Laskhar e Taiba

[ZOOM]

I create this page to keep an update of all the threats and anti-India activities being done by Laskar e Toiba from Pakistani soil. I hope others will add onto this thread.


On another note, I think its high time we all Indians get together and hold massive protests against Laskhar e Taiba, other Pakistan-based militant groups, as well as Pakistan itself (for not stopping terrorism from occuring). We need to make our voices heard.

Sorry boss, your voice will never get heard especially by LeT, since they are non-believer in Democracy.

 

[Rage]

I think you are, all of you, missing the point of this thread. The 'protests' in question are not intended to be directed against the LeT (that would be absurd), but rather to raise awareness about the organization particularly where such awareness is lacking- that would make it almost everywhere. Perhaps a better word to have used would be 'demonstrations'. And yes, the protests / demonstrations - atleast in India - do not have to exclude chastising the 'soft approach of the GoI' either.

 

[Soham]

I create this page to keep an update of all the threats and anti-India activities being done by Laskar e Toiba from Pakistani soil. I hope others will add onto this thread.


On another note, I think its high time we all Indians get together and hold massive protests against Laskhar e Taiba, other Pakistan-based militant groups, as well as Pakistan itself (for not stopping terrorism from occuring). We need to make our voices heard.

I strongly appreciate your "take-the-matter-in-our-hands" attitude but as your last option says, its pointless.

What and who will you protest against ?

 

[Pintu]

Mehwish , Laskar simply don't believe in Democracy, they don't care about protests.

 

[mehwish92]

I strongly appreciate your "take-the-matter-in-our-hands" attitude but as your last option says, its pointless.

What and who will you protest against ?

To everyone here that thinks my goal is to protest against LeT and show them that we are "cross" with them. That would be a stupid thing to do. As if they'd care anyway.

My goal is to create awareness in the western world. The western world hardly knows what LeT is. They do not realise that there are many other terror outfits operating from Pakistan. The western world only focusses on those outfits that attack the USA or Europe. This war against terror cannot be won unless we defeat ALL terrorists, and that includes LeT. This half hearted approach to the war on terror isn't going to achieve anything.

I also agree with those who think we should protest against Indian Government's lack of will to do anything about this terrorism. Be it BJP or Congress, none of them do anything to tackle terrorism, yet both blame each other during election time.

An even BETTER thing to do is, rather than blaming the Indian government for their spineless governance, you people need to join Indian Politics if you can. Get in there yourself and try to make the change that we all wish to see. I wish I could do such a thing.

If there are any Indian Citizens reading this, I urge you to join politics and make a difference! If A lot of noble and sincere people join politics in India, they can make a huge difference.

I especially urge Muslims to join Indian politics, as we are greatly underrepresented. Every community of India, be it the Parsis, or Sikhs or anyone else, are successful only because of themselves, their will power and determination. We Muslims also need this.

 

[Soham]

To everyone here that thinks my goal is to protest against LeT and show them that we are "cross" with them. That would be a stupid thing to do. As if they'd care anyway.

My goal is to create awareness in the western world. The western world hardly knows what LeT is. They do not realise that there are many other terror outfits operating from Pakistan. The western world only focusses on those outfits that attack the USA or Europe. This war against terror cannot be won unless we defeat ALL terrorists, and that includes LeT. This half hearted approach to the war on terror isn't going to achieve anything.

I also agree with those who think we should protest against Indian Government's lack of will to do anything about this terrorism. Be it BJP or Congress, none of them do anything to tackle terrorism, yet both blame each other during election time.

An even BETTER thing to do is, rather than blaming the Indian government for their spineless governance, you people need to join Indian Politics if you can. Get in there yourself and try to make the change that we all wish to see. I wish I could do such a thing.

If there are any Indian Citizens reading this, I urge you to join politics and make a difference! If A lot of noble and sincere people join politics in India, they can make a huge difference.

I especially urge Muslims to join Indian politics, as we are greatly underrepresented. Every community of India, be it the Parsis, or Sikhs or anyone else, are successful only because of themselves, their will power and determination. We Muslims also need this.

You deserve an applause.

 

[ZOOM]

To everyone here that thinks my goal is to protest against LeT and show them that we are "cross" with them. That would be a stupid thing to do. As if they'd care anyway.

LeT is already banned and now operating with new nick name Jammet Ud Dawwa. First clarify opponent against whom you want to protest.

My goal is to create awareness in the western world. The western world hardly knows what LeT is. They do not realise that there are many other terror outfits operating from Pakistan. The western world only focusses on those outfits that attack the USA or Europe. This war against terror cannot be won unless we defeat ALL terrorists, and that includes LeT. This half hearted approach to the war on terror isn't going to achieve anything.

Western world do know about LeT and hence because of them and India's effort got banned through UN. And yes, LeT isn't the only one against India, rather all other terror outfits which born with the issuance of Kashmir issue.

Mehwish, there is no point protesting against such terror outfits, rather you should create a Movement to press Pakistan, as it is the only nation which treat all this terror outfits as their stretegic assets.

I also agree with those who think we should protest against Indian Government's lack of will to do anything about this terrorism. Be it BJP or Congress, none of them do anything to tackle terrorism, yet both blame each other during election time.

An even BETTER thing to do is, rather than blaming the Indian government for their spineless governance, you people need to join Indian Politics if you can. Get in there yourself and try to make the change that we all wish to see. I wish I could do such a thing.

If there are any Indian Citizens reading this, I urge you to join politics and make a difference! If A lot of noble and sincere people join politics in India, they can make a huge difference.

I especially urge Muslims to join Indian politics, as we are greatly underrepresented. Every community of India, be it the Parsis, or Sikhs or anyone else, are successful only because of themselves, their will power and determination. We Muslims also need this.

Just by joining Politics, you won't bring any change. If you really need to do something against terror attacks, then bring the change at individual level by remaining alert and suggesting all others to do so.

 

[Soham]

Zoom,

Don't criticize the young-ling for her efforts. Sitting and criticizing won't help either.
When she means awareness, she means the common westerners, not the White House.

Contrary to what you believe, an average westerner knows nothing about the LeT.
Especially the youth. They associate every terrorist activity with the Taliban.

You actually think a movement against Pakistan will be worth anything ?
Our government won't base its foreign policy what a citizen thinks. It might suggest we are angry, beyond that, nothing. And the govt. already knows we are angry.

Just by joining politics one can change a lot of things. Nascent parties like the Youth Congress, professional's party are a very good step in this regard. Atleast we will have ministers who don't base their decisions on the no. of suitcases they receive under the table.

I'm not saying we shouldn't remain alert. But will our alertness change the LeT's mood ? Will they suddenly become friends with India ? Will they stop their attacks ?

 

[mehwish92]

LeT is already banned and now operating with new nick name Jammet Ud Dawwa. First clarify opponent against whom you want to protest.



Western world do know about LeT and hence because of them and India's effort got banned through UN. And yes, LeT isn't the only one against India, rather all other terror outfits which born with the issuance of Kashmir issue.

Mehwish, there is no point protesting against such terror outfits, rather you should create a Movement to press Pakistan, as it is the only nation which treat all this terror outfits as their stretegic assets.



Just by joining Politics, you won't bring any change. If you really need to do something against terror attacks, then bring the change at individual level by remaining alert and suggesting all others to do so.

Thats a bit pessimistic isn't it? If people keep thinking like that then India will always have corruption, and we'll always have to worry about when the next riot will occur in India, or when the next terror attack will occur. At the moment I read news everyday expecting to read about another terror attack or riot. All this is, at least partly, due to the corruption of our politicians! We are the next generation who have to take control of the world. We need to join politics. And we need to make sure that the new generation of Indian politicians are corruption-free.

My biggest worry at the moment is disintegration of India, with whatever is going on in Kashmir, and Assam. The politicians in our country are turning a blind eye to both issues. My other cause of concern is the Sikhs. If they do not get justice, I get the feeling violence may start again. Its been 25 years already! How much longer must we wait to get the Sikhs the justice they deserve?!

This is why I urge noble and good-minded youngsters to join politics and try to make a difference.

 

[mehwish92]

Remember, our enemies (i.e. Pakistan) cannot do anything to India as long as we make sure there are no problems for them to take advantage of.

Currently they are taking advantage of Kashmir issue (and probably also Assam issue). In the past they took advantage of Punjab issue.

If we can fix our problems, then we'll have a major advantage against Pakistan.

 

[johnee]

mehwish,
I appreciate your feelings, but no country can ever fix all their problems. its continuing process to get better and our enemies will keep taking advantage of any small weakness.

btw, why cant we protest against the root of all terror organisations: ISI?
that would also catch media attention and more ppl(western) will be exposed to it. also, it will be news in pakistan.

lets protest against the proxy-war of pakistan on india.

 

[mehwish92]

mehwish,
I appreciate your feelings, but no country can ever fix all their problems. its continuing process to get better and our enemies will keep taking advantage of any small weakness.

btw, why cant we protest against the root of all terror organisations: ISI?
that would also catch media attention and more ppl(western) will be exposed to it. also, it will be news in pakistan.

lets protest against the proxy-war of pakistan on india.

Talking about the ISI, I don't know if we should believe this or not:

ISI being restructured and cleansed: Pak
Press Trust of India
Sunday, April 12, 2009, (New Delhi)

Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence is in the process of being "restructured and cleansed" in the wake of suggestions of its links with the Al-Qaida and Taliban, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has said.

"Now we are in the process of restructuring ISI. ISI has been cleansed," he said in an interview with a TV channel.

Qureshi said the present leadership of the ISI is very clear of the challenges of tackling terrorism and extremism.

He said ISI has made positive contribution in the fight against terrorism and extremism.

"Without ISI's help you could not have apprehended the 700 or so al Qaeda operatives. ISI has done more than any other organisation has done," he said.

Top US officials had recently indicated that elements in ISI have links with the Taliban militia and Al-Qaida.

Asked whether he suggested that there was a period prior to cleansing when the old, unclean ISI might have had links with the Taliban and Al-Qaida, Qureshi said, "Well, I am telling you we are following a hands-off policy, which in our view is in Pakistan's interest."

Qureshi said he had told US special envoy Richard Holbrooke and Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Michael Mullen about the positive contributions ISI had made in the fight against terror.

 

[johnee]

@mehwish:
like always, they are just bluffing. ISI is still supporting terror groups including behtulla mehsud.

 

[mehwish92]

@mehwish:
like always, they are just bluffing. ISI is still supporting terror groups including behtulla mehsud.

Like I said, I don't know if we should believe them or not. I personally wouldn't make that mistake.

 

[ajtr]

Illusions in Punjab​

On the economic and security fronts, it is safe to say, Pakistan is going through a tough time. To say that the Taliban are a threat to the country's present and future status is oversimplifying the issue. Economically, Pakistan faces a severe deficit as the cost of the war in the country's northwest grows and development funds get slashed.

Which is why it was rather startling to read a report that the government of Punjab province was handing over millions of rupees to madrassas run by the infamous Jamaat-ud-Dawa, Lashkar-e-Taiba's charity wing.

India accused JuD of carrying out the attacks in Mumbai in November 2008, following which the United Nations added four LeT leaders to its consolidated list and imposed "an assets freeze, travel ban and arms embargo" on them. The Pakistani government then sealed the JuD offices as part of a series of moves to assure India that it was serious about cooperating with investigation into the Mumbai attacks. It also put JuD leader Hafiz Saeed under house arrest, a move the Lahore High Court later declared unconstitutional.

However, attempts to remove JuD from the public sphere may have just been a smokescreen. Journalists travelling to camps housing internally displaced people who had left the Swat Valley because of the army offensive against militants in 2009 discovered that the JuD was at the forefront of disbursing aid, albeit under a new name -- the Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation.

While the priorities of provincial governments in fighting terrorism have often been questioned, the Punjab government has one-upped itself this time.

On June 14, Dawn reported that the provincial government of Punjab "gave more than Rs82 million to the Jamaat-ud-Dawa during the outgoing financial year, according to the budget documents for 2010-11." Additionally, Rs79 million were given to the JuD headquarters Markaz-i-Tayyaba in Muridke, and another Rs3 million went to different schools run by the JuD in Punjab. According to the Guardian, "The provincial law minister Rana Sanaullah said the funds were for charitable purposes and would be administered by government officials. A spokesman for Jamaat-ud-Dawa said the group had not yet received any official funds."

The links between members of the current Punjab government and banned organizations is not new. In February 2010, reports emerged that Rana Sanuallah, who is a member of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, was seen with the leader of another banned organization, the anti-Shia Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan, while campaigning for his party's nominees in the by-elections.

In an email interview, analyst and op-ed columnist Cyril Almeida says, "The specifics may be in dispute, but the tolerance for JuD and Hafiz Saeed at the state level is not."

According to Almeida, "The problem with the Punjab government goes deeper than this particular case. There is a sense that the provincial government is in denial about its Taliban problem. Whether for ideological or purely political reasons, the PML-N is considered to be 'soft' on militant groups."

The Punjab government is dominated by the PML-N, a right-wing political party. Even though the PML-N are unofficially coalition partners with the ruling Pakistan People's Party, PPP and PML-N leaders frequently trade a war of words on various issues -- whether it is on the security situation or on the imposition of value added tax. And militancy in Punjab has come under the spotlight again after the two attacks on Ahmedi mosques in Lahore last month that highlighted just how fragile the security situation in the province is.

In a statement issued to the press this week, former Information Minister and PPP leader Sherry Rehman said, "The country can no longer afford this mollycoddling of terrorists, and Punjab is fast becoming a victim of its own ambiguity. There can be no military operation against terrorists in Punjab, but there must and should be a police sweep, with enough evidence to obtain convictions through our courts. Instead of building police capacity to throw such a dragnet around terrorists, who openly hold rallies in the streets of Lahore and Rawalpindi, we see money being doled out of the tax-payers pockets through the annual budgetary exercise. If this is not pampering a banned outfit, what is? We are told that the government appointed an administrator to run. If we continue on this path, the carnage we saw in various attacks on mosques, non-combatants and minorities in Lahore and other parts of Punjab will only gain strength. You cannot run a military operation in six tribal agencies and then have extremist ideologies run rampant in other areas."

Last week, while addressing a public rally in Lahore, JuD leader Hafiz Saeed described "suicide bombings as attempts at defaming jihad, alleging that the 'bogey of Punjabi Taliban' had been invoked to justify an army operation in southern Punjab," and issued a warning that "those operations could not continue for long." But while Saeed may cry himself hoarse that the JuD is just a charity organization, the fact that his groups have been banned for having links to acts of terror cannot be denied.

The Punjabi government's open support for JuD is mind-boggling. Poverty figures have risen in the last few years and development in the public sector is sorely needed -- but surely not to an organization that has come under severe criticism by various governments and international organizations, and is run by people who have been repeatedly accused of being terrorists. Secondly, lest we forget, the sole surviving gunman in the deadly November 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai, Ajmal Kasab, was a Pakistani, who was allegedly trained by Lashkar-e-Taiba -- a supposedly banned militant group that Saeed co-founded. Lastly, with dozens of attacks in the province in the last few years, which have claimed hundreds of lives, it is time for the Punjab government wake up and smell the coffee: ties with any organization that is linked to acts of terror cannot, and must not, be supported -- or else, this war against terrorism that the state is fighting will be in vain, as will be the sacrifices of thousands of Pakistanis, who have paid with their lives.

Huma Imtiaz works as a journalist in Karachi and blogs at http://humaimtiaz.wordpress.com.

 

[ajtr]

Lashkar commander killed in Kashmir: Indian police​

SRINAGAR: Indian security forces said Tuesday they had killed a senior local commander of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militant group in Indian-administered Kashmir during a gunbattle that also killed a policeman.
The gunbattle erupted on Monday in northern Sopore town, about 50 kilometres (31 miles) north of Srinagar, and ended early Tuesday with the killing of Abu Zubair, senior police officer Altaf Ahmed said.

"The fighting erupted when soldiers and police raided a hide-out," he said, adding that in the initial firing three policemen were injured. One later died in hospital of his injuries.

Police said Zubair was a Pakistani commander of the LeT in the Sopore area who was responsible for masterminding attacks against security forces.

The Pakistan-based LeT has been blamed by India for the November 2008 Mumbai attacks that killed 166 people. It has denied any role in the attacks.

 

[ajtr]

Terror's double game​

Shashi Shekhar

As the UPA Government embarks upon yet another misadventure to reduce India's 'trust deficit' with Pakistan, it would be useful to take note of the changing terrorscape following recent subtle though significant shifts in Islamabad's cross-border jihad policy which have profound implications

Multiple signals are emerging from the jihadi landscape in South Asia in the aftermath of a Mumbai court delivering its verdict in the November 26 attacks on Mumbai. These signals also come as India prepares to affect a shift in its Pakistan policy through what it calls an "exploratory mode". While the first four of these signals have been well reported and analysed quite extensively the last has received very little attention in India. As Home Minister P Chidambaram prepares to visit Pakistan it is imperative that these signals are paid attention to closely.

The first signal is the apparent splintering of jihadist groups inside Pakistan that manifested in the killing of a former ISI official with known jihadi sympathies Khaled Khawaja by a group known as the Asian Tigers. While Khaled Khawaja was killed back in early May, the fate of two others kidnapped by the Asian Tigers remains unknown. One of the hostages is a Colonel Tarar, also popularly known as Colonel Imam, who claims to have fathered the Taliban in Afghanistan.

The splintering within the jihadi outfits inside Pakistan has also spurred a low key factional war of targeted sectarian killings in the city of Karachi in recent weeks. These targeted sectarian killings follow an earlier sectarian attack in Lahore on two mosques of the Ahmediya sect. This string of sectarian jihadi attacks manifests in a second signal of political conflict within the Pakistani establishment with the ruling PPP taking on the PML(N) in Punjab for its overt and covert sympathies to jihadi outfits. While a Minister in the provincial Punjab Government has been accused of overt sympathies to an anti-Shia extremist outfit, evidence has also surfaced of the Punjab Government funding the Jamaat-ud-Dawa'h.

While the JuD continues to host anti-India political rallies in Pakistan, a third trend has emerged in recent weeks. It is the increased international focus on the Lashkar-e-Tayyeba and the jihadist sympathies of sections within Pakistan's establishment. This trend started with a paper by Stephen Tankel on how the Lashkar had evolved into a gateway for jihadis facilitating funds and logistics. In recent times, The New York Times and other international publications have published extensive narratives on how the LeT has been working at the behest of Pakistani agencies to hurt Indian interests in Afghanistan. The Associated Press, too, carried a narrative of a retired Pakistan Major and his continued jihadist sympathies. This increased international focus was further magnified in a paper by Matt Waldman of the London School of Economics on how Pakistan continues to sponsor the Afghan Taliban. Most recently the RAND publication has a report cautioning the US Government over continued aid to Pakistan.

This increased international focus on continued jihadi sympathies within the Pakistani establishment comes in the aftermath of the failed attempt to set off a bomb in New York City by Pakistani American Faisal Shahzad. Shahzad who pledged guilty in a US court earlier this week went on record to admit that he was trained in bomb making by the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan. He also revealed he spent 40 days with the TTP while he spent five days in actual training. He also revealed receiving US $4,900 in cash to fund his failed attack. The court documents, however, have not revealed much about the investigations in Pakistan in relation to the Shahzad case.

When taken together, the failed Times Square bombing, the factional infighting and the increased international focus on the LeT put into perspective a recent video from Al Qaeda. In a major setback to Al Qaeda, Abu al-Yazid, considered the third highest ranking member after Bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri, was reported killed in a drone attack. In a video that appeared last week from the Al Qaeda's media communication channel, Yazid, who perhaps recorded his last message before his death, was seen appealing for funds, further underlining the weakening of Al Qaeda resources. The video was also significant for another reason.

For the first time, Yazid acknowledges that Ilyas Kashmiri's 313 Brigade had a role in the February 13 blast in Pune's German Bakery. Describing Kashmiri as leading the Al Qaeda in Jammu & Kashmir, this statement from Yazid has received very little attention in India.

The Yazid statement comes at the same time Pakistan seeks to deflect attention from the JuD's Hafiz Saeed. While one media statement by a Lashkar spokesman sought to put some distance between JuD and the 26/11-accused Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi who remains under trial in Pakistan, other media reports described Saeed as being under house arrest. This simultaneous shifting of spotlight to Kashmiri's 313 Brigade and deflection of attention from Saeed has some history as is evident from the David Headley chargesheets and in the timing of a previous anti-India Al Qaeda video, also issued by Yazid in March 2009.

While this double game between the 313 Brigade and LeT could have a benign explanation coming as it is in the week before Home Minister Chidambaram's visit to Pakistan, there is another unverified signal that must be paid attention to. In the first week of June, a new jihadist website was registered in the name of 313 Brigade. The website carries a eulogy to Yazid apparently mourning his death in a drone strike. At this time the website does not carry any explicit threats. However, the timing of its launch is ominous as Mr Chidambaram prepares to visit Pakistan on June 26, which also happens to be a Saturday.