Terror Threat on Bombay High

New Delhi - February 28, 2004 - The Navy reckons the Bombay High oil rigs could be targets of "9/11-type attacks" or its sea-borne variants. "Well-established terrorist groups have enough maritime resources to cause damage and disruption to the off-shore infrastructures," a senior officer told The Statesman. Though a large number of counter-measures have also been taken, the attack could come from several fronts - (i) fishing boats; (ii) missiles, rockets, hand grenades and remote-controlled devices, plastic explosives and magnetic mines; (iii) fast-attack craft filled with explosives; (iv) boats or helicopters landing on the platforms; and (v) merchant vessels by ramming.

Sunday Statesman - March 1, 2004.

Jamait threatens 'pro-India' leaders

Srinagar/Jammu - A pro-Pakistan militant outfit, Jamait-ul-Mujahideen, on Sunday claimed responsibility for the abortive assassination bid on Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed on Friday, and threatened more attacks on him and other pro-India leaders and the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

The Times of India - March 1, 2004

Eight killed in J&K violence

Srinagar - March 1, 2004 - Four militants, including a self-styled 'commander' of the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, were among eight persons killed in separate incidents in Jammu and Kashmir today. Militants also wounded 14, including 3 women, by setting off two powerful grenades in Wazirabad and at a security camp in Barbarshah area.

The Hindu - March 2, 2004.

50% militants killed in J&K in '04 were of foreign origin

New Delhi - More than 80 of the militants killed in the J&K State in the last two months have been identified as foreigners - majority of them were from Pakistan, and quite a few came from Afghanistan. The authorities, however, caution that the causality demographics constitutes no basis to conclude that Pakistan was yet to turn off the terror tap. They feel it is possible that the slain terrorists reached before the two sides decided to take a fresh sight at peace.

The Times of India - March 2, 2004.

41 Pak Shias killed

Armed men opened fire on Shiite Muslim worshipers during a religious procession in a city in southwestern Pakistan on Tuesday, killing at least 41 people and wounding more than 150 others, authorities told AP.

Hindustan Times - March 3, 2004.

Seven killed in attack on Jammu jail

Jammu - March 3, 2004 - Seven people - including four policemen, a bystander, one of the terrorists who was being held in the jail and the attacker -were killed when a Lashkar-e-Tayyeba terrorist attacked a police van carrying 15 people (including two Pakistani terrorists) to a court, in an attempt to free the Pakistan-based terrorists.

Hindustan Times - March 4, 2004.

Militants attack Manipur CM's house, two injured

Imphal - Heavily armed militants attacked the private house of Manipur Chief Minister Ibobi Singh late on Tuesday night injuring two security guards at Athokpam area in Thoubal district, by lobbing a powerful grenade. The security personnel returned fire, but the militants escaped under the cover of darkness.

The Times of India - March 4, 2004.

Maoists renew violent campaign

Kathmandu - March 3, 2004 - Maoist insurgents in Nepal have apparently renewed their violent campaign. In a night-long raid on a telecommunication tower in eastern Nepal, the rebels shot dead 11 Royal Nepalese Army soldiers and 18 police personnel. Home ministry spokesperson said, "So far, the bodies of 10 Maoists have been recovered from the area." In Kavre district, also in eastern Nepal, two security personnel were killed and another injured in a mine-blast triggered by the rebels. On the other hand, the government claimed to have shot dead seven Maoists in Kailali, Doti, Kapilvastu and Achham, all in western Nepal, and Solukhumbhu in eastern Nepal.

The Hindu - March 4, 2004.

Ultras target the hands that wield the scalpel

Jammu - March 4, 2004 - Female officers of the Army Medial Corps, the Army's "lady doctors", now top the terrorists' hit list. On February 7, the ultras launched a grenade attack on the car of one of the doctors - Major Vasudevan - when she was traveling in Pulwama area. Though she escaped death, 26 civilians including several women were injured in the blast apart from three jawans escorting her convoy. "Such atrocities by terrorists against women and Army lady doctors engaged in treating civilians mark a new moral low in their so-called jihad", an Army officer said.

The Statesman - March 5, 2004.

Fidayeen attack in Srinagar - Six injured, encounter on

Srinagar - March 9, 2004 - Two fidayeen stormed the headquarters of the Press Information Bureau (PIB) and the state information department here by lobbing two grenades and firing indiscriminately. Four Special Services Branch (SSB) guarding the PIB building were injured in the attack. Unconfirmed reports said one of them had died, and two civilians also sustained splinters injures. Militant outfit al-Masoorian has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Hindustan Times - March 10, 2004.

Jaish militants attack Army camp, five killed

Srinagar- March 11, 2004 - Two militants were killed after a five-hour-long encounter with the Army at Khrew in Pulwana district of Kashmir on Thursday. Two jawans and a woman were killed in the encounter. The militants opened fire at an Army unit which was imparting training in a school. The army evacuated the school before launching an operation and killed both the militants.

Hindustan Times - March 12, 2004.

190 killed in Madrid serial blasts

Madrid - March 13, 2004 - About 190 people were killed and over 1,000 injured in a series of bomb explosions in three railway stations in the Spanish capital, Madrid, this morning. A total of 13 explosives were placed in crowded trains and empty wagon of an express train, out of which 10 went off and three others were detonated. No body has claimed responsibility for the attacks. The Spanish Government accused the Basque separatist organisation, ETA, which has been waging an independence struggle for the lat 35 years, but ETA's political wing denied it had anything to do with the blasts. The ETA blamed "Arab resistance" for the attack.

The Hindu - March 12, 2004.

Who is Targeting The Rails of France?

A group calling itself AZF has threatened to bomb France's railroads unless the government forks over a hefty ransom. In December, 2003, AZF had sent the President and Interior Ministry letters grousing about the state of French society and warning that it had planted bombs along the nation's rail lines and at two other unidentified vulnerable targets. They officials were instructed to communicate with the group via personal ads in a newspaper, using the code name "Big Wolf" for AZF and "Suzy" for the ministry. Last week French officials tried to pay AZF the equivalent of $5.2 million it had demanded for revealing the location of bombs. But after an attempt to deliver the ransom to a field 105 km south of Paris failed, French officials dispatched 10,000 workers to inspect the nation's 32,000 km of tracks, but they found nothing. A French security official says AZF's missives suggest it is an "extreme leftist, perhaps anarchist" group but stops short of calling it a terrorist outfit. Terrorists, he observes, make political demands and don't provide warnings of specific plots. "This seems like a new form of high-stakes extortion," he says.

Time - March 15, 2004.

10 killed in suicide attack at Israeli port

Ashdod: Two explosions killed eight people along with two suicide bombers at the Israeli seaport of Ashdod on Sunday and police said it was apparently a double suicide bombing. Police said two suicide bombers apparently attacked the port. There was no claim of responsibility.

Times of India - March 14, 2004.

Most of Europe goes on high alert

London - March 12, 2004 - London is on full terror alert amid growing fears that the Madrid train massacre was the work of Al Qaeda. The police is using scanning devices to detect suicide bombers and hidden cameras to check suspicious cars. An Al Qaeda-linked group claimed responsibility for Thursday's attacks, which killed 198 people and left more than 1400 injured, and warned that Britain and America were next on the target list. France, Poland and Italy have also stepped up security and put the police on heightened alert in response to fears that Al Qaeda could have been behind the deadly terror attacks in Madrid.

The Asian Age - March 13, 2004.

Car bomb found near Karachi US consulate

Karachi - March 15, 2004 - Police in Pakistan defused a huge car bomb found outside the US consulate in Karachi on Monday. A US embassy spokesman said consulate security personnel spotted the van and informed police before the staff had arrived. A 750-litre drum containing a mixture of chemicals, including ammonium nitrate, was found in the van, police said. The detonators were not connected to the drum.

The Indian Express - March 16, 2004.

Pause for A While

Terrorism's after-shocks - Post-war Europe's worst terror attack changes things, not just in Spain, but the world at large

There is a grave risk that the result of the Spanish elections could be construed as having been driven by acts of terrorism that killed 200 and wounded 1500 last Thursday. The Socialists in Spain were opposed to sending troops to Iraq. The implication then is that radical jihadi terrorists have acquired the ability to influence the outcome of election processes in democracies, with far-reaching consequences for the world in general and the war against terrorism in particular. The Spanish prime minister-elect, in accordance with his election promise, has announced the withdrawal of troops from Iraq by June 30, if the UN mandate is not available. This will put additional pressure on the US to search for UN cover in the face of the continuing violence in Iraq. It would run the risk of being seen as bowing to terrorism pressures. As it is, Spain had been a staunch supporter of the US-led war in Iraq and was at loggerheads with France, Germany and even Italy over its stance. Today, it wants to radically change that history, loosen its alliance with the US and side with France and Germany in forging a new European unity to balance the US and build a "multipolar" world - a project that France has been anxious to accomplish for a decade. This would certainly hold consequences for the future, not just in terms of the impact it could have on institutions like the NATO, but in terms of changing the contours of new "old" Europe.

The Indian Express - March 17, 2004.

32 killed in Pak's Al-Qaeda hunt

Islamabad - At least eight Pakistani paramilitary troops died and 24 foreign and local militants were believed killed on Tuesday during an operation to hunt Al-Qaeda

The Indian Express - March 17, 2004.

27 killed in Baghdad hotel blast

Baghdad - Marc 17, 2004 - A car bomb destroyed Hotel Jabal Lebanon, used mainly by Iraqis and Arabs, in central Baghdad on Wednesday night, killing at least 27 people land injuring 41, the US military said.

The Hindu - March 18, 2004.

Hotel attack, car bomb kill 22

Baghdad - March 18, 2004 - A car bomb exploded as a British military patrol passed by in the southern city of Basra on Thursday, killing five Iraqi civilians, the police said, while in Baghdad rescue crews called off their search for survivors of a massive suicide bombing of a hotel that killed at least 17 people, just days before the anniversary of the start of the US-led war in Iraq. The owner of the car had been seen parking the vehicle and walking away moments before the blast. Residents detained him and handed him over to the police. US Army Col. Ralph Baker estimated that the bomb contained 1000 pounds of explosives. A US counter-terrorism official said Al Qaeda-linked Jordanian Islamic militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was among those suspected of a key role.

The Asian Age - March 19, 2004.

Laden, Zawahiri safe in Aghanistan: Taliban

Kabul - Al-Qaeda leaders Osama bin Laden and Ayman Al-Zawahiri are safe and in Afghanistan, not neighbouring Pakistan where an intense manhunt is under way, a Taliban spokesman said on Friday. Abdul Samad dismissed speculation by Pakistani officials that Al-Zawahiri could be surrounded in the Pakistan border district of South Waziristan, saying he was "100 per cent" sure the Al-Qaeda number two was safe. "They are all safe and they are on this side of the border," Samad said of the top Al-Qaeda leadership.

The Times of India - March 20, 2004.

9 militants killed in J&K

Srinagar - March 21, 2004 - Nine militants and three security personnel were among 13 persons killed in separate incidents in Jammu and Kashmir, where two militant hideouts were smashed, leading to the recovery of some arms and ammunition, including two kg of RDX and two Pakistani made grenades.

The Hindu - March 22, 2004.

Al-Zawahri says Qaeda has nuclear bombs: Biographer

Sydney - March 22, 2004 - Al-Qaeda's second-in-command Ayman al-Zawahri claims the militant Islamic organization has bought briefcase nuclear bombs on the central Asian black market, according to Osama bin Laden's biographer. Pakistani journalist Hamid Mir has told an Australian Broadcasting Corporation television programme that when he had interviewed Osama bin Laden and al-Zawahri in 2001, he had asked whether Al Qaeda had nuclear weapons. Al-Zawahri laughed and said: "Mr. Mir, if you have US$30 million, go to the black market in central Asia, contact any disgruntled Soviet scientist and a lot of dozens of smart briefcase bombs are available." "They have contacted us, we sent our people to Moscow, Tashkent, to other central Asian states and they negotiated and we purchased some suitcase bombs," Mr. Mir quoted.

The Asian Age - March 23, 2004.

Centres to be set up to deal with chemical warfare

New Delhi - March 23, 2004 - The Centre has proposed to set up specialized centres in different parts of the country to deal with any possible attack involving the use of chemical and biological weapons. The state-of-the art centers would be equipped with antidotes and equipment required for rapid and effective response in case of such attacks. The DRDO chief and scientific adviser to Defence Minister, V.K. Atre, said since a large amount of antidotes and equipment might be needed, the DRDO had planned to rope in the private industry for producing them. The technical know how would be provided to interested companies at a nominal price, but with certain conditions to ensure that the technology or the products did not fall into the wrong hands. Scientists, among other things, have developed diagnostic its for rapid detection of chemical warfare agents, such as, nereve gas, phosgene, mustard gas, and hydrogen cyanide, dosimeters for measuring radiation levels, protective suits for persons engaged in rescue operations, and antidotes for cyanide poisoning.

The Hindu - March 24, 2004.

Some Hope:

E.U. outlines strategy to combat terrorism

Brussels - March 26, 2004 - European Union leaders have outlined a strategy to combat terrorism but have given only a half-hearted endorsement to the anti-terror solidarity clause, under which Governments are required to give assistance to any member state under terrorist attack. The members resolved unanimously to share intelligence to ensure inter-state co-operation to face the challenges posed by terrorist organisations. The leaders decided to build a "civil protection" mechanism and the counter-terrorism strategy will be coordinated by a new official, Gijs de Vries, who was appointed yesterday. Currently there are 34 counter-terrorism agencies operating throughout the E.U. and the task of co-ordinating their activities, is rated as "monumental and challenging."

The Hindu - March 27, 2004.

Violence in Iraq leaves 20 dead

Baghdad - March 27, 2004 - Bombings and shootings across Iraq have left 20 people dead, including a US Marine and a cameraman in fierce fighting between American forces and guerillas armed with mortars and rocket-propelled grenades.

The Hindu - March 28, 2004.

Qaeda hits home, executes 8 Pak soldiers

Islamabad - March 27, 2004 - Eight Pakistani soldiers, who were taken hostage by militants in Pakistan's tribal areas, were found shot dead in a ditch near Serwakai on Friday. Their hands were tied behind their backs and they had been shot at point-blank range. Major General Shaukat Sultan said, "Our response will be well thought-out and it has to be based on pragmatism rather than any kind of emotional outburst." In an interview to America's ABC television, President Pervez Musharraf pledged to eliminate Al Qaeda and said that the terror networks' second-in-command, Ayman Al-Zawahiri, was on the run. "I would like to say that I'm going to eliminate them," he said yesterday, referring to Zawahiri and Al Qaeda loyalists.

The Sunday Express - March 28, 2004.

Motorcycle bomb wounds 30 in Thailand

A bomb hidden in a motorcycle exploded outside a bar in Thailand's Muslim South on Saturday, wounding 30 people, including seven Malaysian tourists, the police said.

The Hindu - March 28, 2004.

Uzbek blasts kill 3

Tashkent - March 29, 2004 - On Monday, at least three police officers were killed and about 20 people in blasts in Uzbek. Another officer was killed in a shoot-out with terror suspect. One report said a female suicide bomber blew up part of market in the old quarter of the capital. Russia's Interfax news agency reported there were also at least two explosions in the Silk Road city of Bukhara in central Uzbekistan. An Uzbek Foreign Ministry spokesman said there were also several other terrorist acts.

Hindustan Times - March 30, 2004.

Uzbek terror toll is 42

Tashkent - March 30, 2004 - Confrontation between police and suspected terrorists killed at least 23 people on Tuesday, including two suicide bombers, as Uzbek forces laid siege to a group of terror suspects near the president's residence. At lest 42 people have been killed in the worst unrest in this former Soviet republic since it became a staunch ally in the US-led war on terror.

Hindustan Times - March 31, 2004.

Terror strike averted

Philippines President Gloria Arroyo said a terrorist attack on the scale of the Madrid bombings had been averted with the arrest of four Abu Sayyaf members and the seizure of 36 kg of explosives. The suspects, who allegedly trained with Jemaah Islamiyah, Southeast Asia's Al Qaeda-linked terrorist network, had planned to bomb trains and shopping malls in Manila, Arroyo said.

Hindustan Times - March 31, 2004.

Food for Thoughts

"Give a lot of time to improve yourself, then there is no time to criticize others."

- (Unknown)

***

We are what we think. With our thoughts, we make the world.

- Buddha

***

Find good. Don't think he is hiding from you, you're hiding from him.

- Paramahansa Yogananda