New Delhi: The Maharashtra Government’s claim that there was a 9/11 link to the July 11 Mumbai train bombings has made the intelligence and security agencies as well as the diplomatic circles to sit up and take notice.
The exclusive details of the 7/11 investigations, available exclusively with CNN-IBN, point to an al-Qaeda link in the July 11 Mumbai train bombings.
The operation, funded by the al-Qaeda, was carried out by operatives of the Lashkar-e-Toiba.
Investigations have revealed that at least three of the accused of 7/11 blasts trained with Mohammad Atta, a leading member of the suicidal attack on the World Trade Centre in New York on 9/11, at a al Qaeda camp based in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir in 2000. The camp was facilitated by LeT, intelligence agencies claim.
So for six years, did they lie in wait for 7/11? And does that mean that al-Qaeda funded terrorists are now deeply entrenched in India?
Taking part in Face the Nation, a CNN-IBN show, security experts and former diplomats agreed that the al-Qaeda has indeed made India its latest terror target.
“When one sees the modus operandi (of 7/11 blasts), the precision with which they have carried out the attacks, it was apparent from Day One that it was an international operation and if there were Islamic terrorists involved, ultimeately it has to be the al-Qaeda at the apex,” Y P Singh, former IPS officer and a lawyer, observes.
“The circumstances, the way funding was going on through hawala, it is clear that Mumbai is the main target. Lots of vulnerable people could be cajoled into joining conspiring together,” he adds.
A K Doval, former director of the Intelligence Bureau, says he is not surprised that 7/11 could have links to 9/11.
“Basically the information appears to be based on the revelation of Tanvir Ansari, Muzammil and Faisal. I don’t know how, in terms of time and space, they are comfortable to make this allegation that the al-Qaeda was responsible for this. But three things are very well-established. Number one, the Mumbai blasts was the handiwork of Lashkar-e-Toiba, number two, Azam Cheema is a key man who has been responsible and has close links with the al-Qaeda and thirdly al-Qaeda and Lashkar’s links had been very intimate for quite sometime, particularly where operations in India were concerned.”
Doval also claims that Indian security agencies knew that there were al-Qaeda camps near Muzaffarabad. “It has been there for quite sometime. We all know it has been going on there. Some Arabs have been coming there and also some other people connected to al-Qaeda have been coming there after it became difficult for them to run the al-Khush camp and other camps. So, it’s not a surprise,” he reveals.
But isn’t it surprising that they’ve been waiting since 2000 to have the Mumbai blasts and Indians went across to PoK, trained in an al-Qaeda camp that was facilitated by the Lashkar and came back to carry out the operations?
Doval says he is indeed surprised to know that a plan to attack Mumbai was made as early as 2000 and Atta, at that point of time, was privy to a plan which had to take place five years later.
Lalit Mansingh, Indian ambassador to US during the 9/11 attacks, says he would prefer to wait for more details to form a more definitive opinion on the 7/11 links with 9/11.
“I agree that the linkages were there. It’s just that we are discovering it now. Osama bin Laden had formed a group called International Islamic Alliance for jihad against the United States and Isarel and in 1998 LeT and Hizbul Mujahideen had joined the international alliance. So, the linkages are old. And, mind you, Pakistan provided common facilities – training facilities, infrastructure, communication, hawala operations all this is there,” he reasons.
Gen Hamid Gul, former director of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence, term the findings ‘speculative’. “It will be highly unwise if you start chasing the shadows of al-Qaeda,” he counters.Next Page: The American Connection
PAGE_BREAK American Connection
Gen Gul says it may be an American requirement to sell this idea that al-Qaeda is involved in destablising India internally.
“Those people who want this strategic compact with America, on which there are several doubts whether this is in the interest of India or not, I as a sideline observer would simply say India has made a mistake,” he argues, adding that “they (the US) want to consolidate the presence of India in the American camp and obviously if al-Qaeda is active here (in Pakistan) then America has to also come in.”
Doval doesn’t agree that there is an American connection to the findings of the 7/11 investigations. “They are probably trying to say that India and US are coming into a strategic partnership, which probably has got implications and they are probably parking the idea on us to connect this. I would object to this only on one count: this is purely based on investigations by the local police on the basis of revelation made to them,” he reasons.
Lalit Mansingh, too, trashes Gen Gul’s contention. “It’s was Hamid Gul who provided the linkage between al-Qaeda and these cross-border terrorist organisation. He was a strategic adviser to Osama bin Laden. And the CIA has described him as the most dangerous man in Pakistan. We are thinking of al-Qaeda as conducting operations directly. These are all agencies of al-Qaeda. So, it doesn’t surprise me that there is a linkage.”
Gen Gul shoots back. “That’s not the case per se. That was a different story altogether. Taliban were not on the scene at that time. This was against the foreign occupation of Afghanistan and sadly India kept quiet over it. The country, a neighbour of Pakistan was invaded without any reason.”
He warns that if India buys this idea of al-Qaeda operating in India, then there is going to be trouble.
“Let’s for a while rise above all this. Not only is it going to create problems, it will also have a snowballing effect. Be mindful of the fact that the Americans have a pre-emptive doctrine and George W Bush will say if there is al-Qaeda we have a right to come in, we have a right to ask for intelligence and I have a right to intervene in your affairs. “ Can Pakistan and India get together?
Given the circumstances and the Havana agreement, is it an option for India and Pakistan to get together to tackle terror.
“Pakistan is indeed ready to help India,” assures Tasnim Aslam, spokesperson of Pakistan foreign affairs ministry:
“India hasn’t yet cleared this information (of 9/11 links to 7/11 and of al-Qaeda training camp in PoK) with Pakistan. We have just heard reports that this is what the investigators have concluded. How they have established this link and how far these claims are accurate is still to be determined,” she says.
She, however, assures that Pakistan will help India “if your investigators feel very strongly and they have evidence and information which can form the basis for further action by Pakistan.”
“We have always said that Pakistan would help India provided we are given specific information now that the two countries have also agreed to institutionalise cooperation.” Why Mumbai?
Former IPS officer Y P Singh says Mumbai is the easiest target (for terrorist) because it gets international attention first. “It’s got a large number of people who can easily be brought into the realm of fanaticism. And at the same time, it’s got a very complex web of hawala transaction and with the US pressure increasing all over in terms of funding, the easiest place for them (terrorists) was Mumbai,” he asserts.
So is it the easy means of funding that make Mumbai easier to target? “Yes, because of all these factors and also because the city has a police force that is demoralised, corrupt and not committed to the cause. So, the factors were very conducive,” he claims.
In the online opinion poll on Face the Nation on the question - Has al-Qaeda made India its new terror target - 90 per cent people voted ‘yes’ while 10 per cent say ‘no’.####Full Coverage: July 11 bombingsMapping terror: Mumbai 7/11Cops link 7/11 to 9/11How was 7/11 planned, executed
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