America’s latest worry vis-à-vis Pakistan is proliferation and trafficking of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD). It believes that the potential for WMD trafficking is directly proportional to the security situation in the country. Due to porous borders with Afghanistan and the security situation which is challenging, there is a heightened scoped for trafficking in WMDs as also their proliferation. This is a cause for concern, says the ‘Country Report on Terrorism 2011’, released by the State Department in Washington on July 31.
The report is rather harsh on Pakistani security establishment. It holds Pakistan’s security agencies responsible for the terrorist safe havens in the country’s tribal areas and Balochistan. “The inability of Pakistan’s security agencies has made portions of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), and Balochistan ‘a safe haven’ for terrorist groups seeking to conduct domestic, regional, and global attacks”, the report said.
In what is a direct indictment of the front line ally in the war against terrorism, the State Department report said the Haqqani Network, the Quetta Shura, and Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, have exploited Pakistan to plan and direct operations. “Militant groups operating from within Pakistan conducted attacks against Afghan targets and Coalition Forces across the border”.
On threats to peace in Afghanistan, the report said the Taliban, Haqqani Network, Hezb-e-Islami Gulbuddin, al-Qaeda (AQ), Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, and other groups continued to use territory across the border in Pakistan as a base from which to plot and launch attacks within the region and beyond. AQ leadership in Pakistan maintained its support to militants conducting attacks in Afghanistan and provided funding, training, and personnel to facilitate terrorist and insurgent operations.
Briefing the media on the report, Coordinator for Counterterrorism, Ambassador Daniel Benjamin, identified Lashkar-e-Tayyiba as a threat to stability in South Asia, and asked Pakistan to take strong action against the outfit.
“I have not seen any decrease in Lashkar-e Tayyiba’s strength. It continues to be a matter of great concern to us,” he said adding that the LeT remained “a major concern on the terrorist landscape, without a doubt”.
Benjamin said the US had urged Pakistan to take more action against LeT. “We would certainly like to see more progress on that trial (26/11 mayhem in Mumbai) regarding the atrocities in Mumbai.
The ‘Country Report’ has identified the LeT as the group that had planned the derailing of peace efforts between India and Pakistan. LeT was responsible for multiple attacks in 2011, mostly in Jammu and Kashmir, with the deadliest being a May 27 attack on a private residence in Kupwara that killed two civilians. The Indian Mujahideen, which shares the LeT’s ideology, committed multiple deadly attacks in crowded areas of Mumbai and against the High Court in New Delhi. The report said for India a matter of serious concern are sporadic violence in Kashmir and attempted infiltrations from Pakistani territory across the Line of Control. In short, the report said Kashmir-centric terrorist outfits have blessings of Pakistan establishment
The trade talks with Pakistan provided hope for reduced tensions between the two countries, but terrorist opponents of better Indian-Pakistan relations, such as the LeT, have long planned to derail any progress by launching new attacks, the report stated.
2011 Terrorist Incidents: Over 2500 civilians and 670 law enforcement personnel died in terrorist-related incidents in Pakistan; TTP claimed responsibility for the majority of Pakistan’s almost daily attacks that targeted civilians and security personnel, with incidents occurring in every province. The presence of AQ, Taliban, and indigenous militant sectarian groups continued to pose potential danger to U.S. citizens throughout Pakistan.
On terrorism finances, the US report has an interesting take. Several terrorist organisations, LeT including have been collecting funds in the form of donations from wealthy persons including Kashmiri business persons and several Pakistan expatriate communities in the Middle East and Europe, particularly the United Kingdom, Islamic non-governmental organizations and Pakistani business families.
On the activities of other outfits, this is what the State Department report said: Harkat-ul-Mujahideen (HuM) has several hundred of armed supporters located in PoK and some militancy infested areas of Jammu and Kashmir. Their supporters are mostly Pakistanis but also include Afghans and Arab veterans of the Afghan war. The organisation is based in Muzaffarabad, Rawalpindi, and several other cities in Pakistan and the terrorist outfit conduct insurgent and terrorist operations primarily in Kashmir and Afghanistan. It collected donations from wealthy and grassroots donors in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and other Gulf States. HuM also styles itself HUM; Harakat ul-Ansar; HUA; Jamiat ul-Ansar; JUA; Al-Faran; Al-Hadid; Al-Hadith; Harakat ul-Mujahidin
Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) has several hundred armed supporters including a large cadre of former HuM members – located in Pakistan, Kashmir and Doda regions. In 2011, JeM restarted its fundraising and recruitment activities in Pakistan. In anticipation of asset seizures by the Pakistani Government, JeM withdrew funds from bank accounts and invested in legal businesses, such as commodity trading, real estate, and production of consumer goods. In addition, JeM collected funds through donation requests in magazines and pamphlets, sometimes using charitable causes to solicit donations.
JeM has several aliases. These are the Army of Mohammed; Mohammed’s Army; Tehrik ul-Furqaan; Khuddam-ul-Islam; Khudamul Islam; Kuddam- e- Islami; Jaish-i-Mohammed
Indian Mujahideen (IM), also known Islamic Security Force-Indian Mujahideen (ISF-IM) has been responsible for dozens of bomb attacks throughout India since 2005, and has caused the deaths of hundreds of innocent civilians. IM maintains close ties to other terrorist entities including Pakistan-based Lashkar e-Tayyiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JEM), and Harkat ul-Jihad-i-Islami (HUJI). IM’s stated goal is to carry out terrorist actions against non-Muslims in furtherance of its ultimate objective, an Islamic Caliphate across South Asia.
IM’s primary method of attack is multiple coordinated bombings in crowded areas against economic and civilian targets to maximize terror and casualties. In 2011, IM conducted multiple bombings killing dozens of innocent civilians and injuring hundreds more. On May 25, IM was suspected of an improvised explosive device (IED) attack in New Delhi. On July 13, 25 civilians were killed and 137 wounded in an IED attack in Mumbai. On September 7, 15 civilians were killed, and 91 others injured in a bombing in New Delhi. IM is estimated to have several thousand supporters and members. It is suspected to obtain funding and support from other terrorist organizations, such as LeT and HUJI, and also from sources in the Middle East.
Harkat-ul-Mujahideen (HuJI) has an estimated strength of several hundred members and its operations extend throughout South Asia, with its operations focused primarily in India and Afghanistan. It experienced a number of internal splits and a portion of the group has aligned with al-Qaeda (AQ) in recent years, including training its members in AQ training camps. Mohammad Ilyas Kashmiri, one of HuJI’s top leaders, who also served as an AQ military commander and strategist, was killed on June 3, 2011. HuJI has been involved in a number of terrorist attacks in recent years in India including May 2007 Hyderabad mosque attack (16 killed, 40 injured), the March 2007 Varanasi attack (45 killed and 100 injured), and September 7, 2011 bombing of the New Delhi High Court, (11 dead and 76 wounded).
–m rama rao
