical substances used for manufacturing explosives. The detentions bring the number of terror arrests to more than 200 since the May 12 suicide bombings in Riyadh that had killed 35 people. Authorities blame al-Qaeda for that attack. Although the government hailed the arrests as a major strike against the network, Interior Minister Prince Nayef warned there was still a threat of terrorism. TIME – August 4, 2003 Al Qaeda – New Terrorism Tactics The US intelligence acquired evidence from terrorist hideouts showing how Osama bin Laden operatives would try to smuggle weapons through US airport checkpoints. According to federal officials, what particularly scared analysts was the discovery, at Qaeda lairs overseas, of hand-carried travel items (including cameras and boomboxes) that had been modified to conceal small weapons. Terrorists could retrieve them after going through security and use them to commandeer planes. A Homeland Security Department bulletin sent to airlines and leaked to the media claimed that US intelligence had no reason to believe that such equipment had actually been deployed. The warning suggested hijackings could occur at several locations around the globe, including the Eastern United States, Britain, Italy or Australia. One target the terrorists might want to revisit is the Capitol building. A law-enforcement official said that investigators were ”99 percent certain” that the hijackers who commandeered the 9/11 plane that crashed near Pittsburgh intended to crash it into the Capitol. A spokesman for the Capitol police said her agency was aware of possible Qaeda designs on the Capitol and that security in the complex was on heightened alert even before the latest threats surfaced. TIME – August 4, 2003
Gadgets banned in Tirumala temple Tirupati – July 21 - The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) has decided to ban cell phones, cameras and other electronic gadgets, which were found to have been used to cause explosions on 127 occasions the world over by saboteurs. The TTD would ask the pilgrims to leave the gadgets either in their rooms or outside the temple before entering the shrine, and anyone found carrying any of the banned gadgets would be sent out. It would arrange to distribute handbills to the pilgrims at the toll gate itself, besides using the public address system to publicise the ban. The Hindu – July 22, 2003 Food for Thoughts You have powers you never dreamed of. You can do things you never thought you could do. There are no limitations in what you can do except the limitations of your own mind.
*** "It’s not always what you say that makes the difference, sometimes it’s the way you say it." *** "It’s how you handle your problems and troubles that counts, not the troubles themselves." |