• EU offers to help Bangladesh combat terrorism

By Bill Roggio

The nature of al-Qaeda and its International Islamic Front is a fount of confusion for most observers of the War on Terror. Often, al-Qaeda is seen as a small group of Arab terrorists confined to the Middle East, with the main base of operations in Afghanistan prior to the country's invasion in the fall of 2001. But the fact is al-Qaeda is a global organization with extensive ties to regional Islamist groups in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. It is believed al-Qaeda has networks established in well over sixty nations. But their ties to the local terrorist groups are often obscured to provide cover for their actions and shield them from international scrutiny.

Bangladesh is one such nation where al-Qaeda has a extensive network of local supporters. The reported arrest of local al-Qaeda affiliate commander Abdur Rahman serves to remind us of the hooks the organization has throughout the world.

India police are said to have arrested Abdur Rahman, the spiritual and ideological leader of terrorist groups Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and Jagrata Muslim Janata Bangladesh (JMJB). The groups, which are often believed to be one of the same, espouse a radical Islamist ideology much like that of the Taliban of Afghanistan. They are believed to have launched the extensive bombing campaign in August of 2005, where it is said up to 400 bombs detonated across the nation. Hundreds of Bangladeshis were wounded in the attacks. JMB and JMJB are responsible for a host of attacks in Bangladesh over the past several years.

Rahman is not your run-of-the-mill local Islamist terrorist leader. Rahman is one of the select signatories to the 1998 fatwa that created the International Islamic Front , the umbrella group of Islamist terrorist groups that declared war on the West. The signatories include: Osama bin Laden, Ayman al-Zawahiri [amir of the Jihad Group in Egypt and second in command of al-Qaeda], Abu-Yasir Rifa'i Ahmad Taha [amir of the Egyptian Islamic Group] and Mir Hamzah [secretary of the Jamiat-ul-Ulema-e-Pakistan].

After the fall of the Taliban, al-Qaeda is believed to have shifted assets to Bangladesh, and it is believed al-Qaeda's second in command, Ayman al-Zawahiri, as well as hundreds of al-Qaeda fighters took shelter in the county .

Al-Qaeda has had a vested interest in the troubled nation, and has provided "seed money" to Harakat ul-Jihad-I-Islami/Bangladesh (HUJI-B), a terrorist group that now plays a crucial role in training jihadists "from southern Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia and Brunei" and providing manpower for al-Qaeda's affiliates in "Jammu and Kashmir… Afghanistan… Indonesia, the Philippines and Chechnya."

As we stated last year, the situation in Bangladesh is much like that in Pakistan; "The rise of Islamist extremism is compounded by the problems of the government courting Islamists for political gain (much like the problem in Pakistan). Bangladesh's government contains two Islamists ministers, and local police are reluctant to act against extremists for fear of government reprisals. Terrorist leaders such as Bangla Bhai remain on the loose despite their known affiliations with the jihadis. And, also like Pakistan, the madrassa remain an integral part of the support mechanism for Bangladeshi terrorists."

India, a secular democracy, sits in the heart of the subcontinent, nestled between Pakistan and Bangladesh, and is fighting its own War on Terror in the province of Jammu and Kashmir. The arrest of Abdur Rahman is clear victory for the Indian government and yet another blow against al-Qaeda's global leadership.

Threats Watch

 DHAKA, Jan 23 (Reuters) - The head of a Bangladeshi Islamist group blamed for a wave of bomb attacks has been arrested in a neighbouring Indian state, newspapers said on Monday.

Shayek Abdur Rahman, supreme leader of the outlawed Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen group, was picked up from a hideout in the eastern Indian state of West Bengal on Sunday, The New Age and Amar Desh newspapers said, citing intelligence sources.

There was no official confirmation of the reports, and Bangladeshi interior ministry officials could not be reached for comment.

Security forces last week launched a massive hunt on Bangladesh's western borders after an intelligence tip-off that Rahman was in the area, along with Siddikul Islam Bangla Bhai, chief of another Islamic group, Jagrata Muslim Janata Bangladesh.

Both have been missing since nearly 500 small bombs exploded simultaneously across the country on Aug. 17 last year.

Authorities have blamed the bombings and subsequent suicide attacks on the two groups, which are campaigning for the introduction of sharia law in Bangladesh, a mainly-Muslim democracy.

Newspapers said Indian authorities had taken Rahman, who was picked up from the district of 24 Parganas in West Bengal state, to New Delhi for interrogation.

There has been no official comment from the Indian side.

Bangladesh and India share a 4,000-km (2,500-mile) border, which is regarded as one of the world's most porous frontiers.

 

 

WebLink:

 

[This news is from the front page print edition of New Age of date. The website of the newspaper http://www.newagabd.com  is down]

JMB Chief held in India?

Dhaka yet to be officially informed

Staff Correspondent

The fugitive supremo of Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh, Shaikh Abdur Rahman, was reportedly arrested by the Indian Police in West Bengal on Sunday, said home ministry sources in Dhaka early this morning.

The West Bengal police nabbed the Mujahideen leader, an extremist, from a hideout at Barasat, 24 Parganas of West Bengal, a neighboring Indian state, a source close to the state minister for home affairs, Lutfuzzaman Babar, told New Age.

Shaikh Rahman is said to be responsible for a series of suicide attacks in public places in Dhaka and elsewhere in Bangladesh. Meanwhile, a source in Kolkata of West Bengal, told New Age over telephone that Indian police has implicated Shaikh Rahman in a murder case.

More than 400 bombings took place on August 17 and a series of subsequent bombings, including several suicide attacks followed. Twenty-eight people, including four suicide bombers, died in such incidents.

According to the source, the West Bengal police arrested the member of the outfit, Mohsin, from 24 Parganas on Saturday.

Following extensive interrogation, the Indian police came to know from Mohsin that Shaikh Rahman was also hiding in the area. Subsequently the police raided the area and nabbed Rahman the next day. Shaikh was sent to the Indian capital, new Delhi, immediately after his arrest, the source said.

The state minister for home affairs told New Age at 12:30 a.m this morning that he had first come to know of the arrest from the midnight media reports. 'Neither the Indian government, nor our High Commission in India has so far officially told us anything about Shaikh Rahman's reported arrest' the minister said. 'We expect the government of Delhi will officially inform us on the arrest, if the wanted JMB leader is nabbed in India. Besides we shall take necessary steps about it, through a diplomatic channel, as soon as Dhaka and Delhi wake up tomorrow [Monday] morning'.

In this regard, the minister said the Bangladesh government had earlier sought cooperation of Interpol operating in different part of the world including India, in arresting the JMB leader.

Shaikh Rahman formed an Islamist militant outfit Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh, which was banned by the government in October 17^thOctober 28, 2005 the government announced a bounty of Taka 50 lakh each on capture of Shaikh Rahman and Bangla Bhai. ,2 005. On

 
New Age Report, Monday, January 23, 2006

WebLink:http://chorchoriz.blogspot.com/2006/01/jmb-chief-held-in-india.html

Pakistan: Hizb ut-Tahrir, Islamist Group, Challenges Ban

Hizb ut-Tahrir the international Islamic group which aims to set up a Caliphate or Khilafat, a trans-national Islamic state, has appeared in court in Lahore, Pakistan, to challenge a ban imposed upon it by the Pakistan government.

The news, reported by TMC Net and also on Hizb ut-Tahrir's British website, is that the HuT spokesman, Naveed Butt, is challenging the ban at the Lahore High Court Rawalpindi Bench.

The initial hearing took place on 17 January, after which the divisional bench of Justice Naseem Sikandar and Justice Abdul Shakoor Piracha issued notices to various official bodies, to respond within three weeks.

The Federal government, Ministry of Law, Human Rights and Parliamentary Affairs and provincial Police in Punjab were sent the notices.

Butt's petition stated that since the Khilifat (Caliphate) is currently the biggest threat to America and "other colonialist countries", the Pakistan government's recent ban has been imposed merely to appease the United States of America.

The petition described the ban as "illegal" and "un-Islamic". It further peddled the notion that Hizb ut-Tahrir is a "completely peaceful organisation", working to reinstate Islamic life by restoring the Caliphate, "through peaceful political and intellectual struggle."

Jizb ut-Tahrir were represented in court by Muhammad Akram Chaudry, a former vice president of the Supreme Court Bar Association, and Umer Hayat Sindhu, ex-vice president of the Lahore Bar Association.

We discussed Hizb ut-Tahrir's role in Tajikistan and neighbouring countries last week, where it is outlawed.

Hizb ut-Tahrir in Britain are currently under threat of a ban. The proposed ban features in a clause within the government's anti-terror bill currently being debated in parliament's Upper House.

The last Caliphate, that of the Ottomans, was dismantled in 1924 by Turkey's Kemal Ataturk . The last Caliph, Abdulmecid Efendi, was unseated in March of that year. Some groups other than Hizb ut-Tahrir also aim to establish the Caliphate, such Metin Kaplan's groups Hilafet Devleti and Kalifatstaat in Germany.

The exact date of the Pakistan government's ban on Hizb ut-Tahrir is unknown. The group were publicly demonstrating against President Musharraf's Kashmiri policies, in Lahore in mid-December.

Two massive pdf documents from the Nixon foundation are available here. The first, entitled The Challenge of Hizb ut-Tahrir is 145 pages long, written Sept 2004. The second is a monograph entitled Hizb ut-Tahrir: Islam's Political Insurgency is from December 2004, and is 144 pages long.

A more current discussion of the role of the Caliphate is made by Karl Vick in the Washington Post from last Saturday. The informative article makes mention mainly of Hizb ut-Tahrir, but also features Metin Kaplan, the "Caliph of Colgne", who is currently in prison in Turkey.

WebLink:http://www.westernresistance.com/blog/archives/001498.html

Bangladesh: Bamboo Staves at ready
Maqsoodul Haque (Mac)

The bomb attacks in Bangladesh and loud condemnations as this being
work of the ever shadowy Islamist militant outfit the
Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen-Bangladesh (JMB), being the all-credibly
'incredible show' in town – thinking people were aghast that I am
probably the only 'highly odd' skeptic in town, who does not believe
either 'suicide bombers' or the JMB exists.

After a recent opportunity to probe minds and disarm highly charged
media brain-washed thoughts, to upfront – 'this is what you have read,
and this is what you have seen' – barreling in  my 'tell me what you
THINK' hypothesis – i.e. these were 'attempted suicide bombings' and
NOT completed Suicide Attacks – I could albeit sense disappointment
among some that the nightmare, the 'real thing' in the real sense as
with the Hamas, Hizbollah in the Middle East or  the LTTE in Sri
Lanka, is still a long way away from the shores of Bangladesh.

To analyze the organisation JMB, precursors of the now defunct JMJB or
Jagrata Muslim Janata Bangladesh (Awakened Muslim Mass) – and really
how BIG or how strong and ideally (or idly!) how committed are they
for 'jihad', a counter point could well be 'why a jihad in Bangladesh
– and why the JMB'?  We are not asking WHY NOW, but then who in his
sanest mind could wish for an Islamic Jihad when 85% of your
population however 'moderate' you may call them are Muslims anyway, is
geographically 60% surrounded by 'Hindu' India, 10% by Buddhist
Myanmar, least – and the water borders - the unsavory Bay of Bengal –
where in Allah's kind name, no mullah is prepared to be 'buried
without a trace'!!

The logic and standard media-driven conjecture being as twisted as –
"they hit the judiciary because 90% of the poor don't get justice –
because lawyers sell them out to the mONEY gOD - so hit they did in
the name of Allah – Allahu Akbar" -- is deceptive to a wild fault.

It is not as simple as if the Law of gOD is battling the Law of mAN in
Bangladesh – in reality humanity is the ultimate casualty in the
nations 34 years of existence. The only message that these baffling
attacks have thus spelt out louder than imagined to the ruling
establishment is: the poor for far too long have accepted injustice
and perhaps this is how they are striking back.

Evidently there is also a silver lining: such attacks have a way of
wearing off because the rich also know how it ought to be handled --
the poor if at all involved cannot sustain them, and will soon get
back into the more serious business of putting a meal in the table for
the family. They will of course continue to remain poor.

The phenomenon does however merit a deeper thought.

The precursor to the JMB in the JMJB was born a vigilante force only
to tackle Naxalite (Maoist) guerrillas in Northern Bangladesh, but the
agenda of the Islamists were never in conflict with the Maoists for
both have a declared common class enemy, the RICH, and both were
fighting injustice and inequality and both believe in violence.

It is thus extremely far-fetched to suggest that the JMJB, later the
JMB, formed with Government and Intelligence services largesse, to
curtail and create a buffer against the Maoist insurgency in just one
region of Bangladesh alone, could have backfired and turned out to
become an uncontrollable 'national' monster, which is also and more
ridiculously, threatening peace of the world?

The patterns of recent 'attacks' by JMB for instance are not only
confusing but imminently laughable and does not in any way suggest
involvement of a serious terrorist (if at all) group:

1. Mostly low-tech threats by phone or hand-written letters about
impending attacks either with bombs or, by assassination. Video or
audio tapes have not been used and the Media ensures each and every
threat gets due prominence. Insignia, logo or even letter heads of the
JMB have not been seen.

2. No centralized leadership structure that speaks for the
organisation neither a second tier leadership is evident. The Media
ensures the 'latest whereabouts' of the leadership is reported, and
the Government seemingly has no objection to let these stories
circulate.

3. No direct or credible statement/s by the JMB that claims credits
for the bomb attacks i.e. by fax or email to the media so far, other
than handwritten bills abandoned at the site of the attack.

4. Nowhere else in the world may we take note, does any government
claim credit for attacks carried out by a terrorist organisation
except in Bangladesh where the Police is first to confirm and  inform
the waiting Media that 'it was a JMB attack' or it was a 'JMB suicide
bomber'.

5. No website in the Internet to claim credits or assume responsibility.

6. If the organisation was as large or powerful as is being claimed,
there would be certainly need for more publicity, but there have been
no reports of anybody sighting a JMB poster or even wall graffiti's –
the most powerful form of low-tech popular publicity available in
Bangladesh.

7. Most explosives used are low-tech and in most cases have been
tracked back to manufacturers in India as also timing devices.

8. No reports that JMB men are engaging security forces in gun-battles
where firearms or automatic weapons were used.

9. Media and eye witness accounts about bomb attacks are unreliable as
onus is not to report facts, but to advance colorfully convoluted
theories aimed at convincing people at large, that this was a suicide
bomb or bomber.

10. Usually suicide bombers are a motivated bunch who video-record
their intentions on behalf of their organisation before an attack,
which is later released after the attack is successful.

11. The 'making of a martyr' symbol for jihad is absent in Bangladesh
for most 'suicide bombers' usually survive their attacks and are often
too maimed for anybody to take their death bed 'confessions'
seriously.

It is therefore highly improbable that a terrorist group with access
only to explosives, and no firearms or fighters, no public profile, no
publicity, no political agenda other than demands for 'Allah's Law'
can have the temerity to deliver a 'jihad' with such devastating
force.

With no identified infrastructure other that 'Intelligence' and
(un)'reliable sources' spin doctoring in the media,  baffling is a
realization that even without an inner core, Command or Control
leadership apparently in charge of '8,000 cadres and 2,000 suicide
bombers' – JMB can actually survive without communicating?

Separately, serious re-juggling of propaganda campaigns are visibly
shredding off at the seams simply because they are proving so
unacceptable. It is lamentable to the extent the Government of the day
or the powers-that-be would continue to play the 'suicide bomber'
card, moves that would take Bangladesh, not through the process of a
hara-kiri of power-hungry politicians that citizens have gotten used
to, more sinister: the future and livelihood of a people who are proud
as much as they are fiercely independent, regardless of what
'religion' they adhere to, have been ominously threatened.

A war not too far off in the horizon will decide the outcome.
Resistance is inevitable, because the State has been attacked by a
'unique invisible enemy' that is apparently so 'powerful' that none
seem to be able to match them. Whilst indications are rife, that the
JMB is only a trivial brigand's brigade and more than State's
anti-terrorism apparatchiks like the State Minister for Home Affairs
dealing with them, a blanket authority to villagers to use bamboo
staves to beat-to-death-at-sight, as has been the Bangladesh tradition
even in recent days to deal with violence when all else fails, is
thought to be good enough deterrent to rescue Bangladesh. No high-tech
weaponry as such is required to deal with such illiterate, low-tech
buffoons.

Not unsurprisingly, the existence of JMB being dependent on support
from a 'larger State nearby' is gaining grounds and one does not need
to ask which one! If Bangladesh has to tackle the new problem head-on,
it has got to start marking time on quite a few areas that have for
years been stamped SENSITIVE and thus SECRET.

Because Bangladesh does not have a Defense Policy, because none of us
know what we are expected to do when an 'enemy' attacks us, it doesn't
mean we do not have an Enemy? The core problem is in identifying the
enemy, which no Government in Bangladesh would hazard naming, for
fears quite unbeknownst.

It also helps propaganda gaining currency of an imminent takeover of
the political leadership of the country by Jamaat-E-Islami, a small
time coalition partners of the ruling BNP. If we are to take it that
the Taliban was a US invention against lawlessness post the
anti-Soviet jihad, as much as it was painted villain to then bomb
Afghanistan back to the medieval ages, a scenario of the same
magnitude, of total militarization in the region is possibly about to
commence – with Bangladesh as its epicenter.

If what is unfolding in Bangladesh today is as an outcome of a hidden
class struggle over the years, then certainly the Islamists and not
the secular Maoists have fired the first worthwhile salvo with attacks
on the State. This is not terrorism that has a communal origin, they
are apparently by Muslims against Muslims, and is essentially targeted
to degrade and divide Bangladesh on sectarian lines, on theocratic
philosophies of Sunni, Shiite and Wahabist Islam that are understood –
but remains alien to in its very strong Sufi and Buddhism influenced
culture.

The region had better be careful for there will be no winner in this one.

Link
http://chorchoriz.blogspot.com/2005/12/bangladesh-bamboo-staves-at-ready.html

In Bangladesh: gETTING down to business today, in Air defense drills
its always safe to stay at a place which has been bombed once, we are
of course talking about bombs falling from the AIR, wonder if the
rules have changed for bombs in the gROUND, for today in an apparent
double whammy for the JMB mullahs, down in gHAZIPUR very close to the
capital Dhaka (takes about 25 minutes in a car although we have a
terrific highway which should have got us there in about 10) – the
story as it goes as of now SO lets hear the loudest scream thus far
from

MonstersAndCritics [1.]:Two killed in bomb attack by Islamic militants
in Bangladesh:

At least two people were killed and 20 others critically injured in an
attack Thursday by a suspected suicide bomber on a court in the
Bangladesh town of Gazipur, about 55 kilometres north of the capital
Dhaka, witnesses said. This is the second deadly blast in the town
since Tuesday allegedly triggered by Islamic militants belonging to
the Jamiatul Mujahideen, a banned extremist group that wants to
establish an Islamic state in Bangladesh by force.

I am not at all surprised that the while shadowy JMB has been
mentioned BUT I am a wee bit surprised that today even

[2.] the prim-and-propah Reuters did what it could to make sure the
word 'suicide bombing' wasn't used even ONCE in describing events in
this report, other than implying that this was a "normal bomb attack"
which usually happens on our hartal holidays and does cause --- an
occasional DEATH!

The Buzz in the knowledgeable areas around the diplomatic enclave
however is 'Did Bangladesh really see its first suicide bomb attack'?
For me things look like a bit too amiss on this one, nearing 48 hours
after the attacks within the available OSINT there are valuable
questions bubbling that needs more than a conspiracy theorist to sort
out.

Today the Media has been for instance busy profiling the
'one-that-got-away-to-tell-a-story' and here it how it goes folks:

[3.] He, who earlier gave confusing information identifying himself
once as Abul Bashar and again as Ahmad Hossain after recovering from
unconscious state on Tuesday evening, also confirmed his name as
Hossain Ali, sources said. Son of one farmer Mojammel Hossain of
Takerdala of Shakhipur, Tangail, and a student of Baset Khan High
School, Hossain confessed that the notes recovered after the November
14 blast in Jhalakathi and Tuesday's suicidal blast in Chittagong were
written by him

"It is essential to keep him alive to get more concrete information
about the JMB and its activities," said the commissioner

but alas Abul Bashar aka Ahmad Hossain aka Hossain Ali from the JMB as

[4.]  Reuters would report who also lost both legs and his right hand
in the blast died in hospital on Thursday, police said. It took the
death toll from suicide blasts since Tuesday to 12, including three
bombers, police said.

Whether the dude was bumped off or what I am not too sure, but this
morning it seemed other than the fact that he was saying 3 different
names and fixing on a finale for our Intelligence dudes to bite upon
and record as the REAL TRUTH - , as up until

yesterday (he) gave important information about the ghastly blast he
had carried out Tuesday and activities of the banned Islamist outfit
Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB). [5.] He told a joint
interrogation by police and intelligence agencies that all militant
bomb blasts since August 17, including Tuesday's suicide attacks in
Gazipur and Chittagong, were planned at the meetings at an Ahle Hadith
mosque of Shakhipur and at the JMB hideout in the hilly area of
Chittagong

Which left me wondering why on earth do we Not have a full profile of
the gUY who is like a HERO in the Bangladesh Hall of Infamy its FIRST
SUICIDE BOMBER? So I went looking and folks this is what I found.
Didn't miss the BBC dude when he reports:

[6.] The only way to get into the ruined lawyers' library at Gazipur
courthouse was by stepping over the body of the man the police believe
was responsible for the destruction. He was lying prone on the floor
in a pool of blood, naked except for a small piece of cloth. He was
small, with the dark skin and wiry build that marks out a man who
works hard in the sun for a living. It was only when the large crowd
that had gathered had had the chance for a good look that the corpse
was bundled into a roll of bamboo matting and carried away. It was
roughly done, with much shouting and shoving. But if it turns out that
the police's suspicions are correct then this little man will have his
own grisly place in history. (Hall of Infamy) "What we have found here
initially suggests it's the act of a suicide bomber," inspector
general of police Abdul Qaiyum told the BBC at the scene. If that
proves to be the case, it will be Bangladesh's first suicide attack -
a major escalation in what has become a campaign of violence.

Amazing is the obduracy of the Police to arrive at such a hugely
bewildering conclusion to the extent of even speaking to the BBC and
reaching an 'initial suggestions' without the forensics haven't even
being done? To think of it: it is the British tax payer who are
apparently pumping in millions to improve efficiency of the Bangladesh
Police (after the HC was hit) – and then to have a top-cop so
inept—even at handling the media? gOSH.

The [7.] Indians however said it was like this :

In the Gazipur incident, a suicide bomber dressed as a lawyer entered
the office of the local bar association without being properly checked
by the security guard and set off the explosion. The bomber himself
and six other died----five on the spot and two others in a
hospital….NO MORE

Now to profile the 'suicide bomber' here is

[8.] Mahfuz and what his Daily Star Citizens Intelligence Unit of
uN-Reliable Sources dug out:

The police and witnesses said the bomber, aged around 25, was wearing
a black gown similar to what lawyers wear when he entered the hall
building. After the explosion, his body with wires tied around his
thighs and waist was left on the floor for a couple of hours.
Intelligence sources suspect the bomber might have carried the bomb on
his left thigh, the flesh on which was ripped off in the blast.

The bomb was so powerful it torn away a ceiling fan and bent two
others. The fire burnt all the furniture, files and other documents in
the room. The shock broke all the glasses and windowpanes of the room,
its upper floor and an adjacent building. Several ventilators of the
room also splintered.

That was a HUGE BLAST - but Just incase you missed anything so far

The police and witnesses said the bomber, aged around 25, was wearing
a black gown similar to what lawyers wear when he entered the hall
building. After the explosion, his body with wires tied around his
thighs and waist was left on the floor for a couple of hours.
Intelligence sources suspect the bomber might have carried the bomb on
his left thigh, the flesh on which was ripped off in the blast. The
bomb was so powerful it tore away a ceiling fan and bent two others.
The fire burnt all the furniture, files and other documents in the
room. The shock broke all the glasses and windowpanes of the room, its
upper floor and an adjacent building. Several ventilators of the room
also splintered.

– but was it a suicide bomber?

Folks sorry for using the photograph above – but just to make a point
here, note the (black gown) 'lawyers robe' above was most probably
used initially as a Body bag, maybe even a make-shift shroud – but I
have a more ghastly picture in Manabzamin (a racy Tabloid in Bengali
language with strong Civil and Mil-Intell links – the Editor the
Bangladesh correspondent of the VOA?) where we have a the dead
"suicide bomber", his body FULLY INTACT, and a lawyers gown wrapped
around his neck as if somebody was doing the dead dude a great favour
– exposing his lower portions -- where THINGS were like frightfully
INTACT?

Now a blast that size, punches a hole in the roof, takes fan off the
ceiling and seriously injures people even 50 feet away – and the BODY
IS INTACT?

However New Age is smarter and has an uncanny way of putting things –

[10.] read this –

It smashed windowpanes, jolted fans of the ceiling and triggered a
fire with a thick plume of smoke. The furniture was blown into pieces
and one of the four windows went flying out the building with its
frame. As the smoke cleared, a big hole could be seen in the roof. The
explosion occurred moments after a man in lawyer's gown, believed to
be the suicide bomber, entered the library, according to witnesses.

but we still do not have the NAME Of the suicide bomber -- hold your
breathe while you read this:

Two were identified as Bashir Uddin, a former member of Gachha Union
Parishad, and Abdur Rab, a retired warrant officer of the Bangladesh
Army. Their bodies were sent to the district hospital for autopsy. The
identity of the suspected bomber could not be ascertained and his body
was lying at the blast site till 4:00pm.

A retired warrant officer of the Bangladesh Army doing what in court
(settling a divorce maybe!) – which perhaps explains DEEPAK ACHARJEE
first report in the Daily Independent with this most vague report:

[11.] Combing operation named 'Clean Militants Operation' like
'clean-heart operation' by the members of Army, BDR, Police and Ansar
is likely to be launched next week simultaneously across the country
to nab and root out the members of different banned Islamist militant
organisations like Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), Jagrata
Muslim Janata (JMJ) and "Allahar Dal".

Really an open declaration of an OPEN SEASON—on the BUSINESS OF
PLUNDER – note the 'next week' (Saturday – like on the 3rd December)
advance notice for the jihadist to flee as also we are IN FOR A LONG
RIDE with:

The operation will be continued until the nabbing of Shaikh Abdur
Rahman and Siddiqur Rahman alias 'Bangla Bhai', the masterminds of
countrywide bombing on August 17 who are controlling the bomb
attackers, sources said.

So where is the MEAT?

During the operation, the members of said forces would use modern
intelligence equipment, arms and bullet proof jackets and they will
raid suspected residences of the militants across the country
including the capital city. The border areas will be sealed during the
operation. The members of the joint force would be given permission to
shoot at sight if required, sources farther added.

$$$$$ for equipments to be sold and deprive you and me off our civil
liberty with shoot-at-sight? gOD is this for REAL?

Meanwhile the Chinese were a little very civil and displayed no
shamelessness in this report – precise and to the point:

[12.] Combing operation named "Clean Militants Operation" by the
members of Army, paramilitary the Bangladesh Rifles, police and Ansar
(militia) is likely to be launched next week simultaneously across
Bangladesh to nab and root out the members of different banned
Islamist militant organizations.

Meanwhile my friend, the RABIDLY PRO-POOR (Sir!) Nurul Kabir writing
in the Pakistani daily DAWN has his as usual scholarly interpretations
of things – which of course I do not always agree:

[13.] A sizable section of the country's poor these days find
fundamentalism a political solution to all problems they have been
facing for decades now. None can deny that the political parties
ruling the state since 1971 have perpetually pursued and practiced a
politics of exclusion – exclusion of there poor masses from the
rulers' development paradigms that were, and still are – insensitive
to basic needs of the majority of the people. The result is obvious:
the marginalized sections of the poor find themselves alien to
existing socio-political setup that serves only to the rich. So youths
from the poor communities easily respond to the call of jihad for a
theocratic state. Besides, the obscurantist madrassah education that
the rulers have carefully crafted and nurtured for years for the poor,
regularly provides the young mullahs with inadequate knowledge to
replace a modern state with a theocratic one, which, they believe,
will not only solve their material problems in the present world, but
also promises a rosy future in the life after death.

And all of this power-cut afternoon where whispers and Cell texts of
whether or not the Army would be called in – will there be a coup ?
Really why wouldn't anybody be wondering LOUD if you have to read
reports like this about the Army, about Bangladesh's National Defense
– first THING IN THE MORNING?

A parliamentary body has termed the rise of militancy a threat to the
state security and suggested launching a united move for the sake of
national existence. The parliamentary standing committee on the
defence ministry yesterday also disclosed confusion among top
officials of the ministry about their responsibilities. It said there
are anomalies in allocation of businesses

[14.] between the Armed Forces Division (AFD) and the ministry

"We'll invite the intelligence agencies in charge of national security
affairs to discuss the issue with us," Committee Chairman Mahbubur
Rahman told reporters after the meeting

"The AFD is not fit to function properly under the present
parliamentary system of the governance," the committee chairman told
reporters

Defence Secretary Mejbah Uddin Ahmed and other top officials of the
ministry also expressed their confusion when the committee asked them
to explain the term "defence of Bangladesh" mentioned as the first
task of the ministry. "The defence secretary could not explain the
term. He is not clear about his responsibilities due to the
anomalies," Mahbubur said. The defence secretary told the meeting he
had asked his predecessor and a former cabinet secretary to explain
the term. "But no-one of them could explain it; rather the cabinet
secretary told me to carry out the work as it was," he said.

By late evening things have subsided for everyday to kinda breathe easy.

NO the Army would not intervene in a situation so trifle and without
much substance,

NO the Bangladesh Army wont stake its reputation being the foremost of
'first class soldiers' in the UN Peacekeeping operations.

Surely if our boys can fight them out in the deepest of Congo down to
Haiti and onto historical Senegal where Bengali is a national language
thanks to our exploits; a couple home made bombs going off in our
backyard and an 'Army Intervention' ? Man those are thoughts which
(very due respects) died with my Dad's and Uncles generation.

Think of it – we have been Army free since 1990 and what better way
than to explain all that to you folks than this great book review – a
MUST READ for the US State department guys monitoring this Blog:

Book Review by Alex Alexiev:

[15.] Pakistan: Between Mosque and Military.

Perhaps the most significant reverberations of the suicide bombings in
London this past July were felt in far-off Islamabad. After it became
known that three of the perpetrators were originally from Pakistan,
and that two of them had recently spent time "studying" in Islamist
institutions there, Pakistan's president, Pervez Musharraf, publicly
admitted that he had not done much, if anything, to live up to his
solemn commitment after 9/11 to curtail his country's extensive
networks of hate-preaching madrassas and jihadist organizations. The
lapse, Musharraf now explained, was the result of a lack of power;
nevertheless, this time he promised to get the job done

Haqqani begins his narrative by clearing up a major misconception.
Most American observers of Pakistan seem to believe that the country,
if hardly democratic, was largely secular and pro-Western until 1977,
when the military dictator Muhammed Zia ul-Haq came to power and began
to Islamicize it. More than a few American commentators also subscribe
to the "blowback" theory, according to which Pakistan's Islamic tilt
is an unintended consequence of U.S. support for the mujaheddin we
enlisted to fight against the USSR following the Soviet invasion of
Afghanistan in 1979. But in the first three chapters of this book,
which traverse Pakistani history in the decades preceding Zia's rule,
Haqqani provides considerable evidence that this is a deeply mistaken
view.

[16.] Meanwhile India seems to be ONE UP on this Bangla Bhai dude and
I am not sure if this is 'hello' or 'goodbye':

Roy ruled out the possibility of Jamatul Mujahideen Bangladesh leader
"Banglabhai" having already taken shelter in West Bengal. "We have got
definite clues that Banglabhai is still In Bangladesh," (hello!) the
home secretary said. Special Branch (SB), the political intelligence
wing of the Kolkata Police, has also been alerted about the possible
sneaking in of the Bangladesh blast suspects. SB sources told DNA that
plainclothes department officials are keeping a close watch on those
hotels, guesthouses and lodges, which are frequented by Bangladeshis.

"We have also cautioned the owners of these hotels and asked them to
immediately contact us if they come across any suspicious person in
their hotels," an SB official said.

Good old Sudder Street, Kolkata --man do I miss the Pam Crain and Luis
Banks in the Blue Fox and my friends Anthony and the Executives in the
Grand and the gorgeous crooner Jennifer who went on to marry Tony– mid
eighties – I surely will have a place if I am thrown out of Sudder
Street!!

Meanwhile

[17.] Myanmar troops have launched attacks on ethnic rebel villages
near the Thai-Myanmar border, setting fire to homes and forcing 1,000
civilians to flee, a rebel leader said on Wednesday. Government forces
raided six villages in Karen and Kaya states over the weekend, burning
100 homes and rice barns, Mhan Shar La Pan, secretary-general of the
Karen National Union, told Reuters by telephone from his base in
Myanmar. "They have arrested some villagers and fired artillery at
civilians who had fled," he said, adding that he had no reports of
casualties. The raids began a week before the junta's
constitution-drafting National Convention was set to resume on Dec. 5
in the capital Yangon. Ethnic rebel groups, many of whom are
boycotting the convention, had expected a government offensive at the
end of the rainy season in late November.

The United Nations human rights chief Louise Arbour warned on Thursday that

[18.] Nepal faced the threat of a full-scale armed conflict, and
called on authorities to join a ceasefire with Maoist rebels and allow
free assembly. "A mutual ceasefire between the Communist Party of
Nepal [Maoist] and the government of King Gyanendra, and steps towards
lasting peace, are crucial to bring to an end a period of grave
violations of human rights and international humanitarian law by both
the Maoists and the state", Arbour said in a statement. The UN High
Commissioner for Human Rights joined calls for Maoist rebels to extend
a unilateral ceasefire which is due to end this week and urged the
Nepalese government to join it.

Link to this Blog
http://chorchoriz.blogspot.com/2005/12/macs-regional-intelligence-bulletin.html


REFERENCES:
[01.]
http://news.monstersandcritics.com/southasia/article_1065856.php/Two_killed_in_b\
omb_attack_by_Islamic_militants_in_Bangladesh
[02.]http://today.reuters.com/news/newsarticle.aspx?type=worldNews&storyid=2005-\
12-01T083322Z_01_FOR130737_RTRUKOC_0_US-BANGLADESH-BLAST.xml
[03.] http://thedailystar.net/2005/12/01/d5120101022.htm
[04.]http://today.reuters.com/news/newsarticle.aspx?type=worldNews&storyid=2005-\
12-01T083322Z_01_FOR130737_RTRUKOC_0_US-BANGLADESH-BLAST.xml
[05.] http://thedailystar.net/2005/12/01/d5120101022.htm
[06.] http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4482320.stm
[07.] http://www.outlookindia.com/full.asp?fodname=20051130&fname=raman&sid=1
[08.] http://thedailystar.net/2005/11/30/d5113001011.htm
[09.] ---
[10.] http://www.newagebd.com/2005/nov/30/front.html#1
[11.] http://independent-bangladesh.com/news/dec/01/01122005mt.htm
[12.] http://www.china.org.cn/english/international/150532.htm
[13.] http://www.dawn.com/2005/12/01/int4.htm
[14.] http://thedailystar.net/2005/12/01/d5120101097.htm
[15]. http://www.commentarymagazine.com/article.asp?aid=12005083_1
[16.] http://dnaindia.com/report.asp?NewsID=12102&CatID=2
[17.] http://today.reuters.com/News/CrisesArticle.aspx?storyId=BKK173506
[18.]
http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleid=258188&area=/breaking_news/breaki\
ng_news__international_news/

PROLOGUE: I wrote this article on the 17th November ostensibly for a
daily English publication in Bangladesh, which recently lost it
venerated founder Editor, and most regrettably in ways quite unclear
to me -- perhaps its own sense of direction. I have nonetheless come
to realise that no newspaper in Bangladesh is quite prepared to
willingly print anything I write, and it is not as if it's the
powers-that-be are the ones, and by implication the State as such, is
censoring. Quite on the contrary, imbedded censors with shady shades
of opinions within publications are more powerful than say the Prime
Minister of this country, have more 'credibility' than the Leader of
the Opposition – yet their roles are no more 'ceremonial' say than the
President of the mighty Peoples Republic!

But WRITE I must, it is the only things that keeps me alive, and
whether or not they are occasionally and perhaps mostly by default
published -- the real trouble is to wake up every morning in
anticipation and fail to see my written words in prints then receive
embarrassing calls saying something about this or that 'administrative
hassles' that needs to be sorted out, etc etc.

That by-the-way makes me feel like either I am the most important
person in the world – or perhaps the sorest FOOL around – but none I
swear have said this to me on my face what I already know – that this
is NO DEMOCRACY we live in – that this is DUMMY-Cracy and unless you
have 'sold-your-butt' to someone or the other – too bad - you cant be
sold!

In any case, the Net is where I belong – and I know for a fact that
millions live and thrive here – cause heck it's the world – not a
sophisticated urbane but village nonetheless called the PR Bangladesh!
So much for my freedom, so much for the fredom of the PRESS?
=======================================================
The failed Tornado and 120 million 'terrorists'
By Mac Haque

SAARC 13 was a like tornado we were expecting that thankfully never
struck. We nonetheless stayed home, kept our heads down, made sure
banks, offices and schools stayed shut, stocked provisions or 'fled'
limits of the Metropolis as the Government indicated that we could do
well to 'evacuate' to safer locales till the 'all clear' was sounded.
Such was the obsession with 'terrorist threats' to leaders in the
Summit, that we were left pondering if the powers-that-be, was looking
forward to some unpleasant incidents to occur with unrestrained relish
else, nothing explains this security overkill of a most quixotic,
undesirable and unwanted kind, which at the end bordered on abusing
the citizens at large.

When we thought we survived – twin tragedies struck. Nothing was
achieved in the Dhaka deliberations that can be said with certitude
would change the lot of 'peoples' in the seven nations, as much as
'zero tolerance to terrorism' -- the avowed mantra for this jinxed
'get-together' of sometimes-friends, sometimes-foes has by now been
permanently assigned to collective amnesia.

Meanwhile a look at the regional security situation in less than
72-hours post the Summit is in one word -- horrifying. Within the
first 24-hours a bomb attack in Jhalukathi aimed at soft targeting,
kills 2 judges. 1,200 heavily armed Naxalite guerrillas descend on and
take over Jehanbad in Bihar, freeing 340 prisoners from the central
jail. The next morning, security forces discover dead bodies of 24
anti-Maoist vigilantes, the Ranvir Sena, among the men freed earlier
from jail. Indian Army Para-drops 1,000 commandos to apprehend the
fleeing Naxalites – no luck there. In less than 48-hours: a car-bomb
goes off outside a KFC outlet in Karachi, 6 are dead, scores injured.
Another car-bomb in Srinagar, Kashmir, 3 dead and 34 injured.

The severity of (real) organised terrorist attacks and the havoc they
can cause as explained above being fortunately absent in Bangladesh,
our misfortune without a doubt is that the BNP government woke up late
in accepting this 'global franchise' of the terrorism game - a crux in
'statecraft' that determines survival of regimes in the post 9/11 Free
Masonic New World Order.

It also suits the goals of repressive Governments worldwide that Uncle
Sam pours his largesse of 'funds' to fight the War on Terror (WoT) –
all on its own terms. The agenda has nothing to do with terrorism or
national security, chillingly it is all about business exigencies, of
unscrupulous defense contractors, the Merchants of Death, with the
Bush administrations media propped blurb for the world to read being:
'If there aint NO enemy – CREATE ONE dummy'. Regrettably it is the
same business interest that creates artificial scarcity of 'equipments
that we must have to fight terrorism', for none among us are prepared
to hazard a hypotheses that it probably needs about 500 potkas
with-or-without timing devices, to go off in unison nationwide, to
create massive orders for such equipments to flow- unchecked,
unquestioned.

We haven't missed the menacing looking State Minister for Home
Affairs, Lutfuzzaman Babar going publicly hysterical about installing
CCTV cameras 'to look for the shotruuz' after the 7th July
bomb-attacks in London? We do not ask about the cost of sniffer dogs,
metal detectors, Chinese motorcycles, screening machines, frequency
jammers, flak jackets – special weapons etc, as most of it is packaged
under the 'buy ONE get TEN Free' regime – remember the 10 truckloads
of goodies abandoned by ghost ships at the Karnaphuli jetty, circa
2004?

The punch to the ribs question then -- does Bangladesh at all have a
terrorist problem? The answer NO will raise a few eye brows, but
disappointingly our 'terrorists', specially ones arrested, do not have
noticeable sophistication to be even considered fit recruitment
material by global jihad affiliates. Our participation in the
anti-Soviet jihad in Afghanistan during the eighties being the
strongest myth in play, little is heard about 'our boys fighting
heroically' – for in reality they fought little, if ever – with most
employed as coolies and cooks to the late Ahmed Shah Masoud.

It is thus in our overt acceptance of covertly colorful names such as
the Jamaat-Ul-Mujahideen (JMB) as much as our unquestioned iman on
convoluted theories in newspapers of jihadist groups getting stronger
by the days, keeping us busy with threats or actual bomb attacks, a
2,000 strong 'suicide squad' which intelligence services are
'hunting', is where we permit cumulative miasma to set in and burn our
boats. It indicates Bangladesh's 'ruling class' - political
affiliations notwithstanding want it no other way, but 'accept
reality' as deemed fit by the US.

1971 achieved for the US a 'nation' in Bangladesh that is malleable,
and one that can do the favour even to its own shadow – a shadow it
terms fiends, a fiend the US called 'friends' back in the days gone
by? The US needs War for it has not quite figured out how to make
money from peace. In today's there-but-where WoT, jihad is the
cheapest thrill on offer. Nothing can be cheaper than human bombs, the
poor mans F-16 as much as unverified exploits of invisible
high-profile 'enemy leaders' who may or may not become 'visible' after
an attack – Osama Bin Laden, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, and by a long shot,
Bangla Bhai is BIG global business.

Once we have willingly permitted our enemies to nest in on our
us-versus-them symbiotic to a fault psyche – does the real demolition
starts with extra-judicial forces that are formed with public money -
'rapidly'. It then takes Ministers to tell us about college girls so
happy that they collect autographs from 'rock star-ish', badly
bandana-ed, bunch of show-offs called the Rapid Action Battalion
(RAB), a force we have permitted to crawl and prowl all over our
'elite' self? As if it would be a fault otherwise, the best we can do
in admiration or disgust at these men (and some women) in BLACK is
exclaim – GREAT – shabaash!

It is therefore 'great' to see pictures of RAB mercilessly beating up
men on way to perform Eid with their families back home. Their CRIME?
They were sitting on the roof of a crowded steamer. Two days later It
is 'great' to see front page photographs of a dozen of the same
steamers heading off with passengers crowded 3, 4 maybe 7 times more
than capacity (roof notwithstanding), and no RAB media spokesperson to
explain the beating of passengers 2 days earlier for the same 'crime'?
There is however a twist to the crime angle. This one was committed by
the rich, 'relatives' of powers-that-be, rightful owners of those
death traps, floating vulgar hubris and our destiny perhaps.

During Ramadhan, RAB upped itself on moral policing as well. Consider
the picture of a man forced to do sit ups while holding his ears. His
CRIME? Arguing with a rickshaw-puller over fares and all of this
happening with the media on record feasting our eyes, the 'public eye'
in the paper next morning with 5 colour aplomb. Luckily we do not see
pictures of men minutes before they are done to death in Rub-Outs –the
Filipino equivalent to RAB's 'crossfire'…..GREAT – shabaash?

The obvious security risk that Bangladesh faces is civil unrest, and
by that is meant the states complete failure in handling unpredictable
citizens wrath, which left unchecked and undiagnosed have often led to
civil wars. Events such as workers clashing inside a mill near a
national highway, which then spills over and leaves roads blocked with
vehicles for miles on end, indicates no-way-in-or-out situations. No
police, special or 'elite force' worth its name can handle them and
blocking traffic to create imploding and cascading chaos are old
strategies and tactics employed by political parties during hartal or
any movement to oust the Government.

The BNP Government in its umpteenth arrogance exploited this civil
unrest threat which is a far cry from terrorist threats. It realised
that a show of massive overbearing force could ensure double edged
security for SAARC. One – it could scare away 'terrorist' real or
imagined, and Second: what it surely could never achieve otherwise -
scare the 'rest of us' into believing that the nightmare has finally
arrived. An Auschwitz like profiling was set into motion, which
essentially meant that the 120 million people of Bangladesh, each and
every one of us, minus those SSF commandos, Policemen, RAB, dogs and
Government functionaries et al, as you guessed right – were
'terrorists' and therefore imminently dispensable.

While debates are welcome the attitude of this handful of fear
psychosis maniacs together with their well-entrenched cronies
everywhere, is indicative that they decided for the 'rest of us' to
act as HUMAN SHIELDS -- be it from terrorist or a straightforward
conventional attack from an enemy. If worse came to worse, they could
have used us all as cannon fodder or plain had us 'liquidated' with a
blink of the eye – all for 'their safety and security'. Aren't we
lucky – the tornado just didn't hit, but then it could well have?

The next time Summit of the useless are held and phenomenal amounts of
money injected, why not let the 'powers-that-be' consider an outing in
picturesque islands off Hatiya or Patiya, or Bhola or Char Fashion
instead of playing this roulette game of 'terrorism' with us in Dhaka?

Future summiteers are of course smarter summiteers. Bangladesh's
coastal islands as a possible location leaves open vulnerability to
natural Tornadoes, as also the 120 million 'rest-of-us' isolating and
cutting the 'rest-of-them' off as in MAROONED, incase things get too
out of control? Our national political barometers being legendary for
making derelict predictions - this time around suffice to say, things
were uncomfortably close for comfort.

EPILOGUE: 30th NOVEMBER I received a text on my cell from somebody
asking "Did ya hear about the Afghan suicide bomber from JMB in
Maulvibazar who successfully completed his 23rd mission !?"

Link
http://chorchoriz.blogspot.com/2005/12/failed-tornado-and-120-million.html

From Dhaka today in mourning and gloom - Holy Cow and Other Stories

The mood in Bangladesh today, 24 hours after the bomb attacks in
Chittagong and Ghazipur is somber, the local dailies specially ones in
the Bengali language are carrying one too many grotesque photograph,
denying us our disapproval for such insensitivity, denying the dead
their dignity --- but such is our inexplicable fate as a nation. One
would think the newspapers are 'making a killing' by publishing these
images, no different in attitude that of the terrorist who are killing
for whatever insane, macabre or 'noble' reasons that may have
afflicted their thought processes.

This [1.] Independent Editorial today however captures the how e feel
at at this very moment:

The militants are advancing steadily and stealthily; and at the same
time not slowly but quickly. They have insidiously penetrated into
many vital areas of the country and built up one or more underground
organisations which are strong enough to withstand the initial
government assault. Even two years ago no gloomiest prophet could have
foreseen that the country would become the hotbed of extremism, that
this extremism would challenge not only the government but the
political and juridical system, modernism, pluralism and freedom
itself. All gains that had been made during the last one-and-half
century following the Islamic renaissance ushered in by Sir Syed Ahmed
Khan, now stands threatened. Thus anybody who is anybody in the
country has a great stake in the containment of the rising tide of
extremism. If the threat is not perceived in time, if any escapist
attitude is adopted, an irreversible damage of historical proportions
will have been dealt.

The Indian High Commission and Missions in [2.] Dhaka, Chittagong and
Rajshahi have stepped up their security following militant threats to
Western embassies and is framing a long-term strategy to insulate
itself from a new wave of Al-Qaeda-inspired terror threatening that
country.

"There is now a greater preparedness to deal with these terrorist
threats. We have been putting in place a series of steps since the Aug
17 serial bombings in Dhaka," a top official in New Delhi said. The
Indian mission in Dhaka was put on high alert after a militant group
claiming allegiance to the Al-Qaeda threatened on Sunday to blow up
Western missions in Dhaka, including that of the US and Britain.
Security was also stepped up at India's assistant high commissions in
Chittagong and Rajshahi. Refusing to disclose specific steps on the
ground that they would impinge on national security, the official
said:

"We have stepped up security in our high commission. There is no
threat to us as such, but we are tightening security to be on safer
side." The threats could not be taken lightly as some terrorists were
spreading anti-India sentiments in Bangladesh, he remarked.

Which makes me move on to this highly 'anti-Indian sentiment' article
in the daily New Nation by Shahid Alam

[3.] who does a very intelligent back-track to the 14th November bomb
attack on a court precinct in Jhalakathi, a day after the SARC summit
concluded on a satisfactory, if not exactly triumphant note, and when
a self-confessed suicide bomber succeeded in throwing a powerful bomb
inside a microbus that killed two senior assistant judges of the lower
courts in Jhalakathi. That was on 14 November 2005. The State Minister
for Home Affairs [Digression here: The 'commando-looking', tough
talking State Minister for Home Affairs Lutfuzzaman Babar is
indisposed and has gone to Singapore for medical treatment. The
pressure of running and managing the Home ministry (looking for the
shotruuz) has made the young and inexperienced minister sick. For
health and other grounds he has not been able to discharge his duty
efficiently as home minister ] announced that the bomber, who survived
after sustaining serious injuries, was a member of the outlawed
militant Islamic outfit, Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), and
carried out his attack to give the message that the government should
ban man-made laws and establish Quranic laws. And in the daily
Independent of 18 November 2005, an illustrated report revealed that
on 17 November, the BDR recovered two powerful bombs, five packets of
explosives, each containing 110 grams of the material, six normal
detonators, two electronic detonators and six fuses at the Noyakut
border area under Chhatak upazila of Sunamganj district. A BDR
explosives expert concluded that the two bombs packed enough power to
blow up a medium-sized building, and that the explosives were enough
to construct 70 powerful bombs of the type that was used to kill the
two judges in Jhalakathi. That information is sobering enough, but
more worrying is the origin of the paraphernalia of explosive devices
and the identity of their bearers. Both hail from India and The
Independent provided a pictorial smoking gun.

Shahid Alam is merciless in his denouement of India's external
Intelligence service RAW's involvement in Bangladesh's recent
tragedies when he writes:

Knowledgeable Bangladeshis believe that the Indian intelligence agency
RAW is directly involved in at least one terror connection with the
aim of destabilizing the country, having it portrayed as a so-called
'failed state' in international eyes, and undermining the incumbent
government for the benefit of the opposition Awami League (AL). The
close relationship between AL and New Delhi, especially if a Congress
or a Congress-led coalition is in power, is fairly common knowledge in
Bangladesh,and more than a few suspect that RAW actively pursues a
policy that will aid AL in coming to, and being in, state power. The
suggestion that RAW could be working on Bangladesh without the central
government' full knowledge (or even approval) is not a wild
conjecture, either, with parallel examples to be found in several
other countries, including the United States.

[4.] The latest attacks by suicide bombers in Bangladesh using the
most powerful explosives ever in the country showed that militants are
becoming more sophisticated, police said on Wednesday. "The bombs that
exploded yesterday were the most powerful we have seen. We can't
immediately say what kind of explosives they used but they were highly
destructive," said a police officer. "The terrorists have not only
acquired advanced technology and training but also changed their
operational tactics," he said.

[5.] Meanwhile across the border the State of West Bengal is on high
alert to thwart Bangladesh infiltrators "We have sent alert notices to
the police, particularly in the border districts, to keep a vigil so
that terrorists cannot cross over to the state. We have also alerted
the BSF for this purpose"

Prasad Ranjan Ray, additional chief secretary in charge of home
department, today said.

"We have also increased our vigil at the Metro Railway and crowded
places like markets in Kolkata. We assume that those who triggered the
suicide bombings are the same people who had masterminded the serial
blasts in Bangladesh some time back. But we are not sure. We have got
in touch with our people in Bangladesh, and we will get more
information by tomorrow," Ray said.

To rub some salt into an already gaping wound to our stupidity is this
statement from the Director General of BSF R.S. Mooshahary who said
today that

[6.] Bangladesh is emerging as a bigger worry than Pakistan.

''Bangladesh will soon pose a bigger problem than Pakistan,''
Mooshahary said, adding that the Indo-Bangla border is more difficult
to man than the Indo-Pak border. ''At the Pakistan border, both the
Army and BSF are deployed, whereas the Indo-Bangla border is manned
solely by BSF."

He also admitted that illegal migration into North-East is continuing
and in order to address the issue of infiltration, BSF has sought to
raise an additional battalion of women.''I've sought the Home
Ministry's permission to raise a women's battalion to deal with
infiltrators, many of whom are women,'' he said.

Let's look at it abjectly? India already has profiled 'women
terrorists' from Bangladesh and to that end there is more delights
awaiting us in that while Delhi is planning a major reorganisation of
the paramilitary forces (meaning the BSF),

[7.]  it has also been decided to give them Indian Air Force support
in day-to-day anti-terrorist operations, starting on the
Indo-Bangladesh and India-Myanmar borders, and eventually being
extended to the northern and western sectors.

India is certainly moving on a 'war footing' and lets get this message
clear across to Bangladesh's Defense, Security and Intelligence
establishment and a mood of hostility that will not miss any patriotic
citizens of Bangladesh is when RAW's

[8.] South Asia Analysts Group's Anand Kumar says The Islamic
militants who are attacking judges have little respect for the
judicial system in place now. As the courts are spread all over the
country, it is easier for them to attack the judges in their
courtrooms. Moreover, the Islamists consider the judiciary as the most
obvious barrier to establishing Islamic rules. Without an effective
judiciary no state can run.

[9.]  Militants think that once the judiciary is destroyed or rendered
ineffective JMB's purpose of sabotaging the entire system of
government will be attained. Militants also believe that once the
implementation of existing laws is stopped, people will seek
arbitration before the persons who want to implement Shariah law
instead of going to court. The JMB cadres are also inspired by the
example set by Taliban in Afghanistan where they had attempted to
destroy the established judiciary before capturing power.

[10.] Meanwhile Justin Huggler writing for London's' Independent said today:

What will particularly concern the outside world are accusations from
the main opposition party that the Bangladeshi government is covering
up the Islamic militant threat because two junior partners in the
governing coalition have links to the militants. Until February this
year, when it finally accepted there was a problem, the government had
dismissed reports of militants inside the country as fabrications -
although there had already been a series of bomb attacks, including
one on the British high commissioner. The opposition Awami League has
accused the Jamaat-e-Islami and the Islami Oikya Jote, both junior
partners in Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia's government, of links to
the militants. The Islami Oikya Jote has been quite open about its
support for Islamic militancy and the Taliban in Afghanistan, but the
Jamaat, which projects itself as more moderate, has denied any links.

Not to overlook a bit of black humor that couldn't have come at a
better time for 'Goru-Chagolz-R-Us' then NOW

[11.] Cattle can stop Bangladeshis!  Indian security agencies have a
rather unusual plan to stop infiltration of Bangladeshis - curb
smuggling of cows to that country. The problem is that they are not
getting support of state governments in India. Cattle smuggling is
believed to generate over Rs 2,000 crore in annual revenue for
Bangladesh, which is one of the biggest exporters of meat, hide and
leather products to Gulf countries. It brings in much-needed foreign
currency to the cash-strapped country. Apparently, every third animal
slaughtered in Bangladesh may have originated in India. Most of the
cattle are smuggled via Malda and Murshidabad districts in West
Bengal. It took off in a big way around 1994. Bangladesh has been lax
in curbing the menace as is evident from the fact that it only imposes
a fine of a few hundred rupees to legalise smuggled cattle.

"Yo Muslims - Don't eat MEAT" – how's that for a "patriotic" Slogan?
But do not despair folks – India has a whole lot of 'house cleaning
and sorting' that has to be done but I do admire the way they can
clean sweep all their house debris under the carpet, unlike us
shameless lot:

For One –

[12] 2 banks in New Delhi received twin bomb threats. According to the
police, the first call was received at 11:45 a.m. at the Punjab
National Bank branch on Tolstoy Marg and the second one was made at
12:16 p.m. to the State Bank of India office on Parliament Street. The
police said they are trying to trace both the callers and would take
strict action against them. Fire service and bomb disposal squads
swung into action after the calls and searched both the bank premises
for over two hours.

Secondly [13.] the Indian government said Tuesday it has been unable
to stem growing Maoist insurgencies in parts of the country.  "We've
been quite successful in controlling terrorism in states like Kashmir
and in the northeast but as far as Naxalism (Maoist violence) is
concerned, we have not achieved similar results," Home Minister
Shivraj Patil said. Patil's statement to parliament came two weeks
after hundreds of armed Maoist guerrillas freed prisoners, including
many of their comrades, from a prison in the lawless state of Bihar
which is racked by poverty. New Delhi has deployed 26,000 federal
security personnel to strife-torn states and offered 30 billion rupees
(697 million dollars) to state administrations to modernise their
police forces, the home minister said.

Maoist insurgency being a 'non-Islamic' terrorism at best, casualties
are actually higher as

[14.] Minister of State for Home Sriprakash Jaiswal said in a written
reply that in the first 10 months of this year, 1,353 Maoist-related
incidents were reported in which 570 civilians and police personnel
were killed. (Any database on the number of 'jihadist' attacks and
people killed in Bangladesh at the same period?) This was up from last
year's toll of 472. Property worth Rs.566.25 million was also lost in
the violence, Jaiswal said. Andhra Pradesh topped the list with 448
incidents, in which 163 civilians and 15 policemen were killed - a
two-fold increase over the previous year. Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand,
Bihar and Maharashtra with 317, 271, 161 and 76 incidents respectively
were the other states that witnessed increased Maoist violence.

[15.] Meanwhile in Lucknow another shameless display of India's
apparent 'tolerance' for the arts:

11 theatre actors from Pakistan invited by an NGO — the Women's
Initiative for Peace in South Asia (WIPSA) — to stage plays across the
country, the Pakistani troupe was allegedly told to pack their bags
because their production, Zikr-e-Nashunida (Discussing the Unheeded),
expressed anti-US sentiments. Speaking to Newsline, Sheema Kermani,
head of the Karachi-based group, alleged that one of the WIPSA members
— the organisers — warned them that if they continued to go against US
sentiments through their play, they would be handed over to the
police. The NGO also reportedly threatened to take away their tickets
if they didn't leave the city as soon as possible. And at around 7 am
today, the Pakistani actors were made to leave their accommodation at
Isabella Thoubourn College. Later in the day, Magsaysay awardee
Sandeep Pandey stepped in to their aid, making arrangements for their
stay at a city hotel. When contacted, Nirmala Deshpande, founder
member of IPSA, said: ''It's very shocking. Bahut galat hua. Sandeep
told me about the sequence of events that took place today... It's
shameful.''

I am IMPRESSED with the above – but not so much can be said about the
Indian Christians who are having it as bad as their Pakistani country
cousins after

The [16.] Supreme Court of India announced that the equal rights of
Christian Dalits will be re-examined, following a nationwide rally
joined by some 50,000 last Saturday. On Monday, a three-judge Bench of
the Indian Supreme Court scheduled a hearing in February 2006 to
debate on whether to grant Christian Dalits with the certain benefits
as the Dalits who follow other faiths, according to the India national
newspaper the Hindu. According to the U.K.-based human rights watchdog
Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), the current Indian Constitution
since 1950 allows preference towards "Scheduled Castes" which included
Hindu, Buddhist and Sikh Dalits, to be eligible for free education and
a reserved proportion of government jobs. Human rights agencies have
criticized such policy as exploiting equal rights and discriminating
based on religion. They therefore demanded the reservation of equal
benefits for Christian Dalits as well.

As happened yesterday today we are again in for 3 'tri-metrically'
opposing stories – that on India's Defense preparedness, starting with
a very, military-sh

[17.] 'Stand at Ease' by this bloke who even suggests that his
motherland ought to even prepare to fight, even hypothetically the US
– Jai Hind!?

So we come back to the question: why are we spending tens of thousands
of crores for a capability that is not adequate to meet the needs of
the day? The answer is, because the government is unable, or
unwilling, to carry out the deep reforms that can make our forces
militarily effective against a full spectrum of threats, which should,
hypothetically, include the US. Mind you, the chances of war with the
US are remote since there are no burning conflicts of interest, but it
would be foolhardy to argue that the US will never make war on India.
There is some truth in that old adage about nations having permanent
interests, rather than enemies or friends. Take the relationship
between Iran and the US. Till 1979, they were the closest of allies,
with the US supplying Teheran with its latest weapons, like the F-18s
equipped with Phoenix long-range air-to-air missiles, ahead of even
the NATO. Today, both see the other as the Great Satan. India's
response to a threat from China, or the US, cannot, or at least should
not, be that there can be no response because they are much too
strong. In 1971, when the USS Enterprise entered the Bay of Bengal and
moved towards India, the navy did not put up its hands in surrender.
Instead, they quietly despatched INS Kandheri, a submarine, to
transpose itself between the Americans and the rest of the Indian
fleet involved in the Bangladesh war. One F-class submarine versus a
nuclear carrier battle group may appear too improbable a scenario, but
have no doubts that if required, the Kandheri would have given battle,
regardless of the odds.

Meanwhile Minister of State for Home S Regupathy told the Lok Sabha on
Tuesday that

[18.] four battalions, specially trained to combat nuclear, biological
and chemical disasters, would be deployed near Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata
and Chennai to protect the cities and deal with nuclear disasters in
all parts of the country.

[19.] But the India's Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee is none too
happy, he warned domestic arms makers to sharpen their skills or
perish in the face of intense competition from foreign rivals in a
globalizing world. AFP reports that the warning came amid reports of
military complaints over the quality of hardware and spare parts
supplied by India's own arms industry. The warning is valid to a
point, and private sector procurement is finding a niche in India.
Still, there may be less here than meets the eye.

Which helps explains why [20.] Russia and India are to work together
on the development of a new generation of satellites linked to the
Russian Glonas navigation system. The specialist Russian company
Reshetnev and its Indian partners will work together on the
development of Glonas-K satellites as laid down by "an
intergovernmental agreement on cooperation ... for development of the
Glonas navigation system", according to Albert Kozlov, head of
Reshetnev, quoted by Interfax. The agreement provides for joint work
on putting into orbit Glonas-M satellites and the future Glonas-K
satellites using Russian and Indian launchers, Kozlov said on
Wednesday, the AFP news agency reported.

Possibly with so much happening positively-negative for India it has urged

[21.] the US to keep an eye on Musharraf since his reluctance to take
on the madrassas stems primarily from their power, a US national
policy expert has urged the government to ensure the military ruler
keeps his promise to expel foreign students from the Islamic
seminaries. In the past Musharraf has not kept his promises and senior
Pakistani officials have claimed that "there are no training camps in
Pakistan" but it is "a ridiculous assertion that is widely refuted by
most veteran Pakistan watchers," Patrick Devenny, national security
fellow at the Center for Security Policy, a think tank, said. He asked
the US to ensure Musharraf keeps his promise to expel foreign students
from Pakistani madrassas. If the promise is carried out, he writes in
The Washington Times, it could represent a major step forward in
Pakistan's struggle with Islamic fundamentalism. "Most often," he
pointed out, "extremist teachers arrested by Pakistani authorities are
quickly released once Western attention turns elsewhere, free to start
up their schools again in different locations."

Which explains why

[22.] Pakistan warned on Wednesday that any move by the United States
to sell the Patriot anti-missile system to India would trigger a new
arms race between South Asia's nuclear rivals. A team of officials
from the US Defence Security Cooperation Agency made a technical
presentation of the Patriot system to Indian defence and foreign
ministry officials earlier this week, Indian media reported.
Pakistan's Foreign Ministry spokesman Masood Khan said any plans to
sell Patriots to India would be "counter-productive"."This would erode
deterrence... this would send (the) entire region into a crisis mode,"
he told a weekly news briefing. "You will have an arms race, an
unintended arms race here which nobody wants and finally it would
induce higher risk-taking," he said. "This we think is not in sync
with goals of peace and security that we have in this region."

FOOTNOTE: Nepal - Now "All Those Kings Merry Men" seems to be giving
the Indian and Americans the run for their money/influence and now
with the supply of arms and ammunition by China the Indo-Nepal Transit
Treaty meeting this week, with New Delhi deciding to convey to
Kathmandu that the bilateral document may come under review if its
security concerns are not considered. According to the latest reports,
China supplied 4.2 million rounds of 7.62 mm rifle ammunition, 80,000
high explosive grenades and 12,000 AK-series rifles to Nepal last
week. Beijing has gone ahead with the supplies despite Washington and
New Delhi urging it not to fish in troubled waters. In fact, US
President George Bush also took up the arms supply issue during his
recent visit to Beijing.

[23.]  Though South Block is tight-lipped on the issue, sources say
that New Delhi will bluntly convey to Nepal that if it allows access
to China or Pakistan, which has also shown interest in supply of arms,
into southern Nepal then India will be forced to take steps to protect
its interests. This seems diplomatese for India rationalising the
transit points and enforcing use of travel documents for those going
to Nepal.

VOICES:

"We don't torture people in America and people who say we do simply
know nothing about our country." : George W. Bush - Interview with
Australian TV - October 18, 2003

Shamefully we now learn that Saddam's torture chambers reopened under
new management, U.S. management: Edward Kennedy

"They are torturing people. They are torturing people on Guantanamo
Bay …they are engaging in acts which amount to torture in the medieval
sense of the phrase. They are engaging in good old-fashioned torture,
as people would have understood it in the Dark Ages." : Australian
attorney Richard Bourke

"Our enemies didn't adhere to the Geneva Convention. Many of my
comrades were subjected to very cruel, very inhumane and degrading
treatment, a few of them even unto death. But every one of us -- every
single one of us -- knew and took great strength from the belief that
we were different from our enemies, that we were better than them,
that we, if the roles were reversed, would not disgrace ourselves by
committing or countenancing such mistreatment of them." - Republican
Senator John McCain

Link to this Blog
http://chorchoriz.blogspot.com/2005/11/macs-regional-intelligence-bulletin_30.ht\
mll

REFERENCES
01. http://independent-bangladesh.com/news/nov/30/30112005ed.htm#A5
02. http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_1560476,0008.htm
03. http://nation.ittefaq.com/artman/publish/article_23491.shtml
http://today.reuters.com/news/newsarticle.aspx?type=worldNews&storyid=2005-11-30\
T063617Z_01_FOR919286_RTRUKOC_0_US-BANGLADESH-BLAST.xml
05. http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=159376
06. http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=82980
07. http://www.indiareacts.com/nati2.asp?recno=3566
08. http://www.saag.org/
09. http://saag.org/papers17/paper1629.html
10. http://news.independent.co.uk/world/asia/article330199.ece
11.
http://www.mumbaimirror.com/nmirror/mmpaper.asp?sectid=4&articleid=1129200522171\
514011292005221530718
12. http://www.newkerala.com/news.php?action=fullnews&id=58466
13.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2005\11\30\story_30-11-2005_pg4_21
14. http://www.newkerala.com/news.php?action=fullnews&id=58490
15. http://indiamonitor.com/news/readNews.jsp?ni=9524
16.
http://www.christianpost.com/article/asia/833/section/india.supreme.court.to.exa\
mine.equal.rights.of.christian.dalits.after.nationwide.rally/1.htm
17. http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_1560230,00120001.htm
18.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2005\11\30\story_30-11-2005_pg7_46
19.
http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/2005/11/indias-defence-minister-improve-qual\
ity-or-else/index.php
20. http://mosnews.com/news/2005/11/30/glonascoop.shtml
21. http://indiamonitor.com/news/readNews.jsp?ni=9525
22. http://indiamonitor.com/news/readNews.jsp?ni=9526
23.
http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IEH20051129102851&Page=H&Title=Top+S\
tories&Topic=0&

Bangladesh: The Real Bad News first – 2 bombs went off in Courts
precinct in the southern port city of Chittagong and near Gazipur in
Dhaka.

[1.]The first attack was in Chittagong's main court, where three
people died -- including a suicide bomber and two police officers,
police said. The second attack was on the bar association in Gazipur.
One suicide bomber wearing lawyer's robes and four others died in that
attack, police said. "We believe the [dead] bomber was an activist of
Jamayetul Mujahideen," Chittagong police Sub-Inspector Rahul Amin
said.

There are yet conflicting account on casualty figures and India
maintains at [2] least 13 were killed in the two bomb attacks. What is
nonetheless confirmed at this stage is both were suicide bombers
making it only the first time that we had witnessed such ferocity in
terrorist attacks,

[3] as Deepikaglobal reports:

A man strapped with bombs around his body entered the lawyer's room of
Gazipur court and set off the devices, witnesses said, adding that
among the dead were two lawyers and the attacker, whose body was found
wrapped in wire. The injured, many of them with critical wounds, were
rushed to local hospitals and also ferried to capital Dhaka. The
private NTV reported that at least 10 people were killed and 40 others
injured in the suicide attack in Gazipur, suspected to be carried out
by the banned Jamatul Mujaheedin Bangladesh (JMB). In the other
incident in southeastern Chittagong port city, a suicide attacker set
off the device as police checked those arriving at the local court,
killing three people, including two policmen, witnesses said. The
third was believes to be the suspected Islamic militant. And with
police comment on the incidents was not yet available.

The day started ominously with

[4.] an American Embassy official in Dhaka saying that in the
experience of the United States and many other countries targeted by
terrorists, recognising and acknowledging the true nature of the
problem -- who the terrorists are and what they hope to accomplish is
"an essential first step to create a durable social and political
framework for fighting terrorism"."There are many causes of terrorism,
including ignorance and extremism, and a long-term solution must
incorporate strategies, like providing good education to traditionally
neglected constituencies, for surmounting them,"  the spokesman
said.In the short-term, however, "there is no substitute for effective
law-enforcement action. In Bangladesh or elsewhere, there is no better
antidote to terrorism than brining to justice terrorists and those who
sponsor and assist them".

[5.] And there were yet desperate pleas from this New Nation
Commentator who wanted to know:

How powerful is the outlawed JMB? It has reportedly, threatened to
kill Supreme Court Justices. It also has threatened to blow up British
and American missions in Dhaka. JMB, allegedly, threatened to blow up
Mymensingh Press Club and kill the judicial officers of the district.
In the face of its threat, Law Minister Moudud Ahmed left his own
constituency without attending a function for which he had earlier
gone. What do all these phenomena and incidents mean? If they are
taken to be true and thought to really take place, Dhaka should be
like Baghdad and Bangladesh be like Iraq. But is the matter really of
that importance or weight?

Eerie also was the timing of the article that came in from the
[6.]Online Journal to me titled [7.] How our governments use terrorism
to control us which I had just added to the Blog when news of the bomb
attacks came on Cell Text.

The story on Ali Mohamed if TRUE needs to be a reference point in
Bangladesh's war on terror – and I believe the Intelligence and
Security Services community could serve the nation well if they were
to read these lines:

Ali Mohamed, an Egyptian intelligence officer, was fired in 1984
because of his religious extremism. In spite of this and in spite of
the fact that his name was on the State Department's terrorist watch
list, he was granted a visa to enter the US and became a US citizen.
By 1986 he was a sergeant in the US Army and an instructor at the
elite Special Warfare School at Fort Bragg. While in this position
Mohamed travelled to Afghanistan to meet with bin Laden, and he
assisted with the training of al-Qaeda operatives both in Afghanistan
and in the US. His immediate supervisors at Fort Bragg were duly
alarmed by these illegal activities, and reported them up the chain of
command. When their reports failed to produce any action, not even an
official debriefing of Mohamed upon his return from Afghanistan, at
least one of his supervisors, Lt. Col. Robert Anderson, concluded that
Mohamed had been acting as part of an operation sanctioned by an
American intelligence agency, "probably the CIA."

Mohamed's activities in support of al-Qaeda throughout the 1990s were
of the highest significance to that organisation. In 1991, he handled
security for bin Laden's move from Saudi Arabia to the Sudan. In 1993,
Mohamed accompanied bin Laden's second in command, Ayman al-Zawahiri,
on a fund raising tour of the United States, again handling security
arrangements. The funds raised helped support Zawahiri in a Pentagon
supported mission in the Balkans, which will be discussed in the next
section.

The al-Qaeda members trained by Mohamed in the United States included
several who were later convicted in connection with the 1993 World
Trade Center bombing. Top secret US Army training manuals supplied by
Mohamed to the defendants were produced as evidence at their trial.

Mohamed himself did the initial surveillance for the al-Qaeda bombings
of the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. At the time Mohamed was on
active reserve with the Special Forces and was a paid FBI informant.
Mohamed was at long last charged with crimes in connection with the
1998 embassy bombings. In October 2000, he was convicted of five
counts of conspiracy to murder nationals of the United States.
However, the nature of Mohamed's plea agreement, the sentence handed
down, if any, and Mohamed's present whereabouts remain secret.


[8.] Meanwhile Thailand has warned about "MISSED CALLS" from Cell
Phones ---a very common phenomenon in Bangladesh could well activate a
bomb without our knowing: Information and Communication Technology
Minister Sora-art Klinpratum on Tuesday warned mobile phone users not
to phone back to missed calls of an unknown number, saying southern
insurgents might trick the users into detonating bombs in the
trouble-plagued three southernmost provinces through the calls. His
warning came after there was mounting concern that the insurgents in
Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat might call any mobile phone users and
leave a missed call message so that they could detonate bombs when
phone receivers called back.

Cell phone users in Bangladesh -- take note.

In India, soul searching on the man murdered by the Talibs in
Afghanistan continues in earnest in what is being called

[9.] "Feckless Service" for very good reasons: New Delhi's salute to
an ordinary worker who died in harness far away from home, however,
can hardly mask the growing pusillanimity of India's babudom. As more
Maniyappans come under fire in Afghanistan, one simple fact stands
out. There are no volunteers from the Indian Foreign Service to join
the rough and tumble in Afghanistan. Only promotees on the verge of
retirement can be dragged in, kicking and screaming. The IFS, however,
is not an exception. The situation is not very different in the Indian
Police Service that dominates the intelligence agencies. Few from the
agencies are willing to risk engaging these regions let alone being
posted there. It is much worse in the Indian Administrative Service,
with many of its officers having refused to take charge of their posts
in states like Manipur where the writ of the Indian state is under
threat.

On a more BIZZARE note reports say

[10.] Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will hand out the first dual
citizenship to a Person of Indian Origin (PIO) at a function at
Hyderabad in January. The light-blue four-page booklet carrying
personal details will be supplemented by a permanent visa on the
passport. The booklet will have all the advanced security features of
Indian passports to prevent fraud. The facility would be available to
all those whose parents or grandparents migrated from India before
1950 –

The RARE EXCEPTION OFCOURSE:

excluding those who went to either Pakistan or Bangladesh. The Home
Ministry expects a couple of lakh applicants.

There was a [11.] threat to blow up Ayodhya temple today basically an
unsigned letter threatening to blow up the Ram temple built on the
ruins of the Babri mosque in Ayodhya has led to security being
tightened further in the Uttar Pradesh town. The letter, which came in
a sealed packet, was found in a local branch of the Allahabad Bank.
Though Faizabad Senior Superintendent of Police Avinash Chandra termed
it a "mischievous act" by a prankster, the administration was not
taking the threat lightly.

I am however impressed in the manner the Indian's handle these
pranksters – as opposed to what we are good at – and as explained in
my Bulletin Yesterday when I wrote "this one is perhaps among millions
of pranksters worldwide who do similar things, yet security agencies
do no handle them in the infantile manner we in Bangladesh have got
into the habit of doing."

People sending Bomb threats on phone, fax, email or Cell Text are
PRANKSTER – Bangladesh ought to take lessons forthwith.

[12.] On Population and the senseless Hindu Demography phobia – this
one beats them all : A leading Hindu hard-liner has angered women and
Muslims by pressing Hindus to have as many children as they can to
avoid being swamped by Muslims. K.S. Sudarshan, who heads the
Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh, the ideological parent of the Bharatiya
Janata Party that led India until last year, said a higher Hindu birth
rate was vital to check a ''population imbalance." ''Whenever new
people come to me for blessings, I tell them: 'Not less than three
[children].' The more you can, the better,"  he said at a function
broadcast on television recently. Women's groups in Asia's
third-largest economy, with more than a billion people, said they were
insulted, and one group labeled Sudarshan's stand an ''agenda of
hatred."

''It is implied in his statement that a woman's reproductive faculties
are to be employed solely to fulfill the agenda of a Hindu nationalist
state -- like a reproductive machine."

[13.] Meanwhile India's External Intelligence Service RAW has
recommended that its agent Rabinder Singh (who took of to the US to
join the CIA, with the Bangladesh and Nepal files under his arms!) be
charged under Section 8 of the OSA so that he is declared a proclaimed
offender and his properties in India could be seized. The relevant
section invites imprisonment up to three years and fine or both in
case the accused does not appear before the court. Rabinder Singh
escaped to Nepal en route to US via Vienna on May 7, 2004. The UPA
government, after assuming power on May 23, ordered an inquiry and
asked then RAW chief C.D. Sahay to fix responsibility. The work was
taken up by P K Hormese Tharakkan, after being appointed Secretary.

Things tend to get more than a little foggy when you are monitoring
news and it gives you 2 diametrically opposing perspective. Take for
instance this one where [14.] Commerce and Industry Kamal Nath said
that India had got the potential to transform the world economy in the
next two decades in the same way that America had done in the last
century, or that China had been doing for the past two decades. "I
believe that India has the potential to transform the world economy in
the next two decades. We are determined that India exploits this
potential to the fullest," said Nath, addressing the Plenary Session
of the India Economic Summit 2005 entitled "India: The New Paradigm",
jointly organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and
the World Economic Forum. He said that the most striking feature of
the Indian economic reform that had been undertaken about one and a
half decade ago was that the economic reforms in the country had been
transformed from the crisis-driven, to success-driven.

If you were then to read what [15.] India's Oil Minister Mani Shankar
Aiyar says he has a duty to think about energy security and raised
concerns about the country's future energy supplies, amid falling oil
output at its main energy company. The minister warned that output
from the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation's (ONGC) current fields may
fall sharply, creating significant future problems. India's largest
energy company sought to ease government worries and pledged to double
its reserves by 2020.ONGC said new discoveries and better technology
would boost reserves….one cannot overlook that India's ambition foir
regional dominanace and superpower status is certainly not FUELD by
reality!

Yet there is good news from oil-rich

[16.] Assam where a hunt is on to trace descendants of two Scottish
brothers to commemorate their discovery of wild tea bushes more than
180 years ago in the northeastern state have turned futile. Assam, the
heart of India's tea industry, was planning to honour family members
of Robert Bruce and his brother Charles at a three-day "Tea Tourism
Festival" starting here Dec 4. " We tried our best through diplomatic
and personal channels to identify family members of the Bruce brothers
and invite them to the festival. But we simply could not trace
anybody," Assam's Tourism Commissioner S.C. Panda told IANS Monday.
"We had planned to felicitate family members of the Bruce brothers at
the fest in recognition of their contribution to the discovery of
tea."

Any Scotsman or women reading this Blog and know where the Bruce's
live, please spread the word.

Sandhya Jain has a short but sure analysis on [17.] India's loss in
Nepal and she says: By choosing to isolate King Gyanendra of Nepal and
support discredited, thoroughly corrupt politicians and the Maoists
after last February's palace coup, the UPA Government adopted a
disastrous policy whose impact is now beginning to take shape. Faced
with total non-cooperation from India, especially after Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh and his team decided to suspend arms supplies to the
Royal Nepal.


Link to this Blog
http://chorchoriz.blogspot.com/2005/11/macs-regional-intelligence-bulletin_29.ht\
ml


REFERENCES:

01.
http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleid=257993&area=/breaking_news/breaki\
ng_news__international_news/
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http://www.ptinews.com/pti/ptisite.nsf/$All/C225C2B44A6B9A86652570C8001D9EAA?Ope\
nDocument]
03. http://www.deepika.com/english/latestnews.asp?ncode=31527
04. http://thedailystar.net/2005/11/29/d5112901097.htm
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06. http://onlinejournal.com/artman/publish/article_277.shtml
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http://chorchoriz.blogspot.com/2005/11/how-our-governments-use-terrorism-to.html
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09. http://iecolumnists.expressindia.com/full_column.php?content_id=82870
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http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IEH20051128132450&Page=H&Title=Top+S\
tories&Topic=0
11. http://www.newkerala.com/news.php?action=fullnews&id=58321
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http://www.boston.com/news/world/asia/articles/2005/11/29/call_for_more_hindus_s\
preads_rage_in_india/
13. http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=82924
14. http://www.newkerala.com/news.php?action=fullnews&id=57981
15. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4477676.stm
16. http://www.newkerala.com/news.php?action=fullnews&id=57812
17.
http://www.dailypioneer.com/columnist1.asp?main_variable=Columnist&file_name=jai\
n/jain76.txt&writer=jain

Today in Bangladesh we were as would seem pretty close to a
'faxed-bomb' that would have blown us to bits – and the New Age
treated this as its front page lead [1.] Al-Qaeda threat to blow up
western missions in Dhaka, with the Daily Star calling it [2.] UK
mission reports threat, but at best what it really is as I can figure
out: this one is perhaps among millions of pranksters worldwide who do
similar things, yet security agencies do no handle them in the
infantile manner we in Bangladesh have got into the habit of doing.
While our security paranoia is understandable the [3.] bottom line is
police have tightened security measures in the diplomatic areas in
capital Dhaka after a self-claimed al-Qaeda man(!) threatened to blow
up the US and the European embassies here. First Secretary of British
High Commission in Dhaka WM Stevemson informed the police that the
mission received a faxed message of the threat on Sunday from a man
identified as Manik Hossain, who claimed himself as a man of the
al-Qaeda South Asia network, Noor-e-Alam, officer in charge of Gulshan
police station in Dhaka said Monday when contacted by telephone. The
British High Commission has filed a general diary with Gulshan police
on Sunday, the police officer said. "It might be a hoax," the police
officer said, adding that they have tightened security measures in the
diplomatic areas of Gulshan and Banani in the capital --- lets call a
spade a spade IT IS A HOAX and we all know it.

The perplexing news again in our LOVE/HATE relationship with our
Mullahs is [4.] the United States Administration does not believe that
the alliance government is supporting the militants in Bangladesh
because it is not in their long term interest to do so. Talking to two
visiting editors from Bangladesh in his State Department office in
Washington recently, John A. Gastright, Jr., Deputy Assistant
Secretary, Bureau of South Asian Affairs said the alliance partners
were in the secular system, they are part of a secular and democratic
process.

"I do not understand why it will be in their interest to disturb the
system." Mr Gastright's emphatic remarks about the alliance partner of
the government came at a time when it is being "indicted" in public
for its alleged or perceived connection with the militants. But in the
same breath he said, "I do not like Shibir- the student front of
Jamaat- beating up people."

Mr Gastright had also words of praise for the ministers representing
the party in the government. Without naming anyone he said they are
running their ministries effectively. India's [5.] South Asian
Intelligence Review meanwhile spilt very little beans in making it
clear that it has NO LOVE FOR THE JAMAAT or whatever the heck the US
thinks, "without naming anyone (that) are running their ministries
effectively"

In its [6.] Counterfeit War on Terror today it says:

The Jamaat is umbilically linked with the Islamist extremists in
Bangladesh, and this nexus is very well documented. It not a matter of
coincidence that many JMB cadres, including the arrested death squad
cadre, Mamun, share a Jamaat or a Shibir past. Intelligence officials,
in the last week of October 2005, spoke of the existence of a
decade-long Islamist militant strategy, adopted in 1998, to prepare an
atmosphere compatible with an Islamic revolution in Bangladesh.
Jamaat's 'long-term programme', by all indications, bears an uncanny
resemblance with this 'decade-long plan'. The irony is that the
extremists are able to piggy-back on one of the mainstream political
parties, the BNP, whose long term-existence they directly threaten.

SIGNED, SEALED = DELIVERED?

[7.] Meanwhile India's External Intelligence the RAW today cautioned
Southeast Asian countries like Indonesia and Malaysia are on the
threshold of becoming a fertile base for fundamentalist terror
outfits. A recent assessment by the agencies suggest that links of the
ISI, al Qaida and the Taliban to the growing fundamentalist outfits
and non-government madrasas in Bangladesh will soon spill into
Southeast Asia. The assessment also warns of dangers to democracy in
Bangladesh if steps are not taken against the fundamentalist forces.
It says madrasas without government affiliation or recognition and
controlled by management committees, which have been known to produce
terrorists in Pakistan, have grown at the pace of 22.2 per cent every
year in the past five years compared with 9.74 per cent for
educational institutions in general.

Not completely out of character neither unpredictable in rewinding an
old cassette tape is BSF's Inspector General of Assam, Meghalaya,
Manipur and Nagaland (AMM&N) [8.] Frontier A K Ghosh told reporters
that 192 camps of various militant outfits of the north east existed
in Bangladesh.

  "Some of the old camps were removed and some new camps have come up.
Earlier, the number (of camps) was 205, now it is 192," "These camps
existed in Mymensingh, Sherpur, Rangamati, Molavi Bazar districts and
Chittagong Hill Tracts,"

he said. Asked if the reduction in number of camps would show some
indication of action taken by authorities in Dhaka as demanded by
India, the IG said some old ones were removed indeed but some new ones
have came up.

Well it does seem the Northeastern boys have a way of quickly setting
up camps – 192 in a couple of days – a world record, maybe?

Good news that passed all of us by in the mainstream press today but
caught right-on by the Iranian News Agency is:

[9.] Bangladesh has connected with global information superhighway on
November 22 through linking Middle East with submarine cable line,
media reports said here on Saturday. Initially the country was
connected with Middle East by 120 out of 220 channels on November 22
and the remaining channels will also be activated by the December 13,
high officials of Bangladesh Telephone and Telegraph Board (BTTB) said
in Chittagong. Installation of submarine cable line, construction of
landing station at Cox's Bazar and domestic underground line in
Bangladesh chapter and other technical preparations like on-trial
tests and cross examination have already been completed to start
formally the submarine cable line in full swing on December 13 next,
the source said. Islamic Development Bank (IDB) financed the 41.42
million US dlrs project for Bangladesh section. 16 organizations of 14
countries across Asia, Africa and Europe earlier formed a consortium
to install the 22 thousand kilometer long sub marine cable line titled
"SEAMEWE4" (South East Asia Middle East and West Europe-4).

Days of the dial up and cable 'fraud-band' seems to be on the verge of
packing up – but then I am not sure what this 'next' in this sentence
means "start formally the submarine cable line in full swing on
December 13 next" – lets hope its NEXT DECEMBER 13th – 2005?

In India it is a hot and cold day – a lot about a US Magazine
confirming what Indian Intelligence always knew, or thought the world
knew,

that of [10.] Dawood Ibrahim, India's most wanted criminal, is working
closely with the Al-Qaeda (before a "US Magazine" picked it up that
is) and other Islamic terrorist groups like the Lashkar-e-Taiba, in a
report on the synchronization of organised crime and terrorism.
Dawood, now based in Karachi, runs a mafia stretching into 14
countries and is now the target of two US investigations, the
Washington-based US News and World Report says in its latest issue on
how the world's biggest scourges of organised crime and terrorism were
coming together. The exclusive cover story, The New Business of
Terror, reveals how terrorist groups, pressured by a worldwide
crackdown on funding, are transforming their cells into crime
syndicates -- and how counter-terrorism officials are unprepared for
the shift in tactics.

While up in the Northeast, in [11.] Assam for the first time in 15
years, people are enjoying November 28 as just another day. The usual
barricades are not there. Nor are the soldiers, heavy patrolling,
empty restaurants and markets. For one and a half decade, Assam used
to shut down fearing terror and violence for 48 hours before and after
November 28.

  ''We hope to do good business today as usual,'' said the business
manager of the Accoland, the biggest theme park of the region. He
said, in fact, he forgot that today is the ULFA protest day. ''I have
totally forgotten,'' said Khalil Rahman, manager of one of the biggest
shopping plazas of the state. Everyone seems to be enjoying the sun
and roaring business in the relaxed atmosphere of fun and frolic have
swept Assam,

Delhi meanwhile kept its policemen on its toes with roads blocked and
traffic thrown in disarray when the capital Sunday witnessed the
heaviest rush of the marriage season with around [12.] 25,000 wedding
ceremonies causing traffic snarls across the city.

Explains India's population BOOM, BLAST, Explosions?

On the daily ritualized punch-up with Pakistan – IT IS NOW OFFICIAL –

[13.] India's National Security Adviser M K Narayanan has alleged that
Pakistan had a 'hand' in the killing of Border Roads Organisation
driver R Maniappan by the Taleban in Afghanistan. Islamabad "does not
like" the growing friendship and cooperation between India and
Afghanistan. But the killing would not deter the country from taking
up peace-time construction work in Afghanistan and cementing its
friendship with that country, Narayanan told reporters in his hometown
of Ottapalam, near here, on Saturday.

That leaves me to end India with [14.] Current intelligence that it
has decided on a synergised land- and air-based missile defence
system, and the US, Russia, France and Israel would be invited as
technology partners, should they agree, and on the Indian side, DRDO,
ISRO and BARC will participate. Following a US presentation weeks ago,
the government mulled the offer of outright purchase of a missile
defence system, and rejected it, given the peculiar nature of the
threat to India, with in-flight missile time from Pakistan being
merely 3.50 minutes and from China seven minutes. After considerable
brainstorming, the government has decided to split the missile defence
system with a land- and air-based component, while the naval element
has been left out because of its obviously offensive characteristic.
Under the new thinking, India will not export whole systems from the
US or another country, but would invite them for technological
participation, and informally, the US, France, Israel and Russia have
been intimated, although officials expressed doubts if the US would
participate, whose export offer expires at the month-end.

Bad news for Pakistan – as Musharraf Sahib isn't giving up the
Presidency or his uniform! [15.] Premier Shawkat Aziz did us the
entire honor by saying

  "It was necessary that President be allowed to keep his uniform
because we were facing many challenges like war against terrorism and
other security issues and the law of the land has allowed him to do
so", he said and added that he thinks the commonwealth has fully
understood that and appreciated that they have expressed their view
that we hope that when this period ends, the president would take off
his uniform.

Meanwhile good-old Benzie a few million-dollar-richer from that entire
fund hubby Zardari siphoned off to a Swiss Bank

[16.] has vowed to return home soon rather without further delay.
Benazir expressed these remarks while speaking at the meeting of party
Central Executive Committee in London on Sunday saying she would never
desert the masses. She said that she had believed the concept to "live
and die" for people of the country, and cannot tolerate the cruelties
and hardships being faced by her countrymen.

Out in the Sea [17.] Pakistani and Saudi Arabian navies will hold
joint exercises in the Arabian Sea off Karachi from today, Pakistani
ambassador said yesterday. "The two navies will engage in war games
and other exercises aimed at enhancing technical know-how,
communications, understanding and war techniques, Ambassador Rear Adm.
(retd.) Abdul Aziz Mirza said. The Saudi naval ships, around half a
dozen in number, will be mainly missile crafts, officials told INP.
They will be welcomed in Karachi with a 21-gun salute.

[18.] The Guardian, London gives us this chilling insider eyewitness
account during a Mullah attack on a church in Sangla Hill, Punjab:

Nuns, teachers and 23 terrified schoolgirls crammed into a small
upstairs room of the besieged convent as more than 1,500 men, incensed
by rumours of Qur'an desecration, swarmed outside. Fr Dilawar watched
from the roof as they smashed the altar of the parish church, tore up
copies of the Bible and shattered the stained-glass windows. They
sprayed fuel over his house and a girls' school next door. Minutes
later flames were licking the walls and black smoke filled the sky.
Finally they crashed through the heavy convent door, sending the
priest running for safety into the room where nine nuns were praying.
"They tried to break the door down but did not succeed. Otherwise we
could have all been killed," he said. The rampage at Sangla Hill
earlier this month has shocked Pakistan's Christian community and
highlighted the fragile position of religious minorities in an
overwhelmingly Muslim country. Two other churches - one Presbyterian,
the other Salvation Army - and at least six Christian houses were also
destroyed in normally peaceful market town about 140 miles south of
Islamabad. Most worrying the violence lasted several hours but local
police were unable or unwilling, to stop it……Read More [19.]

Which today led to a scathing Editorial against the Mullahs in The
Daily Times titled [20.] Stop vandalism in the name of sanctity of
Quran!

While the Punjab government has shown initiative in preventing the
Sangla Hill incident from becoming a wave of province-wide
intolerance, Lahore's clergy has become active too. Unfortunately, it
has taken a position that will shock the world. Maulana Dr Sarfraz
Naeemi, secretary general of Tanzimat Madaris Diniya, has said that
the government had paid scant attention to the desecration of the
Quran but "rounded up 88 Muslim citizens of Sangla Hill on the false
charges of destroying the Christian churches". He declared that the
"Christian clergy had set the churches on fire after the desecration
incident and should be put behind bars and not allowed to leave the
country". He warned that he was taking a procession to Sangla Hill to
get the Muslims released from jail. He protested religion minister
Ijaz ul Haq's statement that the Muslims had destroyed the churches.
He said that the Quran "library" was burnt by the Christian clergy
with the help of a special incendiary powder they first used in
Shantinagar in 1997. (Shantinagar was destroyed by Muslim fanatics on
the pretext of desecration of the Quran.)

I don't know what to make of this news

[21.] of 2 old F-16 fighters from the US will be flown to Pakistan
this week as part of a deal between Washington and Islamabad while a
P-3C Orion aircraft has already been delivered to the Pakistan Navy,
US sources told Dawn. Pakistan was expected to buy 75 F-16s from the
US at a cost of $3-4 billion. Of these, 50 were new F-16C/D Falcon
while 25 were old but upgraded versions of the aircraft. The deal
included upgrading of the 30 F-16s Pakistan received in the 1980s. But
earlier this month, Pakistan and the United States reached an
understanding, allowing Islamabad to temporarily delay the deal at
least until April next year. The Bush Administration also delayed an
earlier decision to seek Congressional approval for the proposed deal
till at least the next session. The two planes, now being flown to
Islamabad, are upgraded versions of the old aircraft that Pakistan had
originally received in the 1980s and will be added to the existing
fleet of more than 30 F-16s.

On the Diaspora front – checkout this story of [22.] A MASSIVE mosque
that will hold 40,000 worshippers is being proposed beside the Olympic
complex in London to be opened in time for the 2012 Games

"It will be something never seen before in this country. It is a
mosque for the future as part of the British landscape," said Abdul
Khalique, a senior member of Tablighi Jamaat, a worldwide Islamic
missionary group that is proposing the mosque as its new UK
headquarters. Tablighi Jamaat has come under scrutiny from western
security agencies since 9/11. Two years ago, according to The New York
Times, a senior FBI anti-terrorism official claimed it was a
recruiting ground for Al-Qaeda. British police investigated a report
that Mohammad Sidique Khan, leader of the July 7 London bombers, had
attended its present headquarters in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire. In
August, Bavaria expelled three members of the organisation on the
grounds that it promoted Islamic extremism.

Meanwhile Australian Intelligence ASIO today warned about a new
phenomenon i.e. of the "Child Terrorists" [23.] and fears home-grown
terrorists may recruit children as young as 16 for suicide bombings.
The security agency has told the Government it is conceivable minors
could be involved in suicide attacks on Australian soil based on
evidence of similar incidents elsewhere. Concerns about such a
possibility led it to request the preventative detention powers for
teenagers between 16 and 18, contained in the Government's anti-terror
Bill due to go before Parliament before Christmas. Police would be
allowed to hold minors aged 16 and over in custody for a maximum two
weeks on the basis of evidence they are involved in an imminent
terrorist attack.

I wonder what human rights dudes have to say about that – however it
appears it was more than 'human rights' – [24.] but 'human hygiene'
that made the US Military Burn Taliban Bodies:The U.S. military today
admitted its troops have burned the bodies of two dead Taliban
guerrillas in Afghanistan, but said it had not meant it as a
desecration. Major General Jason Kamiya, the operational commander of
the U.S.-led forces in Afghanistan, said an investigation concluded
U.S. soldiers had burned the bodies for "hygienic reasons." Kamiya
said it would reprimand two non-commissioned officers for calling out
taunts about it over a loudspeaker.

On the Taliban's, analyst expectedly believe that the success of the
September vote, which was relatively peaceful despite Taliban threats
of sabotage, initially raised hopes that the insurgency was losing
strength. But after two of the bloodiest months since U.S. forces
entered Kabul in 2001, officials now say the [25.] Taliban might have
been using that time to marshal foreign support and plot new ways to
undermine the Western-backed government.

[26.] Curious about the term "Islamism" ?

"It was adapted from the French term Islamiste, replacing the term
Islamicist that was previously in use in the English language.
Islamism is an umbrella term commonly applied to a variety of Islamic
movements that are actually quite diverse. Examples of movements
commonly grouped under the 'Islamist' heading are Saudi Wahhabism,
al-Qaeda, the Muslim Brotherhood, Hizb ut-Tahrir, the Taliban and less
militant Muslim groups. Sometimes the term is used so broadly as to
include the revolutionary doctrine of the Iranian regime (a radical
form of Shi'ism)."

Link to this Blog
http://chorchoriz.blogspot.com/2005/11/macs-regional-intelligence-bulletin_28.ht\
ml

REFERENCES
01.http://newagebd.com/front.html#1http://newagebd.com/front.html
02.http://thedailystar.net/2005/11/28/d51128011311.htm
03.http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-11/28/content_3846277.htm
05.http://independent-bangladesh.com/news/nov/28/28112005pl.htm
06.http://satp.org/
07.http://satp.org/satporgtp/sair/index.htm#assessment2
08.http://www.telegraphindia.com/1051128/asp/nation/story_5530595.asp
09.http://www.ptinews.com/pti/ptisite.nsf/0/26166BDA01387AF1652570C700482E58?Ope\
nDocument
10.http://www.irna.ir/en/news/view/line-20/0511274356003803.htm%5d
11.http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_1558684,0008.htm
12.http://news.webindia123.com/news/showdetails.asp?id=175020&cat=India
13.http://www.newkerala.com/news.php?action=fullnews&id=57628
14.http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=World_News&subsecti\
on=India&month=November2005&file=World_News2005112831224.xml
15.http://www.indiareacts.com/nati2.asp?recno=3564
16. http://paktribune.com/news/index.php?id=126686
17.http://paktribune.com/news/index.php?id=126679
18.http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1&section=0&article=73848&d=28&\
m=11&y=2005P
19.http://www.guardian.co.uk/
20.http://www.guardian.co.uk/pakistan/Story/0,2763,1652207,00.html
21.http://dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2005%5C11%5C28%5Cstory_28-11-2005_p\
g3_1
22.http://www.dawn.com/2005/11/28/top4.htm
23.http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-1892780,00.html
24.http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,17373548-36596,00.html
25.http://www.azadiradio.org/en/news/2005/11/BFC6E412-D348-449E-BE99-DD9C598F493\
7.ASP
26.http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/27/AR20051127008\
31.html
27.http://www.postmodernclog.com/rop/archives/001535.html#more

(The New Age Cartoon today of)  The "Madam" couching the mullahs while
clubbing us errant 'liberals' in the theo-fasocracy-dummy-cracy being
the opening line, I think that the entire gamut of militants and
militancy and what is terrorism and how to address it should be the
order of business today in what's happening in Bangladesh. To that end
we have a scholarly piece by Ali Khan a professor of law at Washburn
University School of Law in Topeka, Kansas [1.] who writes in his
Op-Ed about the HITLit and that it is intellectualised propaganda.

It has been written and published in the United States years before
the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
It is still being produced and published. The HITLit consists of
academic books published by elite university presses, popular books,
magazine articles, and syndicated columns. This literature is highly
influential in that it shapes, defends, and justifies US government
policies towards the Muslim world. As referenced in this article, the
9/11 Report adopted many concepts that the HITLit has been spawning
for years. Most HITLit authors, known as terrorism experts, are
research associates with influential think tanks such as Rand and the
American Enterprise Institute, and some teach at Harvard University.
Some have worked for the National Security Council and the US Defense
Department. These authors include Bernard Lewis, Bruce Hoffman, Steven
Simon, Jessica Stern, Daniel Benjamin, Richard Perle, Walter Laqueur,
David Frum, Michael Ledeen, Daniel Pipes, and David Horowitz. They
appear on National Public Radio and major radio and television
networks to comment on terrorist events and disseminate their views to
the general public. The HITLit themes of the essentialist terrorist
are further disseminated through the views of collaborating
journalists such as Thomas Friedman, Charles Krauthammer, David
Brooks, and William Kristol.

We were waiting that this would happen, I mean Mahfuz Anam wouldn't
miss an opportunity for his mentor the Jammaat-e-Islami to 'mention
him' and his Daily Star on a TV channel – and then he would proceed to
bark him up the tree (as in 'woof') – in the old game of
us-versus-them (which is really about us-versus-us [2.] ) – shhhhhhh
Nizami, how come the whole world is getting to know this and since
such a lot of energy has been expended – [3.] lets see what his
printed words in the "Commentary" are:

The Jamaat Ameer's argument is that by giving prominent news coverage
we encourage more people to join the ranks of militants. According to
him, if the militancy stories were ignored or given only scant
coverage then the religious extremism would not have risen. Let us
examine the insidious and totally false nature of this argument. By
every intelligence agency account and on the basis of confessional
statements of those arrested after the recent bomb blasts, the
terrorists have been preparing over the last several years for the
recent bombings. The role of Afghan Mujahideen returnees, the
extremism funding from the Middle East and the secret training at
numerous madrasas in several districts have been going on over the
past several years, during which the media coverage was abysmally low,
almost non-existent. In fact, so clever were the militants in hiding
their terrorist activities and so deep they penetrated the high and
the mighty that the government and the ruling alliance went on a
vigorous denial when the media first started revealing the militants'
activities. It was only after the recent countrywide bombings that the
government has taken our recent vigorous reportage somewhat seriously.

Doesn't end there folks…………….

In fact, the true fault of the media is that we have not done enough
to expose the leaders, the groups and the parties who have taken
advantage of our democracy, our tolerance and our forgiving attitude
towards the war criminals of 1971 to destroy the Bangladesh created
through a hard-fought Liberation War. As Jamaat professed to join our
democratic polity, we gave them a chance and literally forgot how they
had butchered our valiant freedom fighters, how they helped the
Pakistan army to destroy our people, our land and our future by
conducting genocide. Nothing revealed their viciousness more than the
cold-blooded and merciless killing of our intellectuals just three
days before their defeat.

With all of the above taken in as
'the-truth-and-nothing-but-the-truth-so-help-us-dear-gOD', let us
examine what he terms "By every intelligence agency account and on the
basis of confessional statements of those arrested after the recent
bomb blasts, the terrorists have been preparing over the last several
years for the recent bombings."

For a starter – we do not know the name of the 'intelligence agency'
(most likely it is the Indian RAW) that feeds him these ox-faeces but
if we have to look at yet another report in his venerated daily today
dated lined [4.]  Magura:

Suspected activists of JMB and HuJi who had fled their strongholds in
Jhenidah town after the August 17 blasts are regrouping in their
respective areas, taking advantage of alleged lax vigilance by law
enforcers, sources claimed. Sources in intelligence agencies and
locals said, before the August 17 blasts, over 200 activists including
trainers of Harkat-ul-jihad (HuJi) and Allahr Dal, an offshoot of JMB
(Jamaa'tul Mujahedin, Bangladesh), were active at different madrasa
complexes and mosques in Pabahati, Adarsha Para, Mohila College Para,
Hamdah, Sikarpur, Boro amarkundu and Baparipara in Jhenidah municipal
area. They have strongholds also in Modhupur, Kangsha and Bharuapara
villages in the Sadar upazila, and in Kashimpur and Bakshipur in
Shailakupa upazila, intelligence sources said. After recruiting poor
youths including madrasa students, JMB under the banner of Allahr Dal,
used to train them to use arms and bombs, according to intelligence
reports and confessions made by arrested HuJi cadres.

Anybody with the dimmest knowledge on intelligence related matter
would note that all of the above is neither credible or actionable
intelligence – so if Mahfuz is using 'sources in intelligence
agencies' to tell us what he has 'heard' (borrowing our watch to tell
us the time?) about the 'militants' and NOT what they are really up to
– he might as well take the time to read The Man Who Stole the War
[5.] – lest he be blamed for selling out Bangladesh?

Politicians, Press, and the police basically having the same
character, the recent moves on censoring the press is nonetheless a
bit worrying. As the [6.] New Age writes in its Editorial today:

Nizami's interview with a local television channel should have been an
opportunity for him to clarify his party's position in the gathering
crisis over Islamic extremism in Bangladesh. Unfortunately, like so
many others in the ruling coalition, he squandered the opportunity by
spotting in the media the perfect scapegoat for the on-going crisis.
It has over the past couple of years become rather convenient for
those in power to flail away at the media every time the media do the
good and necessary job of highlighting the manifest wrongs that
politicians subject the country to. Ministers holding crucial
portfolios, having failed to do their job to the nation's
satisfaction, have rounded on newsmen for the bad reputation they have
acquired. Even more outrageous is the fact that the national press,
because it has faithfully recorded and commented on the poor
performance or non-performance of the powers that be, has been accused
of sins that could actually read like acts of treason.

On a separate yet serious matter, there are uproarious rebuttals from
eminent journalists on the statement by [7.] Justice Abu Sayeed
Ahammed

  "He should have held open and in-depth consultation with working
journalists, editors and publishers before making any suggestions for
a law to give punitive power to the press council," Ataus Samad,
advisory editor of the daily Amar Desh, said.

President of Jatiya Press Club Reazuddin Ahmed said such a punitive
provision goes against the very concept of the Press Council. Besides,
Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) in a statement said it
would never accept any initiative to enact a law to control the
journalists. Press Council Chairman Justice Abu Sayeed Ahammed, in the
council's annual report 2004 placed in parliament on Wednesday said,

"I am in favour of adding a punitive provision to the act to make it
effective and to strengthen the council."

Justice Ahammed, who was appointed the chairman of Bangladesh Press
Council on May 26 this year, said amending the law has become an
urgent matter.

"I discussed the issue with the president, prime minister and
information minister. They expressed their willingness to amend the
provision," he said in the report.

Which brings me back to Mahfuz and why punishments are even being
considered? It is only because of statements such as this one:

In fact, the true fault of the media is that we have not done enough
to expose the leaders, the groups and the parties who have taken
advantage of our democracy, our tolerance and our forgiving attitude
towards the war criminals of 1971 to destroy the Bangladesh created
through a hard-fought Liberation War.

That's pure baloney – it was the Press, the Ghatak Dalal Nirmul
Committee and the Indian RAW that pummeled back Gulam Azam, Nizami et
al back to limelight, back to prominence and indeed in a round about
way Nizami wasn't entirely wrong yesterday when he said [8.] excessive
coverage helps rise of militancy; the excessive coverage given to the
Jamaat by Mahfuz and his cronies over the years – have placed them
(Jamaat) where they are – close to near squeezing out our 'you know
what……………' – so we might as well try and find out who Mahfuz and gang
are working for now?

Back to Mahfuz later -- meantime savour these:

Not everything is all 'BAD, BAD' for Bangladesh and certainly not ALL
is lost. The BNP has been pumping in a whole lot of money for
'projecting news with a pro-Bangladesh bias' – well--- it ought to
send a cheque across to the [9.] Economic Times of India for this
story!

Yes, the man at the helms needs to start from the scratch — whether it
is literacy rate (47.5%) or households with access to safe drinking
water (59%), Bihar's social and infrastructure indicators are so low
than the national average that it's worth comparing them with that of
Bangladesh — one of the poorest and least developed nations in the
world. For the record, Bangladesh's literacy rate (41%) is marginally
lower than that of Bihar, but its 75% households get safe drinking
water in comparison to Bihar's 59%. The growth of Bihar's gross state
domestic product (GSDP) is abysmally low in comparison to India's GDP
growth rate at over 6% which along with China's growth have drawn
attention from the global community. According to estimates, the
state's growth rate averaged just over 3.5% from 1994-95 to 2001-02.

Perhaps another cheque for a couple of million Takas is due to 'them
enemies' in the [10.] Daily Times in Pakistan for this one:

The textile ministry has called a meeting of major players of the
textile sector on Saturday as plans for shifting production units to
Bangladesh by some of the leading industrialists rang alarm bells in
government circles. A recent announcement by Bangladesh, which offers
a tax-free investment opportunity to the Pakistani textile industry,
has attracted some of the prominent textile industrialists, who now
plan to shift their production units. However, the situation has
pushed the authorities to offer incentives to the over $8
billion-export industry, otherwise it could trigger capital flight
from the country.

Moving in to India today, we have reports of how the [11] Indian RAW
used its exclusive Gulfstream jet to corral in the key Mafia don Abu
Salem from Portugal to Mumbai, while his (Salem's) dumb lawyers in
Germany were left sucking their thumbs-- Read on:

This was one flight they could not take any chances with. So two days
before the authorities brought underworld don Abu Salem to Mumbai, the
Gulfstream executive jet of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) which
ferried him was ready at the Lisbon airport. An extra crew of the
Aviation Research Centre, RAW's aerial surveillance wing, was waiting
at the tarmac of the Cairo airport as a contingency plan.These
extraordinary measures were taken as CBI Director U.S. Mishra told the
government on November 8 that Salem could not be brought to Mumbai on
a commercial liner as there was a stopover at the Frankfurt airport.
The CBI Director told Cabinet Secretary B.K. Chaturvedi that a transit
visa was required for Salem and Monica Bedi at Frankfurt and there was
a strong possibility of another round of legal wrangles in Germany.

Meanwhile the Pakistanis seems to be sorting out its gripe against the
[12.] Indian RAW and Israeli Mossad sifting through their dirty
lingerie's in trips overseas, and some hotels have been banned for use
in future 'sting operations' maybe:

According to a report in The Nation newspaper, the (smelly) luggage of
some of the Pakistani officials belonging to various ministries were
allegedly searched by Israeli and Indian intelligence agencies during
their stay in the five-star hotels in the above-mentioned places. In a
letter to all federal ministries, divisions and departments, the
Foreign Office asked not to make their own arrangements in any country
and inform the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 15 days prior to embarking
upon their visit, the sources added. According to the sources,
suitcases of three high-ranking officials of the Ministry of Petroleum
including Joint Secretary, Deputy Secretary and Section Officer
Minerals were searched by the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) of
India and Israeli spying agency Mossad to steal some strategic
official documents from them, the report claimed. At that time, these
officials were staying in a five-star hotel of Dubai en route to
United States during their stopover, the sources said adding these
spying agents entered the locked rooms in the absence of Petroleum
Ministry officials for searching key Pakistani documents. It was also
learnt that the government of Pakistan had also lodged a complaint
with the UAE government through diplomatic channels and sought their
help to probe the matter. Later, the Pakistani intelligence agency had
invested the issue and proved that these two foreign intelligence
agencies were involved.

India nonetheless seems upbeat over the [13.] Russian's interest
yesterday on the Iran-Pakistan gas line project with Indian minister
for petroleum [14.] Mani Shanker Ayar vowed on Saturday that work on
the much-delayed India-Pakistan-Iran gas pipeline would be expedited.

Mr Ayar expressed this resolve while talking to reporters during a
Round-Table Conference of Asian oil ministers here. He said the
project was getting immense importance with the passage of time.
Therefore, he hoped the Indian cabinet would give permission to take
forward tripartite negotiations regarding the execution of the
project. About Russian gas company's interests in the project, the
Indian minister said he would welcome the company, adding that
conditions would be worked out by all the three partners of the
project. Russia is keen to participate in the $7 billion pipeline
project and sharing the risks involved.

There is a whole lot today on secret CIA torture cells all across the
world and it appears that from

[15.] Scandinavia to the tropical Canary Islands, the CIA's
clandestine use of European soil and airspace for counter-terrorism
missions is triggering outrage, parliamentary inquiries and a handful
of criminal prosecutions. In the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001,
attacks in the United States, Europe was either silent about or
unaware of the ways in which American agents operated within its
borders. But in recent weeks several European governments have become
much more vocal about alleged CIA activity in their jurisdictions.
Among the complaints: CIA operatives, without formal permission, have
seized suspects in European cities and transported them to third
countries for interrogation; CIA flights that have transported
suspected terrorists around the world purportedly have used European
airports for layovers; and the CIA may be operating clandestine
prisons in Europe.

Which brings me back to Mahfuz and his Daily Star when he says "By
every intelligence agency account and on the basis of confessional
statements ( think of it: the Daily Star fills up its pages with
confessions given by people subjected to torture – who could be
innocent?) of those arrested after the recent bomb blasts, the
terrorists have been preparing over the last several years for the
recent bombings" that he better be guided by this touching article by
human rights activist Rosa Brooks which concludes succinctly that the
[16.] best intelligence is never gathered through torture:

Libi subsequently disappeared, becoming one of the "ghost detainees"
whose whereabouts and status U.S. officials refuse to discuss. Most
likely, he was "rendered" to Egypt: A former FBI official told
Newsweek that CIA agents cuffed Libi's wrists and ankles, covered his
mouth with duct tape and hustled him toward a waiting plane. "At the
airport, the CIA case officer goes up to [Libi] and says, 'You're
going to Cairo, you know. Before you get there, I'm going to find your
mother and I'm going to [rape] her.' " We don't know exactly where
Libi was sent, or exactly who interrogated him when he got there.
According to ABC News, CIA sources said Libi was subjected to
progressively harsher interrogation techniques, but still refused to
give his interrogators the information they wanted. Finally, he was
"waterboarded" (a technique designed to make a detainee think he's
being suffocated or drowned) then forced to remain standing overnight
in a cold cell, where he was repeatedly soaked with icy water. After
that, well, there's good news and there's bad news. The good news?
Under torture, Libi finally broke and started to talk. The bad news?
What he told his interrogators wasn't true.

On human rights in the region – there is more from the region, after
some delay the US is [17.] likely to release report of burning of
Taliban bodies

The US military plans to release today the findings of an inquiry into
TV footage purportedly showing US soldiers burning the bodies of
Taliban rebels to taunt other militants -- an act that sparked outrage
in Afghanistan. Islam bans the cremating of bodies and the video
images of the alleged desecration of dead Muslims was compared here to
photographs of US troops abusing prisoners at Iraq`s Abu Ghraib
prison. The video footage threatens to undermine public support for
the US military`s war against a stubborn insurgency.

FOOTNOTE: In Nepal again [18.] 'The King and his Merry Men' are
preparing to sue the rest of us 'dirty-lot' and by looks of things, I
am gonna support them on this one!

Nepal has decided to express concern and seek compensation for
deterioration of country's natural resources due to emission of
harmful gases by the industrialised nations at an international
conference that begins on Monday. As many as 189 countries are
participating in the Conference of Parties of United Nations'
Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), to be held from
November 28 to December 9 in Montreal, Canada. Joint-secretary of
Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology, Lok Darshan Regmi,
will represent Nepal in the conference. His agenda: how can Nepal
benefit from the Clean Development Mechanism? It can – do better – it
can kick-out the King!

[19.] Anybody keen on whether or not will Nepal go Maoists?

Like many others, US ambassador to Nepal James F Moriarty also regards
the ultra-left as a threat to democracy. He apprehends that the
Maoists have the potential to overrun the royal government and,
therefore, suggests that the king should reach out to the political
parties to resolve the current crisis. Let us try to enumerate the
defenses that Nepal has against the Maoist totalitarian future: The
first defense is obviously the country's history. It is a comforting
fact that no country having similar social and political history to
Nepal has gone in Maoist's hand in South Asia yet. If we look outside
the region to countries like Peru where the Maoist revolution reached
its height, they have an entirely different historical and social
setting.Twelve years of Nepal's democratic exercise has brought
sufficient awareness in the people about the benefits of democracy,
even though they could not be harvested fully due to the inept
leadership. This could be the decisive defense against the Maoist
takeover.

Link to this Blog
http://chorchoriz.blogspot.com/2005/11/macs-regional-intelligence-bulletin_27.ht\
ml


REFERENCES
01. http://thedailystar.net/2005/11/27/d51127150397.htm
02. http://chorchoriz.blogspot.com/2005/11/ruling-class-in-bangladesh.html
03.http://thedailystar.net/2005/11/27/d5112701033.htm
04. http://thedailystar.net/2005/11/27/d51127070171.htm%5d
05. http://chorchoriz.blogspot.com/2005/11/man-who-sold-war.html
06.http://www.newagebd.com/2005/nov/27/edit.html#1
07. http://thedailystar.net/2005/11/24/d5112401022.htm
08.http://thedailystar.net/2005/11/26/d51126011511.htm
09.http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1309232.cms
10.http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2005%5C11%5C26%5Cstory_26-11-20\
05_pg5_1
11.http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=82809
12.http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=62218&a\
mp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;version=1&template_id=41&\
amp;parent_id=23
13.http://www.irna.ir/en/news/view/menu-234/0511267978104234.htm
14.http://www.dawn.com/2005/11/27/top3.htm
15.http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-flights26nov26,0,1837707.\
story?page=1&coll=la-home-headlines
16.http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-brooks25nov25,0,3354243.\
column?coll=la-news-comment-opinions
17.http://paktribune.com/news/index.php?id=126598
18.http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/fullstory.asp?filename=aFanata0sa3qzpfa5Va2u\
a.axamal&folder=aHaoamW&Name=Home&dtSiteDate=200\
51127
19.http://story.irishsun.com/p.x/ct/9/id/646ecdf7f57739d1/cid/2411cd3571b4f088/

How our governments use terrorism to control us
By Tim Howells


The sponsorship of terrorism by western governments, targeting their
own populations, has been a taboo subject. Although major scandals
have received cursory coverage in the media, the subject has been
allowed to immediately disappear without discussion or investigation.
Therefore the appearance this year of two major studies of this
subject is a welcome breakthrough, and provides essential reading for
anyone struggling to understand the events of September 11, 2001 and
the post September 11 world.

The studies are complementary. NATO's Secret Armies, Operation Gladio
and Terrorism in Western Europe by Daniele Ganser concerns terrorism
sponsored by American and British intelligence in Western Europe and
Turkey between the end of World War II and 1985. The War on Truth,
9/11, Disinformation, and the Anatomy of Terrorism by Nafeez Mosaddeq
Ahmed chronicles the cultivation and sponsorship of militant Islamic
terrorism by the intelligence services of the United States, Britain
and Russia from 1979 to the present. Both studies are models of
scholarship -- meticulously documented and carefully reasoned -- but
the world they reveal will boggle the mind of the most wild-eyed
conspiracy theorist.

Creating "Communist" Terrorism to Fuel the Cold War

NATO's Secret Armies describes how following World War II the US and
Britain, fearing a Soviet invasion of Europe, established
"stay-behind" paramilitary units throughout Western Europe and in
Turkey. Had the anticipated Soviet invasion occurred these units would
have constituted ready made resistance groups, trained and armed, with
secure communications with each other and with their allies in Britain
and the US. In some counties, for example Norway and Sweden, these
stay-behind units were true to their original charters, remaining
inactive until they disbanded at the end of the Cold War. In other
countries, however, the paramilitary units were activated by their
handlers in the United States as part of a hellish "Strategy of
Tension" designed to convince left-leaning populations in Italy,
Germany, Belgium, Greece, Turkey and other countries that their very
lives were at risk from communist terrorists. The arms and bombs
originally intended for the Soviets were turned instead on their own
compatriots with the aim of placing the blame for the waves of
terrorist attacks on communists.

In Italy the stay-behind operation was referred to as Gladio (Latin
for "Sword"). The Piazza Fontana bombings that killed 16 and wounded
80 shortly before Christmas in 1969 initiated a wave of terrorist
bombings in Italy by Gladio operatives that continued throughout the
1970s. The worst single bombing occurred in the Bologna train station
in 1980, killing 85 and wounding 200. Another Gladio bombing in
Brescia in 1974 killed eight and wounded 102, and the same year a
train was bombed in Rome, killing 12 and wounding 48. The case that
led to the discovery of the Gladio plots by the Italian courts was a
1972 bombing that killed three policemen.

The Gladio operations in Italy are relatively well known and well
understood because of several high level judicial investigations that
received coverage in the European press and have been the subject of a
few books. One contribution of Ganser's book is to bring this material
together in a concise and well organised format. Further, Ganser
extends his study beyond Italy to examine the effects of stay-behind
operations throughout Western Europe and in Turkey.

I was quite surprised to learn that by far the most extensive and
destructive stay-behind operations were those carried out in Turkey
under the code name Counter-Guerrilla. Among other crimes, a long
series of bombings, random killings and assassinations, covertly
perpetrated by CIA-controlled Counter-Guerrilla operatives in the late
1970s, were used as a pretext for the military coup in 1980 that led
to the installation of a pro-American and pro-Israeli government
there. I was also shocked to learn that stay-behind operatives were
responsible for a series of horrific terrorist attacks in Belgium as
late in the Cold War as 1985, although this is still the subject of
unconvincing official denials.

One limitation of Ganser's study, which he frequently laments, is the
unavailability of official documentation because all materials
relating to the stay-behind operations remain highly classified. All
Freedom of Information Act requests to date have been denied by
American authorities. One might have hoped that at least with the end
of the Cold War such atrocious strategies would be renounced, and that
the implicated governments would make every effort to come clean and
ensure that this history would not be repeated. Unfortunately, as The
War on Truth by Nafeez Ahmed makes clear, the Strategy of Tension has
proved to be so useful a tool both in terms of global and domestic
politics that, far from being abandoned, these despicable operations
have become increasingly accepted and commonplace.

Creating "Islamic" Terrorism for the Post-Cold War Era

Ahmed's study centres on the attacks of September 11, 2001, but the
story begins in Afghanistan prior to the Soviet invasion in 1979.
Zbigniew Brzezinski, national security advisor to President Jimmy
Carter at the time, has described in an interview how, even prior to
the invasion, the US had taken steps to fund the Mujahedeen warlords
and to inflame militant Islam in the region. The aim was to
destabilise the region and to force the Soviets to invade -- to draw
them into their own Vietnam-style quagmire.

According to Brzezinski, "We did not push the Russians into invading,
but we knowingly increased the probability that they would. That
secret operation was an excellent idea. The effect was to draw the
Russians into the Afghan trap."

After the Soviets' inglorious retreat from Afghanistan, and even more
so after the collapse of the Soviet Union several years later, the
policy of inflaming and exploiting militant Islam was credited by many
in the US national security establishment for these historic
developments. Ahmed has compiled irrefutable evidence that the United
States did not abandon the militant Islamists after the end of the
Cold War. In fact, American leadership at the very highest levels has
continued to covertly protect, assist and guide militant Islam in
general and al-Qaeda in particular in geopolitically important areas
around the world, including Central Asia, North Africa, the Balkans,
and the Philippines.

It is impossible to do justice to Ahmed's densely packed 390-page
presentation here, but I will give some representative examples.

Sergeant Ali Mohamed Joins al-Qaeda

Ali Mohamed, an Egyptian intelligence officer, was fired in 1984
because of his religious extremism. In spite of this and in spite of
the fact that his name was on the State Department's terrorist watch
list, he was granted a visa to enter the US and became a US citizen.
By 1986 he was a sergeant in the US Army and an instructor at the
elite Special Warfare School at Fort Bragg. While in this position
Mohamed travelled to Afghanistan to meet with bin Laden, and he
assisted with the training of al-Qaeda operatives both in Afghanistan
and in the US. His immediate supervisors at Fort Bragg were duly
alarmed by these illegal activities, and reported them up the chain of
command. When their reports failed to produce any action, not even an
official debriefing of Mohamed upon his return from Afghanistan, at
least one of his supervisors, Lt. Col. Robert Anderson, concluded that
Mohamed had been acting as part of an operation sanctioned by an
American intelligence agency, "probably the CIA."

Mohamed's activities in support of al-Qaeda throughout the 1990s were
of the highest significance to that organisation. In 1991, he handled
security for bin Laden's move from Saudi Arabia to the Sudan. In 1993,
Mohamed accompanied bin Laden's second in command, Ayman al-Zawahiri,
on a fund raising tour of the United States, again handling security
arrangements. The funds raised helped support Zawahiri in a Pentagon
supported mission in the Balkans, which will be discussed in the next
section.

The al-Qaeda members trained by Mohamed in the United States included
several who were later convicted in connection with the 1993 World
Trade Center bombing. Top secret US Army training manuals supplied by
Mohamed to the defendants were produced as evidence at their trial.

Mohamed himself did the initial surveillance for the al-Qaeda bombings
of the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. At the time Mohamed was on
active reserve with the Special Forces and was a paid FBI informant.
Mohamed was at long last charged with crimes in connection with the
1998 embassy bombings. In October 2000, he was convicted of five
counts of conspiracy to murder nationals of the United States.
However, the nature of Mohamed's plea agreement, the sentence handed
down, if any, and Mohamed's present whereabouts remain secret.

The Pentagon Brings al-Qaeda to the Balkans

The US national security establishment did not miss a beat in seeking
to replicate the triumph in Afghanistan in other geopolitically
critical areas. The Soviet puppet regime fell in Afghanistan in
February 1992. That same year, the Pentagon started importing Afghan
jihadists organised by bin Laden into Bosnia to wreak chaos and fuel
the civil wars between Muslims and Serbs that devastated the former
Yugoslavia in the following years. Bin Laden's second in command,
Ayman al-Zawahiri, served as commander of the Mujahedeen forces in the
Balkans.

The role of the Pentagon in airlifting the Mujahedeen terrorists into
Bosnia and Kosovo between 1992 to 1995 has been well documented and
widely reported in the European and Canadian media, but almost
completely ignored in the United States. However, the geopolitical
advantages of breaking the former sovereign nation of Yugoslavia into
a patchwork of NATO protectorates, under the firm control of the
United States, did not go unnoted. New Republic editors Jacob
Heilbrunn and Michael Lind celebrated the event in a New York Times
article titled "The Third American Empire" published on January 2,
1996:

"Instead of seeing Bosnia as the eastern frontier of NATO, we should
view the Balkans as the western frontier of America's rapidly
expanding sphere of influence in the Middle East . . . The regions
once ruled by the Ottoman Turks show signs of becoming the heart of a
third American empire . . . The main purpose of NATO countries, for
the foreseeable future, will be to serve as staging areas for American
wars in the Balkans, the Mediterranean and the Persian Gulf."

The CIA Brings al-Qaeda to the Philippines

In 1991, with the Afghan War winding down, the Abu Sayyaf terrorist
group was formed in the Philippines around a core of radical Afghan
veterans. They conducted their first kidnapping operation in 1992, and
were responsible for a series of bombings and kidnappings throughout
the 1990s that were highly destabilising for the Philippine
government. Several high level al-Qaeda operatives, including Ramzi
Yousef and Khalid Shaikh Mohammed were involved. Funding was provided
by one of bin Laden's brothers in law, Mohammed Jamal Khalifa, an
important figure in the funding of al-Qaeda operations worldwide.

Ahmed cites many authoritative sources, including Philippine
intelligence officer Rene Jarque, Lt. Col. Ricardo Morales, and
Senator Aquilino Q. Pimentel, to show that the Abu-Sayyaf group has
received special assistance and protection both from the Philippine
military and from the United States. Pimentel in a speech before the
Philippine Senate in July of 2000 accused the CIA of creating the
terrorist organisation with the help of their contacts in the
Philippine military and intelligence communities.

Two incidents in particular have exposed the connivance of the United
States in the Abu Sayyaf reign of terror beyond a reasonable doubt. In
December of 1994, Khalifa was arrested during a visit to San Francisco
on immigration violations. The FBI was aware of his ties to the Abu
Sayyaf group and to al-Qaeda, and began a criminal investigation.
Khalifa's lawyers tried to stall the investigation and manoeuvre for
extradition to Jordan. Incredibly, help came to Khalifa from on high.
Secretary of State Warren Christopher personally wrote a three-page
letter to Attorney General Janet Reno asking that the request for
extradition be granted. Accordingly, the FBI investigation was
cancelled and Khalifa was sent to Jordan per his own request, where he
was soon a free man.

The second incident is even more extraordinary and revealing. Michael
Meiring, an American citizen, arrived in the Philippines in 1992 and
promptly formed close working relationships both with high government
officials and with rebel leaders in the Abu Sayyaf group. In 2002, in
the midst of a wave of Abu Sayyaf bombings, Meiring accidentally
detonated a bomb in his own hotel room in Mindao causing grave injury
to himself, requiring emergency hospitalisation. US authorities
immediately intervened. FBI agents and "agents of the National
Security Council" swept him away from his hospital room, first to a
hospital in Manila where Meiring was kept incommunicado and was
treated by a doctor hand-picked by the US embassy. Then Meiring was
rushed back to the United States. Like Ali Mohamed, his fate and
current whereabouts are unknown. Numerous attempts to have him
extradited back to the Philippines for prosecution have been
stonewalled by US authorities.

The motivations for American support of terrorism in the Philippines
are not hard to guess. In 1991, the same year that Abu Sayyaf was
formed, the Philippines Senate had voted to close all US military
bases in their country, an action with profound implications for the
military posture of the United States in South Asia. In 2002, due to
the destabilising effects of the Abu Sayyaf operations, the US
military were invited back into the country to participate in
operation Balikatan ("shoulder to shoulder"), a joint US/Philippine
military exercise purportedly aimed at eliminating terrorism. These
operations required special exemptions from the Philippine
Constitution, which forbids foreign armies from operating on
Philippine soil. Once again, al-Qaeda, with the help of their American
friends, had acted to advance the geostrategic interests of the United
States.

The Grand Design

The above examples are by no means isolated anomalies. The bulk of
Ahmed's fine book is devoted to recording a pattern of evidence that
is finally overwhelming. As he says in conclusion, "not only does the
strategy employed in the new 'War on Terror' seem to provoke
terrorism, but an integral dimension of the strategy is the protection
of key actors culpable in the financial, logistical, and
military-intelligence support of international terrorism."

And Then There Is September 11 Itself . . .

But what about the September 11 attacks themselves? Were they
"blowback," i.e., unintended domestic consequences of foreign covert
operations, or were they an integral part of the Strategy of Tension?
Based in part on an analysis of intelligence warnings of the attacks,
and on the absence of any air defence response, Ahmed strongly
endorses the latter view. He reviews the dozens of very specific
foreign and domestic intelligence warnings of terrorist attacks in the
United States using airliners that came in the months leading up to
the attacks. These in turn led to warnings issued by American
intelligence to Pentagon officials, and to others, including author
Salman Rushdie and San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown, to cancel all
flight plans on the day of September 11, 2001. Meanwhile, no action
whatsoever was taken to warn or to protect the American public.

Ahmed points out that the responsible authorities at the Pentagon and
the Federal Aviation Administration have produced several profoundly
contradictory accounts of their own actions on that day -- each
subsequent story seemingly an attempt to remedy the shortcomings of a
previous one. And still no remotely satisfactory account of the
failure to intercept even one of the four hijacked airliners has been
produced. Under ordinary circumstances, interception of wayward
aircraft by military fighters would have been absolutely routine; such
interceptions occurred at least 56 times in the calendar year prior to
September 11, 2001. Ahmed points out that the attacks were allowed to
proceed "entirely unhindered for over one and one half hours in the
most restricted airspace in the world." He finds the idea that this
was due to negligence beyond belief. Instead he argues that there must
have been a deliberate stand-down of the air defence system managed by
senior national security officials including the vice president and
the secretary of defense.

The Future of the Strategy of Tension

The books reviewed herein document a continuous history over the last
40 years of the United States and other governments fostering and
manipulating terrorism for their own ends. Terrorist organisations
have been used to destabilise inconvenient regimes around the world,
and to sow chaos, which can then serve as a pretext for military
intervention.

Even more importantly, terrorism is used to create a crisis atmosphere
at home under cover of which the crimes and corruption of government
officials go unpunished, civil liberties are easily abandoned, and
major wars can be launched under false pretences. Although at present
there appears to be no reason for the terror-masters in Washington to
consider changing their tactics, the publication this year of these
two illuminating books raises the hope that the Strategy of Tension,
which can only thrive in darkness and confusion, will ultimately have
to be abandoned.

# # # # #

Nafeez Mosaddeq Ahmed, The War on Truth, 9/11, Disinformation, and the
Anatomy of Terrorism, Olive Branch Press, An imprint of Interlink
Publishing, 2005, Northampton, MA
Daniele Ganser, NATO's Secret Armies, Operation Gladio and Terrorism
in Western Europe, Frank Cass, 2005, London and New York

Online Journal
http://onlinejournal.com/artman/publish/article_277.shtml

There is a lot happening in Bangladesh today with Bobby Hajjaj's Op-Ed
[01. ] where he starts by taking a pot-shot at the 'think tanks' and
says -

It never ceases to amaze: the level of intellectual capacity, the
political acumen, and the perspicacity of the people who are leading
us into this new millennium. We couldn't find a more laudable and
gifted group of individuals if we combed the whole nation; we'd have
to comb with a specially designed contraption of course. Who'd have
thought just four years ago, when we voted in this glorious
assemblage, that they'd prove themselves of such
outstanding worth and accrue so many accomplishments in such a short
span of time? And it is all thanks to their mighty think-tank. It is
you we hail, and show our gratitude for our ever diminishing rights
and our palsied democratic institution.

Meanwhile it would appear a near revolt is in the offing within the
ruling BNP echelons when the expelled Abu Hena [02. ] said that about
100 lawmakers and leaders of the ruling party are with him, who will
go public against the militants in time. "Wait, you will see what is
going to happen," Abu Hena told journalists at Sonargaon Hotel. He
said his expulsion from the BNP is an injustice to him. He  said
sections of the BNP and of Jamaat created the dreaded killer Bangla
Bhai and that there is no difference between Motiur Rahman Nijami and
Bangla Bhai

Now there we go again – this Bangla Bhai dude – beats even OBL in how
deceptive he could be whilst the media comes up with delayed
Intelligence reports [03.] of Government complicity when its says: The
militant kingpin and his followers used a government vehicle during
their operations against outlaws in the northern region in April last
year, a JMB
source said. Bangla Bhai, operations commander of Jagrata Muslim
Janata, Bangladesh (JMJB), and his followers used a pickup van of a
department under the agriculture ministry. The operatives of the
outlawed JMJB and Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) kept the
vehicle for about two months, a JMB commander who led the operations
in Rajshahi, told The Daily Star over cellphone yesterday. Sources in
the intelligence agencies have also
confirmed the use of the government vehicle by Bangla Bhai and other militants.

Having said that, its seems Abu Hena has more than quiet support from
vocal retorts of fellow BNP colleague Oli Ahmed,[04.] who says that he
was not aware about the condition of Hena's constituency. "But through
the media I had learnt that he informed, more than once, the senior
leaders about the existence of JMB and other undesirable elements who
want to establish the rule of Allah with honest people and honest
administrators." "If his information are correct and if there is proof
that he had informed senior leaders then why we have not taken any
action?" he questioned. On whether any political party's leaders or
any ranking official of the government are patronising the militants,
the senior BNP leader said every body knows it more or less as the
newspapers are continuing to write about it. "During the last few days
many militants were caught. And now the prime minister has clear view
about the militants as the intelligence agencies informed her about
it," he said.

Meanwhile the Jamaat-e-Islami chief launched a scathing attack on the
media saying excessive media coverage[05. ] helps rise of militancy.
In an interview with private TV channel ATN Bangla, Nizami, also
industries minister, accused The Daily Star of blowing the Bangla Bhai
issue up out of proportion and said such undue coverage would rather
help breed hundreds of militants like Bangla Bhai. "The Daily Star had
run a Bangla Bhai story with an eight-column heading," said the amir
of ruling coalition partner Jamaat-e-Islami. "If one can easily hit
the headlines by committing wrongful acts, then hundreds of Bangla
Bhai will be created in the country," Nizami observed.

He well might have a point there – because if we analyse a Daily Star
report today citing intelligence sources [06.] on source of terror
funding – gaps way too large seems to appear than is really desirable:

It reads From confessions and statements of arrested militants, and
accounts of expenditures and diaries of militants seized by the law
enforcers, investigators learned that the banned Islamist outfit
Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) is implementing plans originally
hatched by Ahab and another outlawed group Harkat-ul Jihad (HuJi). The
JMB spends roughly Tk 60 lakh a year for maintaining its full-time
leaders and cadres, and Tk 1 to 5 crore for buying explosives and
firearms and executing attacks, they learned-

--which quite doesn't add up with this New Age [07.] report that says

Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh has a little more than 1,500 members
working to establish Islamic laws, said Abdul Awal, one of the top
five leaders of the outfit, to the members of the task force for
interrogation, sources close to the investigation said.The inspector
general of police, Abdul Quyyum, recently told the press that about
10,000 militants had been on the prowl. All the members of the banned
Islamist outfit contribute a monthly fee to run the organisation; the
sources quoted Awal as saying.

To sum up the 2 reports i.e. Taka 60, 00,000 x 1,500 JMB members by 12
months – it works up to a paltry Taka 3,333.00 – way too cheap for a
'Jihad' operation of this size to be financed per-member, per-month –
unless of course it is the cash strapped Indian External Intelligence
Service the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) that's running these
operations inside Bangladesh --- "Allah knows best"!!

Meanwhile in an unobtrusive manner the Bangladesh Army [08.]
demolished several abandoned rebel camps, seizing arms and ammunition,
in Bandarban district on the Burma-Bangladesh border yesterday. A
security official said the camps, located near the Sangu Reserve
Forest, were destroyed and the arms recovered 18 days into a 20-day
military offensive. While the army has not revealed the names of the
groups who had built the camps local sources confirmed Burmese rebel
organisations including the Democratic Party of Arakan, the Arakan
Army and the Arakan Liberation Party were active in the
area. According to sources, several special army units carried out
raids in the deep forests on the border with Burma seizing large
quantities of military hardware.

There is however a different Battle of Brains [09.] going on between
Bangladesh and India, this one pitting schoolchildren from Bangladesh
and the steel city of Jamshedpur all set to clash at the National
Creativity Olympiad 2005, organised by the Jamshedpur chapter of
Institution of Engineers (India) in the city on November 29. The
objective behind organising this Olympiad is to motivate children
towards engineering. The contest, divided into two categories:
Directed Domain and Open Domain. Both will see the participation of
teams from European Standing School, a renowned school in Bangladesh,
along with other teams from across the country. While the Open Domain
is mainly for children from schools in Jamshedpur, Directed Domain is
open to children from Bangladesh and other places----- best of luck
'yo' Bangladesh kids!

Talking about schools – well an Indian state has plans to set up a
guerilla warfare school [10.] to counter insurgency and curb the
growing Naxalite  menace in the border districts. The proposed school
would be set up on the lines of Counter Insurgency and Jungle Warfare
School of Mizoram to train police personnel in unconventional combat
methods, especially guerilla warfare. Established in 1970, the Mizoram
school has the reputation of being one of the premier counter
insurgency military training institutions in the world. The motto
'fight a guerilla like a guerilla' has been its forte right from its
inception. Anybody interested to join in – apply with resume to the
Principal!

India's losing battle with Maoist guerrillas in perspective; it seems
that the Maoists are planning to create a corridor through Orissa to
connect Jharkhand with their stronghold in Andhra Pradesh.[11.] Making
a statement to this effect on behalf of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik
in the state Assembly, parliamentary affairs minister Padmanav Behera
said the state has deployed Orissa Armed Police, state security forces
and diverted a company of the CRPF to Sambalpur district. Behera made
the statement in response to a special mention on the activities of
the Maoists in the district. There has been a concerted bid by the
extremists to extend their influence in the contiguous hilly and
jungle stretches, straddling across Sambalpur and Deogarh districts,
he added.Of the 3 battalions of CRPF deployed in Orissa for
anti-Naxalite activities, two battalions were deployed in southern
districts of Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada and Gajapati. The third
battalion has two of its companies deployed in Sundargarh, one each in
Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar while one
company has been temporarily diverted to Sambalpur in view of the
increasing incidents of violence by the extremists. With lessons from
Jehanbad in Bihar of the 13th November [12.] and rebels set to observe
PLGA (People's Liberation Guerrilla Army) Week from tomorrow and the
audacious Jehanabad jailbreak fresh in public memory, the Arjun Munda
government does not want to take any chances. "While observing the
PLGA formation week, the rebels organise meetings and pay tribute to
those who have died in anti-police operations. The inputs that we have
received point at possible attacks on government installations,
especially jails, some of which are highly vulnerable," said a senior
police officer. The authorities of the rebel-affected districts have
been asked to keep a close eye on the prisons, he added.

  [13.]  "Age of extremes" is how Eric Hobsbawm described the 20th
century. For India, history did not end in the Nineties. It is only in
the last decade-and-a-half that the Naxalites (Maoist guerrillas) and
the RSS have really expanded their reach. Whatever may be the case in
Europe, in India history did not end in the Nineties; perhaps it had
only just begun. There, perhaps liberal democracy was indeed
triumphant in philosophy and practice, but
here it was corroded and besieged, attacked from the right and just as
viciously from the left. In the states of north and west India, the
divisive Ayodhya campaign led to a wave of religious violence and to
the political ascendancy of the Hindu right. In many districts of
central and eastern India, the Naxalites dug deep roots among tribal
and low caste communities, establishing liberated zones and taking
thousands of square miles of Indian Territory out of effective control
of the Indian state.

In Assam, the ULFA is back with a new statement against the BJP
[14.]and its cronies in the LJM: The outlawed United Liberation Front
of Asom (ULFA) has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and one
its local frontal organisations of trying to foment communal tension
in the state ahead of next year's assembly elections. "The BJP and the
Loka Jagaran Manch (LJM) have meticulously planned and created a
communal situation," ULFA chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa said in a
statement. The LJM is a front of the BJP spearheading a campaign in
Assam against illegal migrants from Bangladesh. "We appeal to the
people of Assam to thwart any move by the BJP and the LJM to create a
divide on
communal lines," the statement said. The LJM in a recent meeting
accused the ULFA of patronising illegal Bangladeshi infiltration into
Assam at the behest of Pakistan's ISI.

There is hope on India's horizon on the energy security nightmarish
scenarios with the Russians showing interest on the piece-of-the-pie
in the quixotic Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project and
notwithstanding US reservations on doing business with Iran,[15.] its
is keen to participate in the over seven-billion-dollar Iran-Pakistan
India gas pipoject and share the risks involved in this "peace
project." The Russian firm Gazprom wants to be a partner in the
construction, operation and maintenance of the 2,500-km pipeline that
will transport natural gas from the gigantic South Pars field in the
Persian Gulf to India via Pakistan.

The United States meanwhile on Friday [16.]said it had not given India
any plan on how to go about separating its civilian and military
nuclear facilities to help implement the landmark bilateral nuclear
deal.  "We haven't given a plan on how India should separate its
civilian and military [nuclear] facilities," a State Department
official told PTI in response to
reports that Under Secretary of State Nicholas Burns in September
presented Indian officials a blueprint on how the Americans might go
about in the exercise. New Delhi is said to have given back the
blueprint saying it was capable of going about on its own--- which
doesn't really explain why  the Indian Airforce (IAF) [17.] has plans
to acquire at least 126 state-of-the-art multi-role combat aircraft at
the earliest and wants to open an exclusive aerospace command with net
centric warfare features to meet future military challenges.
Disclosing this to media persons after addressing the colourful 71st
passing out parade of the Naval Academy at INS Mandovi in Goa today,
Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal S P Tyagi said the
authorities had been in touch with different countries that supply
combat aircraft and examining various aspects of defence purchases
suited to our requirements.

To the Indian murdered by the Talibs in Afghanistan [18.] – today
authorities appear to have discovered a note pinned on to the corpse
that reads: The note found on Maniyappan's body asks India not to
intervene in Taliban's fight against the US and demands stoppage of
all work. The note reads: ''this is not America, not India. This is
Afghanistan....who comes here to work...we will do this, kill him. You
should stop work at once; otherwise we will attack you with full
force. We have a fight with Americans...and Indians, you do not
interfere. TALIBAN!", and of course India will not bait a breathe to
see a sordid Pakistani connection to it all as this somewhat of a
'dead analysis' suggests[19.] The war-torn impoverished landscape of
Afghanistan seems to have become the new playground for India and
Pakistan to score strategic points over each other. Having expanded
its presence and influence in post-Taliban Kabul, India has made
substantial progress in its efforts to make the international
community believe that Islamabad has been using terrorism as an
instrument of foreign policy to pressurize New Delhi on the lingering
dispute of Jammu and Kashmir.

Bad news for Pakistan with the Crisis Group [20.] accusing government
manipulation of the local polls involved gerrymandering of districts
to break up support for political opponents of the military;
reshuffling of officials to ensure those favorable to the military
controlled elections in key areas; rejecting the nominations of
opposition candidates; giving direct support to certain candidates in
what was supposed to be a non-party election; and direct rigging at
the polls, including ballot stuffing, intimidation and seizure of
voting stations.

On the Pakistani Diaspora front in UK, check out this movie review
"Yasmin" [21] about getting caught in the middle in post 9-11 England
:

Hers is a double-life that has become typical of so many Asian and
African immigrants to Europe and America. At home, she abides by the
cultural mores set down by her widowed father Khalid (Renu Setna) who,
though stern, spends most of his off hours pondering the completion of
a house he and his wife began in Pakistan years earlier. For him
Yasmin wears hijab and consents to an arranged marriage with Faysal
(Shahid Ahmed), an addled Pakistani bumpkin who speaks virtually no
English and seemingly divides his time between sleeping and
(un-Islamic) boozing. Yasmin's no victim, though. She makes Khalid
sleep in a separate room until his immigration papers are finalized
and plans to divorce him. When she leaves her South Asian neighborhood
for work every morning, she replaces her Punjabi dress and hijab with
jeans and tee-shirt, and plots a relationship with John (Steve
Jackson), a friend from work who knows nothing about her predicament.
Sharing Yasmin's cross-cultural ambivalence is her younger brother,
Nasir (Syed Ahmed), who recites the call to prayer at his local mosque
in the morning and sells pot and diddles with neighborhood girls at
night. A couple of weeks later, Yasmin's tightrope walk becomes more
uncertain. Her decision to choose her secular life over her family
corresponds to a pair of airliners crashing into New York's World
Trade Center.

FOOTNOTES: In Nepal, the King and his Merry Men [22.]have new goodies
coming in from China to beat the 'children of a lesser Mao-Tse-Tung'
in the Kingdom!

China has dispatched truckloads of arms and ammunition to Nepal to
help its ill-equipped army crush a deadly Maoist insurgency, a
newspaper report said on Friday. "China has sent at least 18
truckloads of arms and ammunition to Nepal via the Kodari highway
(northeast of Kathmandu) between Tuesday and Wednesday," the
independent Nepalese-language Kantipur daily said. Nepal's army said
it had no comment on the report. Nepal has looked to China for arms to
combat the Maoist revolt after India, the nation's biggest arms
supplier, the US and Britain suspended military aid following King
Gyanendra's seizure of power nine months ago. "China had been
providing Nepal with non-lethal equipment like telecommunication sets
in the past but this is the first time it has provided guns and
ammunition to Nepal," the newspaper said.

Link to this Blog
http://chorchoriz.blogspot.com/2005/11/macs-regional-intelligence-bulletin_26.ht\
ml

REFERENCES
01.http://thedailystar.net/2005/11/26/d51126020433.htm
02. http://thedailystar.net/2005/11/26/d51126011410.htm
03. http://thedailystar.net/2005/11/26/d51126012016.htm
04.http://thedailystar.net/2005/11/26/d5112601044.htm
05.http://thedailystar.net/2005/11/26/d51126011511.htm
06.http://thedailystar.net/2005/11/26/d5112601022.htm
07.http://www.newagebd.com/2005/nov/26/front.html#e2
08.http://www.mizzima.com/mizzima/archives/news-in-2005/News-in-Nov/25-Nov-05-64\
.htm
09. http://www.telegraphindia.com/1051126/asp/jamshedpur/story_5523714.asp
10.http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_1557052,0035.htm
11.http://www.telegraphindia.com/1051126/asp/jamshedpur/story_5524238.asp
12.http://www.telegraphindia.com/1051126/asp/jamshedpur/story_5524663.asp
13.http://www.telegraphindia.com/1051126/asp/opinion/story_5518155.asp
14.http://www.newkerala.com/news.php?action=fullnews&id=57219
15.http://www.irna.ir/en/news/view/menu-234/0511267978104234.htm
16.http://www.hindu.com/2005/11/26/stories/2005112621061600.htm
17.http://dnaindia.com/report.asp?NewsID=11472&CatID=2
18.http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=82730
19.http://dnaindia.com/report.asp?NewsID=11428
20.http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?id=3799
21.http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=4&article_id=2\
0299
22.http://dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2005%5C11%5C26%5Cstory_26-11-2005_p\
g4_8

In Bangladesh,[01] the ruling BNP yesterday expelled its lawmaker Abu
Hena from the party for his remarks against the rise of Islamist
militants under the direct patronage of a section of the party and the
government, terming his statement anti-organisational. The outspoken
lawmaker from Rajshahi who recently in separate interviews with the
media blamed a section of his party colleagues for patronising the
Islamist militants however will not lose his membership in parliament.

Meanwhile the errant and forever in trouble Canadian oil company Niko
Resources[02.] yesterday categorically said the company is not
quitting Bangladesh."We are not quitting. Here we are for long-time
partnership," Edward S Sampson, executive chairman of Niko, now
visiting Dhaka, told the news agency. The chief of the company,
however, said they are counting $ 50,000 a day for the rig they had
mobilised for exploration in Chhatak gas field, known as Tengratila,
and it will be huge losses if they have to wait further for starting
production."We are ready for production, but the government is not
approving the proposal. It is disappointing," he said.

There is a particular 'bad read' [03.] on Bangladesh if you guys are
up to it in Tehelka.com called Bangladesh: The Next Afghanistan,
apparently a book waiting to be written. The author has 'allagedly'
done so with meticulous research and voluminous background material is
commendable. He has traced the gradual transformation of a plural,
secular Bangladesh to a fundamental, intolerant nation with concrete
examples and irrefutable facts. A veteran journalist and Bangladesh
watcher, Karlekar draws heavily from the Bangladeshi media and
intellectuals in portraying a terrifying picture of a major threat on
India's eastern flank. He argues that the headquarters of Islamic
terrorism is shifting from Afghanistan to Bangladesh, which he
describes as a 'soft' state with an ineffective government and police
force, and which Islamist groups, with their organised and well-armed
cadres, can easily dominate.

Meanwhile, many in India [04.] are given to wishful thinking that
peace between India and Pakistan and the transient general bonhomie of
today will lead to an end to terrorism in India. It will not, given
the mindset that prevails in Rawalpindi and Islamabad along with the
madrasa culture which collectively dreams of a destabilised, if not
balkanised, India.

However on the [05.] energy security situation there is some relief
with the European Union ready to discuss a Russian proposal to revive
nuclear talks with Iran next month, it's almost certain that there
will be no vote in Vienna on Thursday - a development that is bound to
cheer India. Reports from Vienna on Tuesday said that the EU troika -
Britain, France and Germany - was considering a meeting to discuss the
US-backed Russian idea under which Iran will convert uranium but the
enrichment will be done by Moscow.

In the 'tizzying NorthEast' [06.] the outlawed Ulfa's silence and
Dispur's confusion about the emergence of a group calling itself the
"anti-talks faction" have led the Union home ministry to send a
frantic message to the government, seeking confirmation of the
peace-threatening development. The self-proclaimed Ulfa faction issued
a statement from Golaghat on Sunday, questioning the basis of the
nascent peace process and vowing to continue the armed movement
against "Indian colonial rule".

The murder of an Indian in Afghanistan [07.] by the Taliban under
bizzare circumstances has an interesting ring and it seems it is not a
message from the Taliban as they have contended, but it is a message
from Pakistan through the Taliban.

The message is: Don't get unduly involved in Afghanistan, particularly
in the southern parts of the country bordering the Pakistani province
of Balochistan, where the independence movement shows no signs of
petering out despite the Pervez Musharraf government's brutal measures
of suppression. There is more: [08.] This was the first Taliban strike
against Indians during the last four years since its ouster from power
by US-led forces in the wake of 9/11. Maniyappan, part of a contingent
from India's Border Roads Organisation (BRO) that is building a
strategic highway linking Afghanistan and Iran, was kidnapped Nov 19
and killed three days later. With this, the Taliban has conveyed a
powerful message to both India and Afghanistan that it no longer
follows the policy of leaving Indians out as its targets, which means
some more such incidents in the days to come cannot be ruled out.

Interestingly, it seems the Khalistan boys are going to be in action
sooner than we had thought, and since the Pakistanis really have
nothing better to do then 'supporting them' here is a report from
Punjab [09.] Police who are alleging that the Inter Services
Intelligence (ISI) of Pakistan was trying to brew trouble and revive
terrorism in Punjab, Director General of Police S S Virk today said
the police was vigilant and would counter any such attempt. Police had
recently apprehended several youths who admitted to have received
training in Pakistan for revival of subversive activities in this
border state, Virk told reporters at Police Lines Recreation Centre
here.

There is lots of drama in the high seas where Indian and French Naval
flotilla are carrying out joint exercises in the Gulf of Aden, [10.]
nearly eight months after such a drill off Kochi coast. The French
Navy has deployed a nuclear submarine, guided missile stealth frigate
La Fayette, shore based Atlantique surveillance aircraft and Mirage
2000 fighters for the exercises codenamed Varuna-7 off the French
Naval base Djibouti coast. For the first time, a naval spokesman said,
naval commandos and army para-troopers will conduct war manoeuvres
with French special forces during the exercises already underway from
November 19.

Also the Indian Navy is gearing up for a rare engagement next week
with Chinese warships [11.] in Indian waters that will reflect a
growing thaw in bilateral military ties despite an unsettled border
dispute between the two countries. The Chinese missile destroyer
Shenzhen and supply ship Weishanhu will conduct naval drills with
Indian warships in waters off Kochi in Kerala, marking only the second
joint military exercise between the two sides. But it will be the
first time that Chinese forces will join manoeuvres in Indian
territory.

Despite all of the 'positive signs' as above today, India's energy
security paranoia is taking a toll and taking it to far off Africa,
where it is ready to dish out credit [12.] of up to $1 billion (R6.6
billion) to build power projects, railways, refineries and even
stadiums in oil-rich but poor west African nations, as it seeks to
quench its growing thirst for foreign oil. India, which imports 70
percent of its crude oil, has devised a multipronged strategy to
ensure future oil supplies from overseas oil and gas properties. While
political weight has been key, India is now also offering financial
and industrial assistance.

But wait a minute guys - what do Bank of China and State Bank of India
have in common? [13.] They are the largest commercial banks of two of
the world's largest and fastest growing economies. But the
similarities end here. On all other counts, the two banks are as
different as chalk and cheese. In terms of size, Bank of China is the
11th largest bank in the world, while SBI occupies the same position
in Asia. Globally, however, SBI is 93rd. In terms of asset base, Bank
of China is over four and a half times bigger than SBI. Last year, it
had an asset base of $516 billion against SBI's $110 billion (at an
exchange rate of Rs 45.77 a dollar).

Those 'poor west African' had better watch out!

Up in the skies - bad news for India again: [14.] (and I quote a
genuine Israeli source here) it has expressed concern over the high
crash rate of its Israeli-made spy drones, taking up the issue with
Israeli officials, media reports said Thursday. Four of the 50
Searcher and Heron unmanned aerial vehicles India purchased from
Israel have crashed over the last two years, the Press Trust of India
news agency quoted Defense Minister Pranab Mukherjee as telling
parliament in a written response.

The Russians as usual have been a bunch of spoilt sport [15.] with
Sergei Ivanov, Russia's deputy prime minister and defense minister,
said Thursday that Russia and India would not sign an agreement on the
development of a fifth-generation fighter during the visit of the
Indian prime minister to Russia in December.

Lastly - what the hell are the Indonesian's up to with India and Pakistan?

With Pakistan for instance it signed an agreement [16.] to increase
their intelligence cooperation to combat terrorism. The agreement,
inked on Nov. 24, was laid down in a Letter of Intent on the
Establishment of a Joint Working Group for Combating Terrorism, and
kinda one-upped with India as well:[17.]

  "Amid the changes in the region, including the rise of China and the
new assertiveness of Japan, India and Indonesia find it necessary to
launch a strategic partnership that will include defence cooperation,"
foreign policy analyst C. Raja Mohan said. Analysts said New Delhi
should use Yudhoyono's visit to boost its influence in southeast Asia,
adding that the Wednesday accord came at the right time, ahead of the
ASEAN and East Asia summits in Malaysia next month where Asian
security will be discussed.

FOOTNOTES: In Nepal, 'all the Kings men' [18.] are none to happy with
recent moves beween politicians and Maoist guerrillas towards
'dummy-cracy'!

Dhakal, who just arrived in the capital city Kathmandu from Tunisia,
spoke to the press at the airport saying, "The government has taken
the understanding very seriously and the reactions will be made soon."
But pointing to the Delhi visits of the leaders he said, "the alliance
made for foreign interests in unacceptable for Nepal." He added, "But
I think the understanding must be in favor of the king's Feb. 1 move
and if the whole thing is so, then it will be for the welfare of the
nation."

Link to this Blog
http://chorchoriz.blogspot.com/2005/11/macs-regional-intelligence-bulletin.html

REFERENCES
01. http://thedailystar.net/2005/11/25/d5112501011.htm
02.http://thedailystar.net/2005/11/25/d51125011816.htm
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2
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14.http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3174267,00.html
15.http://en.rian.ru/russia/20051124/42202564.html
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60330&rel_no=1

CHUTNEY OF THE DAY [ Delhi, of course, has never relished the thought
of letting Beijing into the SAARC tent. It had limited the potential
damage from the unsettling Chinese entry as an observer by insisting
on a similar status for Japan as well. The surprising vehemence with
which Nepal's King Gyanendra played the China card, and the
overwhelming support of our neighbours for the Chinese association
with SAARC, are huge warning signals for India.]

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01. An intelligent concept
02. Analysis: Chinese checkers
03. Pakistan wants China to be full Saarc member: Aziz
04. Bangladesh: Beyond the Bandarban Recoveries
05. RAW-2: Nationalism - Bangladeshi and Bengali
06. Former sleuths, diplomats set up think tank
07. Provoking Syria
08. GLOBAL JIHAD: Al-Zarqawi myth U.S.'s own creation
09. India Using Maoists Against Nepal
10. Chinese navy's first joint exercise abroad
11. Revolution meets confusion
12. Anti-Islam Republican convention in Texas
13. Paper- A Misguided National Intelligence Strategy
14. Paper - Raising the red scare in India's telecom sector
15. For a Secular $: God 'to be erased from money'
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1. An intelligent concept
- By V. Balachandran

President Ziaur Rehman of Bangladesh was killed in Chittagong on May
30, 1981. On that day our ambassador in a major West European capital,
where I was posted on "cover," had invited his South Asian
counterparts to the embassy residence for lunch. Much to his
annoyance, I called him to the telephone to convey this news but his
irritation vanished when he heard the details as he could dramatically
announce to a startled Bangladesh ambassador, "Your Excellency, I am
sorry to announce that your President has been shot dead." After this
our ambassador who was quite sceptical of the utility of the RAW
presence in the embassies became one of its ardent well-wishers,
especially when he became foreign secretary later. It was of course a
different matter that my "source" was BBC Radio!

Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi had issued standing orders that all
important events happening around the world should be reported to him
by RAW, since he was upset with the delays by the MEA. As the staff
officer to the RAW chief during that period the "buck" stopped with
me. Riots were raging in Algiers in October 1988. We had no RAW
station there. Communications were totally cut off, but the Prime
Minister wanted to know what he could do to help his friend President
Chadli Benjedid to tide over the crisis. Since the ministry of
external affairs (MEA) was totally in the dark, director PMO, a lady
Foreign Service officer called me on a Saturday for a report within
three-four hours. I tried to call our ambassador in Algiers but could
not connect. I then called our "man" in Paris but he had gone on a
picnic. Our own North Africa head was also totally in the dark.

Fortunately, I remembered that we were subscribing to Le Monde which
used to reach Delhi next day by air. To my glee, the entire problem in
Algiers was described in graphic details. What the rioters wanted was
cous cous (wheat rava), their staple food, in addition to various
other demands like democracy. In fact the riots were later known as
"Cous-Cous riots." A detailed note was sent to the PM who was quite
happy as he could offer tons of semolina to his friend Chadli.

Information in the above two cases was initiated by an intelligence
organisation which was found useful by the policymakers. However was
this "intelligence"? What is intelligence? Former US President Bush
and Gen. Scowcroft, his national security adviser had said in their
joint book A World Transformed that they heard about the August 18,
1991 coup against Mikhail Gorbachev through CNN, although strong
indications of this possibility had come earlier from the CIA. Are
intelligence organisations news feeders like AIR, Doordarshan or CNN?
Should intelligence agencies compete with the wire services?

Intelligence is knowledge, or foreknowledge of events around us
enabling policymakers to take adequate and timely decisions. Sun Tsu,
the 5th century BC Chinese philosopher, described foreknowledge as
"the reason the enlightened prince and the wise general conquer the
enemy whenever they move." The late Noshir Framji Suntook, RAW chief
(1977-1983), used to have a small statuette on his desk depicting the
Bible story of the Lord asking Moses to send a ruler of each of the
tribes of Israel "to spy out the land of Canaan." He considered this
as the first intelligence operation in history.

Intelligence is not mere collection of information. It is a long and
often tedious process of bare facts becoming policy inputs through an
alchemic process � collection of facts, analysis, evaluation,
assessment and dissemination to the policymakers who might like to ask
questions before taking decisions.

However, not all intelligence undergoes such transformation: at the
district or state level bare facts are presented by the district or
state intelligence organisations leaving the onus of assessment to the
senior officials on labour agitation, communal riots, or agrarian
crisis. These are "law and order oriented intelligence" of short
duration, but time-sensitive. In all such cases, the political masters
expect intelligence agencies to compete with news agencies in
delivering information. The late K.C. Khanna, resident editor of the
Times of India, Mumbai had written a brilliant piece immediately after
the fiasco on March 22, 1979 when Prime Minister Morarji Desai made a
wrong announcement in Parliament about JP�s death, that
professionalism in intelligence agencies started declining when
policymakers expected them to compete with wire services.

Intelligence is of two types � "current intelligence" (what happens
around us) and "estimative intelligence" (what is likely to happen).
Both current and estimative intelligence can be "strategic" (long
term, affecting the country as a whole) or "tactical" (limited and
short term, both in time and area). Estimative intelligence is like a
jigsaw puzzle and often difficult as inputs or trends might come from
different sources, thereby testing the competence of the analysts to
piece together to form the picture on a strategic canvas.

Open and clandestine sources feed intelligence. It is often found that
90% of what we need to know, even military intelligence is available
openly if one cares to read. But it is the secret 10% that has to be
dug out by intelligence agencies through clandestine operations which
is crucial to plug the missing gaps. Open sources are media including
technical journals, diplomatic contacts, trade, war games and air
shows while clandestine sources are HUMINT (spies), SIGINT (signal
intelligence), IMINT (imagery intelligence) and MASINT (measurement
and signature intelligence).

National intelligence agencies are usually divided into "production"
and "analysis" divisions. Production desks are field officials and
their supervisors who run agents. On special occasions even outsiders
are enlisted into field intelligence work. The British intelligence
drafted Somerset Maugham, famous British novelist during the First
World War. His experience is reflected in Ashendon, a fictionalised
version. Technical divisions assist production desks by obtaining
technical intelligence. Analysts who are expected to be area
specialists anatomise this "raw" intelligence and conceptualise a
"big" picture for policymakers. Scientists, economists, code breakers
and military specialists assist this analysis.

V. Balachandran is a former Special Secretary, Cabinet Secretariat

Asian Age
http://www.asianage.com/main.asp?layout=2&cat1=6&cat2=42&newsid=192567&RF=Defaul\
tMain

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2. Analysis: Chinese checkers
Lesson from Dhaka summit: India must lead SAARC or get pushed aside by
its northern neighbour


After the 13th SAARC summit in Dhaka over the weekend, the political
geography of India's neighbourhood will not be the same again. India
has long chafed at the term 'South Asia' as too limiting. It preferred
'Southern Asia' to describe the larger sphere of its primacy. At the
very moment India seemed to succeed in breaking the narrow geographic
construct of SAARC to include Afghanistan, its neighbours have
successfully pushed through a decision to include China as an
observer. Delhi, of course, has never relished the thought of letting
Beijing into the SAARC tent. It had limited the potential damage from
the unsettling Chinese entry as an observer by insisting on a similar
status for Japan as well. The surprising vehemence with which Nepal's
King Gyanendra played the China card, and the overwhelming support of
our neighbours for the Chinese association with SAARC, are huge
warning signals for India.

There is no evidence, however, that India has a strategy to deal with
the profound geo-political changes in India's "near abroad". While
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's call in Dhaka for greater connectivity
within South Asia and between the subcontinent and the rest of Asia is
forward looking, the question has always been about how we get there.
India's demands for overland transit through Pakistan and Bangladesh
have been mired in the larger political disputes with these two
neighbours. Pakistan Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz signaled that free
and transit trade with India remain linked to progress in resolving
the Jammu and Kashmir question. In the divisive politics of
Bangladesh, giving transit to India has long been an explosive issue.
Meanwhile the prospects for launching the South Asian Free Trade Area
on January 1, 2006, remain uncertain.

SAARC has a long history of missing deadlines agreed upon and SAFTA's
entry into force remains doubtful, given the many outstanding disputes
that need to be resolved. While Pakistan and Bangladesh are
obstreperous on trade and transit issues, India must find ways to
pacify them in its own interests. Unless India takes full advantage of
the subcontinent's economic geography and begins to leverage the size
of its own market, unilaterally if necessary, there might be no real
progress towards regional economic integration. The lesson from the
Dhaka summit is this: either India leads SAARC or gets pushed aside by
China.

Indian Express
http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=82022

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3. Pakistan wants China to be full Saarc member: Aziz

ISLAMABAD Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz has said Pakistan is ready to
support China as a full member of the South Asian Association for
Regional Cooperation (Saarc).

Talking to newsmen on return from Dhaka where he attended the Saarc
summit, he said if and when the issue of inducting China as a full
member of the Saarc came up, Pakistan would strongly support it
because it sees the organisation as an inclusive, and not exclusive
one which must be strengthened through greater institutionalisation.

The summit approved Afghanistan?s request for full membership and
admitted China and Japan as observers, thereby breaking a deadlock,
which had marked the proceedings of the summit. This is the first time
that Pakistan has talked about fully supporting China for a formal
membership of the Saarc.

The prime minister said there was no timeline for this to happen.
Despite Afghanistan?s entry into Saarc, Pakistan will continue with
its policy of denying India overland access to Afghanistan because
that policy is linked to the broad matrix of India-Pakistan relations,
he said.

'India can send goods via Karachi; that facility already exists. But
the overland route needs progress on certain core issue,? he said.
Afghanistan can, however, use the overland route to send goods to
India, which it is already doing.

At his bilateral meeting with Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh,
Aziz proposed some concrete steps that could indicate progress on the
issue of Kashmir.

These included demilitarisation in the region, a soft Line of Control
and self-government for the Kashmiris in Jammu and Kashmir. As Aziz
repeatedly stated to the media during the conference, these steps
would show progress on Kashmir. Asked if the linkage of issues with
Kashmir meant that Pakistan was going back to its original position of
an integrated dialogue rather than the composite framework that had
been the basis of the process since the January 6, 2004, Islamabad
Declaration, Aziz said the linkage was only to the extent of full
trade ties with India, the issue of transit facility and investment.

-Pakistan remains committed to the composite process on all other
issues that make up the various baskets under the Islamabad
Declaration,? he said.

An official of the Foreign Office later replying to a query whether
this crystallised position on Kashmir being pivotal for movement on
trade transit and investment indicated a hardening of the Pakistani
stance, said this was in keeping with what Pakistan had been expecting
since the normalisation process began.

On the Indian side, Singh and earlier Indian Foreign Secretary Shyam
Saran made clear that India would not even think of demilitarising
until it faced the prospect of terrorism. Indian officials told Daily
Times that the issue of self-government was already taken care of and
there had been elections in Kashmir.

Khaleej Times
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle.asp?xfile=data/subcontinent/2005/Nove\
mber/subcontinent_November527.xml&section=subcontinent&col=

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4. Bangladesh: Beyond the Bandarban Recoveries
Bibhu Prasad Routray
Research Fellow, Institute for Conflict Management

In mid-October 2005, the Bangladesh Home Ministry issued an order to
prepare a list of Rohingyas illegally living in the inaccessible hilly
areas of Bandarban and to arrest those involved in criminal
activities. The order said that a section of Rohingyas living in
Bangladesh was involved in drugs and arms dealings as well as other
criminal operations. In its order, the Home Ministry, issued
instructions for the arrest of Rohingya suspects in order to suppress
drug, human and arms trafficking and other form of crime.

The order comes in the wake intermittent recoveries of arms and
explosives from the hilly parts of the District, close to the border
with Myanmar. Bandarban has been the scene of the maximum number of
recovery of illegal arms and explosives in the country. After several
raids by the security forces under 'Operation Uttaran', an anti-crime
combing operation, out of the 55 major arms recoveries recorded by the
South Asia Terrorism Portal across Bangladesh between January 1 and
November 10, 2005, 19 have taken place in Bandarban district alone.
According to Bangladesh Army sources, in the 11 months preceding
September 2005, forces recovered a total of 295 sophisticated weapons
that included AK 47, M 16 and G 3 rifles with 58,000 rounds of
ammunitions just in the Naikhongchhari sub-district of Bandarban.

The achievements, as far as quantities of the recovered arms and
ammunition are concerned, have been significant. However, these
measures need to be analysed in the context of Bangladeshi attempts to
refurbish its much-maligned image as a country fast degenerating into
a hotbed of Islamist radicalism, particularly in the aftermath of
recent incidents such as the country-wide bomb blasts of August 17,
2005. As has been argued before, these measures are inherently
arbitrary, ad hoc and fall drastically short of putting any halt to
the country's slide into a quagmire of extremism and terror.

More than 150,000 Rohingya refugees came to Bangladesh from Myanmar in
the 1980s and 1990s. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
(UNHCR) later gave them refugee status and allowed them to live in the
shelter homes built in Teknaf, Ukhiya, and Naikhongchhari. The Myanmar
Government took back a good number of Rohingya refugees in several
phases. Bangladeshi official records maintain that 13,000 Rohingyas
are still living in the country, but secret agencies of the police
claim that more than 27,000 illegal Rohingyas still live in the
Bandarban hilly areas alone, posing an inherent threat to the country
due to their involvement in various criminal activities.

The arrest on September 22, 2005, of a Myanmar national, Mohammad
Selim alias Haddi Selim, a suspected cadre of the Arakan Solidarity
Organisation, by the police at Kutupolang Rohingya camp in Ukhia
sub-district of Cox's Bazaar in connection with the arms recoveries in
Naikhongchhari illustrates the modus operandi of these groups, and its
continuity with past activities. Another report in the Daily Star
spoke of the arrest of another Arakan rebel, Selim, in mid-2000, who
in his confessional statement said that he smuggled arms using the
Thailand and Myanmar insurgent network through the Chittagong Hills
Tracts (CHT), and sold them in the underground market.

Interrogations in both these cases indicated that the sources of arms
and their mode of transport into Bandarban have demonstrated little
change over the years. Selim disclosed that he often crossed the
border and hid arms and ammunition in the deep forest areas of the
hill District, such as Baisari, Dochari, Chakdhala, Techari and
Lembuchari. Subsequently, these were smuggled deeper into the country
and sold to the criminals. 37 arms smuggling gangs and syndicates are
reported to be active in the Chittagong region (of which Bandarban is
a part) and have obvious links with the 124 arms syndicates active in
Bangladesh, making the task of transportation a relatively
trouble-free affair. Some 50 thousand illegal firearms and a huge
stock of ammunition are reported to be in the possession of the
criminal underworld in the Chittagong region.

It has been convenient for law enforcement agencies to indict the
illegal Rohingya refugees in arms smuggling. The centrality of the
Rohingyas in these criminal operations, though is a reality, needs to
assessed in the context of the enveloping scenario of radicalisation
in the District, which is fast becoming a favourite hunting ground for
local Islamist militants with international connections.

Why is this south-eastern District, spread over 4,479 square
kilometres, so important? Bandarban has a 129 kilometre international
boundary with Myanmar. Four mountain ranges, Merania, Wailatong,
Tambang and Politai cut across the District. Bandarban's hostile
geography – fifty percent of the total area is under forest and,
located 187 kilometres away from capital Dhaka, it remains
significantly insulated from the heavy hand of the Government –
enormously favours the militants. Located within the District are
multiple militant groupings of the Arakans and the Rohingyas from
Myanmar, with a deepening nexus with Bangladeshi radical Islamist
forces. Proximity to Myanmar and easy access to the sea, across the
neighbouring Cox's Bazaar District, provide an alternate access and
exit routes, making Bandarban the most advantageous destination for
extremist elements.

Both the Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and the Jagrata Muslim
Janata Bangladesh (JMJB) have been active in the District. Two JMB
operatives arrested in August 2005 in the remote Faitong area of
Bandarban revealed details about the existence of their militant bases
in the area, during interrogation. Intelligence agencies indicated
that the JMB might have acquired a huge cache of firearms and
explosives from the Myanmarese gun-runners, as the explosives and
ammunition seized from Naikhongchhari on different occasions were
similar to the explosives used in the August 17 and October 3 serial
blasts.

In addition to the traffic in illegal arms and explosives, the
District is also known for poppy cultivation, presenting dangerous
prospects for narco-terrorism. In areas, along the international
border and in the upper reaches of the Singu River, such as Mraung
Gound, War New Chaung, Late Cray Chaung, Yin Bound, Late Chaung, Site
Chaung and Thit Poke, local tribals have been cultivating poppy for
many years. To begin with, the cultivation was primarily for the
production of raw opium. However, there have been reports that the
Islamist militants are getting very closely involved in the trade.
Intelligence reports indicate that the JMB, the JMJB, the Harkatul
Jihad and the Ahle Hadith Andolan Bangladesh have entered into the
lucrative trade of cultivating poppy locally under the supervision of
top militant leaders. This has been further confirmed by arrested JMB
cadres in the aftermath of the August 17 country-wide bombings.
Bangladesh's Army conducts yearly operations to destroy poppy
cultivations, but the effectiveness and reach of such routine
operations remains a matter of debate.

Bandarban is emerging as a tactical melting pot for the Rohingyas and
the local as well as international radical Islamist jehadi network. A
February 2004 intelligence report indicated that four Al-Qaeda
training camps had come up in the District. Interrogations of the
arrested JMB cadres involved in the August 17 bombings indicated that
the JMB had set up several training centres in Lama sub-district of
Bandarban and other areas, including Jalpaitali, Tetultali,
Maheshkhali and Garzania. Unconfirmed reports suggest that a group of
15 Muslim United Liberation Front of Assam (MULFA) cadres (MULFA
operates in Northeast India's Assam State), had visited the Lamuchari
Rohingya training camp in Naikhongchhari in January 2002, under an
agreement entered into in 1999.

The strategic vulnerability of the District has been further
compounded by myopic official policies and confusing security
arrangements. Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) has just a single border outpost
(Rijupara in Naikhongchhari) in the entire stretch of the
international border in Bandarban. There are other strategic
complexities. Although the Naikhongchhari sub-district is in
Bandarban, the Naikhongchhari BDR zone is under the BDR Chittagong
sector. The CHT, as per the national security policy, is under the
Bandarban Army region. Bandarban is managed by the Chittagong division
of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) a 'special para-military force'
under the Home Ministry. As a result, joint operations by the BDR, the
Army and the RAB, which are central to the restoration of law and
order in the strategically located district, have not been able to
proceed beyond the periodic recovery of abandoned and hidden arms and
explosives.

South Asia Intelligence Review
Volume 4, No.18, November 14, 2005

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5. RAW-2: Nationalism - Bangladeshi and Bengali
Mohammad Zainal Abedin - 11/15/2005

RAW strategists have cleverly created disagreement and division even
over the issue of national ideology. A debate has been going on
whether the country should adopt Bangladeshi nationalism or Bengafee
nationalism. Unfortunately RAW has succeeded in making this
fundamental issue an aging controversy. Bangladeshi nationalism
relates to all the people living in Bangladesh. It is a description of
the fee1ing of political cohesion which inspires Bangladeshis to be
proud of their separateness. Since Muslims constitute more than 85% of
the country's population, thererfore, Bangladeshi nationalism in fact,
means nationalism of majority of its population. As French nationalism
implies not the nationalism of Algerian immigrants settled i~ France
but the national feelings of those Frenchrllen who once were
affiliated to the Catholic Church.Bangladeshi nationalism also
reflects aspirations of majority community, i.e. Muslims. The term
Bangladeshi nationalism was adopted by President Ziaur Rahman as a
compromise between those secularists who would not favour any
description which savoured of religion and those who wanted that the
nationalism should reflect aspirations and sentiments of majority
community. However, even this secular expression which only indirectly
points at Bangladesh's character as a Muslim country with Muslim
traditions in art, literature and social life, is not to the liking of
RAW influenced intellectuals. They abhor the use of word Bangladeshi
nationalism calling it communal and insist on adoption of Bengalee
nationalism. Much of this campaign is being waged on wink from RAW.

Bengali nationalism encompasses all the Bengali speaking people
irrespective of where they live. Going by this definition all Bengali
speaking people form one nation.d HOwever, the concept of forming
nations on the basis of language has become redundant. If language was
the only factor for making of a nation, all Arabic speaking people of
the Middle East should have formed one state instead of 22. Going by
the logic of language, India has no right to function as a single
country as it has 171 languages and 544 sub-languages(RuhulAmin: Our
Nationalism: page, 20). Thus the concept of nationhood based on
language alone is not in vogue. Besides Bangladesh, the Bengali
speaking people are inhabited in West Bengal, Tripura, Assam, Orissa
and Behar states of India. In the first two states they are
thepredominant ethnic group. They belong to the same BEmgali stock as
people of Bangladesh and- in some cases have similar social and
cultural behavior . But still they are distinctly different from
Bangladeshis in matters of national identity, history, faith, hopes
and spirations. This difference is due to religion. Infact, the
difference was created the day Islam came in this region. The advent
of Islam brought in a new social culture which gave a new identity. to
those who embraced Islam. The Bengali speaking Muslims and Hindus
became two separate religious-cultural groups. These differences
gradually became the reason for pronouncement of Two Nation. Theory
and eventual division of India into Pakistan and India. East Pakistan,
after separation from Pakistan in December 1971, became Bangladesh.

The basic differences between the two communities (Hindus and Muslims)
are as evident today as these were thousands of years ago. Common
cultural identity. and common nationalism could never grow between the
two communities. British writer John Marshall while. discussing the
peculiarities of ancient Indian culture of the Hindus and the Muslims
wrote. "It was never seen before in human history that the two
religions and cultures coexisted side by side while one could not
swallow the other(quote from John Marshal:by Abdul Mobin: Cultural
Mischief, page 80).

The separate cultural identities of Bengali speaking Hindus and
Muslims remained intact for ages despite conflicts and clashes. Such
conflicts rather hardened their separate identities and religious
beliefs. The Hindu poets, litterateurs and intellectuals Bever,
accepted the Bengali speaking Muslims as Bengalee. They used the term
Bengalee only for Benga.li speaking Hindus. The Muslims were not
considered Bengalees. Instead they used to be referred as Muslims. On
the other hand, the Bengali speaking Muslims did not care much about
their' Bangaleeness. They took pride in their Muslim identity and
culture. Being a Bengalee came only after their Muslim identity.

Religion based cultural identity in course of time created political
conflicts. The differences on political issues specially since the
advent of British rule in Bengal led the Bengali speaking Muslims of
this region to think that their interests and goals are not the same
as of their Hindu neighbours. The Muslims of Bengal opposed the rule
of the British East India Company while the Hindus welcomed it and
cooperated with the foreign rulers. In ,return the East India Company
allotted vast lands of Bengal to the Hindus who emerged as Zamind-ars.
The anti-British struggle of Titunrir, Haji Sharlat Ullah and the 1857
War of Independence, all ended in smoke due to the non-cooperation and
oppositipn of the Hindus.

The Hindus of Bengal once again stated in 1905, at the time of
partition of Bengal, that their interest and that of the Muslims are
not the same. Not a single Hindu political leader or intellectual rose
above his communal feelings and interests to support the partition of
Bengal in 1905. Rather, inspired by Hindu nationalism, they vowed to
fight for annulment of partition.The very inimfcal attitude of the
Hindus towards Muslims gave them a chance to unearth the real face of
Hindus. They realized the necessity of preserving their own religious,
cultural, economic and political interests.

The Bengalee Hindus had shown more affinity with non-Bengalee Hindus
and developed Hindu nationalism. The anti-Muslim attitude of the
Hindus made the Muslims of.Bengal to welcome the Two Nation Theory of
Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Based On this theory the resolution
for partition of India to create separate home-land for the Muslims
was adopted in 1940 in the All India Muslim League's annual session at
Lahore.

Just before the partition of India in 1947, some Muslim leaders of the
then Bengal like Suhrawardy, Abul Hashem and lone Hindu Leader Sarat
Bose worked for a united'.Independent Bengal. Bq.t the Hindus, led by
Ghandhi and Nehru, vetoed the scheme and thus neutralized the last
chance of keeping Bengal united. Had it materialized, it could have
formed the basis for emergence of Bengalee nationalism. But the
Hindus, who preferred Hindu nationalism, themselves gave final burial
to the Bengali nationalism.

Pakistan was created on the basis of Two Nation Theory Partition of
India also led to partition of Bengal on the insistence of Congress.
Bengal's Muslim majority area i.e.East Bengal joined Pakistan as its
province named East Pakistan, while West Bengal, the Hindu majority
area went with India. Thus there remained no chance for a nationalism
based on language to take roots.The Bengali nationalism, however, did
find currencyduring movement against Pakistani ruling junta. But in
actual fact the separatism was an expression of regionalism;
phenomenon also noticeable elsewhere. The people of East Pakistan felt
deprived due to the expoitation and usurpation of their rights by an
administration dominated by West Pakistanis. Their demand for
emancipation found expression in Bengalee nationalism. This was purely
in the context of Pakistan and at no stage the people intended to part
with the Two Nation Theory. The emergence of Bangladesh is in
consonance with Lahore Resolution of 1940. The resolution says, "It is
the considered opinion of this session of the All India Muslim League
that no constitutional arrangement would be workable or acceptable to
the Muslims unless they would be based on the following principles
viz. (a) that the contiguous geographic areas have to be demarcated as
a region. (b) that the territorial adjustments should be such that the
Muslim majority areas in the north-west and Eastern India should
constitute independent states and (c) that the states should be
autonomous and sovereign".

After the emergence of Bangladesh, RAW and its stooges have been
relentlessly preaching that dismemberment of Pakistan has proved that
the Two Nation Theory has failed. Once renunciation of Two Nation
Theory is accepted reunification of India becomes obvious.

Indians advise that Bangladesh should give up its Muslim identity and
adopt so called Bengalee nationalism. RAW's aim In promoting Bengalee
nationalism is to pave way for merger of Bangladesh into West Bengal.
One may ask that why Hindus of West Bengal do nqt support Bengalee
nationalism against Indian (Hindu) nationalism. Why the idea is being
drummed to people of Bangladesh only? During the Pakistan period we
used to be known as Bengalees on the basis qf race and language as we
did not then have an independent country named Bangladesh. After the
establishment of Bangladesh our territorial identity and sovereignty
overrode the linguistic and racial identity. Bengali speaking Hindus
and the Muslims could never become one nation in the past. Now that
the ideological, cultural and political differences between the two
have grown further, how can 'there be any rationale for a common
Bengalee nationalism.

Basant Chatterje, an Indian journalist said in his book 'Inside
Bangladesh', "The Bengali language had been used as political weapon
in the struggle against Pakistan and with the establishment of
Bangladesh its usefulness had been exhausted. The Muslims had made no
contribution to the culture called Bengalee culture which was
essentially an upper caste Hindu culture. It would be impossible for
Bangladesh to preserve its sovereignty by insisting on the Bengaliness
of its political chara1ter".Another problem with Bengalee nationalism
is that it excludes those citizens of Bangladesh whose mother tongue
is not Bengali. When Sheikh Mujib insisted' on tribal leaders of
Chlttagong Hill Tracts, (CHT) to accept Bengalee nationalism, it back
fired. RAW capitalized the issue and helped Chakmas to form Shanti
Bahini which is continuing to wage armed movement for separation of
CHT from Bangladesh.

RAW's propagation and promotion of Bengalism is a conspiracy against
the very foundations of Bangladesh which must be snubbed and
neutralized with the contempt it deserves.

Global Politician
http://www.globalpolitician.com/articleshow.asp?ID=1392&cid=6

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6. Former sleuths, diplomats set up think tank

NEW DELHI, NOVEMBER 14: It promises to be a think tank with a
difference. Some of the country's top ex-sleuths, diplomats and
retired military officers have floated a Non Government Organisation
(NGO) which, they say, aims to work as a policy pressure group, but
without any political affiliations.

It may, of course, be a coincidence that several prominent members of
the new body held positions of eminence during the NDA regime.

The prime mover behind the setting up of the Policy Perspective
Foundation is Ajit Doval, former Chief of the Intelligence Bureau, who
is the Secretary General of the think tank.

The Foundation's President is Satish Chandra, who relinquished charge
as Deputy National Security Advisor and head of the National Security
Council Secretariat.

Among the other members of the Foundation are Vikram Sood, former
Secretary of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and Dhirendra Singh,
who recently retired as Union Home Secretary.

Former Ambassador G Parthasarthy, former Governor Ved Marwah and
former Director General, Military Intelligence, Lt.Gen. Ravi Sawhney
have also come on board, with the possibility of some members with an
academic background been invited to join in.

Members of the Foundation have been holding quiet meetings in Doval's
house, who incidentally, is also Honorary Secretary General of another
NGO, the India Media Group.

Says Doval, ''Funds and contributions will be generated by the members
themselves. The idea is for the group to work outside of political
party pressures and considerations.''

Indian Express
http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=81999

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7. Provoking Syria
Cambodia All Over Again

By CONN HALLINAN

In the wake of a United Nations investigation implicating a number of
Syrian and Lebanese officials in the assassination of former Lebanese
Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, the Bush administration is calling for
international sanctions, and leaking dark hints of war. But the United
States is already unofficially at war with Syria. For the past six
months, U.S. Army Rangers and the Special Operations Delta Force have
been crossing the border into Syria, supposedly to "interdict"
terrorists coming into Iraq. Several Syrian soldiers have been killed.

The analogy the administration is using for this invasion? Cambodia,
which the Nixon administration accused of harboring North Vietnamese
troops during the war in Southeast Asia. On April 30, 1970, American
and South Vietnamese Army units stormed across the border, igniting
one of the great disasters of all time. The invasion was not only a
military debacle; it led to the rise of Pol Pot, who systematically
butchered some two million Cambodians.

As in Vietnam, the American and British line in Iraq is that the war
is fueled by foreign fanatics infiltrating from Syria and Iran. In an
October talk to the National Endowment for Democracy, President George
W. Bush told the audience that "Iran and Syria" have allied themselves
with Islamic terrorist groups; he warned that the "United States makes
no distinction between those who commit acts of terror and those who
support and harbor them."

According to the Financial Times, the Bush administration is already
discussing who should replace Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, with
the White House leaning toward sponsoring an internal military coup.
National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley ­ the fellow who brought us
the Niger-Iran uranium fairy tale ­ is in charge of the operation.

Flynt Leverett of the Brookings Institute says the cross-border raids
are aimed at encouraging the Syrian military to "dump" Assad. A
military coup was how the United States helped put Saddam Hussein in
power so he could liquidate the Iraqi Left.

The White House, in fact, knows that foreign fighters have very little
to do with the insurgency in Iraq. The conservative London-based
International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) estimates that
the number of foreign fighters is "well below 10 percent, and may be
closer to 4 or 6 percent." American intelligence estimates that 95
percent of the insurgents are Iraqi.

The Bush administration has long had its sights on Iran, which Bush
calls "the world's primary state sponsor of terrorism." These are
sentiments recently echoed in London, where Prime Minister Tony Blair
accused Tehran of smuggling weapons and explosives into Iraq to attack
British troops in Basra. In one of history's great irony-challenged
moments, Blair said, "There is no justification for Iran or any
country interfering in Iraq."

Provocations

The United States has been provocatively sending unmanned Predator
aircraft into Iran, supposedly looking for nuclear weapons but most
likely mapping Iranian radar systems, information the United States
would need before launching an attack. According to Irish journalist
Gordon Thomas, the United States has already targeted missiles at
Iranian power plants at Natanz and Arak.

Some 4,000 fighters of the Mujahedeen-e-Khalq (MEK), an armed
organization that seeks to overthrow the present regime in Tehran,
have a base north of Baghdad near the Iranian border. The United
States has thrown a protective umbrella over the MEK's soldiers and
equipment, although the State Department classifies the organization
as "terrorist."

Most of the information on Iran's nuclear weapons programs comes from
the MEK, which has an uneven track record for accuracy. In any case,
there is a disturbing parallel between the role the MEK is playing in
developing information on Iran's weapons of mass destruction and the
prewar intelligence on Baghdad's WMD programs cooked up by Ahmed
Chalabi and the group of Iraqi expatriates gathered around the
Pentagon.

A major player in all this is Israel, where the Likud and its U.S.
supporters have long lobbied for a U.S. attack on Iran and Syria. In a
speech last May to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee
(AIPAC), Richard Perle, a Likud adviser and former Bush official, said
that the United States should attack Iran if it is "on the verge of
[developing] a nuclear weapon." Along with David Frum of the Weekly
Standard, Perle co-authored An End to Evil, which calls for the
overthrow of "the terrorist mullahs of Iran."

An Israeli Proxy?

Vice President Dick Cheney has even suggested that Israel might do the
job. According to the Israeli daily Ha'aretz, the United States
recently sold Tel Aviv 500 GBU-27 and 28 "bunker buster" guided bombs
(although Syria would be a more likely target for such weapons).

The Israeli Right has been spoiling for a fight with Syria for some
time. The Israelis bombed near Damascus last year, and Cabinet
Minister Gideon Ezra threatened to assassinate Damascus-based Hamas
leader Khaled Meshaal. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon made a
similar threat about Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasallah.

The Sharon government is just as belligerent about Iran. When he was
Israeli chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Moshe Ya'alon said that he hoped
international pressure on Iran would halt its development of nuclear
weapons, adding ominously, "If that is not the case, we would consider
our options."

One Israeli intelligence official told the Financial Times, "It could
be a race who pushes the button first ­ us or the Americans."

What that official meant by "the button" is not clear, but the logical
candidate is a nuclear strike. In 1981, the Israelis used conventional
aircraft and weapons to destroy the Iraqi nuclear power plant at
Osirak, but an attack on Iran's facilities would be another matter.

Following the 1981 attack, the Iranians hardened and dispersed their
nuclear infrastructure. Israel's newly purchased "bunker busters"
might do the job, but distance is a problem. Iran is a lot further
away from Israel than Iraq, and Israeli aircraft would have
difficulties making a round trip to Iran without midair refueling.
Israel has missiles, however, plus several hundred nuclear weapons,
and there are at least some in Tel Aviv who wouldn't flinch from using
them.

Last month, senior Pentagon analyst Lawrence Franklin admitted passing
classified information on Iran to Israel through two AIPAC employees.
Franklin used to work for former Undersecretary of Defense Douglas
Feith and has close ties to neocon Michael Ledeen of the American
Enterprise Institute, who says, "Tehran is a city just waiting for
us."

If all these names sound familiar, it is because they are the ones who
brought us the war in Iraq.

Prospects for Invasion: Cambodia Redux?

Would the United States (possibly allied with Britain and Israel)
actually attack Iran and/or Syria?

Iran seems a stretch. The country has three times the population of
Iraq, almost four times the land area, plus lots and lots of mountains
you really don't want to fight in.

Iran also has considerable international support, demonstrated several
weeks ago when Europeans said they would not back U.S. efforts to
bring Iran before the UN Security Council for supposed violations of
the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.

While a number of nations are nervous about Iran's nuclear activities,
the country is not seen as a regional threat. Its military budget is
only one-third what it was in 1980, and, according to Middle East
scholar Stephen Zunes, Iran actually has fewer tanks and planes than
it did 20 years ago.

Some of that support is based on the fact that Iran has the second
largest oil and gas reserves on the planet, reserves that Europe,
China, and India simply cannot do without.

The Americans might bomb the hell out of the place, but an invasion is
doubtful, particularly given the current disarray of the U.S.
military. The Army failed to meet its recruiting goals for 2005, and
with the military already overextended in Iraq, it is not clear if the
United States could even muster an effective invasion force.

One caveat could alter that: the U.S. doctrines of preemptive war and
first-use of nuclear weapons. Would the White House really push the
button? Not out of the question.

According to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, if it does come to
war, Congress has no say in the matter. Asked if she agreed that the
president would have to return to Congress in the case of military
action against Syria and/or Iran, she told the Senate Foreign
Relations Committee on Oct. 19, "The president retains those powers in
the war on terrorism and the war on Iraq."

Syria is an easier target than Iran. With the exception of its
northern border, the country is a flat plain, less than half the size
of Iraq and with a population of only 16.7 million. It is also reeling
from the UN investigation.

This may make Syria look like fruit ripe for the picking, and an
invasion would certainly divert attention from the chaos in Iraq and
Afghanistan. It would also be a logical extension of the Bush
administration's mythology that all our troubles in the Middle East
are caused by foreign Islamic terrorists.

For the outcome of such a strategy, see the war in Southeast Asia.

Conn Hallinan is a foreign policy analyst for Foreign Policy In Focus
and a lecturer in journalism at the University of California, Santa
Cruz.

CounterPunch
http://www.counterpunch.org/hallinan11142005.html

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8. GLOBAL JIHAD: Al-Zarqawi myth U.S.'s own creation
By Jennifer Schultz

WASHINGTON -- The United States created the myth around Iraq
insurgency leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and reality followed, terrorism
expert Loretta Napoleoni said.

Al-Zarqawi was born Ahmad Fadil al-Khalayleh in October 1966 in the
crime and poverty-ridden Jordanian city of Zarqa. But his myth was
born Feb. 5, 2003, when then-Secretary of State Colin Powell presented
to the United Nations the case for war with Iraq.

Napoleoni, the author of "Insurgent Iraq," told reporters last week
that Powell's argument falsely exploited Zarqawi to prove a link
between then-Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and al-Qaida. She said
that through fabrications of Zarqawi's status, influence and
connections "the myth became the reality" -- a self-fulfilling
prophecy.

"He became what we wanted him to be. We put him there, not the
jihadists," Napoleoni said.

Iraq's most notorious insurgent, Napoleoni argues, accomplished what
bin Laden could not: "spread the message of jihad into Iraq."

In an article of Napoleoni's in the current November/December issue of
Foreign Policy, she said, "In a sense, it is the very things that make
Zarqawi seem most ordinary -- his humble upbringing, misspent youth
and early failures -- that make him most frightening. Because,
although he may have some gifts as a leader of men, it is also likely
that there are many more 'al-Zarqawis' capable of filling his place."

The myth of al-Zarqawi, Napoleoni believes, helped usher in al-Qaida's
"transformation from a small elitist vanguard to a mass movement."

Al-Zarqawi became "the icon" of a new generation of anti-imperialist
jihadists, she said.

The grand claim that al-Zarqawi provided the vital link between Saddam
and al-Qaida lost its significance after it became known that
al-Zarqawi and bin Laden did not forge a partnership until after the
war's start. The two are believed to have met sometime in 2000, but
al-Zarqawi -- similar to a group of dissenting al-Qaida members
--rebuffed bin Laden's anti-American brand of jihad.

"He did not have a global vision like Osama," said Napoleoni, who
interviewed primary and secondary sources close to al-Zarqawi and his
network.

A former member of al-Zarqawi's camp in Herat told her, "I never heard
him praise anyone apart from the Prophet [Muhammad]; this was Abu
Musab's character. He never followed anyone."

Al-Zarqawi's scope before the Iraq war, she continued, did not extend
past corrupt Arab regimes, particularly Jordan's. Between 2000 and
early 2002, he operated the training camp in Herat with Taliban funds;
the fighters bound for Jordan. After the fall of the Taliban, he fled
to Iraqi Kurdistan and set up shop.

In 2001, Kurdish officials enlightened the United States about the
uninvited Jordanian, said Napoleoni. Jordanian officials, who had
still unsolved terrorist attacks, were eager to implicate al-Zarqawi,
she claimed. The little-known militant instantly had fingerprints on
most major terrorist attacks after Sept. 11, 2001. He was depicted in
Powell's speech as a key player in the al-Qaida network.

By perpetuating a "terrifying myth" of al-Zarqawi, the author said,
"The United States, Kurds, and Jordanians all won ... but jihad gained
momentum," after in-group dissension and U.S. coalition operations had
left the core of al-Qaida crippled.

In her article, Napoleoni says, "[Zarqawi] had finally managed to
grasp bin Laden's definition of the faraway enemy, the United States."
Adding that, "Its presence in Iraq as an occupying power made it clear
to him that the United States was as important a target as any of the
Arab regimes he had grown to hate.

"... The myth constructed around him is at the root of his
transformation into a political leader. With bin Laden trapped
somewhere in Afghanistan and Pakistan, al-Zarqawi fast became the new
symbolic leader in the fight against America and a manager for whoever
was looking to be part of that struggle," she wrote.

The author points to letters between al-Zarqawi and bin Laden that
have surfaced over the past two years, indicating the evolution in
their relationship, most notably a shift in al-Zarqawi which led to
his seeking additional legitimacy among Sunnis that bin Laden could
help bestow.

In late December 2004 -- shortly after the fall of Fallujah -- the
pan-Arab network Al-Jazeera aired a video of what was bin Laden's
first public embrace of Zarqawi and his fight in Iraq.

"... We in al-Qaida welcome your union with us ... and so that it be
known, the brother mujahid Abu Musab al-Zarqawi is the emir of the al
Qaida organization [in Iraq]," bin Laden declared.

Napoleoni believes that al-Zarqawi, however, is still largely driven
by the romantic vision of a restored Caliphate, and that his motives
still are less political than some other factions participating in the
Iraq resistance.

She questions whether he has actually devised a plan for "what he will
do, if and when, he wins."

LINK
http://www.wpherald.com/storyview.php?StoryID=20051110-043430-6135r

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9. India Using Maoists Against Nepal
Sobita Nisar, NEPAL:

Although Indian reporters allege Pakistan for supporting Maoist
guerrillas in Nepal, in reality it has always been India rather than
Pakistan who has carried out insurgent activities in Bangladesh and
Nepal. In order to achieve its hegemonic designs in the region, it has
been India's foremost priority to create destabilization among its
neighbouring countries.

India through RAW has played terrorist activities in order to
destabilize the respective governments in Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and
other neighbouring states. Most importantly, there are strong
operational linkages between Indian Maoist Communist Centre (MCC),
Peoples War Group (PWG) and Maoist guerrillas in Nepal.

The MCC and PWG based in Bihar and Andhra Pradesh are instrumental in
providing Nepalese Maoists with training facilities, arms, ammunition,
logistical support and safe sanctuaries to take refuge once hounded by
security forces. India through its militant organizations is promoting
terrorism in Nepal.

The events of confrontation between Royal Nepal Army and Maoist
guerrillas show that Maoists are a hindrance in the revolution and
prosperity and are aggravating the problems of impoverished masses
because of their opportunistic and cruel tactics. Thousands of
innocent citizens including women and children are slain by Maoists
because they were being suspected as agents of law enforcing agencies.

Ironically, India is showing undue munificence towards these Mao
rebels and they safely recede into their hideouts in Indian territory
after operating and attacking Nepali military and paramilitary forces.
Nepali politicians claim Indian interference and abetting of Naxalites
also. King Gyanendra in his Indian visit in June 2004 handed over a
list of 35 senior Maoists leaders believed to be hiding in the state's
Northern Darjeeling districts.

Common denominator of this visit was Nepalese request seeking India's
assistance in controlling Maoists attacks in Nepal as India holds the
key of controlling Maoist insurgency. The Maoists have become the best
weapon for India to fulfil its mission. Nepalese government is also
concerned over the reports that Maoists cadres are being trained by
LTTE Guerrillas in Sri Lanka. There is a palpable apprehension in
Nepal that India may use Maoist insurgency to send a peacekeeping
force to consolidate its influence in Nepal.

Besides creating destabilization in Nepal, the ethnic crisis in Bhutan
led by people of Nepalese origin is aggravated by Indian intelligence
agency RAW to try and turn the political crisis to India's advantage.

According to observers, it is surprising that when Pakistan renders
moral/diplomatic support to the freedom fighters in Indian Held
Kashmir who are fighting for an internationally recognized legitimate
cause, India accuses her for committing "cross border terrorism".
Hence there is no reason as to why the international community should
not take cognisance of Indian nexus with Maoists insurgents in Nepal
and her nefarious design to destabilize a smaller neighbouring
country.

It should be the foremost responsibility of India to adopt a policy of
non-interference in the internal affairs of neighbouring peace-loving
countries. If only India realizes the importance of peace in the
region, all problems of neighbouring countries bordering India would
solve automatically. Perhaps, the Indian government realizes this
responsibility and let peace prevail in the region by adopting a
policy of non-interference.

News From Bangladesh

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10. Chinese navy's first joint exercise abroad

A Chinese naval fleet set off on Nov. 8 from the Zhanjiang Port for a
visit to Pakistan, India and Thailand. The fleet, formed by the
Shenzhen missile destroyer and Weishanhu depot ship, will hold a joint
military exercise focusing on marine search and rescue with the navies
of the three countries.

The visit will take about one month. It will be the first time for the
Chinese navy to conduct joint military exercise with visited
countries' navies in sea area under the countries' jurisdiction.

On the day of departure the half official Press Trust of India sent
back news from China on the Chinese naval fleet, which was widely
cited and republished by Indian media. Moreover, India's another
influential press agency Indo-Asian News Service even conducted an
interview with Chinese Ambassador to India Sun Yuxi. In addition to
introduction about the background information and situation, it
comments that although exchange between the two militaries was frigid,
India now needs to have more and frequent joint exercises with the
Chinese navy.

Since India is not the first stop of the Chinese naval fleet, the
Indian Defense Ministry has not officially announced information on
the ships and forces of the Indian navy to take part in the exercise.
According to local media the location of the China-India would be near
the Cochin military port on the western coast of southern India.

Joint military exercise needs approval from the highest level

Marine search and rescue by warships is military action of the
nontraditional security area. It is of strong humanitarian tone both
in peace times and war times and part of navy's function.

Naval experts told the reporter that compared with substantive joint
combat exercise many of the military skills and tactics used in search
and rescue such as searching, communications and command are also
needed in actual combat. Therefore, without considerable political and
military trust on both sides China wouldn't be able to launch joint
marine search and rescue in these countries.

As early as 2003 Pakistani and Indian naval fleets visited China and
conducted joint marine search and rescue exercises with Chinese navy
in the East China Sea. This kind of exercise normally includes joint
formation of ships from both sides, marine communications operation,
sea-air three-dimensional search of ships in distress, ship formation
arriving at the scene after receiving order, fire fighting, rescue and
transportation of personnel in distress etc.

The abovementioned exchange between two militaries involves foreign
military ships entering a country's maritime space and launching
military action, which must be approved by the highest state leaders
and commanders of both militaries and later decided through
consultations between highest levels of both sides. From this it can
be seen that the Indian Ocean countries welcome military exchange and
cooperation with the Chinese navy. In fact, the first countries
Chinese naval fleets visited in mid-1980s also included the Indian
Ocean countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

Among the several oceans, the Indian Ocean is of unique strategic
status. On the one hand, the Indian Ocean countries are not
traditionally maritime powers. On the other, the Indian Ocean is the
most important strategic channel for transporting resources like oil.

Strategy researchers point out that in the current oceanic order based
on freedom of the seas securing this strategic sea-route of global
importance does not rely on a few maritime powers, nor on the maritime
military power of a single power. Therefore, to establish friendly
political and military ties with the Indian Ocean countries and ensure
the security and stability of the Indian Ocean through broad and
in-depth international security cooperation is the general trend. The
joint military exercises between China and Pakistan, India and
Thailand are just the reflection of this security concept of "seeking
security through cooperation".

Joint marine search and rescue are rather normal

According to international practice, the navy is the only military
service that can conduct military actions beyond national borders in
times of peace and "shake hands across the ocean" according to the
need of national diplomacy. Due to various reasons, China has not sent
ships on a visit abroad for a long time. Since 1985, however, when
Chinese naval fleet for the first time traveled abroad, exchanges
between Chinese and foreign militaries have become increasingly
frequent, at ever higher levels and in growing scale.

Joint combat exercises of traditional security area often occur among
military allies or at least among quasi-allies. Since China does not
believe in military alliance this form of military exercise is not
considered. Maritime joint anti-terrorist or anti-piracy exercises,
though belongs to nontraditional security area, involves actual use of
weapons in other country's sea area. The involved two countries need
to give it careful thought and the exercise itself is especially
sensitive to outsiders. For this reason China does not choose this
form very often as well.

While marine joint search and rescue is generally practiced
internationally it almost has no implication of military
confrontation, but can still deliver the effect of enacting common
action regulations and uniting maritime military action based on
consensus of different countries. It, to a considerable degree,
satisfies the post-Cold War demand by countries of different social
system and ideology to achieve common security through improving
cooperation.

Peoples Daily
http://english.people.com.cn//200511/15/eng20051115_221431.html

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11. Revolution meets confusion
Central forces can't fight Naxalites. We need strong local police networks
RAKESH SINHA

The sins of Andhra and the confusion in Delhi". That's what Jehanabad
was all about. And if Delhi had heard some of the country's brighter
police officers, may be Jehanabad wouldn't have happened.

The Andhra-Delhi bon mot is courtesy a Bihar police officer. About a
year back, Indian Express correspondents had, in an extensive exercise
in cartographic reportage, drawn up the Red Corridor, from Andhra to
Nepal. The Bihar police officer, among those spoken to , had summed up
the Naxalite problem and predicted some pretty dire stuff.

When his words rang so true, we called him again. Less forthcoming, he
would only say that those in power in Delhi must remember that
Jehanabad happened when Bihar is under Central rule.

What, in specifics, must our rulers in Delhi remember? For one thing,
that the sins of Andhra Pradesh - successive state governments playing
footsie with the People's War, switching on and off police operations,
with predictable consequences on efficiency and morale — began
visiting Bihar in the early Nineties. Understanding that requires some
detail, perhaps more detail than Delhi is used to dealing with when it
comes to Naxalites.

The People's War in the early Nineties had a new leader in Muppalla
Lakshmana Rao, aka, Ganapathy. Rao had replaced founder-leader
Kondapalli Seetharamaiah. The PW had a plan ready but it required the
red star to start shining over Bihar, then undivided.

So, there was a merger that masked the ambition for an acquisition.
The PW merged with the CPI(M-L; Party Unity). Rivals in the
revolutionary business were the Maoist Communist Centre (MCC), then
the dominant left extremists in Bihar. PW, however, never took the
rivalry to the point of starting a comrade-vs-comrade battle of
attrition.

With state governments at best being apathetic about the Naxalite
problem, PW began working on the MCC. The big prize came with the
formation of an international revolutionary cartel — in July 2001,
nine extreme left outfits from India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka
floated CCOMPOSA (Coordination Committee of Maoist Parties and
Organisations in South Asia).

CCOMPOSA is not a flight of Maoist fancy. MCC, which had confined
itself to south and central districts of undivided Bihar, was tasked
by CCOMPOSA to build the Red bridge to Nepal.

Getting MCC fully on board was crucial for PW. MCC cadres fanned out
north, settling down along the highly Porous, 735 km-long Indo-Nepal
border. Today, the MCC's presence is not confined to Gaya, Aurangabad
and Rohtas: its pawmarks are all over north Bihar, in east and west
Champaran, Sitamarhi, Darbhanga, Madhubani, Sheohar and Muzaffarpur.

PW-MCC became a serious security threat — for the officers on the
ground, not their masters, or not all their masters. In April 2004,
Delhi got Washington to include the PW and MCC in the latter's Terror
Exclusion List. Weeks later, the new Congress government in Andhra
Pradesh announced that it was opening talks with the PW. Anti-Naxal
operations were called off.

The PW-MCC merger happened as the talks started. The new CPI (Maoist)
ran rings around the YSR Reddy government and it ran operations from
and to Nepal. Nepal Maoist shelters have reportedly sprung up in
Champaran forests.

That should have sent Delhi reaching for a new strategy. But perhaps
some politicians don't see Naxalites as an "immediate threat".

Sounds astounding? This came from the PW man, Vara Vara Rao, who
headed the extremists' delegation at the Andhra talks. The Naxalites
may not be seeking "an immediate transfer of power", as Rao was so
generous in pointing out. But how is storming jails and paralysing
government machinery a lesser threat? And how far will parts of
Naxalite-infested India have to go before authorities wake up?

As far as Dandakaranya? The vast stretch, from north Telengana to
Chhattisgarh, is so much under PW control that the group is ready to
declare it a "liberated zone".

That's different, in Naxalite jargon, from "primary guerrilla zone".
The latter means Bihar and Jharkhand, where Naxalites "engage the
state". Perhaps, Jehanabad should be reclassified — the state didn't
quite engage itself there.

Ask the cops on the beat how ineffectual the state's engagement is.
Policemen consider stints in Naxalite-affected areas as "punishment
postings". Those who do try and perform according to their remit often
do not have the means.

Take this example: When the Reddy government called off its
anti-Naxalite operations in Andhra, the police in the Gadhiroli
district of neighbouring Maharashtra borrowed an anti-mines vehicle
from the Andhra police. The police in the state don't have basic
equipment.

Central forces are better equipped. But rushing Central battalions doesn't work.

Naxalites operate in small groups over usually difficult terrain. A
paramilitary battalion, rushed into an area they don't know, unable to
gather local intelligence, can't track down and fight Naxalites. Plus,
when the Centre says it is sending a battalion, what it means that it
is sending, on an average, only around 400 fighting men. The rest of
the battalion are support staff.

If the Centre keeps sending troops, it may soon get a thank-you note
from the Reds. What will make the Naxalites apprehensive is an
extensive network of police stations. Capable officers — there are
quite a few of them — should head these police stations and be allowed
to develop local intelligence. They must be given considerable
operational latitude and they must have complete political backing.

Police officers who have fought Naxalites under state-sponsored
difficult situations always insist that under such a operational set
up—small, effective, well-informed and well-equipped police forces
engage Naxalites locally — the extremist groups will face a real
challenge.

How many more Jehanabads before Delhi gets it?

The Indian Express
http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=82024

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12. Anti-Islam Republican convention in Texas
By Khalid Hasan

WASHINGTON: A convention of a group of Republicans was due to take
place in Texas on Tuesday that critics and concerned Muslims have
denounced as anti-Islam.

The group, which calls itself Cherry Tree Republicans, charges that
Muslims are bombing Israel, Jordan, England, Spain, France, and that
Al Qaeda has training camps "as close as Mexico and South America".
"Our borders," the convention literature states, "are crossed by
thousands illegally every week, including illegal aliens from
Afghanistan, Indonesia, Iran and Syria."

According to Cherry Tree Republicans from President Bush's home state
and political base, "The key to understanding extremist Muslims is to
understand their history. They do not think like we in the west. They
are not afraid to die. The inevitability of war, lust for combat and
exaltation in death is unlike our western way of thinking."

Muslims, the group claims, either want to "convert us or kill us". It
goes on to say that "Islam teaches that Muslims must wage war to
impose Islamic law on non-Muslim states". American Muslim groups are
said to be engaged in a "huge cover-up of Islamic doctrine and
history", and "today's jihadi terrorists have the same motives and
goals as the Muslims who fought the Crusaders". The group says that
Muslim persecution of Christians has continued for 13 centuries and
still goes on.

It goes on to quote certain verses from the Quran by taking them out
of context. The snippets chosen to mar the image of Islam and Muslims
are: "Strike terror (into the hearts of) the enemies of God and your
enemies." (Quran 8:60); "Fight (kill) them (non-Muslims), and God will
punish (torment) them by your hands, cover them with shame." (Quran
9:14); and "I will instill terror into the hearts of the unbelievers,
smite ye above their necks and smite all their fingertips off them. It
is not ye who slew them; it was God." (Quran 8:13-17).

Ashraf Abbasi, a leading figure in the Muslim community of Texas and a
former president of the Pakistani-American Congress, has urged the
community not to be provoked but to educate these "misled youth" about
Islam. In a letter of advice circulated to the community, Abbasi
writes: "This group of hate-mongers who claim to be Cherry Tree
Republicans are brainwashed, which is not their fault but of those who
trained them. In this convention, they will make an effort to create
more hatred for Islam and Muslims. The verses of the Holy Quran they
have quoted are taken out of context to prove their vicious
propaganda," Abbasi said.

"President Bush has repeatedly told the nation and the world that
'Islam is a religion of peace, harmony and universal brotherhood' and
that 'Muslims are industrious, law abiding and peace loving people and
the acts of a few radicals do not represent Islam'."

Abbasi has suggested that the Cherry Tree Republicans be presented
with the same Quranic verses that they have used to malign Islam, but
in the context in which those verses occur in the holy book. He points
out that there are a large number of Muslim Americans in the
Republican Party, some of them in very prominent positions. The
Republican Party cannot afford to lose the support and effective
participation of Muslim Americans. Republican Party leaders and
Republican congressional leaders should be asked, he goes on to
propose, to "stop this insanity and flush out such hate groups from
the Republican Party".

He has called on Muslims to attend the convention, raise questions,
have a dialogue with leaders and speakers of the group, and distribute
literature about Islam for their education and to deal with this
"poisonous propaganda" against "our great religion".

Daily Times, Pakistan
http://dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2005\11\16\story_16-11-2005_pg7_47

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13. Paper- A Misguided National Intelligence Strategy

This article first appeared in Defense News on Nov. 14, 2005.

While the media's attention was focused on the withdrawal of Harriet
Miers' nomination for the Supreme Court and the indictment of Vice
President Dick Cheney's chief of staff, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, the
National Intelligence Strategy of the United States of America was
quietly released.

While the goals are well-intentioned, underlying assumptions about the
benefits of spreading democracy and the reasons for hostility in the
Islamic world are misguided and ultimately would be self-defeating.

According to John Negroponte, the director of national intelligence,
the National Intelligence Strategy "sets forth the framework for a
more unified, coordinated and effective Intelligence Community."

Ten objectives are proposed:

• Build an integrated intelligence capability to address threats to
the homeland.

• Strengthen analytic expertise, methods and practices.

• Rebalance, integrate and optimize collection capabilities.

• Attract, engage and unify an innovative and results-focused work force.

• Ensure that decision-makers can access the intelligence they need
when they need it.

• Establish new and strengthen existing foreign intelligence relationships.

• Create clear, uniform security practices and rules.

• Exploit path-breaking scientific and research advances.

• Learn from our successes and mistakes.

• Eliminate redundancy.

Certainly, such a laundry list for improving and integrating the work
of 15 organizations that have intelligence functions and
responsibility makes sense. Indeed, that was the rationale for
creating the post of national intelligence director. In fact, one
wonders why some of these things — such as eliminating redundancy —
were not part of the reorganization of the intelligence community to
begin with.

It seems that, just as was the case with the Department of Homeland
Security, the decision was made to paste first before cutting, rather
than cutting and pasting.

The significance of the National Intelligence Strategy is not the nuts
and bolts of how to make the intelligence community better. Rather, it
is the larger strategic context of what the intelligence community is
supposed to accomplish: "provide accurate and timely intelligence and
conduct intelligence programs and activities directed by the
president."

No one would quibble that the National Intelligence Strategy should
help defeat "terrorists at home and abroad by disarming their
operational capabilities." But doing so "by promoting the growth of
freedom and democracy" is based on the false notion that the United
States can be made more secure by spreading freedom and democracy
around the world.

The assumption that democratic nations are peaceful countries is
rooted in the post-World War II reconstruction of West Germany and
Japan, because the two former members of the Axis were transformed
from America's mortal enemies into close allies and trading partners.
As President George W. Bush has put it: "Because democracies respect
their own people and their neighbors, the advance of freedom will lead
to peace."

Although there may be a certain amount of truth to this logic, it is
not necessarily true that all future democracies will be friendly to
the United States, especially democracies in Muslim countries. If free
and popular elections were held in Pakistan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and
Jordan, the resulting governments would likely be anti-American.

Even a supporter of Bush's democratic nation-building policy, Reuel
Marc Gerecht at the American Enterprise Institute, admits that
democracy in Arab and Muslim countries is not likely to be
pro-American. So the notion of spreading democracy — particularly in
the Middle East — is a case of "be careful what you wish for."

The other misguided assumption is that the United States is hated for
"who we are" and that democratic countries would not have a reason to
hate us and breed terrorism. But the reality is that hatred of America
is fueled more by "what we do," that is, our policies and actions,
particularly in the Muslim world.

Much of the anti-American resentment around the world, particularly in
the Islamic world, is the result of an interventionist U.S. foreign
policy. Such resentment becomes a steppingstone to violence, including
terrorism. So a democracy-building strategy — however well-intentioned
— is inherently interventionist, which will do more to breed terrorism
than extinguish it.

Finally, we should not forget that John Negroponte has a controversial
past. As the U.S. ambassador to Honduras in the 1980s, Negroponte
ostensibly promoted democracy by supporting a freely elected civilian
government and anti-Sandinista Contras fighting the Marxist government
in neighboring Nicaragua.

But he also was accused of ignoring human rights violations, including
so-called Honduran military death squads that kidnapped, tortured and
killed hundreds of people.

If the intelligence community engages in similar kinds of ventures
(the CIA was linked to the Honduran death squads) in the name of
promoting democracy and freedom in the Muslim world, the result will
be a growing pool of motivated recruits to join the ranks of Islamic
terrorists.

Charles V. Peña is an adviser to the Straus Military Reform Project of
the Center for Defense Information and author of the forthcoming book,
"Winning the Un-War: A New Strategy for the War on Terrorism."

Center for Defense Information
http://www.cdi.org/program/document.cfm?DocumentID=3214&StartRow=1&ListRows=10&a\
ppendURL=&Orderby=D.DateLastUpdated&ProgramID=37&from_page=index.cfm

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14. Paper - Raising the red scare in India's telecom sector
By Indrajit Basu

KOLKATA - Paranoia about Chinese telecom companies investing in India
has dealt a blow to the expansion plans of two Chinese telecom
equipment makers.

And with these developments, India has accommodated US intelligence
suspicions that some of the Chinese companies are indulging in
espionage activities globally.

India has always been wary of the "invasion" of Chinese telecom
companies, but the country's concerns went into overdrive recently
when, at the behest of the security agencies, India's Foreign
Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) and the Department

China Business Big Picture

of Telecom stalled on granting permission to Huawei Technologies of
China to set up a $60 million telecom equipment-manufacturing unit.
Its application has been pending since March.

This was the second time in four years that Indian security agencies
had moved to stymie Huawei's plan, which was first mooted in 2001.
Earlier, the FIPB shot down Huawei's intention of setting up a $40
million research and development center next to the proposed
manufacturing unit.

The Huawei facility, if approved, will focus on NGNs (next generation
networks), fixed wireless terminals, some parts for 3G (third
generation) equipment, as well as design processes for Huawei's
products. The facility would also meet the bidding criteria for Indian
telecom public sector units (state enterprises) , which by law have to
procure equipment from vendors with local manufacturing units.

And last week, the state-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL), which
is the country's largest telecom company, canceled a $31.16 million
contract involving Huawei.

Huawei and its two Indian partners, Himachal Futuristic Communications
Ltd and state-owned Semiconductor Complex Ltd, failed, according to
BSNL, to supply equipment for more than 105,000 code division multiple
access (CDMA) lines. This is after the Chinese firm won a bid last
year for supplying equipment.

BSNL also hinted that it was considering banning Huawei from
participating in any tender it issues this year, and may even
permanently ban Huawei from bidding in all its future projects.

This assumes significance in view of the fact that Huawei's bid was
the most competitive (read lowest) that BSNL received for the CDMA
tender; reports suggest that Huawei undercut its rivals on price by a
huge margin to win the deal.

Huawei is not the only Chinese telecom company facing problems in
India. China's second-largest telecom equipment maker, Zhongxing
Telecom Co Ltd (ZTE), also says that it has been waiting for
government clearance for two years to start manufacturing in India,
but issues raised by Indian security agencies "are posing as
hindrances" to its India plans.

Security concerns

Huawei and ZTE are two glaring instances of the severe doubts India
has about allowing the entry of Chinese telecom companies into the
country. But, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the
objection regarding Huawei has reached serious proportions "since its
operations in India have come to the adverse notice of India's
security agencies, which have expressed reservations regarding the
company's links with the Chinese intelligence and military
establishments", according to an official of the ministry.

The MEA also says that Huawei has misused the country's visa
regulations, and suspects that it has indulged in
intelligence-gathering activities for China. India's leading
intelligence agencies, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and the
Intelligence Bureau, have been blunt. According to them, "Huawei has
been responsible for sweeping and debugging operations in the Chinese
Embassy," and as a result allowing a Chinese telecom company to
participate in Indian telecom projects stands the risk of "exposing
strategic telecom networks to the Chinese".

These agencies have also expressed their "reservations regarding the
company's links with the Chinese military and intelligence
establishment, their clandestine operations in Iraq and Taliban-ruled
Afghanistan, and their close ties with the Pakistan Army".

Huawei does not only face resistance in India. The going has been
tough for the $8 billion revenue telecom giant in the US as well,
where it is perceived to be the most global of all Chinese companies,
yet the least transparent.

According to a report in the Economist magazine, suspicion of Huawei
in the US primarily stems from the fact that its founder, Ren
Zhengfei, was a former People's Liberation Army officer. Moreover, "No
one knows who runs Huawei; its shares are probably owned by local
state telecoms customers," says the Economist, adding that its unclear
ownership thus makes it a "mere tool of an expansionist policy
propagated by Beijing's leadership".

The Economist added that the US Federal Bureau of Investigation also
suspected that visiting Chinese students and businessmen indulged in
"economic espionage". In fact, it was the US intelligence agency that,
in 2001, first tipped off the Indian government about Huawei's murky
ownership and suspected military ties.

Nevertheless, even as the authorities are working overtime to address
their security concerns, the moot question is how justified is India
in keeping Chinese telecom companies such as Huawei at bay?

According to R R N Prasad, a former member of the Telecom Regulatory
Authority of India, as a matter of policy, "India has never permitted
a foreign company to manage, operate and maintain the country's
telecom network, and hence Huawei-supplied equipment poses little
threat."

He added that, in fact, most of the country's mobile networks, which
are operated by private players, are entirely built on imported
equipment from global multinationals. "In all these imports, the issue
of security has never been raised as the installation and operations
have always been entrusted to Indian engineers," Prasad said.

"The imported equipment generally comes in knocked-down condition and
is assembled on site and is extensively tested by Indian engineers.
Only after elaborate acceptance testing is the equipment taken over by
a team of maintenance engineers, who operate the system by an
elaborate set of man-machine commands with sensitive commands being
protected by passwords. The issue of security becomes critical only if
the company supplying the equipment is also asked to install and
operate it."

Some analysts believe that India might be shooting itself in the foot
by being over-sensitive about Huawei. They point out that it is one of
the leading telecom equipment suppliers in the world - it supplies
products and solutions to more than 300 operators globally - and that
excluding the highly cost-competitive Chinese supplier would increase
prices for local companies.

For its part, Huawei is undaunted and is unwilling to give up on its
India plans just yet. Although the company has refrained from reacting
officially to the BSNL cancelation and all the allegations that have
been made against it, reports quoting Huawei sources said the firm
believes "the delay in approvals is normal in many foreign investment
approvals and the company is confident of eventually getting a
positive response from the Indian government".

Asia Times Online
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/GK16Df02.html

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15. For a Secular $: God 'to be erased from money'

AN atheist waging a legal battle to delete the words "under God" from
a patriotic oath recited in US public schools vowed Monday to sue to
have the phrase "In God We Trust" removed from US coins and bank
notes.

Both US currency and the Pledge of Allegiance should be fully secular
to reflect the US Constitution's division of church and state, and "to
have all Americans treated equally by their government," Michael
Newdow said.

Mr Newdow told AFP he plans to file his new lawsuit electronically in
federal court in Northern California by the end of the week.

"Can you imagine if, in some Catholic church, they passed the
collection plate and the coins said there is no God?" Mr Newdow asked
rhetorically.

"They wouldn't take that. I have a church, and I can't take currency
for fundraising."

Mr Newdow is a doctor, lawyer, and a priest in his own church.

His church is based on three "suggestions," Mr Newdow said. Those
suggestions are "question, be honest, and do what's right."

"We hold a definite view that being honest means you cannot reasonably
conclude there is a God," he said.

Mr Newdow's civil suit arguing it is unconstitutional to make school
children to recite the words "under God" as part of the Pledge of
Allegiance cleared a lower court hurdle this year and is working its
way through the legal system.

The US Supreme Court blocked an effort by Mr Newdow to keep religious
references out of the January inauguration ceremony for US President
George W. Bush.

"We are a nation of religious refugees," Mathew Staver of the
conservative Christian group Liberty Counsel said during the
inauguration controversy.

"Prayer has been an essential part of America and her history. Our
history is pervaded by religious expressions. We are a nation of
religious refugees, and it is therefore commonplace to see and hear
expressions of religion."


News Australia
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,17251428-1702,00.html

CHUTNEY OF THE DAY [It was the biggest such attack by Maoists in India
since a Maoist movement began in 1967 in West Bengal.Bihar's Jehanabad
town was still in shock Monday, only hours after hundreds of Maoist
guerrillas carried out an audacious attack on the police headquarters
and jail, freed 341 prisoners and escaped en masse, leaving the
administration embarrassed and in a limbo.Hundreds of Maoists,
believed to number 600-700, swooped on what is known as "Court Area"
on the edge of the main Jehanabad town around 9.30 p.m. Sunday and
attacked five administrative landmarks almost simultaneously,
triggering panic and battles with outnumbered security forces. Four
policemen were killed - three in the prison and one in the police
lines. A leader of the Ranvir Sena was killed in the jail. The body of
a Maoist was found in the prison complex Monday morning. The attack
lasted a little over three hours, during which the Maoists called upon
residents of the town over loudhailers to stay indoors. As power lines
were tripped, Jehanabad plunged into darkness, further complicating
the situation for the stunned security forces. Some policemen
apparently ran away.}

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|||
01. News- Post SAARC ChurChuriz: No overland access to Afghanistan for
India: Aziz
02. News- Post SAARC ChurChuriz:  Two Bangladeshi judges killed in bomb attack
03. News- Post SAARC ChurChuriz: India fences off Bangladesh to keep
out Muslim terror
04. News - Post SAARC ChurChuriz:  Audacious Maoist prison raid stuns Bihar
05. News - Post SAARC ChurChuriz: VHP has right to stake claim in
choosing India's PM
06. Liberal Denmark Illustrates Muslim Plight
07. Global Jihad: Islamic preachers drive the poisoning of young minds
08. RAW-1: India's Attack on Bangladeshi Culture, Ideology and Existence
09. RAW-2: Taslima Nasreen
10. `Bond'ing with best practices
11. Global Jihad - Al-Farouq's escape 'staged': Ex-BIN chief
12. Islamophobia:  Australian Islamic leader rejects call to 'spy' on Muslims
13. Urgent: Save habeas corpus for improper captives
14. Analysis: China needs watching
15. Technology and Terrorism: Digital warzone
16. HUMOUR: Health Queation and Answer Session
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||

1. News- Post SAARC ChurChuriz:  No overland access to Afghanistan for
India: Aziz

ON BOARD PM'S PLANE: Despite Afghanistan's entry into SAARC, Pakistan
will continue with its policy of denying India overland access to
Afghanistan because that policy is linked to the broad matrix of
India-Pakistan relations, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz told the media
on his return flight from Dhaka. "India can send goods via Karachi;
that facility already exists. But the overland route needs progress on
certain core issue," he said. Afghanistan can, however, use the
overland route to send goods to India, which it is already doing. At
his bilateral meeting with Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, Mr
Aziz proposed some concrete steps that could indicate progress on the
issue of Kashmir. These included demilitarisation in the region, a
soft Line of Control and self-government for the Kashmiris in Jammu
and Kashmir. As Mr Aziz repeatedly stated to the media during the
conference, these steps would show progress on Kashmir. When Daily
Times asked him if the linkage of issues with Kashmir meant that
Pakistan was going back to its original position of an integrated
dialogue rather than the composite framework that had been the basis
of the process since the January 6, 2004, Islamabad Declaration, Mr
Aziz said the linkage was only to the extent of full trade ties with
India, the issue of transit facility and investment. "Pakistan remains
committed to the composite process on all other issues that make up
the various baskets under the Islamabad Declaration," he said. When
Daily Times approached some senior officials of the Foreign Office to
find out whether this crystallised position on Kashmir being pivotal
for movement on trade transit and investment indicated a hardening of
the Pakistani stance, they said this was in keeping with what Pakistan
had been expecting since the normalisation process began. On the
Indian side, Singh and earlier Indian Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran
made clear that India would not even think of demilitarising until it
faced the prospect of terrorism. Indian officials told Daily Times
that the issue of self-government was already taken care of and there
had been elections in Kashmir.

LINK
http://dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2005\11\14\story_14-11-2005_pg1_2

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2. News- Post SAARC ChurChuriz:  Two Bangladeshi judges killed in bomb attack

Two judges were killed when activists of a banned Islamic group hurled
a bomb on their car today in Bangladesh's Jhalokathi town, 120
kilometres from here.

The attack was carried out by Jamatul Muhahideen Bangladesh (JMB)
which had triggered a series of blasts in August and October targeting
courts and government offices, State Minister for Home Lutfozzaman
Babar said.

While Senior Sub-Judge Shaeed Sohail died on the spot Sub-Judge
Jagannath Pandey succumbed to his injuries on way to the hospital, he
said, adding two persons, including an assailant, were also injured in
the explosion.

Two persons who carried out the attack have been arrested, Babar said
adding police recovered a bomb from the injured extremist while a
Jamtul Muhahideen leaflet was found from the other, who was arrested
soon after the blast.

The judges were travelling by a car to the court when the bomb was
hurled at their vehicle, police said.

A red alert has been sounded in the district and lawyers across the
country did not resume work today after the attack.

The banned militant Jamatul Mujaheedin Bangladesh had carried out
attacks on courts on August 17 and October 3, calling for the
establishment of Islamic rule in the country.
LINK
http://www.outlookindia.com/pti_news.asp?id=334925

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3. News - Post SAARC ChurChuriz: India fences off Bangladesh to keep
out Muslim terror
Dean Nelson, Dhaka

INDIA is accelerating the construction of a 2,500-mile fence to seal
its border with Bangladesh amid growing fears that its Muslim
neighbour could become "a new Afghanistan".

Indian officials and western diplomats have been alarmed by an
increase in terrorist attacks by militant groups linked to Al-Qaeda
and by the Dhaka government's failure to crack down on them.

One group said to have links with the government claimed
responsibility for 500 synchronised explosions in 63 of Bangladesh's
64 districts in August.

India's cabinet has decided to speed up work on the 8ft security
fence, which is intended to keep out terrorists and arms smugglers.
The fence, which cuts a swathe through some of India's densest
rainforests, will be finished by the end of next year and patrolled by
a border security force. Key stretches are being electrified.

The initiative follows attacks by two groups related to Al-Qaeda —
Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh and Harakat-ul- Jihad-ul-Islami
(Bangladesh), which was among 15 organisations that were banned in
Britain last month.

Grenade and bomb explosions across Bangladesh have killed 30 and
injured hundreds in the past year. Two Awami League opposition leaders
were among those killed and the British high commissioner was targeted
in a grenade attack.

It was the August 17 blasts that caused the most alarm. Although only
two people died, they showed a new level of sophistication. There were
28 bombs in Dhaka alone and the targets included the prime minister's
office, the police headquarters and the supreme court.

Leaflets found at the bomb sites declared: "It is time to implement
Islamic law in Bangladesh" and "Bush and Blair be warned and get out
of Muslim countries".

Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh is led by "Bangla Bhai", a former
vigilante who once fought alongside the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Opposition leaders and diplomats believe the government has failed to
act against Bangla Bhai and other terrorists because they have
connections with the governing coalition.

There are two Islamic fundamentalist parties in the coalition, which
is led by Begum Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist party: the Jamaat Islami
(JI), which has 10% of the vote, and the Islami Oikya Jote (IOJ).

The JI is increasingly respected by ordinary voters for its social
welfare work, lack of corruption and the operations of its bank, the
most profitable in Bangladesh. "You don't have to pay a bribe to get a
loan from them," said a western observer.

Senior members of the IOJ have declared themselves to be "for the
Taliban and for Osama (Bin Laden)". "There's a reluctance to
acknowledge there's a problem here," said one diplomat, who described
the IOJ as "real wackos". He added: "These are the ones going after an
anti-American armageddon. Some of the people charged with the bombings
have had linkages with the main party."

Sabir Hossain Chowdhury, an opposition leader who was detained for
three months after complaining about Islamic militants linked to the
government, said Bangladesh was being subjected to a campaign of
intimidation and the government was guilty of complicity. "Bangladesh
is probably the only government in the world that includes a group
which is committed to jihad and sharia," he said.

The country was undergoing creeping "Islamicisation", he added. "If
you look at state TV, more presenters are wearing beards. On the radio
they're reciting more and more from the Koran. The most notable
example is at Dhaka airport where signs are now in Arabic but no one
speaks it."

All the partners in the government coalition deny condoning political
oppression or terrorism or failing to act. They point out that they
have banned two of the main terrorist groups and made high-profile
arrests.

Western diplomats are caught between fear and denial. "Our impression
is that the government here has the ability to crush these guys if
they want to," said one. "All the ingredients for trouble are here."

LINK
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0%2C%2C2089-1869575%2C00.html

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4. News - Post SAARC ChurChuriz:  Audacious Maoist prison raid stuns Bihar

By Imran Khan, Jehanabad: Bihar's Jehanabad town was still in shock
Monday, only hours after hundreds of Maoist guerrillas carried out an
audacious attack on the police headquarters and jail, freed 341
prisoners and escaped en masse, leaving the administration embarrassed
and in a limbo.

A large number of men from the police, Bihar Military Police (BMP) and
the Central Reserve Police Force (CPRF), many with dazed looks, were
on the streets, confronted by hundreds of relatives of the some 40
prisoners of the feudal militia Ranvir Sena who were taken away by the
retreating Maoists.

An inspector general of police was the senior-most officer on the
spot, desperately trying to calm down the angry relatives and
promising that the state administration would go after the guerrillas.

But most officials were still not clear how the attack took place -
and where and how the rebels escaped. Everyone admitted that the
guerrillas had shown their audacity on a scale never seen before even
in Jehanabad, which lies in a Maoist belt at the heart of Bihar.

The attack was blamed on the outlawed Communist Party of India-Maoist
(CPI-Maoist), formed last year with the merger of the Maoist Communist
Centre and the People's War Group (PWG).

"The police were no doubt on high alert on account of the elections,
but we never expected such a major attack," a senior police officer
frankly admitted to IANS. "Till now Maoists had attacked a police
station here and a block officer there, but never a major urban center
as big as Jehanabad."

Hundreds of Maoists, believed to number 600-700, swooped on what is
known as "Court Area" on the edge of the main Jehanabad town around
9.30 p.m. Sunday and attacked five administrative landmarks almost
simultaneously, triggering panic and battles with outnumbered security
forces.

Four policemen were killed - three in the prison and one in the police
lines. A leader of the Ranvir Sena was killed in the jail. The body of
a Maoist was found in the prison complex Monday morning.

The attack lasted a little over three hours, during which the Maoists
called upon residents of the town over loudhailers to stay indoors. As
power lines were tripped, Jehanabad plunged into darkness, further
complicating the situation for the stunned security forces. Some
policemen apparently ran away.

"Initially it was a war like situation," recalled Satendra Singh, a
government employee who lives near the jail. "We heard dynamites being
exploded. Even some shops owned by Ranvir Sena supporters were
destroyed. We were gripped by fear."

But although the Maoist enjoyed the element of surprise, it was clear
they had retreated in some confusion. On Monday the authorities found
a wounded guerrilla near the prison - he was promptly arrested and
hospitalised.

Before getting away, the Maoists dragged away from the jail around 40
activists of Ravir Sena after tying them with ropes. The Ranvir Sena
represents the interests of upper caste landowners and has been
battling the Maoists for years.

A senior jailed Maoist leader, Ajay Kanu, who was arrested two years
ago, also escaped.

Some residents said the administration simply collapsed during the
attack, leaving people to fend for themselves.

Said another resident, Krishna Sharma: "We have never witnessed a
night like this. We simply stayed inside our homes. No one dared to
step outside, knowing it was highly dangerous."

It was the biggest such attack by Maoists in India since a Maoist
movement began in 1967 in West Bengal.

Bihar Chief Secretary G.S. Kang said in Patna that the Maoists had
freed 341 prisoners, mostly Maoist rebels, lodged in the Jehanabad
jail.

The Maoists first blew up the Jehanabad police lines. The second
explosion took place at the prison. The third blast went off on a
bridge that connects the police lines to the city.

Fearing that the Maoists would have placed land mines, security
personnel made no effort to go after them as they fled. Reinforcements
of security personnel reached the town from Patna, only 50 km away, a
full three to four hours after everything was over.

Some months ago, more than 300 Maoist guerrillas, including dozens of
women in olive green military uniform, attacked the Madhuban bazaar in
East Champaran district, killed policemen, looted banks and the block
office. That attack was also blamed on the Communist Party of
India-Maoist.

LINK
http://www.newkerala.com/news.php?action=fullnews&id=52210

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5. News - Post SAARC ChurChuriz: VHP has right to stake claim in
choosing India's PM

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Sunday said it had right to stake
claim in choosing the prime minister of the country as well as for
making policy decisions.

"The VHP does have a right to stake claim in choosing the prime
minister of the country, making policy decisions and even choose the
chief minister of Gujarat," said VHP International General Secretary
Pravin Togadia at a function in the city on Sunday night.

"Some days ago some journalists asked me who would be the next BJP
president. I said why only the next BJP president the VHP has a role
and stake in choosing the next Congress party president, the prime
minister of India and the chief minister of Gujarat," Togadia said at
a Gujarati community new year function.

The firebrand VHP leader also indirectly hit-out at the BJP for not
building the Ram temple at Ayodhya inspite of being in power for five
years.

"Those who had come in power by taking Ram's name and promising to
make it like Somnath Temple did not do so the VHP does not need any
help from any political party", Togadia said.

"Political parties have been talking of building the Ram temple
through dialogue …. If we wanted to build it through dialogue then we
would have talked to the leaders of Muslim community ourselves and
built it ourselves", the VHP leader said.

He also blamed Muslims for the rioting incidents in France and said
that only eight per cent of the population in France has managed to
cause so much damage and urged the people to prevent the same fate
happening to this country.

LINK
http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_1545654,0006.htm

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6. Liberal Denmark Illustrates Muslim Plight
By Jeffrey Fleishman Los Angeles Times

COPENHAGEN, Denmark -- Right-wing politicians consider Omar Marzouk a
menace. Muslims accuse him of blasphemy for pasting Osama bin Laden's
image onto women's underwear. The "only ethnic comedian" in Denmark,
as he likes to say, Marzouk provokes all sides but senses that
audiences are increasingly touchy these days.

"Society is more radical," he says, sitting in a cafe in an autumn
dusk. "You have the al-Qaida movement preaching that Muslims can't
exist in Western culture. And in this country you have the Danish
People's Party telling Muslims, 'You're different and we can only
accept you if you're a Dane.' These voices are actually pulling the
same way: toward radicalism."

Hate screeds are rattling against this Scandinavian nation's aura of
serenity. An Islamic publisher with suspected ties to al-Qaida was
recently jailed for allegedly inciting jihad and distributing
videotapes of beheadings. A right-wing radio host reacted by saying
that Muslims should be expelled from Western Europe, "or you
exterminate the fanatical Muslims, which would mean killing a
substantial population of Muslim immigrants."

Such incendiary cases, although exceptional in Denmark, raise fears
that if Muslim integration can't succeed in the most liberal of
nations, it might not be able to flourish in more conservative ones.

With cars blazing across France and Islamic radicals going underground
in Britain, Europe is reeling from angry Muslim communities that for
decades have existed as parallel universes. Terrorist bombings and
riots have frightened the continent and raised questions about its
hallowed ideal of cultural tolerance. Muslims complain that tensions
over terrorism have turned them into convenient symbols for the
anti-immigration policies of conservative politicians.

From the Danish Parliament to the immigrant neighborhoods in Norrebro,
this city of nut bread and sea winds echoes with suspicion. Liberal
freedom-of-speech laws are being challenged by Hizb ut-Tahrir, an
extremist Islamic organization recruiting Muslims to battle coalition
forces in Iraq that include 530 Danish troops. In a society that
prides itself on racial parity, voters have elevated the xenophobic
Danish People's Party from the fringes to the country's third most
powerful political bloc.

"I believe integrating a large number of Muslims can't be done. It's
an illusion," said Martin Henriksen, a 25-year-old legislator for the
People's Party. "They don't have the desire to blend in with other
people. We've been a Christian country for 1,000 years and we are the
oldest monarchy in the world. I want to get married and have a lot of
kids who can walk around in a society not influenced by Muslims."

This attitude mirrors growing cultural strains, anxiety over possible
terrorist attacks and the Danish People's Party's frequent criticisms
of the 200,000 Muslims among the nation's 5.4 million people. The tilt
to the right is starkly seen in the number of asylum applications the
government has approved: 53 percent in 2001 and 10 percent last year.

Across town in a neighborhood of fast-food shawarma stands and veiled
women, Fadi Abdul Latif, the spokesman for Hizb ut-Tahrir in Denmark,
accused conservatives of changing the meaning of integration. Once it
meant attending Danish schools and speaking the national language, but
now, he charged, it forces Muslims into accepting European values on
everything from sexuality to religion.

"This is the Europe of the Middle Ages," said Abdul Latif, a
Palestinian born in a Lebanese refugee camp who moved here years ago.
"When others want to force their values on Muslims, we must reject
this. We neither want to assimilate nor isolate. We want to keep our
identity and carry our message of Islam to others. But Europe is using
the climate of war and terrorism to force assimilation."

Hizb ut-Tahrir seeks an Islamic caliphate and the expulsion of Western
influences from Muslim nations. Outlawed in Sweden and Germany, the
group faces a possible ban in Britain following the London bombings in
July. In 2002, Abdul Latif was charged with distributing hate
literature that revered suicide bombers as martyrs and quoted a verse
from the Quran: "And kill them from wherever you find them, and turn
them out from where they have turned you out." He received a 60-day
suspended sentence.

He also circulated a flier in 2004 urging Muslims to "go help your
brothers in Fallujah and exterminate your rulers if they block your
way." Abdul Latif said in an interview that Hizb ut-Tahrir was
rallying fighters in the Middle East, not Europe. The Danish
government, whose support of the Bush administration in Iraq has drawn
threats from al-Qaida networks, considered the flier dangerous
propaganda and has reopened an investigation into Tahrir.

Abdul Latif is not the only voice testing Denmark's free speech
boundaries. Said Mansour, a Moroccan-born Danish publisher, has been
under intelligence surveillance for years and was charged in September
with instigating terrorism after police raided his home and allegedly
confiscated "inflammatory jihadist" videos and speeches. On the flip
side of the political spectrum, radio host Kaj Wilhelmsen had his
broadcasting license revoked for three months for advocating violence
against Muslims.

Terrorism and immigration have propelled right and center-right
political parties not only in Denmark, but across the continent. A
breakdown of the four largest parties in the European Parliament shows
that rightist parties hold 355 seats, compared with 243 held by
liberal ones.

Thirty-five percent of Copenhagen residents listed integration as the
most important issue in the upcoming November elections, according to
a poll published by the Jyllands-Posten. In a similar survey last
year, only 13 percent considered integration a significant problem.

"Twenty-five percent of all children in Copenhagen and more than 10
percent of all children in Denmark are being born to non-Danish
mothers. What is happening is a gradual scooping out of the Danish
population," Mogens Camre, a member of the Danish People's Party and
the European Parliament, said last year. "Islam is threatening our
future. . . . That faith belongs to a dark past, and its political
aims are as destructive as Nazism was."

Ahmed abu Laban, an Islamic leader in Copenhagen, said Christian and
Muslim extremists are "manipulating the sense of insecurity. If we
remove the element, Denmark is an excellent country. We need of
reconciliation and contrition. There's no time to wait. ... I tell
many Muslims, 'Europe is sensitive today.' It won't tolerate any act
of terror. It is fed up."

Marzouk believes that the delicate space between humor and angst is
narrowing. The son of Egyptians, Marzouk was born in Denmark and has
lived with its contradictions, its racial stings and its often
profound sense of human rights. He sat on a recent day in a cafe of
white tablecloths, riffing one-liners and political insights, across
the river from neighborhoods of Somali flower vendors and Lebanese
butchers.

He enjoys pricking hypocrisy.

"The Danish government's idea of better integration is, 'Let's have
Turkish night and watch a belly dancer,' " he said. His tongue is just
as sharp toward Muslims. In the early 1990s, the blind Sheik Omar
Abdel Rahman, who would later be convicted in the 1993 World Trade
Center bombing, sought refuge in Denmark when he was a political
dissident from Egypt.

"He was attacking the West and I asked him: 'How can you kill the same
infidels who are now protecting you?"' Marzouk said.

Henriksen, a fresh-faced carpenter who was elected as a Danish
People's Party candidate in February, supports tougher
anti-immigration measures and attributes his party's popularity to
being a "place Danes can come with all their frustration and anger."

He says his political philosophy hardened in part over his experiences
in poor immigrant neighborhoods. He said he once dated a black African
Catholic and was spat at by young Muslim men who, he surmised,
believed the woman to be a Muslim who should not have been in a
relationship with a white Dane.

"I attended a mosque to listen to what Muslims had to say," he said.
"They talked about women wearing head scarves and that Muslims should
only be treated by Muslim doctors. I found it an affront to Danish
society. I also went to a Muslim wedding. It was grotesque. They were
talking about jihad and following holy war. It made me think about
what's out there."

LINK
http://www.cantonrep.com/index.php?Category=24&ID=252714&r=0

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7. Global Jihad: Islamic preachers drive the poisoning of young minds
By Miranda Devine
November 13, 2005

In the wake of last week's counter-terrorism raids, Treasurer Peter
Costello declared: "We will never be an Islamic state. We will never
observe sharia law . . . We will always be a democracy."

Islamic extremists should leave Australia if they oppose a "secular
state with a democratic system and independent courts - and equality
for women".

It seemed a reasonable, refreshingly unambiguous statement, echoing
the sentiments of most Australians, Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Yet
it was condemned as "unjustified, unacceptable and hatred-instigating"
by the Lebanese Muslim Association.

How so? It should not instigate hatred to assert that the Australian
democratic way of life is preferable to Australians than some form of
rule alien to our culture and values.

But the reaction of the Lebanese Muslim Association reflects a
worrying mindset, a sense of grievance and entitlement influenced by a
hard-core generation of fundamentalist Muslim preachers, some of whom
are associated with a number of the 18 men arrested last week.

Their aim is to enforce a fundamentalist line incompatible with
Australian life. Some, like Sheik Faiz Mohamad of the Global Islamic
Youth Centre in Liverpool, have preached that women who are raped are
at fault if they dress immodestly. "A victim of rape every minute
somewhere in the world. Why? No one to blame but herself," he told
more than 1000 people at the Bankstown Town Hall in April.

Others, like the firebrand American preacher Khalid Yasin, who visits
Australia regularly, warn about associating with non-Muslims -
"there's no such thing as a Muslim having a non-Muslim friend". Yasin
has declared homosexuality punishable by death and described suicide
bombing as understandable "in the context of perpetuated protracted
oppression" of Muslims.

The fundamentalists are marginalised by established Muslim leaders but
appear to have a following among young radicalised Australian-born
Muslims.

One western-Sydney group, Hizb ut-Tahrir (party of liberation), which
has been described as a "conveyor belt for terrorists" and is banned
in some countries, preaches a vision of a pan-Islamic state under
sharia law.

The group has twice been invited to speak at Sydney Boys High in the
past three years, according to ABC TV's 7.30 Report.

In August, Hizb ut-Tahrir organiser Soadad Doureihi gave a lecture at
Sydney University during Islamic Awareness Week.

It was entitled "Combating Terror" but the "terror" was not of the
al-Qaeda variety; it was the state-sponsored "terrorism" of Western
colonialists through the ages.

I have heard a tape of the lecture in which Doureihi claims Australian
Muslims are being forced to assimilate, as part of the "war against
Islam".

"We do not have to adopt beliefs, ideals and sentiments of a society.
We are not and cannot be forced to adopt a different belief or value
system . . . It is the battle of ideas, the battle of hearts and minds
of the people: this is what this war is all about."

He described Australia as a racist society whose people, "expect not
to pay a price for what they do".

He cheered the "Islamic revival you see among the youth . . . They are
educated [and] hold our Islam identity very dear. Yet we want to
propagate it to other people, other cultures [and] we are refused or
denied . . . through an opponent who doesn't want to engage in
discussion [but uses] the bully tactic of 'shut up, I'll put you in
jail, I'll raid your house, I'll intimidate you even further'."

He spoke of ancient grievances, of Iraq, Afghanistan, Chechnya and
Bosnia. Western nations "light a fire in Muslim lands and stand back
and hope no spark lands on their shores . . . Millions of people have
been slaughtered at the hands of Britain, Europe, America, yet 56 or
57, 58 people in London saw what this meant. [Then] we saw the world
stand up and say this is an attack on Western values but the reality
is . . . there is an injustice. You cannot hope to create so much
chaos and anarchy in lands [and think] no price will ever have to be
paid by society."

Noam Chomsky couldn't have put it better. This poisoning of young
minds, the sense of historic victimhood and alienation, is daily
fuelled by the self-loathing cultural relativists of the Western
intellectual establishment. The only obvious antidote is to embrace
the vast bulk of moderate Muslims, and to speak plainly to the rest,
as Costello has.

Sure to make you hot and bothered

It was November 30 last year, the temperature before noon in central
Sydney was 34.7 degrees and radio stations were issuing alerts not to
leave children or pets in vehicles. The then Community Services
Minister, Carmel Tebbutt, called a press conference warning that
children could be at "grave risk" if left for just five minutes in a
parked car, even with the windows open.

"On a typical summer's day, the temperature inside a parked car can be
as much as 30 to 40 degrees hotter than the outside," she said.
Children can suffer heat stress and dehydration leading to organ
failure, coma and death.

That day about 11am in Elizabeth Street in the city a father locked
his three-year-old son in his car, strapped into his baby seat, and
ran an errand.

On July 18 the father, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared
in Downing Centre Local Court charged with leaving a child in a motor
vehicle, thus impairing health. The case is instructive.

The court was told that just before 11am that November day a passing
woman noticed the child, red-faced and sweaty. Concerned, she asked
passer-by William Forrest to help.

Forrest flagged down a police car. He told the court it took "five,
six, seven minutes" before the boy was released.

Constable Paul Falzon testified he unlocked the car though a gap in a
window and the child appeared "very disoriented". "One to two minutes"
later the father arrived.

The magistrate was Pat O'Shane. The prosecutor told the court the
boy's "hair was matted and sweaty and wet, he was red in the cheeks
and when the police had a conversation with [him] his responses
appeared to be slow . . . In those circumstances, ma'am, I would
submit that there [was] a temporary impairment to the child's health."

O'Shane replied: "I have to say, sergeant, that is really drawing a
long bow . . . That particular day it was pretty hot but it is a
quantum leap to go from that . . . to saying that the circumstances
which prevailed in that vehicle at that time were such as to cause
impairment to the child's health."

She found there was no case to answer and dismissed the charges.

It's worth noting, as summer starts to bite, that about one child a
year dies in Australia after being left unattended in a car. It takes
just five minutes for temperatures inside a vehicle to rise by 75 per
cent, the NRMA says.

LINK
http://www.smh.com.au/news/opinion/islamic-preachers-drive-the-poisoning-of-youn\
g-minds/2005/11/12/1131578271016.html?oneclick=true

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8. RAW-1: India's Attack on Bangladeshi Culture, Ideology and Existence
Mohammad Zainal Abedin - 11/14/2005

The Ananda Bazar Patrika of Calcutta recently published a long feature
on the so-called crippled economy and political instability of
Bangladesh and shamelessly advised Bangladeshis in the following way:
Realizing the cruel truth Bangladeshis should rather raise the demand
to merge with India'. Getting similar message from her masters in RAW
Taslima Nasreen, a derailed writer, wrote in a poem:

'A thorn has been pricked
In my throat in 1947
I do not want to swallow it
Rather I desire to extort it
To reclaim the undivided soil of my ancestors'(1. Quoted in the Weekly
Muslim Jahan, January 3, 1995.)

Taslima Nasreen has been rewarded by conferring many awards by India
for her so-called literary works.Going back to history we find that
our forefathers never willingly accepted being part of undivided
India. The people of this region never whole heartedly accepted the
authority of Delhi-the capital of undivided India. They raised flag of
independence and even fought against the exploiters and administrators
of Delhi again and again. However, RAW seems to have learnt nothing
from history and continues to strive for realization of its dream of
an undivided India. Propounding the same thoughts in a seminar about
regional cooperation of South Asia held at Dhaka on February 28, 1992,
Mr. Mayaram Surgeon, a leader of Indian National Congress and the
editor of the 'Daily Ajkal' said:"If Europe can be united, why can't
we return to
pre-partition India of 1947 ?"

The irony is that nobody in the seminar objected to Mr. Myaram's
malicious suggestion. Rather some of the RAW agents hailed him for his
wisdom. In another seminar organised by the' Center for Developing the
Spirit of Bengali Nationalism' to welcome the 15th century of the
Bengali Calendar Mr. Hasan Imam, a self- styled champion of the spirit
of liberation war supported the call of Mr. Mayaram. He said:'The vast
sub-continent was fragmented to pieces, though we wanted to remain
united. It cannot be believed that we cannot be united once again in
future'( The Daily Inqilab : April 30, 1994)

Mr. Hasan Imam is a member of Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee (The
committee for elimination of collaborators of 1971). The, above
statement, evidently proves for whom Hasan Imam and his colleagues
work.Why don't these so-called ardent advocates of Bengali spirit
encourage the people of West Bengal to secede from India and reunite
with Bangladesh? Why do they advise Bangladeshis to merge with India?
We in Bangladesh fought and laid down lives for upholding Bengali
language and to nurse and highlight distinct Bengali identity. Our
merging with India will amount to undoing these achievements. On the
contrary they do not advise that West Bengal should break away from
India and merge with us, given their love for Bengali spirit and
culture. Mr. Mayaram and host of others like him see only the
reunification of Germany but they are blind enough not to see what has
happened to the defunct Soviet Union, Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia.

RAW certainly is aware of the fact that religion and religion-based
culture are the prime obstacles in the way of reunification of
so-called undivided India. A true Muslim can never relinquish his
religion, culture and life-style. Every step of a Muslim is governed
and guided by his religion because Islam is a complete code of life.
For this reason Bengali speaking Muslims and Hindus though live in the
same territory and eat rice-fish-dal, they can never become a.
homogenous community. There fore, despite living in the same country
they have separate and distinct identities. RAW's objective is to
undermine Islam in the lives of Bangladeshi Muslims so that their
blending with Hindus is facilitated. For the purpose RAW is trying to
erode the Muslim culture and replace it by Hindu culture under the
pretext of Bengali culture.

It may be noted that Muslims have preserved and protected their
separate cultural identity despite living alongside their Hindu
neighbours for centuries. Although language of both. Muslims and
Hindus is the same yet a clear-cut distinction is visible in their way
of using idioms. In many cases Hindus use words of Sanskrit origin,
While Muslims use words of Arabic and Persian origin. For 'water'
Hindus and Muslims use two separate words: 'Jol and 'pani'
respectively. To refer to blessing, Hindus say 'Ashirbad ' while
Muslims say 'Doa'.For the word 'Pardon', Hindus use 'Khama' (kshma)
but the Muslims use the word 'Maaf. Thousands of examples of this kind
of differences can be cited. Hindus sound 'UIu' (sound uttered by
Hindu Women on festive or religious occasions) at birth, marriage,and
'Puja'(religion worship of the Hindus).

This custom is not in vogue among Muslims. Married Hindu women use
vermilion in their hairparting. Muslim women do not use it. Hjndus are
cremated after their ,death while Muslims are buried. The customs of
the two religious communities are totally different and sometimes
poles apart. Neither of them relinquished their own customs nor
accepted and developed a common one to show their devotion to Bengalee
culture or Bengalee spirit. Each of them is glued to its own faith and
culture. When any Hindu child is born, Hindus utter b. sound 'Ulu',
but when a child is born in a Muslim family, 'Azan' (Muezzin's call to
the Muslims for prayer) is articulated in the new born's ears. Muslim
boys are circumcised in their early boyhood, whereas Hindu boys are
not. Hindus consider and venerate the water of the Ganges as the most
sacred (even though it is highly polluted and impure) but Muslims do
not think so. Hindus believe in 33 crores of deities and worship
idols. Muslims believe in only one Allah. So Muslims and Hindus,
though live in the same region, speak the same language and eat almost
the same food; they have different customs and developed different
cultures. Neither of the two faiths could get over the religious
boundaries to create common life style and culture. Each of them
belong to a distinct faith and culture and has different historical
background.

RAW backed intellectuals take infinite pains to prove to the new
generation that the liberation war of 1971 disproved the validity of
the Two Nation Theory and generated the spirit of secularism. However,
this is totally wrong. The war of liberation was directed agai.nst the
then West Pakistani domination and exploitation and not against
Islam and our Muslim identity. None of the leaders of the liberation
war ever relinquished Islam, Muslim identity and Muslim culture.

One of the main characteristics of Islam is that it wants the new
converts to set aside all the tenets, rituals,customs and life-style
of their previous religion and to
accept and practise what iS,enjoined and approved, by Islam. Our
forefathers when they converted from Hinduism to Islam, not only
relinqufshed Hindu :religion but also Hindu rites, customs, culture,
norms and way of living. They committed themselves ,totally to Islam.
Afterbecoming Muslims they did not continue following their previous
(Hindu) practices, such as, uttering 'Ulu', lighting 'Mongol pradep'
(an auspicious lamp used by the Hindus,specially, at a religious
ceremony), positioning 'Mongal Ghot' (a consecrated pitcher placetd in
a house to win divine favour). They gave up blowing the conch,
sounding the bell-metal disc, cremation of a widow" on her dead
husband's funeral pyre, use of vermilion in hair-parting etc.; and
began to practise what is granted by Islam. For these reasons,
Bengali, speal,ring Hindus and Muslims did not and could not develop a
conimon cultural heritage.

In recent years RAW hirelings have been assiduously trying to
introduce Hindu practices, labelling them as integrai part of Bengalee
culture. They kindle Mongal pradepi sound bell-pletal" disc and utter.
'Ulu' in various furictions. Their aim is to promote Hindu culture; in
the name of Bengalee culture.' 'But history testifies that the custom
of kindling Mongal pradep or sounding bell-metal,or blowing conch
shell was not very common, even among the Hindus in any part of
Bengal, leave alone the Muslims. Thus these are pot part of Beng-alee
tradition or culture at all.

No reference to these practices (kindling Mongal pradip, ringing
be~l-metal Or blowing conch shell) is found in,the ancient Bengali
religious lYrics 'CHARJAPAD' which
were composed during the reign of the Paul Dynasty that ruled Bengal
from the 8th to the 12th century. After the fall of the Paul Dynasty
in the 12th century the Sens from Karnataka became the rulers or
Bengal. The Sens were Hindus and they introduced-Karnataki Hindu
practices in the temples of Bengal. The customs of kindling auspicious
lflmp at time of worshipping the deities, blowing conch"shell and
beating bell-metal were introduced by Sens. So, the culture the
urban-based RAW hirelings try to introduce in Bangladesh in the name
of Bengalee culture is not even the culture of the original Hindus of
this region. However, the RAW-inspired intellectuals have been
pleading for introduction of the said rituals in our important
national functions. In this context the comments of the renowned
national professor Syed Ali Ahsan are worth mentioning. He writes:

"A group of parasitic and invertebrate people who are totally devoid
of historical facts, kindle Mongal pradeep and blow bell-metal in the
cultural functions. In pursuance of historical evidence I want to say
that auspicious lamp and bell-metal are totaIly,idolatrous and
communal. Moreover they are by no means related to,the life-style of
the people of this region"(The Weekly Bikram : April 19-25 : 1993).

"According to the dictionary published by Bangla Academy one of the
meanings of the word 'Mongol' is poem or lyrics or song praising
deities: viz Manasa Mongol (epic in honour of the Hindu snake goddess
Manasa), Chandi Mongal (eulogistic literature about Hindu goddess
Chandi). Mongal Gnatmeans earthen or any other kind of pot placed with
festivities to win the favour of Hindu deities.So Mangol Ghat and
Mongal pradep are part and parcel of Hin'du customs and culture"(The
Weekly Jhanda: April 30, 1992).

These practices never entered into the religious, social or family
life of the Bengali speaking Muslims. Yet since 1990 a familiar group
of so-called intellectuals has shamelessly started to indulge in these
idolatrous practices on our new year's day in the name of Bengalee
culture. To display so called Bengali culture this group and their
followers dance in the, streets wearing masks of deities,(ghosts,
apparition, jackal, monkey and hanuman (the name of the monkey chief
who was an ally of the Hindu
deity Ramchandra in his expedition to Lanka).

Even the Hindus, let alone the Muslims of our country,were never seen
before in our streets with such beast-like appearances. If we look
into the bistory of British India when Hindus were dominant ip this
region we do not get any evidence of celebrating Bengali New year's
Day in such a way. Let us again see what professor: Ali Ashan says
about this exotic culture:

"The truth which history reveals is that these beastly masks and
decorations are related to the festivals of Gajan held in connection
with the worship of the Hindu deity 'Shiva' (Sri Krishna /Narayan,
Vishnu, Shiva, all are Hindu deities) of the untouchable Hindus. In
the 'Gajan fair' untouchable Hindus like 'Dom' (a Hindu caste who are
assigned duty of burning the dead and looking after the crematorium),
sweeper, chandal (one of the lowest caste of the Hindus usually
entrusted with the execution of criminals) etc. used to dress up as
clowns in multiforms to celebrate". I expect my learned readers to
realize how tactfully RAW has been instilling the culture of lower
caste Hindus among the Muslims of Bangladesh in the name of Bengalee
cuUure. It should be noted here that Bengali-speaking Hindus never
recognised Muslims as Bengalees. They considered 'Bengali-speaking
Muslims lower even than the untouchables like cobblers,sweepers,
fishermen barbers, washermen etc.

There is not even a single instance in the history of the Bengali
speaking Muslims to prove that such practices were in vogue during the
united Bengal days or even
thereafter. However, now the so-called progressive elements at the
behest of RAW, have become votaries of alien culture. RAW wants to
make inroads in the bastion of
the Bengali speaking Muslim's faith, with the ultimate object of
making the Muslims of Bangladesh to repudiate Islam and its values and
disdain their cultural heritage. Perhaps a day may come when RAW's
stooges will emerge in our streets dressed as Kali, Lakshmi,
Sarswati,Radha-Krishna, Aurjun or Shiva (all are hindu deities) or
parade the ,streets in procession as devotees of these Hindu deities.
They may start wearing thread (worn by the upper class Hindus) round
their necks or decorate their foreheads' or the bridges of noses with
sandal wood paste (as painted by vaishnavas worshippers of Vishnu, a
Hindu deity or followers of Sri Chaitanya reformer of modern Hinduism)
or'carry a trident in their hands (used by Hindu deity Shiva and
now-a-days by Hindu ascetics). Some of them have already started
making an exhibition of their Bengaleeism by wearing 'Dhoti' (a lion
cloth worn by Hindus).

The people of this region had not seen such efforts for revival of
Hindu culture in the name of Bengalee culture before 1990. Sheikh
Mujib, the founder of Bangladesh and
a Bengalee par excellence, celebrated 4 Martyr Days, 4 Independence
Days, 4 New years's Days and 3 Victory' Days after the emergence of
Bangladesh.But they never made any attempt to introduce auspicious
lamp,bell-metal, conch shell or 'Ulu' in these celebrations in the
name of Bengalee culture. Masked demon of Ram's devotee Hanuman was
not seen in the streets on Bengali New year's day. Not a
singl(U!entence is found in Sheikh Mujib's,thousands of speeches and
statements which,could indicate that he encouraged the introduction of
Hindu culture in the name of Bengali culture.

But since 1990 RAW hirelings have started a campaign to promote Hindu
culture. After all what is their motive? Scrutiny of background of
ardent supporters of Hindu culture reveals that these people are the
new converts and hence are acting more holier than the Pope. Here are
some details about a few of them. '

Sufia Kamal was an exponent of Islamic values;brotherhood and the
territorial integrity of Pakistan till the sixties. She also composed
a number of poems in praise of
the Quaid-e-Azam and Pakistan. In the later part of the sixties when
disintegration of Pakistan seemed inevitable she allied herself with
the pro-Moscow elements. During the n~ne months' of liberation war she
stayed in Dhaka quite comfortably. Belfltedly she, emerged as a
champion and symbol of independence and the apostle of the spirit of
liberation war. She once headed the infamous' Ghatak Dalal Nirmul
Committee.
Mr.' Sirajul Islam Chowdhury, another ostentatious exponent of the
spirit of liberation war has become a supporter of Pakistan's
ideology. During Ayub regime he wrote a book for school students named
'Pakistan: The country and her culture' in which he advocated
Pakistani nationalism and cultural unity of the then Pakistan.Mr.
Shamsur Rehman is yet another ardent preacher of the so-called
Bengalee culture. However, till December 16, 1971 Mr, Shamsur Rehman
had employed his efforts and talent to safeguard the unity and
solidarity of the then Pakistan. His writings in erstwhile 'The Dainik
Pakistan' are clear proof of his allegiance to the then Pakistan.

These people are turn-coats and opportunists. They now claim
themselves to be the custodians of the spirit of liberation war to
draw personal benefits. They shamelessly try to introduce alien
culture i:l1 Bangladesh the culture which Sheikh Mujib, the architect
of liberation struggle himself never prescribed. They think that the
more they glorify Hindu culture, the more will they be regarded as
pure Bengalees and thus will be able to conceal their past record and
gain material benefits. However, the truth of the matter is that these
people were neither sincere and loyal to Pakistan in the past, nor are
they sincere and loyal to Bengalee spirit at present. They are mere
mercenaries doing RAW's bidding' for their personal gains.

RAW has realized that the sovereign existence ofBangladesh can't be
annulled so long Islam exists, as a living force among the bulk of her
people and her cultural
boundary remains intact. Therefore, RAW has mounted a multi-pronged
attack to distort cultural heritage of Bangladesh. It has engaged so
called-Muslim pseudo intellectuals to spearhead attacks on Muslim
values and traditions and to introduce Hindu culture in the name of
Bengalee culture.RAW has recently adopted a novel way to contact and
recruit important, religious and political leaders of Bangladesh. They
send some of their Indian, Muslim stooges to Bangladesh to approach
high religious and political personalities of Bangladesh. Moulana Asad
Madni of Deoband, Alhaj Kashani Baba of Dargah Nizam Uddin Aulia and
ulema from Ajmer Sharif have been visiting Bangladesh for the purpose.
They invite top Bangladeshi leaders to their hotel or place of
residence and try to pass RAW'scovert message to include:

a. Partitjon of India has not proved good for Muslims.Hence Muslims
should try for re-unification of India.

b. Indian Muslims and their religious places are well protected and
looked after by Indian Government (not withstanding the plight of
Babri Masjid). , '

c. It is propagated that Pakistan and Bangladesh do not have Islamic
laws i.e., Family Laws in Pakistan as well as Bang~adesh are
unislamic, while in India Muslim personal laws are being followed.
Example of Shah Bano case is often cited to propagate their point.

d. Bangladeshi leaders are urged to stop criticism of India.

e. Invitation is extended to Bangladeshi leaders.to visit India on
their expenses. The offers for joint business ventures are also made
to lure in the Bangladeshi leaders.

RAW's ultimate aim is to affect minds of people particularly of new
generation in such a manner so that they forget Muslim traditions,
values and culture and adopt Hindu culture similar to that of India.
Thereafter it will become easier for RAW to launch the next phase
of'Annex Bangladesh' operation.

LINK
http://globalpolitician.com/articledes.asp?ID=1382&cid=6&sid=20

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9. RAW-2: Taslima Nasreen
Mohammad Zainal Abedin - 11/14/2005

Taslima Nasreen, the blasphemous and controversial writer from
Bangladesh owes her sudden rise to fame and prominece to RAW. On
instigation from RAW she has been writing novels and poems against
Islam, morality and independence and sovereignty of Bangladesh. Since
many years RAW has been using her for spreading poisonous and
preposterous material against Muslim culture. RAW's " love for Taslima
N areen is indicated by conferring of an award by the Anandabazar
Group of Calcutta, India, for her book 'Nirbichito Column'.

Knowledgeable circles disclosed that although the book on its merit
did not deserve such recognition, the award was conferred on her due
to RAW's recommendations. Some critics pointed out that Taslima in her
said book had extensively copied from Sukumari Bhattacharjee's book
'Prachin Bharat: Samaj 0 Shahitya' (old Indian Society and
Literature). At places Taslima even used similar words which were
written by Sukumari Bhattacharjee. But instead of taking action
against Taslima Nasreen for piracy, the Anadabazer Group honoured her
by the award.

Many poets, writers and literary figures of West Bengal have
vehemently protested against awarding Taslima Nasreen for her
plagiarism. But the Anandabazer Group continues to patronize her.
Obviously it would not have been possible without official patronage.
The RAW's aim of doing the same was to establish Taslima Nasreen as a
prolific writer to a literary person of substance so that her writings
carry greater appeal.Taslima has been frequently writing against
existence of Bangladesh as an independent and sovereign country. She
openly preaches for merger of Bangladesh in India.

In many of her poems and other writings she unabashedly appeals for
doing away with artificial boundaries of 1947 and regain the glory of
undivided motherland.Her infamous novel 'Lajjya' was aimed at
castigating Is1am and Muslim values in Bangladesh: The novel narrates
the so saIled sufferings of an imaginary Hindu family in Bangladesh in
the wake of demolition of Babri Mosque. It is intriguing. that she
ignored plight of thousands of Muslims who were killed in riots in
India. Instead she mlide false allegations against Muslims of
Bangladesh, who have a good record of treatment of minorities. Infact,
RAW had a deeper conspiracy in view while proposing to her to write
the, said novel. Beside suggesting to her the novel's plot and
characters,' RAW also provided her distorted 'statistics' for building
up the story. The novel which was completed within two months was
printed imd distributed under RAW's arrangements.

Many quartrers refuse to acknowledge that it is a genuine solo work of
Taslima. They claim on the authority of inside sources that the final
manuscript of the novel was shaped by some ghost Indian writers under
supervision of RAW which was later published in the name of Taslima
Nasreen.

The RAW's objectives for publishing 'Lajjya' are as follows:

a. To create hatred against Bangladeshi Muslims by projecting them as
fanatics. Also to paint Bangladesh as a Muslim fundamentalist state.

b. To bring disrepute.to Islamic values and culture.

c. To raise the' demand for obliterating the map of Bangladesh and
merge it with India on the ground that minority community (Hindu) is
not safe in the country.

d. To hit economic interest of Bangladesh by presenting her as a
Muslim fundamentalists country where rights of minorities are not
safe. RAW hoped that after such adverse 'propaganda' donor countries
may cut or reduce econoJllic aid to Bangladesh.

e. To promote civil unrest by creatftlg polarisation in the society.
RAW knew that TasIima's uttering will be resented by Muslfm masses and
will lead to establishment of two camps, one in favour of Taslima and
the other against her.

The ones who support her will be termed as anti-religious by the other
group. The polarisation between the two groups will lead to severe
unrest and law and order situation in Bangladesh which may
de-stabilize the Qovernment and the democratic system.After storm of
protests all over the country the novel was banned in Bangladesh.
However, its sale and distribution continued in West Bengal and other
Indian states under patronage of RAW, BJP and other communal parties
of India have been using the novel as an ammunition in their
anti-Muslim campaign. Although RAW partially succeeded in achieving
its other objectives, the economic assistance to Bangladesh was not
affected due' to timely counter measures by Bangladesh Government.

Mr. Ashoke A. Biswas, a noted Indian analyst and research scholar
commenting on RAW's involvement with Taslima said, "The latest
examples of RAW's mischief has been the notorious discovery of Taslima
Nasreen. This immoral, third rate writer was initially lionized by
Calcutta media and then financed by RAW. Taslima's literary mentors in
Calcutta encouraged her to challenge the fundamental tenets of Islam,
knowing fully well that it would have an adverse reaction among devout
Muslims. Here the plan of RAW was to create internal turmoil in
Bangladesh as well as to arouse the western feminist and
anti-fundamentalist lobby against Islam".

Taslima Nasreen is also notorious for immoral utterings. She preaches
free sex and does not recognize the institution of marriage. She
displays contempt for social values and cultural traditions on the
ground that these hinder personal freedom. She argues in one of her
writings that why should a woman be expected to bear the child of her
husband alone. Why should she not conceive child of a man whom she
loves even while married to another man? t'9bviously such writings,
besides being provocative are against the tenets of Islam.

However, RAW undertakes to propagate and spread her works to spoil the
moral fiber of Bangladesh's Muslim society. Taslima Nasreeneven dared
to directly utter blasphemous words for The Quarn and its teachings.
She stated il) an interview with a Calcutta daily in 1994, "The Quran
should be re-written to suit the changed present day world"
(Nauzubillah). Obviously the devout Muslims of Bangladesh, could not
take this direct assault on Islam. Soon the entire country was up
against her. In many places of the country protest meetings and
demonstrations were held against her utterings demanding severe
punishment for her. Some secular and pro-Indian elements tried to
defend her initially but seeing public's fury, went quiet after a
while. Sensing danger Taslima went under ground. On public's demand
Government instituted a case against her under relevant law of the
land.

RAW's game to earn Taslima fame and prominence was successful. Many
organisations and governments of the western countries came forward to
defend Taslimsa's right to freedom. of speech and expression. Even The
US President Mr. Clinton spoke in favour of Taslima. The Government
under international pressure was obliged to allow her to leave the
country after staging bail from a court. She is now comfortably lodged
in Europe from where she keeps uttering blasphemous statements with
impunity.

The case of Taslima Nasreen provides good insight apout RAW's modus
operanda and overall objectives. A person of mediocre literary
potentials and dubious personal morals was helped to jockey to fame
and riches as reward for furthering their cause.

However, RAW made a fundamental, rather fatal mistake in their
assessment.They failed to correctly gauge the reaction of Bangladeshi
masses-the common Muslims. Indeed the blasphemy issue helped Muslim
forces in uniting on one platform to thwart Indian sponsored onslaught
against Islam and Muslim values. Such unity could not have been
possible in the ordinary course. Thus thanks to RAW and Taslima
Nasreen, today's Bangladeshi Muslims are better prepared, united and
determined than ever in the past, to fight conspiracies agaimn1Muslim
identity of Bangladesh.

LINK
http://www.globalpolitician.com/articleshow.asp?ID=1383&cid=6

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10. `Bond'ing with best practices
R.K. Raghavan

MI6, the UK's famed external intelligence agency, the counterpart of
our Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), recently decided to launch a Web
site. The move, and its implications, merit close study.

WHEN a government computer system is hacked, it often makes much more
news than the attack against a purely private network. The public
outrage that accompanies such an incident is natural, because
compromise of what a government seeks to protect in public interest
has huge implications for national security.

The task of protecting the systems owned by a military formation or an
intelligence agency is the sacred responsibility of cyber security
managers employed by these outfits. Exacting security standards are
required, and these should necessarily draw from global best
practices. Again, how well government IT managers do their job will
depend on the criteria set for their recruitment and their own levels
of motivation after coming into public service.

These are twin issues that receive just modest attention in
governments' personnel policy schemes, mainly because of the tyranny
of rules that govern public appointments. Conservative policy makers
in government will, therefore, not depend on individual employees but
would prefer a low-key approach that avoids risks involved in too much
of transparency in dealings with the public. They would opt for
keeping facts away from the public domain rather than share
information.

Considering this environment in which governments and bureaucrats
function in several countries, it may surprise many of us that MI6,
the UK's famed external intelligence agency, the counterpart of our
Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), recently decided to launch a Web
site (www.mi6.gov.uk) of its own.

Many of us in India would consider it sacrilege if ever our
Intelligence Bureau (IB), that takes care of domestic intelligence, or
the RAW acts to follow the UK example. What is most remarkable is that
MI6, which is officially known as the Secret Intelligence Service
(SIS), hopes that the Web site will facilitate better understanding of
the organisation to those who are aspiring to join it. There are
references to air-conditioned offices, recreational facilities and
good transport connections, as also a "family atmosphere", all of
which are meant to encourage men and women from a wide spectrum of
society to seek MI6 employment. The Web site makes a specific appeal
to IT experts to come into the organisation.

Although none can apply for a job online, there are some who believe
that the Web site will be an invitation to Al Qaeda supporters to
infiltrate the MI6. Nothing can be more preposterous. The point is any
recruitment to a sensitive organisation does not take place without a
field verification and running the name of a prospective employee
against available databases of suspects who should be kept out of
employment in a country's vital public agencies.

Interestingly, the UK's domestic intelligence department, the Security
Service (MI5), has been having a Web site for quite some time, and
more pertinently, most of its recruitment is from among the pool that
had applied through the Web site. It is, therefore, ironical that
MI6's latest move has generated somewhat of a controversy. Possibly
this is the outcome of the currently delicate internal security
situation arising out of the July 7 explosions in London.

What is germane to the debate whether security organisations should
have a Web site at all is how much of sensitive information will that
carry. By this count, the MI6 Web site should disappoint those trying
to pry into its top secret operations, whose compromise would be
disastrous to national interests and could also wreck relations with
friendly countries. For security reasons, the Web site is
non-interactive. A visitor can only browse and not download any
material. It carries information that is non-sensitive but is at the
same time useful to the community. It will seek to dispel the many
myths that have come to be associated with the agency's functioning
and will clarify its role vis-à-vis other government departments. It
will also explain how the organisation's accountability is sought to
be enforced. Intelligence agencies the worldover tend to go overboard
and are also susceptible to unethical executive pressures, two factors
that enhance the need to lay down an accountability mechanism.

The MI6 decision brings to focus the whole question of how much
computerisation do intelligence agencies need, and how far are they
willing to take the risks involved in bringing sensitive information
on to electronic records. With the growing expansion of the charter of
such agencies, especially in the context of 9/11 and subsequent
terrorist attacks that have revealed a bewildering nexus between
outfits across continents, the volume of information that intelligence
managers should hold has been mind-boggling. Also, it is not enough
that data are collected and stored, but they should also be easily
exchanged between agencies without the danger of interception by
terrorist groups. This is a gargantuan task that requires not only
extremely secure networks but also data handlers who are totally
trustworthy. Any dilution of the levels at which information is
processed could spell doom. This is why senior managers in
intelligence outfits need to be computer-savvy even at entry. I am not
very sure that all intelligence chiefs are conscious of this. Till a
few years ago, it did not matter whether intelligence sleuths were
computer-literate or not. The scene has changed dramatically, as would
the MI6 decision to go in for a Web site indicate. I would, therefore,
strongly commend to the IB, RAW and similar sensitive bodies to
emulate what major IT firms in the country enforce in terms of data
security at their major centres. If such best practices are borrowed,
there is very little for intelligence agencies to fear while going in
for total computerisation. If any intelligence organisation is
disinclined to opt for a totally electronic work procedure on the
grounds of possible leakage, it will be a gross failure to take
advantage of the benefits of modern technology. This is especially
because we have reached a stage where cyber forensics has made such
strides that an intruder is easier to identify now than in an earlier
era where paper ruled the roost. A paperless office should be the
dream of many in government who are entrusted with priceless data.

(The writer is a former CBI Director who is currently Advisor
(Security) to TCS Ltd.)

LINK
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/ew/2005/11/14/stories/2005111400190300.htm

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11. Global Jihad - Al-Farouq's escape 'staged': Ex-BIN chief
Ridwan Max Sijabat, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The escape of terrorist suspect Omar al-Farouq from the United States
detention may be a ploy to track down most-wanted terror master Osama
bin Laden, a former intelligence chief says.

A.M. Hendropriyono, former State Intelligence Agency (BIN) director,
told The Jakarta Post on Friday that he had strong grounds to suspect
a hidden agenda behind the escape of al-Farouq, a Kuwait-born
terrorist suspect who Indonesia handed over to the U.S. in September
2002, one month before the Bali blasts that killed 202 people.

"Following his escape, al-Farouq appeared in an interview with an
Arabian TV station brandishing an automatic rifle. It is impossible
that a terrorist group would trust and give him a gun after three
years in U.S. detention. It is possible that he was prepared by his
users to conduct a special mission.

"Second, it is quite strange that Washington remained silent about
al-Farouq's escape. It can be assumed that U.S. security authorities
were informed of his escape from the prison in July, but until now,
President George W. Bush has not explained it, at least not to the
American public," he said.

Hendropriyono, who was responsible for al-Farouq's transfer to U.S.
custody, said it was very likely that al-Farouq had been brainwashed
during his confinement at the Baghram maximum security detention
center in Afghanistan.

"Brainwashing does not take years, it can take just two days," he said.

Hendropriyono said it appeared that al-Farouq's brainwashing had been
effective as al-Farouq was cooperative and provided detailed
information when two Indonesian police officer questioned him in
Afghanistan following the hand-over. Al-Farouq had led the police to
Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Ba'asyir, who is serving his 30-month jail
term for conspiring the 2002 Bali blasts.

He also said it was possible that the U.S. was using al-Farouq to
trace terrorist networks in the Middle East, Afghanistan and Pakistan,
and locate bin Laden, who is still at large following the Sept. 11,
2001 attack on the U.S.

It is unlikely that al-Farouq would come back to Indonesia as the U.S.
had not coordinated with the Indonesian authorities regarding his
escape, Hendropriyono added.

The fact that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has warned of
possible strikes by al-Farouq indicates that Indonesia was never
informed of the apparent U.S. plan, said Hendropriyono.

"But if he returns to Indonesia anyway, BIN and the police know all
his contact persons and the accomplices he may look for in Bogor,
Poso, Palu, Makassar and Ambon, five towns where he operated between
1999 and 2002," he said.

Asked about the public outrage toward him for handing al-Farouq over
to the U.S. three years ago, Hendropriyono said the Indonesian
authorities had no legal basis to charge him for terrorism because the
country had not enacted an applicable law.

"BIN arrested him because he was one of the most-wanted persons in
connection with the Sept. 11 tragedy and then deported him for
immigration violations and identity card counterfeit. BIN was never
instructed by the U.S. or other countries to arrest him.

"We nabbed him because he was dangerous and if he had not been
arrested more people might have been killed in bomb attacks," he said.

Al-Farouq was arrested by intelligence agents in the Bogor Grand
Mosque after BIN received a video recording showing him leading a
bloody attack on a Christian village in Poso, Central Sulawesi.

Hendropriyono said al-Farouq had held five different passports and
various fake Indonesian identity cards under different names but did
not speak Indonesian.

The former intelligence chief expressed regret that one of al-Farouq's
operatives who was later arrested, Seyam Reda, had escaped and many
members of al-Qaeda-related groups were still operating in Poso, where
sectarian conflict left 1,000 dead between 2000 and 2001.

Al-Farouq, Reda and several other al-Qaeda operatives were brought
into the country by Parlindungan Siregar in 1999, Hendropriyono said.
Parlindungan has been declared a suspect in the Madrid bombing in
March last year.

LINK
http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailnational.asp?fileid=20051114.C01&irec=0

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12. Islamophobia:  Australian Islamic leader rejects call to 'spy' on Muslims

SYDNEY : A top Australian Islamic leader has rejected a call by Prime
Minister John Howard for "perverted, fanatical" Muslims to be reported
to police.

The head of the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils, Ameer Ali,
made the comment in the wake of the arrest last week of 18 alleged
Muslim extremists on terrorism charges.

"A community organisation like mine is not a police force," Ali told
commercial television.

"We don't monitor the behaviour of each individual and on the other
hand also, Islam is not for example like Christianity where there is a
Pope and an archbishop, and so when the Pope says something others
carry it out.

"The imams (preachers) are not a structurally organised community."

Ali, who heads a group of Muslim leaders consulted by the government
on terrorism issues, did, however, urge imams to tone down their
rhetoric.

Attorney-General Philip Ruddock said Muslims were not being called on
to spy on each other but asked to put the safety of the general
population ahead of their commitment to their own community.

"I wouldn't suggest it's a question of spying on militants in their
midst, I would say that any Australian who has information about
threats to the lives of fellow Australians has a responsibility to do
something about that," he said.

Ruddock refused to confirm or deny local media reports that an Islamic
informant or "supergrass" helped police uncover alleged terrorist
cells ahead of last week's arrests.

Howard used a speech Saturday to his Liberal Party conference in
Queensland state to urge Muslims to help the government and police
stop potential terrorists.

"It is the responsibility particularly of the leaders of the Islamic
community to ensure as best they can, with our cooperation, that those
within their midst who might seek to pervert the minds particularly of
the young, to a distorted, obscene form of Islam are identified and
dealt with," he said.

Howard, a close ally of US President George W. Bush in the "war on
terror", urged all Australians to reach out to law-abiding Muslims and
enlist them in the fight against terrorism.

Australia was shaken last week by the arrest of 18 men, all Australian
citizens, who have been charged with plotting a terrorist attack or
membership of a terrorist organisation.

The minority Muslim community, which numbers just 300,000 in a
population of 20 million, has reacted with a mixture of scepticism,
anger and pledges of loyalty to Australia.

""We would like to make it clear that if the accusations made against
the people detained confirm they were planning destructive terrorist
acts, then we consider these people dangerous," the Mufti of
Australia, Sheikh Taj Aldin Al Hilali, wrote in the Sunday Telegraph.

"The Australian Muslim community has proved and confirmed it is part
of Australian society and is loyal to its interests."

LINK
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/178395/1/.html

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13. Urgent: Save habeas corpus for improper captives

With virtually no advance notice the Republican majority in the Senate
(with the shameful complicity of Democrats Conrad, Landrieu,
Lieberman, [Ben] Nelson, and Wyden) approved a last minute amendment
to the Defense Authorization Act to deny U.S. courts jurisdiction to
examine the legality of detainee detention in Guantanamo and
elsewhere.  They did this in defiance of the not yet completely packed
Supreme Court (another reason to reject Alito), whose authority they
would annul.  This is all despite the well-known FACT that many
scooped up into these hell holes of torture are not terrorists at all,
some even having been sold for bounty.  Senator Bingaman immediately
responded with a proposed corrective amendment (S.AMDT.2517) to
restore jurisdiction.

ACTION PAGE: http://www.trotm.com/habeas.htm (Restore Habeas Corpus)

ACTION PAGE: http://www.trotm.com/no_conservative.htm (No right wing
conservative to replace Sandra Day O'Connor)

Is our government telling us that there is no possible way any of
those people can be convicted of a crime, by even an American jury, if
they were to have a fair trial?  We also know that our own military
attorneys were fired for protesting because the tribunals already
established were such miscarriages of justice.  If there is nobody in
detention who can be convicted of anything without special kangaroo
courts, then the real terrorists have indeed won, for we will then
have abdicated all moral authority.  Please contact your senators at
once to tell them to support the Bingaman amendment.

or to get no more simply email to no_more@...

Email from The Pen

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14. Analysis: China needs watching
B. RAMESH BABU

The inexplicable Indian habit of giving the benefit of doubt to China
emerges every now and then despite hard evidence to the contrary.
Recently, when Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee referred to the '62
border conflict as a war with China, a lowly vice-consul in the
Chinese Embassy pounced on him. The vice-consul changed tack the next
day and declared that his admonition was a remark from a friendly
country. Amazingly, he got away with it!

That the ongoing negotiations between India and China provide the most
propitious opportunity in decades to move forward on the border
dispute is true. India should do all that is possible—and a bit
more—to end quickly this lurking threat. But things are not exactly in
our hands. China effectively occupies almost all of the difficult
terrain in dispute.

Relations between two countries of continental dimensions that go back
in centuries are bound to be complex. China has been going back and
forth on Sikkim. During the two years, its posture has been hardening
all along the border. Compared to 2003, incidents of Chinese Frontier
Guards violating the LoC have doubled in 2004, according to China
expert, Srikanth Kondapalli. China is once again relapsing to its
age-old stance of India's "illegal" occupation of Arunachal Pradesh.
Although Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said that in settling the
borders, populated areas would not be disturbed—implying
non-negotiability of the Tawang tact—China has started fishing in the
troubled waters of the Tawang and Bomdila districts.

Since '87, when the current round of negotiations began, China has
been throwing up differing but nice sounding "concepts" for settling
the border dispute. The most frequent among them are "just", "fair",
"reasonable and mutually acceptable", and—the latest—"on the basis of
mutual understanding". However, the intent behind the parade of
phrases seems to be to lull India while it carries on with its
"cartographic aggression", quickly followed by by effective occupation
on the sly—an established Chinese trademark.

Furthermore, we should not forget even for a moment the fact of
China's collusion with Pakistan on all fronts — political, military,
strategic and, above all, in the nuclear/missile fields. It is good to
remind ourselves that Pakistan gave away thousands of square
kilometres of "Indian" territory to the then acknowledged enemy state
of China, which enabled the latter to build the Aksai Chin highway
connecting Tibet and its own territory to the north and east of
Ladakh. This has facilitated China's reign of repression in Tibet. As
a quid pro quo, Pakistan was accorded a special place in the Chinese
scheme of fishing in the troubled waters of South Asia.

Then there were the clandestine Chinese military exports to Iran
started in 1981 and were nurtured throughout the latter's war with
Iraq in the '90s. As the weapons relationship gathered steam, China
made the controversial sale of HY-2 Silkworm missiles to Iran. The US
retaliated by freezing liberalisation of technology sales to China. In
January '88, China gave private assurances to the US that it would
stop the export of Silkworm missiles to Iran. However in '96 Iran
tested an advanced Chinese C-802 anti-ship cruise missile. The US once
again pressured China to stop the shipments. In September 1997, the
Clinton administration received a pledge from the Chinese to stop
further sales of the missiles to Iran.

Pledge or no pledge China's charade continued—and continues till
today. Export of nuclear and missile related assistance is in harness
now. Richard L. Russell, in his recent book, Strategic Contest:
Weapons Proliferation and War in the Greater Middle East, says that
China plays "the cat and mouse game" of strategic security with the US
in West Asia and East Asia. China's policy and tactics regarding the
export of WMDs and nuclear proliferation on the sly to Saudi Arabia,
Iran and Pakistan, are best characterised as "cheat, retreat, and
cheat again," Russell asserts.

Be that as it may, what is of immediate concern to us is that Pakistan
and Dr A.Q Khan were the clandestine conduits for this nefarious
enterprise dating back to the 1980s. The global intelligence community
is well acquainted with the sordid details of the secret linkages in
the multibillion dollar fraudulent arms smuggling enterprise. India
periodically protests to the US and "the international community". But
I have yet to across a single statement of criticism, disapproval or
even a pro-forma protest for the record by any prominent Left leader
on this!

The writer is an adjunct professor, School of Public Policy, ICFAI
University, Hyderabad

  LINK
http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=81920

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15. Technology and Terrorism: Digital warzone
Aditya Sinha and Shreevatsa Nevatia

Call it the darker side of the infocomm revolution. The 29/10 Delhi
blasts, the 7/7 London blasts and this week's Jordan blasts were
coordinated by cellphones; mobiles were used to detonate last year's
Madrid blasts. The internet is how terrorists recruit cadres and
blueprint attacks; about 10 days ago, al Qaeda advertised on the web
for software engineers and the response was favourable.

The battlefield between our spies and trans-national terrorists is now
a complex digital web of bits, bytes and photons; their traditional
cat-and-mouse game could become an anachronism given infocomm's speed
of light. And though, according to Ajai Sahni of the Indian Institute
for Conflict Management, in the two years preceding 29/10, India
recorded 44 instances of intelligence successes on the digital
battlefield, leading to arrests and neutralising of plots, we have a
long way to go. India has 60 million mobile users and about 6 million
internet connections; the government's target is 250 million mobiles
by 2007, and internet penetration 10 million. In the resulting sea of
data, is India equipped to zero in on terrorists and prevent future
29/10s?

Terrorists use infocomm technology for three basic purposes:
communication, planning and propaganda. And in all this, they always
seem to be a step ahead of our spies. Sahni gives an example:
"Cellphones were introduced in Tripura only a year ago, but before
that terrorists were using Bangladeshi numbers because of that
country's proximity." Similarly, along the Pakistani border terrorists
have used Pakistani sim cards as their "repeaters" (the towers that
relay signals) are close to the border.

But with the authorities being able to scan and identify cellphone
conversations – often they have to rely on HUMINT (human
intelligence), where a terrorist who's been caught is made to give the
list of numbers of contacts and commanders – terrorists have moved on
to two safer modes of communication: satellite phones (satphones) and
the internet.

Thuraya handsets are common among jehadi commanders, sources say, and
the signal has a high encryption; even if someone listens in, unless
they can decrypt it, they won't be able to listen in on the
conversation. Thuraya, a UAE-based company, is obviously not going to
hand over the codes, so our eavesdroppers are always looking for
innovative (but secret) ways to decode satphone conversations.

On the internet, there are several methods. Subimal Bhattacharya of
Argus Integrated Systems points to two ways in which the net is used:
steganography and false emails. Steganography, in which messages are
hidden inside image files, was used by the conspirators in the 2001
Parliament attack case, as well as by al Qaeda post-9/11.

False emails are messages that are not actually despatched: several
terrorists will have the password to one email account, and one of
them will write an email and save it as a draft. The others will then
logon to the same account and read that draft, the communication
happening without an email being sent. Our spies are looking for ways
to crack this method.

Sources talk of some other methods: sending emails wherein the message
has been sent in the font of an esoteric language, and using freely
available high-encryption systems. Says a hacker who's worked with the
agencies: "Blowfish is an algorithm that helps a person write an
encryption software. Using it, data can be encrypted up to 1024-bits,
so even if you catch an image on the net, it would take 40 days with
our best computers to decrypt it, by which time the message will
likely become useless."

Terrorists have also updated the traditional espionage concept of
"dead drops". Read a John le Carre novel and you'll know that refers
to a note hidden in some pre-arranged public place (like a telephone
booth, or a restaurant toilet). Now there are digital dead drops,
which is referred to as "deep web".

An example of deep web: Al Qaeda goes to a 20-year-old HT archive,
picks out an innocuous link such as 'polio eradication in Haryana',
and hacks into the link to tag their message along side it. Al Qaeda's
entire guerrilla manual was found in deep web this way, and since
Lashkar-e-Tayyeba is allied to al Qaeda, our spies are constantly
looking for their needle in the digital haystack.

Terrorists also use remotely controlled computers called "bots",
Bhattacharya says, and these allow emails to be sent from an account
without the knowledge of the account-holder. "There are also websites
like mailfreeonline.com that allow you to send anonymous emails and
SMSs," he says.

The biggest threat nowadays is realtime communication over the net.
Sources tell of hearing terrorists on phones saying "Chat pe aa jaa";
they then create a chat room, talk, and dissolve the chat room when
they're done. That leaves our spies with no time to hack in and
listen. Even worse is the new trend of Voice-over Internet Protocol
(VoIP), which the government will now legalise. When a person speaks,
the computer turns the voice files into digital files, encrypts it,
and sends it across. All in real time, leaving no scope for listening
in and decrypting a conversation before it is over (and it is too
late)

The Americans use their National Security Agency for digital
eavesdropping on terrorists, and in terms of manpower and budget, it's
the USA's largest intelligence agency. Their SIGINT (signals
intelligence) is conducted through an array of satellites and optic
fibre networks: the NSA listens to every piece of noise. Its motto:
"In God we trust, all others we monitor".

At the moment, India's SIGINT is done by the Research and Analysis
Wing (RAW). Sources say there is an effort to forgo "passive
monitoring", and engage in "proactive monitoring". "Till 1998,
terrorists used wirelesses which we could listen in on. But in the
next five years, they'll be using internet in remote mountainous
corners of Doda through WLL or PDAs," says an expert. "We need to
anticipate and break into their connections rather than wait for them
to communicate."

India is setting up its own version of the NSA. A ministerial
recommendation after the 1999 Kargil intrusion saw, in 2003, the
creation of the National Technical Facilities Organisation (NTFO), its
roadmap drawn up by A.P.J. Abdul Kalam (before he became President).
It is still being set up; Government sources say a massive recruitment
drive for engineers, mathematicians, computer scientists and linguists
is to begin soon (they are still training their recruiters). Headed by
former RAW special secretary R.S. Bedi, the NTFO will have a staff in
the thousands, an annual budget of about Rs 700 crore with which to
buy satellites and the latest computers.

At the moment, much of India's SIGINT is handled by RAW; "Electronic
intelligence works as an adjunct to HUMINT (human intelligence)," it
is said. At the moment there are three big problems: lack of manpower
(engineers would rather spend their lives in the private sector), lack
of funds, and the government's tedious procurement process.

In an age where technology advances every few months, by the time the
government floats a tender for an expensive piece of high-tech
equipment and gets it, it would have become obsolete, allowing
terrorists to stay one step ahead. "We need to be able to say that the
Israelis have this equipment, we need it, go out and get it right
now," says a source. "Sure there are risks, but do they outweigh the
need to keep terrorism in check?"

Not that the existing agencies are happy that the NTFO is being set up
to feed them with technical intelligence: word is they are skeptical
that "a bunch of scientists" with no operational training can sift
through the oceans of data for vital scraps of intelligence.

By way of example, sources speak of a source developed in the office
of a corps commander of a foreign country. He was a sweeper. He spoke
to his handlers about a book the officer kept near his phone, that he
thumbed each time he was on the phone. Was it in English? The sweeper
said yes, and the handlers thought it might be a directory of army
phone numbers. But when the sweeper got the book, it turned out to be
a dictionary! Moral of the story: intelligence agents will do better
digital eavesdropping.

— With Mayank Tewari and Brinda Suri

LINK
http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_1544702,0035.htm

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16. HUMOUR: Health Question and Answer Session

Q: I've heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life; is this true?

A: Your heart is only good for so many beats, and that's  it... don't
waste them on  exercise. Everything wears out eventually. Speeding up
your heart will not make you live longer; that's like saying you can
extend the life of your car by driving it faster. Want to live longer?
Take a nap.

Q: Should I cut down on meat and eat more fruits and vegetables?

A: You must grasp logistical efficiencies. What does a cow eat? Hay
and corn. And what are these? Vegetables. So a steak is nothing more
than an efficient mechanism of delivering vegetables to your system.
Need grain? Eat chicken. Beef is also a good source of field grass
(green leafy vegetable). And a pork chop can give you 100% of your
recommended daily allowance of vegetable products.

Q: Should I reduce my alcohol intake?

A: No, not at all. Wine is made from fruit. Brandy is distilled wine,
that means they take the water out of the fruity bit so you get even
more of the goodness that way. Beer is also made out of grain. Bottoms
up!

Q: How can I calculate my body/fat ratio?

A: Well, if you have a body and you have fat, your ratio is one to
one. If you have two bodies, your ratio is two to one, etc.

Q: What are some of the advantages of participating in a regular
exercise program?

A: Can't think of a single one, sorry. My philosophy is: No Pain...Good!

Q: Aren't fried foods bad for you?

A: YOU'RE NOT LISTENING!!!. Foods are fried these days in vegetable
oil. In fact, they're permeated in it. How could getting more
vegetables be bad for you?

Q: Will sit-ups help prevent me from getting a little soft around the middle?

A: Definitely not! When you exercise a muscle, it gets bigger. You
should only be doing sit-ups if you want a bigger stomach.

Q: Is chocolate bad for me?

A: Are you crazy? HELLO ...... Cocoa beans! Another vegetable!!! It's
the best feel-good food around!

Q: Is swimming good for your figure?

A: If swimming is good for your figure, explain whales to me.

Q: Is getting in-shape important for my lifestyle?

A: Hey! 'Round' is a shape!

Well, I hope this has cleared up any misconceptions you may have had
about food and diets.

And remember: "Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the
intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body,
but rather to skid in sideways - Chardonnay
in one hand - chocolate in the other - body thoroughly used up,
totally worn out, and screaming "WOO HOO, What a Ride!"

CHUTNEY OF THE DAY [" This Eid is sort of the culmination of Ramadan.
Unfortunately I wasn't faithful the entire month. I broke fast two
days when I was in Dhaka for swearing-in. I didn't want to, but there
was a pretty good deal of bourbon involved, and I woke up feeling like
death and pretty much had to eat and drink. So I did 27 out of 29
days. Next year maybe I can go the distance. It's funny, about halfway
through I was saying to myself, "This sucks. I'm never doing roja
again." But after about day 20 I could see the light at the end of the
tunnel, and I sort of started appreciating the difficulty. And
seriously, come sundown "Allahu akbar" are the sweetest words you've
ever heard"..... Joe Coyle, American Peace Corps volunteer in
Narayangunj, Bangladesh]

1. Changing face of Bangladesh
2. Review - BANGLADESH:The Next Afghanistan?
3. With the US Peace Corps in Bangladesh
4. Deterrence a failure for India, Pakistan explains professor
5. Terror bill chilling for Muslims, Blair warned
6. PAPER - The Next Generation of Jihadi Terrorists in Europe
7. PAPER -  Wahi: the Supernatural Basis of Islam

1. Changing face of Bangladesh
Charu Singh

New Delhi, November 11

Hiranmay Karlekar's freshly launched book, 'Bangladesh: The Next
Afghanistan' succeeds in what the author intended i.e. is reinventing
Bangladesh's image from being that of an anti-Pak, democratic and
moderate Islamist nation to one of a fast emerging fundamentalist, hot
bed of Jehadi outfits.

The book was recently launched on November 11 at the India Habitat
Centre and the launch was succeeded by an indepth panel discussion
featuring Mr H.K. Dua, Editor-in-Chief, The Tribune, Mr KPS Gill,
former DGP, Punjab, and President of the Institute of Conflict
Management, Chandan Mitra, Editor, The Pioneer and Mr Deb Mukherji,
former High Commissioner of India to Pakistan. Karlekar's book
essentially traces the origins of fundamentalism and Jehadi outfits in
Bangladesh and traces the situation down to today. The author stresses
that very discreetly the headquarters of Islamic terror have shifted
from Afghanistan to Bangladesh where fundamentalist influence has
penetrated stakeholders in government, politics and the armed forces.
An Islamist state within a state is being successfully built up and
Bangladesh is fast turning into a covert base for exporting terror.

At a heated panel discussion, Mr H.K. Dua, Editor-in-Chief, The
Tribune, felt that, "the basic point being brought out in this book is
that fundamentalism has been growing in Bangladesh and now has reached
a stage where it needs to be taken much more seriously then before.
Fundamentalist forces have today infiltrated the army, government and
all arms of the state. This is no small matter as it can fuel
terrorism." He further drew an analogy between the Afghan experience
and Bangladesh, "Afghanistan after the Soviets pulled back was a weak
shell of a state as a result fundamentalist forces could take
advantage of a weak government. Today, democratic structures in
Bangladesh have been shaken up by increasing fundamentalism and can
give way to a fundamentalist sweep." Even as Dua warned that if the
situation is not arrested it could have grave implications for the
future side by side he stressed that this has to be handled carefully
as, "India cannot take any steps to alienate Bangladesh, you cannot
let VHP or Bajrang Dal rath-yatras anatagonize people in Bangladesh."

The point was brought home extremely forcefully by Mr KPS Gill, who
declared that, "I think what Karlekar has written is very significant
but I also feel that what he has written is very delayed. These
threats emanated a long time back but remained ignored. I had said
back in '93 that the greatest threat for India is from Bangladesh-from
migration and poverty." Gill further stressed that the east and the
northeast have been neglected by intelligence services. Bangladesh has
actively supported terror outfits and sheltered them on their
territory, they have spoken of them as 'freedom fighters.' "Bangladesh
today is being used as a base for terrorist outfits, as a training
centre, as a supplier of weapons and explosives, as a staging camp for
Al Qaeda and other Jehadi groups," sad Gill.

A Pioneer staffer read out, Mr Chandan Mitra's paper at the
discussion, Mitra had written emotionally, "for the 70's generation,
people like me, Bangladesh symbolized a state that had fought for its
rights, a repressed people who had struggled against Pakistan for
their freedom."

LINK
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2005/20051112/main6.htm


2. BANGLADESH:The Next Afghanistan?
By Hiranmay Karlekar
Sage Publications
Pages: 308
Price: Rs 320/-
ISBN: 0-7619-3401-4


In recent years, Bangladesh has experienced an alarming rise in
Islamist fundamentalism. The world began to take serious notice of
this after the grenade attack on the Awami League`s rally in Dhaka on
21 August 2004 almost succeeded in killing off the entire top
leadership of the party. This book shows that terrorist acts such as
this are part of a systematic attempt to destroy Bangladesh`s secular
and democratic political parties, as well as its vibrant intellectual
and cultural life, and to convert the country into a hardline Islamic
one.

The author further argues that the headquarters of Islamic terrorism
is shifting from Afghanistan to Bangladesh, which he describes as a
`soft` state with an ineffective government and police force, and
which Islamist groups, with their organized and well-armed cadres, can
easily dominate. Islamists are being systematically placed in key
positions in government, and an Islamist state within a state is being
built for the ultimate takeover of Bangladesh as the base for
Islamist—including Al Qaeda and Taliban—operations in South and
Southeast Asia.

This lucid, hard-hitting and well-documented book analyses in detail
the circumstances—historical, social, cultural and political—which
account for the rise of violent Islamist fundamentalism in Bangladesh,
a country known for its cultural plurality and religious tolerance.
The author also discusses the chances of halting the process, through
a determined and well-strategized effort by those committed to keeping
Bangladesh a moderate and tolerant modern Islamic nation.

About the author:
Hiranamay Karlekar is Consultant Editor of The Pioneer and a member of
the Press Council of India. During his career, he has been Editor of
The Hindustan Times , Deputy Editor of The Indian Express, Associate
Editor of The Statesman and the erstwhile Hindusthan Standard
published from Kolkata by the Anandabazar Patrika group.

Mr Karlekar, who started his career in journalism in 1963 as a staff
reporter with the Bengali daily Anandabazar Patrika, was a general
secretary of the Editors' Guild of India, one of India's two national
news agencies. He was a member of the Press Council of India in an
earlier stint (1978-80) and was a Nieman Fellow at Harvard University
(1966-67).

Apart from his writings as a journalist, Mr Karlekar's publications
include two Bengali novels—Bhabisyater Ateet (1994) and Mehrunnisa
(1995, based on Bangladesh's Liberation struggle)—and a
socio-political work in English, In The Mirror of Mandal: Social
Justice, Caste, Class and the Individual (1992), sponsored by the
Indian Council of Cultural Relations to mark 50 yeras of India's
independence.

Mr Karlekar is a keen photographer and an exhibition of his
photographs was held in May 2005.

The book will be released on Friday, November 11, 2005 at the
Gulmohar, IHC  in New Delhi at 7:00 pm.

LINK
http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_1540705,001100040008.htm

3. With the US Peace Corps in Bangladesh

Three months in and I've still yet to see a cobra. I'm pretty sure I
saw a mongoose last week, though, as well as two more dogs stuck
together.

So I am officially a Peace Corps volunteer. We swore in at the
American Embassy (otherwise known as Fortress America) in Dhaka about
a week ago. We took an oath to defend the Constitution against all
enemies, foreign and domestic, so watch out. Some perks of being a
volunteer as opposed to just a trainee include having my monthly
living allowance doubled, being able to get smashed at the American
Club and other international clubs in Dhaka, and unrestricted access
to the Peace Corps jet.

I have moved to my site, Narayanganj, where I will live with another
host family for about three months. Hopefully it won't be too bad, as
this family consists simply of an unmarried man in his mid-thirties
and his parents. In Gazipur my family wasn't too bad, but there were
three sons all about my age who could be pretty annoying. Here I
should be left alone a little more often. And although I am looking
forward to getting a place of my own, one plus to living with a family
is that my expenses are virtually nil. The vast majority of my monthly
allowance should never leave the bank, which is nice. Also, I do, in
fact, have a sitemate, contrary to what I reported in an earlier post.
It turns out one volunteer didn't like the site to which she was
assigned, and since there was an opening here, they let her switch. So
I will have some company for the next two years. It wouldn't really
matter, though, if I didn't, as I'm centrally located and am less than
an hour from Dhaka. I should have ample opportunity to see my friends.
It's the people who are eight or nine hours from Dhaka whom I imagine
are in greater need of sitemates.

Narayanganj is a pretty decent sized city. Gazipur, though also a
district town (Bangladeshi districts = American counties), is pretty
rural, more like a group of villages than a city. Narayanganj feels A
LOT bigger. I'm not sure it's actually that much bigger
population-wise, but it's a lot more condensed and developed. Some
random info:

+ I was told that Narayanganj is the second-oldest city in Bangladesh,
next to Dhaka. Whether or not this is true, I don't know.

+ Narayanganj is the center of Bangladesh's textile industry. Clothing
is evidently really cheap here.
+ Narayanganj is somewhat of a peninsula, as it is at the confluence
of three rivers, sort of like Pittsburgh (but don't imagine it to be
like Pittsburgh; they don't like football here).

+ "Narayanganj" literally means "city of the gods."

+ There are a lot of Hindus in Narayanganj (relatively speaking), and
many restaurants do not serve beef as a result.

+ The ancient, pre-British capital of Bangladesh, Sonargaon (I think),
is located in Narayanganj district.

In other news, Eid-ul-Fitr was last week. It's sort of the Muslim
equivalent of Christmas. It was a really big deal for Muslims, but it
didn't seem that special to me. The coolest thing was that all the men
gather in the center of town in the morning and pray together. It's
pretty impressive to see a few thousand men all giving namaj in
unison. I'm kicking myself for not taking my camera (but on that note,
I seriously hope to be posting pictures soon). This Eid is sort of the
culmination of Ramadan. Unfortunately I wasn't faithful the entire
month. I broke fast two days when I was in Dhaka for swearing-in. I
didn't want to, but there was a pretty good deal of bourbon involved,
and I woke up feeling like death and pretty much had to eat and drink.
So I did 27 out of 29 days. Next year maybe I can go the distance.
It's funny, about halfway through I was saying to myself, "This sucks.
I'm never doing roja again." But after about day 20 I could see the
light at the end of the tunnel, and I sort of started appreciating the
difficulty. And seriously, come sundown "Allahu akbar" are the
sweetest words you've ever heard. I don't regret breaking fast because
I had a blast in Dhaka (and I definitely needed it), but it would have
been nice to have to have done the entire month. So hopefully I'll
have the willpower to do it next year. The hard part will be that I'll
be living on my own then and won't have someone cooking me breakfast
at four AM. But it's all about discipline, and that's really the fun
part (if intentionally starving yourself can ever be fun).

http://onbangladesh.blogspot.com/2005/11/so-who-wants-to-visit.html

4. Deterrence a failure for India, Pakistan explains professor

By Rohan Bhobe
Thursday, November 10, 2005
last updated November 11, 2005 12:52 AM

"The nuclear weapons in India and Pakistan are the having the opposite
effect that they did in the Cold War," said Visiting Prof. Paul Kapur
of the Center for International Security and Cooperation.

"With the government in India not cowed by the threat of a nuclear
attack, and Pakistan using its weapons as an excuse for hostile
action, the occurrence of border clashes has increased."

Kapur spoke last night on nuclear security considerations in South
Asia at a meeting of Stanford's International Security Forum (ISF).

"My friend and I founded the ISF last year because we believed that
there was not enough international security discussion happening on
campus," said event organizer Zubin Agarwal, a junior. "We believe
that Prof. Kapur would provide us with valuable insights into the
security issues of the [Indian] subcontinent."

Kapur spoke on his latest research, which provides insight into the
security environment in South Asia and how the introduction of nuclear
weapons has changed the relationship between India and Pakistan.

According to Kapur, nuclear weapons have divided the scholarly
community into two opposing camps. One holds that the weapons provide
a deterrent to conventional warfare, while the other asserts that
militaries are subject to the same constraints as other complex
organizations and are therefore just as likely to commit an error of
judgment.

Analyzing the frequency of hostile actions between the two nations
prior to and after their establishment as nuclear powers, Kapur's
research has found that the probability of military action has
increased by more than 60 percent since the acquisition of nuclear
weapons. The majority of skirmishes have involved the "Line of
Control," which splits the disputed region of Kashmir into Indian- and
Pakistani-governed halves.

Puzzled by this finding, Kapur dug deeper and sought to understand why
nuclear weapons were not acting as deterrents, but were rather
increasing the likelihood of aggressive behavior.

He found that the issue could be traced as far back as 1972, at the
end of the Bangladesh conflict. It was around this time that studies
conducted by the Pakistani government showed political leaders that if
they were to ever engage in a full-scale conventional war with India,
the chances of victory or a standstill were minimal.

Kapur elucidated how nuclear weapons acted as the trump card in
Islamabad's policy — the Indians could be bled of resources and
personnel by indirectly supporting the anti-Indian insurgency in
Kashmir, but the threat of nuclear escalation would prevent India from
reacting with conventional forces. The implementation of this strategy
resulted in huge financial losses for the Indian government, which had
to deploy security forces year-round.

Responding to questions from the audience, Kapur also speculated on
the future of Indo-Pakistan relations. He cited current Pakistani
President Pervez Musharraf as a source of stability for his nation,
but — noting his unpopularity within the military and intelligence
branches — Kapur was quick to acknowledge that a coup could easily
change the country's nuclear policy. The presence of a nuclear
flashpoint in the region, he added, ensured that the battle over
Kashmir would continue as, in his view, neither side will rescind
their claim to the area in the near future.

With hands still raised in the audience, Kapur concluded the seminar
with a few last comments.

"Nuclear weapons are not causing the conflict between India and
Pakistan, but it is certainly not the case that things have gotten
better," he said. "They [nuclear weapons] are not serving as a
deterrent but have escalated the tensions between the two nations. The
situation is much more tenuous than one might think."


LINK
http://daily.stanford.edu/tempo?page=content&id=18553&repository=0001_article

5. Terror bill chilling for Muslims, Blair warned
Alan Travis and Patrick Wintour
Friday November 11, 2005
The Guardian

The anti-terror bill will create a "significant chill factor" in the
Muslim community, censor those who criticise British foreign policy
and drive extremists further underground, the government's advisers
warned yesterday.

The fears were voiced by the Muslim community working groups set up by
the Home Office to prevent the growth of extremism after the July
terror attacks. The warning centres on the remaining provisions in the
proposed legislation - such as the ban on the "glorification" of
terrorist acts - that are likely to become the next focus of
parliamentary dissent after Tony Blair's defeat on holding terrorist
suspects for 90 days without charge.

Article continues
The Muslim community's police and security working group report makes
clear that many believe the present anti-terror regime is already
excessive, and that the measures risk provoking further radicalisation
of young British Muslims.

It says the proposal to make "inciting, justifying or glorifying
terrorism" a criminal offence "could lead to a significant chill
factor in the Muslim community in expressing legitimate support for
self-determination struggles around the world". It could also lead to
a fear of using "legitimate concepts and terminology" because of the
anxiety of being misunderstood by authorities ignorant of
Arabic/Islamic vocabulary. For instance, a speech on jihad could
easily be misunderstood as glorifying terrorism, and the "extremely
thin line" between empathising with the Palestinian cause and
justifying the actions of suicide bombers could not be drawn with any
legal certainty.

It fears that a proposed Foreign Office database of "foreign
extremists" and a Home Office list of extremist websites, bookshops
and organisations of concern will lead to a clampdown that will be
seen as "censorship of all those who might criticise British foreign
policy or call for political unity among Muslims: 'This is
disingenuous to say the least, carrying the dual risk of
radicalisation and driving the extremists further underground'."

The reports published by the Home Office yesterday said British
foreign policy had been "a key contributory factor" in driving
extremist groups, and perceptions of injustices inherent in western
foreign policy were triggering "radical impulses" among British
Muslims.

Ifath Nafwaz, the deputy convenor of the security and policing working
group, said: "There is huge concern about the anti-terrorism
legislation - that it is excessive and is going to drive people
underground. We ask for a dialogue to be opened up with the
community."

The anti-terrorism minister, Hazel Blears, admitted that the Muslim
community was telling the government "some fairly challenging things",
but insisted that the legislation was aimed at terrorists and not at
the Muslim community. Ministers this week strengthened the test
necessary to bring a prosecution for "glorifying terrorism", with
prosecutors now having to demonstrate "reckless intent" to make a
charge stick. It is expected that this will prove the main
battleground when the terror bill goes to the Lords in 10 days' time.

LINK
http://politics.guardian.co.uk/terrorism/story/0,15935,1640202,00.html


6. PAPER - The Next Generation of Jihadi Terrorists in Europe
Rakan ben Williams:

Introduction


In October 31 st 2005 , the Global Islamic Media Front (GIMF)
published in Jihadi web sites an interesting threatening analysis of
Al-Qaeda's strategy in planning its attacks and choosing the
operatives that carries them out. An imaginary person writes the
analysis—Rakan ben Williams—or Wilyamz, as the name mistakenly or
deliberately is written. The threatening analysis is titled "The next
Al-Qaeda soldier." 3

We don't know who has in fact written the message, but the name chosen
for the "Jihadi super hero"—Rakan—reminds us of a legendary Islamic
hero of the Middle Ages, who was born in Arabia, and fought against
the Mongols in Iraq and Persia . Recently he became a hero of a Middle
Eastern comic series as Rakan the "lone warrior." 4

The Evolution of Al-Qaeda Warriors

The analysis is quite simple, yet sarcastic, and attempts to present a
very clear and well-organized strategic plan of the attacks against
Western targets:

•  The September 11 attacks were carried out by a group of mostly
Saudi Arabians. The Western response was to limit the entry of Saudis,
search and follow them, until the Islamists had no choice but plan
another attack

•  Following the September 11 attacks, while the United States was
thinking that it was going to win the war against terrorism, Al-Qaeda
targeted Bali . The attack was carried out by Indonesians, and against
Australians. There were no Saudis and the CIA could not uncover the
plot in advance. Therefore, they started to follow Indonesians in
addition to Saudis.

•  The next phase was the simultaneous operations in Casablanca and
Istanbul . The two locations were chosen as the two extremes of Europe
—to the east and west—and on the border with the Muslim world. The
attacks meant to declare that Al-Qaeda was directing its attacks
against Europe and has reached its borders. This was a warning sign,
which the Europeans ignored.

•  Then Al-Qaeda hit Madrid to tell Europe "we are here." The attack
in Madrid brought about the withdrawal of the Spanish troops from Iraq
and the Spanish support for the United States . The attackers in
Madrid were North Africans, which made Europe think that the Arab
emigrants in Europe were the most dangerous threat for it. Following
the attack in Madrid , Osama bin Laden declared his offer for truce
with Europe , stating that Al-Qaeda is capable of hitting everywhere,
whenever it likes to, and by which method it chooses. This offer was
ignored as well.

•  The European countries tried to guess who is next in the line of
attacks by Al-Qaeda, and the group did its best to create the
impression that Italy was the one. The impression was promoted by
threats made by "Abu Hafs al-Masri Brigades in Europe ."

•  While Europe was expecting an attack in Italy by Arabs, Al-Qaeda
attacked in an unexpected place— London —and by British citizens of
Pakistani origin. Once again the West was surprised by the Mujahidin,
and started planning the deportation of all extremist or illegal
Muslims from Europe .

The response of Al-Qaeda to the steps taken by Europe against its
Muslims is therefore, to use European citizens—Christian converts to
Islam who support global Jihad--in the next attacks. The model is
"Rakan ben Wilyamz"—born and raised in the West; has studied in its
educational system; prayed in their churches; drank alcoholic
beverage; ate pork, and hated Muslims. But then he secretly became a
devoted Muslim, adopted the philosophy of Al-Qaeda, and now he and his
alike are wandering in Europe and the United States, gathering
information and planning their next attacks. "Is the West ready for
them?" asks Rakan Ben Wilyamz from Europe , who is "thirsty for
martyrdom."

Conclusion

Between the lines of the sarcastic message of GIMF, one can feel above
all a strong sense of self-confidence by the anonymous author. The
attacks against Western targets were not aimed at occupying the West
or liberating the Muslim world, but in order to highlight the Western
lack of understanding of the Muslim mind; and hence, its inability to
wisely respond to the Muslim challenges; the flexibility and wisdom of
Al-Qaeda in finding solutions to every situation; and the advantages
of the "new generation of Muslims" vis-a-vis the ideological
stagnation of the West and its "corrupted culture." The message was
not written just for Western eyes, but for Muslim supporters of global
Jihad as well. Rakan Ben Wilyamz is not only the "new secret weapon"
of global Jihad, but also a model of "super-hero" for Islamic youth.
The fact that the name might have been taken from a comic series,
colors it with the heroism of an imaginary figure. Rakan is the Jihadi
answer to Superman, Batman, and their colleagues.

There is a question of how we should react to this message. How
serious is it, beside the propaganda? Do they really plan to use new
Muslim converts in their future attacks, especially on Western soil?
The message has lot of internal logic of a well-organized plan. The
planned strategy of Al-Qaeda is also juxtaposed with the spread of the
Muslim empire in the Middle Ages—from Arabia to Indonesia and Europe
—through the conversion of many nations to Islam. The publication of
the message by GIMF—an integral organ of global Jihad—authenticates
its serious nature.

So far we have several examples of Westerners who, as Muslim converts
joined Al-Qaeda, underwent trainings, and participated in terrorist
attacks or attempted attacks. Several others were arrested in
Afghanistan , Iraq , the United States , or Europe . Religious
converts have in many cases been more radical. Moreover, Al-Qaeda has
"kept its promises" very adequately, so far. Therefore, intelligence
and security services and Western publics should regard the message,
despite its arrogant nature, carefully, and take it seriously. The
population of Western converts to Islam is not too big to handle for
Western security services.

Apart from the operational implications of the message we should also
note a significant rise in the intensive activity of GIMF. In addition
to a growing number of new messages, articles, or written and
videotaped lectures, the main apparatus of global Jihad is busy
circulating old material from recent years. From time to time they
publish articles that emphasize the importance of the profound
indoctrination of Muslim youngsters by Al-Qaeda—"the organization,
state, and university for Jihad studies," as published in an article
by the Saudi Ahmad al-Watheq bi-Allah, deputy director of GIMF. 5
Another recent article, by the Saudi Abu Mus`ab al-Najdi,
titled—"Al-Qaeda's war is economic, not military" 6—emphasizes the
need for indoctrination of Muslims, stating:

"We should direct some of these efforts to other targets that could
serve another goal, namely to promote the glory of the Muslims,
especially the youth, who are swimming in the oceans of pleasures and
lust. Those youth are in fact unused petrol, while many efforts are
dedicated to confront those clerics who are selling their minds to the
dictatorships, and who are useless too. These moral attacks would
leave in the souls of the defeated youth a tremendous impact. Many
idle youngsters were motivated to join the Jihad by a photo or a video
such as of the USS Cole, or Badr al-Riyadh, or by watching the crash
of the planes into the high buildings. Those youngsters, even though
they were not fully aware of the impact of the attacks upon them,
turned their minds and bodies towards the Jihad. Here comes the role
of indoctrination and developing the thinking of these people. It is a
mistake to leave these youngsters with their superficial understanding
of the nature of the war. Whoever listens to the calls of Osama bin
Laden senses in his words his care for the indoctrination of the
supporters of the Jihadi current, like for example in the Gulf States,
in order to target the oil fields. The Sheikh, I think, could direct
the Mujahidin by personal messages. Yet, he wanted to do it in public,
in order that the crowds of people, who wait for the speeches of the
Sheikh through the TV channels or the Internet, would internalize his
targets and follow them."

The endocrinal nature of these messages is not less important than the
threats against the West. In Al-Qaeda's eyes it is a vital
combination.


LINK
http://www.intelligence.org.il/eng/eng_n/rp_nov6_05.htm


7. PAPER- Wahi: the Supernatural Basis of Islam
By Dr. Koenraad ELST

1. The yogic view of the Quranic trance

In discussing Islam, most non-Muslims and ex-Muslims tend to focus on
the negative achievements of Islam, such as Islamic mistreatment of
women and unbelievers. However, we should realize that in its essence,
Islam is only secondarily an ethical system with a characteristic
record of conduct. In the first place it is a belief system, a truth
claim. The Islamic religion stands or falls with the truth or untruth
of two assertions: (1) there is no God but Allah, the Creator of the
universe; and (2) Mohammed is the final spokesman of Allah, who
through him passed on to mankind a series of messages assembled in the
Quran. This Quranic communication is unders­tood to have been a
constant proc­ess of "revela­tion" from AD 610, when Mohammed was 40,
until his death in AD 632.

The first belief is a theological claim which Islam has in common with
some other monotheistic religions, and which, if subjected to cunning
interpretation, could even be reconciled with some schools of
polymorphous-theistic Hinduism ("the wise call the one True One by
many names"). The second belief, by contrast, is the truly defining
truth claim of Islam, setting it apart from every other religion: the
prophethood of Mohammed.

In this essay, originally published as a series of articles in the
on-line monthly Kashmir Herald in autumn-winter 2002-2003, we will
discuss some non-Islamic views of this core assertion of Islam. The
present chapter will focus on the Hindu view of Mohammed's
prophethood.

Before the colonial age, there was hardly any Hindu evaluation of
Mohammed's prophetic claims, nor even of Islamic doctrine in general.
The first detailed criticism of Islam, and in particular of the Quran,
was written by Swami Dayananda Saraswati, founder of the Vedic reform
movement Arya Samaj in 1875. He mainly lambasted the contradictions,
irrational beliefs and inhumane injunctions in Islamic scripture.
Later Arya Samaj criticism of the Prophet typically focused on his
dictatorial and immoral personal behaviour (e.g. Rajpal's Rangîlâ
Rasûl, about Mohammed's sex life), not on the source of his
"revelations".

The basis of Islam is the bel­ief­­­ that Mohammed regularly went into
a state of trance (wahi) and heard a voice dictating Allah's own
words. In recent years, Hindu students of Islam have invoked the
eyewitness testimony of Moha­mmed's contemporaries in support of their
own skeptical rejection of the Prophet's claim of receiving div­ine
messages: "The Meccans stood firm by their gods; their faith in the
gods was not at all shaken by Muham­mad's attacks. Allah reports:
'When it was said unto them, There is no God save Allah, they were
scornful, and said: Shall we forsake our gods for a mad poet?'
(Q.37:36/35) 'And they mar­vel that a warner from among themselves had
come. They say: This is a wizard, a char­la­tan.' (Q.38:4/3) " (S.R.
Goel: Hindu Temples, vol.2, 2nd ed., Voice of India, Delhi 1993,
p.334)

It was probably Swami Vivekananda who first connected the questionable
nature of Mohammed's leadership with the nature of his prophethood.
Mohammed had to be ruthless in imposing adherence to his belief in his
own divine mission because this belief could not stand on its own,
based as it was on a delusion. If your neighbour, whom you have known
for years as an ordinary businessman, tells you one day that he is
hearing God's voice and that you have to obey his divine instructions
from now on, you would not readily give in to his demand, would you?
Instead, you would certainly wonder what had happened to him. So,
Vivekananda offered one hypothesis of what had happened to Mohammed so
as to make him believe in his own selection as God's sole living
spokesman.

The specifi­cal­ly Hindu contr­i­b­ution to our understanding of the
Quranic revelation is to bring in the yogic experience. As an example
of how yogic practice can go wrong, war­ning against the dangers of
ex­peri­men­ting with yoga wit­hout com­pet­ent guidance, Vivekananda
mentioned Mo­ham­med: "The yogi says there is a great danger in
stumbling upon this state. In a good many cases, there is the danger
of the brain being deranged, and, as a rule, you will find that all
those men, however great they were, who had stumb­led upon this
super­consci­ous state without underst­anding it, groped in the dark,
and generally had, along with their know­ledge, some quaint
superstition. They opened themsel­ves to hal­lucin­ations. Mohammed
claimed that the Angel Gabriel came to him in a cave one day and took
him on the heavenly horse, Burak, and he visi­ted the heavens.

"But with all that, Mohammed spoke some wonderful truths. If you read
the Koran, you find the most wonder­ful truths mixed with
supersti­tio­ns. How will you expl­ain it? That man was inspi­red, no
doubt, but that inspi­rat­ion was, as it were, stum­bled upon. He was
not a trained Yogi, and did not know the reason of what he was doing.
T­hink of the good Mohammed did to the world, and think of the great
evil that has been done thro­ugh his fanatic­ism! Think of the
millions massacred through his teachi­ngs, mothers bereft of their
children, children made orphans, whole countries destroyed, mil­lions
upon mil­lions of people killed! (...) So we see this danger by
studying the lives of great teach­ers like Moham­mad and others. Yet
we find, at the same time, that they were all inspi­red. Whene­ver a
prophet got into the super­conscious state by heighte­ning his
emotional nature, he brought away from it not only some truths, but
some fanaticism also, some super­st­ition which injured the world as
much as the greatness of the teaching help­ed." (Vivekananda: Complete
Works, vol.1, p.184, from his book Raja Yoga, Ch.7: "Dhyana and
Samadhi")

Mental disturbance as a consequence of meditative experiments had
already been named as the cause of the Quranic revelations by
Gisbertus Voetius, a 17th-cen­tury Dutch Calvinist theologi­an who
trained missiona­ries for conversion work in Indonesia (discussed in
Karel Steenbrink: Dutch Colo­nia­lism and Indonesian Islam. Contacts
and Conflicts 1595-1950, Rodopi, Amsterdam/Atlanta 1993). Protestants
who had abolished monastic institutions and were scornful of the
ascetic practices of Catholic and Orthodox monks, liked to point out
such dangers, and their warning seemed to apply to the case of
Mohammed as well.

Most yoga manuals emphatically warn against wrongly prac­tising the
techni­ques of Hatha Yoga, which are very powerful whet­her used
properly or in disregard of the concomitant rules. Yogic masters can
relate anec­dotes of pupils or collea­gues who spurned the precautions
and prac­tised dangerous forms of prânâ­yâma ("breath control" or
"control of the vital energies") till they im­paired their nerve
sys­tems. One well-known written testimony of the painful and lasting
effects of erratic yogic practice is given by Gopi Krishna in his
well-known book Kun­dalini, the Evolutionary Energy in Man. (1967,
still available in many Indian and overseas editions). Arya Samaj
leader Vandematharam Ramachandra Rao told me of one case invol­ving a
friend of his who inflicted brain damage on himself and died of a
stroke as a consequence of improper prânâyâma prac­tice. Likewise, the
Taoist energy-steering system of Qigong comes with the same warning
and similar anecdo­tes. Many mystic phenomena the world over come
about as cases of stumbling upon certain states of conscious­ness,
which may lead to some kind of "e­nlig­htenment" but also to serious
delusions. The most typical among these is megalo­mania, witness the
self-importance of the assorted gurus and messiahs in the modern cult
scene.

Hindu yogis claim to have left these dangerous mind games behind
because their fore­bears have developed a safe and sound method laid
down in such clas­sics as Patan­jali's Yoga Sutra. Ram Swarup (Hindu
View of Chris­tianity and Islam, Voice of India, Delhi 1993, p.45-46)
argues that the methodical and systematic "science of yoga" has a
substantial qualitative edge over other forms of mysticism or
mediumi­sm. From this angle, it is unfair -- even if fashionably in
tune with the "equal truth of all religions" doctrine -- to put yoga
in one class with the ex­periments of Shamans taking hal­lucinoge­nic
plants, or with the uninvited voice-hearing ex­perien­ces of Mohammed.

In recent years, Ram Swarup and Sita Ram Goel have further developed
Swami Vivekananda's position on the nature of Quranic revelatio­n. Ram
Swarup has elaborated on the yogic theory of samadhi (enstasis) states
of different levels of purity, which allows for states of high
concentration tainted by delusion (Hindu View of Christianity and
Islam, p.107). S.R. Goel has pointed out the similarity between
Mohammed's experiences and that of other men who combined a
susceptibility to convulsive trance states with a great charisma and
strategic ability, most notably Chengiz Khan (Goel, ed.: The Calcutta
Quran Petition, 3rd ed., Voice of India, Delhi 1999, p.238-249; with
reference to Ibn Ishâq: Sîrat Rasûl Allâh, tra. Alfred Guillaume: The
Life of Mohammed, OUP Karachi, p.104/150-107/154).

They conclude that the Pagan Arabs had every right to reject
Mohammed's claims, born from a deluded conscio­usness and then
propagated on a war footing, but that they made the one mistake which
history does not forgive, viz. the mistake of being defeated. However,
"the fact that they failed to unders­tand the ways of Moham­med and
could not match his mailed fist in the final round, should not be held
against them. It was neither the first nor the last time that a
democratic society suc­cumbed in the face of deter­mined gangsteri­sm.
We know how Lenin, Hitler and Mao Tse-tung succeeded in our own
times." (Goel: Hindu Temples, vol.2, 2nd ed., p.272)

As far as I can see, the foregoing constitutes the single most radical
criticism of Islam available in the world. Chris­tian critics, no
matter how fierce, usually appreciate at least Mohammed's monotheism,
which does not impress these Hindu auth­ors. They are also inhibited
in criticizing the deluded nature of Mohammed's "revelations", as they
profess a belief in the divine revelations to the Old Testament
prophets. Though "irreverent" and "demytho­lo­gi­zing" are among the
most spec­ious words of praise in the review columns of modern
newspapers, few people have the stomach for something as ir­reverent
and demytholo­gizing as the Hindu revivalist analysis of the Prophet's
mission.

2. The modern view of the Quranic trance

Some modern Western and even some Muslim-born scholars have diagnosed
the process of Quranic revelation to Mohammed as a case of paranoid
delusion. For now we shall discuss the analysis offered by the Marxist
scholar Maxime Rodin­son. In his Penguin monograph Mohammed, p.76-79,
he starts out by rejecting the allegation that Mohammed's claim to
receiving visions in a state of trance (wahi) was fraudulent. This
allegation has of course been made by Christian polemicists against
Islam, but also by modern leftist sympathizers of Islam seeking to
recast Mohammed in the mould of a social progressive. In order to
further his purported programme of social reform, Mohammed is said to
have enacted the role of conveyor of God's injunctions merely to carry
more conviction with an audience steeped in religion. Against this
line of thought, Rodinson argues:

"Modern advances in psychology and psychiatry have made short work of
such simplistic explanations of fraud, whether justifiable or
otherwise. The reaction may even have gone too far in the other
direction, for there have been, and still are, cases of real fraud.
But their number is limited. At all events, it is now generally
understood and admitted that certain individuals can sincerely believe
that they are the recipients of visual, auditory and mental messages
from the Beyond; and also that their sincerity is no proof that these
messages really come from where they are claimed to come."

So, where did the Quranic messages come from?

"It is the concept of the unconscious that has enabled us to
understand these things. (…) One has only to dip into psychology
text-books to find a hundred perfectly bona fide cases of people in a
state of hallucination hearing things and seeing visions which they
claim quite genuinely never to have seen or heard before. And yet an
objective study of their cases shows that these are simply fresh
associations produced by the unconscious working on things which have
been seen or heard but forgotten."

Just like a dream, a hallucination recombines old sensory and mental
impressions:

"It is therefore conceivable that what Muhammad saw and heard may have
been the beings described to him by the Jews and Christians with whom
he talked. It is understandable that, in the words that came to him,
elements of his actual experience, the stuff of his thoughts, dreams
and meditations, and memories of the discussions that he had heard,
should have re-emerged, chopped, changed and transposed, with an
appearance of immediate reality that seemed to him proof of some
external activity which, although inaccessible to other men's minds,
was yet wholly objective in its nature."

Throughout his career as a Prophet (except, as we shall see, at the
very beginning), Mohammed genuinely believed that the visions and
spoken messages which he "received" were of divine origin. His wahi or
Quranic trance seemed to make a far deeper impression on his mind than
any ordinary human experience could, and he therefore considered it
supremely real.

Today, both in mental hospitals and in the cult scene, you can find
numerous people who likewise believe to be regular recipients of
messages from Above. In some cases, these people manage to make others
believe in their claims, too. They then set themselves up as cult
leaders, revered by a group of followers as their direct telephone
line to God or the spirit world. It is not uncommon for people who
regularly hallucinate to function fairly normally in the world,
sometimes even highly successfully. Thus, Joan of Arc derived from her
visions the strength to lead an army against the British invaders of
France. Chengiz Khan transmuted the shamanic messages from his god
Il-Tengri into a trail of battlefield victories founding a far-flung
empire, which disintegrated a few generations later. In terms of
durability and ultimate geographical expansion of his
religio-political empire, Mohammed was the single most successful
voice-hearer in world history.

It is only in a very few cases later on in his career that both
contemporaries and later scholars of Islam have found reason to cast
doubt on the genuineness of certain instances of his Quranic trance.
These are the cases where the divine messages received during wahi
were just a little too convenient not to look like Mohammed's
self-serving fabrications. The best-known instance is when Mohammed
received permission from Allah to marry Zaynab, the repudiated wife of
his adopted son Zayd. Under Arab customary law, this union was
prohibited, but in a timely revelation (Q.33:37, 33:50), Allah
exempted Mohammed from this law. Christian polemicists against Islam
have often cited the Zaynab episode as proof of Mohammed's insatiable
lust, but in fact its indication of self-serving manipulation of the
wahi by Mohammed is more damaging to the Islamic belief system.

According to Rodinson: "It is true that, later on, some disturbing
characteristics did appear. Muhammad had to take day-to-day decisions,
decisions of a political, practical and legislative nature, which
could not wait for some unspecified moment when the spirit might see
fit to breathe on him. He was constantly under fire, bombarded with
questions and requests for advice. The divinely inspired nature of his
replies gave them a solid basis of authority. Did he yield to the
temptation to nudge the truth a little? Some of the revelations
correspond a little too closely to what might have been the Prophet's
own human desires and calculations. Or was it, once again, his
unconscious at work? We shall never know."

These few somewhat suspect instances should at any rate not make us
lose sight of the general case: "When his soul was thus plunged into
the void (…) Muhammad then attained periodic states of ecstasy in
which he felt that he had been stripped of his own personality,
submitting passively to the invasion of a mysterious force, (…) he
experienced the phenomena described above – seeing and hearing things,
either inwardly or outwardly, in the mind or the imagination. We find
these ecstasies and sensory phenomena in a very similar form among
persons suffering from recognized mental conditions such as hysteria,
schizophrenia and uncontrolled verbalization."

If anything can dispel the lingering doubt about Mohammed's genuine
belief in the reality of his trance visions, it is the description of
his own reaction when these psychic phenomena started. Rodinson: "A
study of Muhammad's earliest messages, coupled with a perusal of
accounts of the crises of doubt or despair which preceded or
accompanied them, can only produce a skeptical attitude towards the
theories which see them as evidence of a coolly calculated plan
carried out ruthlessly from motives of either ambition or
philanthropy. And these accounts do seem to be authentic. Tradition,
concerned to stress the supernatural affiliations of Muhammed's
personality, would not have invented from scratch such very human
traits."

3. Mohammed's reaction to the Quranic trance

The first person to doubt the genuineness of the Quranic "revelations"
was Mohammed himself. This was at the very beginning of his career,
when during his Ramadhân retreat outside Mecca in AD 610, he had an
audio-visual experience in which he both heard and saw the archangel
Gabriel, calling upon him to "Recite!" (Iqrâ', from Qara'a, whence
Qur'ân). Upon receiving his first "revelation", Mohammed thought he
was going mad, or in the parlance of those days, that he was getting
possessed by an evil spirit.

He didn't want to spend the rest of his life as Mecca's village idiot,
and so, preferring death to disgrace, he decided to throw himself from
a high rock: "Now none of God's creatures was more hateful to me than
an ecstatic poet or a man possessed: I could not even look at them. I
thought, Woe is me poet or possessed -- Never shall Quraish [i.e. his
fellow tribesmen of the Quraish tribe] say this of me! I will go to
the top of the mountain and throw myself down that I may kill myself
and gain rest." (Ibn Ishâq's Sîrat Rasûl Allâh, tra. Alfred Guillaume:
The Life of Mohammed, p.106/153)

The history of Islam could have ended there and then, with Mohammed
escaping the spell of the alleged evil spirit by jumping to his death.
But the ghost himself came to the rescue, as Mohammed testified: "So I
went forth to do so and then, when I was midway on the mountain, I
heard a voice from heaven saying, 'O Mohammed! Thou art the apostle of
God and I am Gabriel.'" (ibid.)

So, the vision repeated itself. We don't know if that was sufficient
to reassure Mohammed about his sanity, but then another and more
decisive factor intervened to save him: "And I continued standing
there, neither advancing nor turning back, until Khadija sent her
messengers in search of me and they gained the high ground above Mecca
and returned to her while I was standing in the same place; and he
[i.e. Gabriel] parted from me and I from him, returning to my family."
(ibid.)

It was indeed his wife Khadija who saved him and helped him to accept
the trance states as they became a recurring and then a regular
feature of his life. Later on, she supported him when others doubted
his prophetic claims: "By her, God lightened the burden of His
prophet. He never met with contradiction and charges of falsehood,
which saddened him, but God comforted him when he went home. She
strengthened him, lightened his burden, proclaimed his truth, and
belittled men's opposition." (Ishaq/Guillaume:111/155) But more
importantly, she supported and soothed Mohammed in the crucial phase
when he himself entertained the deepest doubts about his own sanity.

This is how she did it. When Mohammed came home, he told her: "Woe is
me poet or possessed." But she replied: "I take refuge in God from
that, o Abû'l Qâsim [i.e. "father of Qâsim", after Mohammed's first
son Qâsim]. God would not treat you thus since he knows your
truthfulness, your great trustworthiness, your fine character, and
your kindness. This cannot be, my dear. Perhaps you did see
something." And Mohammed answered: "Yes, I did." (Ishaq/Guillaume:
106/153)

Certainly Mohammed had seen something, meaning that his sensory nerves
had indeed produced a visual sensation. But was it a false sensation,
or in the parlance of the day, the impact of ghost-possession? Khadija
and her Christian cousin Waraqa b. Naufal eagerly embraced the idea
that Mohammed had had a genuine vision and had been invested with the
mantle of prophethood, but Mohammed himself, with his skeptical-Pagan
background, still had his doubts. Fortunately, his loving wife knew a
way to decide the matter and convince him of both his sanity and his
new prophetic mission.

She asked him to notify her when his visitor returned, so that they
could verify whether he really was the archangel Gabriel or an
ordinary demon. "So when Gabriel came to him, as he was wont, the
apostle said to Khadija, 'This is Gabriel who has just come to me.'
'Get up, o son of my uncle', she said, 'and sit by my left thigh.' The
apostle did so, and she said, 'Can you see him?' 'Yes', he said. She
said, 'Then turn round and sit on my right thigh.' He did so, and she
said, 'Can you see him?' When he said that he could, she asked him to
move and sit in her lap. When he had done this, she again asked if he
could see him, and when he said yes, she disclosed her form and cast
aside her veil while the apostle was sitting in her lap. Then she
said, 'Can you see him?' And he replied, 'No.' She said, 'O son of my
uncle, rejoice and be of good heart, by God he is an angel and not a
Satan." (Ishaq/Guillaume: 107/154)

In modern language, this account relates how Mohammed's vision of the
Archangel waned and disappeared as his wife turned up the heat of
sexual arousal. Narrator Ibn Ishaq adds a second tradition (through
Khadija's daughter Fatima, her son Husayn, his daughter Fatima, her
son Abdullah b. Hasan) which is even more explicit in this regard,
viz. that "she made the apostle of God come inside her shift, and
thereupon Gabriel departed, and she said to the apostle of God, 'This
verily is an angel and not a satan.'" (ibid.) The underlying
assumption appears to be that a lustful demon, the kind who might take
possession of a man's soul, would have stayed around to enjoy the
sight of Mohammed and Khadija's sexual intercourse; whereas an angel
with his ethos of renunciation would politely withdraw from the scene.

After his wife had provided him with this experimental proof of the
genuineness of his meeting with the Archangel, Mohammed was cured of
his doubts. He could now safely embark upon his career as God's
exclusive spokesman and frequent recipient of Gabriel's messages,
which were written down by a secretary and later collected into a
book, the Qur'ân. Only on one occasion would the doubt briefly
reappear, viz. during the episode of the "Satanic verses".

Frustrated at the unyielding skepticism of his Meccan townsfolk, the
Prophet consciously or subconsciously devised a way to win them over
to the acceptance of his prophetic claims. He would compromise on the
central item in his theology, viz. the falseness of the gods of the
Arabian pantheon as contrasted with the unique reality of Allah alone.
Modern apologists slanderously depict the Meccan heathens as fanatics
intolerant of Mohammed's innovative cult, but in reality they were
always eager for reconciliation. They were pluralistic or what modern
Indians would call "secular". At a meeting outside their national
shrine, the Ka'ba, they proposed to Mohammed: "Come let us worship
what you worship, and you worship what we worship. You and we will
combine in the matter." (Ishaq/Guillaume: 165/239) They were even
willing to shed some of their religious practices if those of Mohammed
were to prove superior: "If what you worship is better than what we
worship, we will take a share of it, and if what we worship is better
than what you worship, you can take a share of that." (ibid.)

It is at this point that Mohammed received an anti-pluralistic and
anti-compromise "revelation": "Say, o disbelievers, I do not worship
what you worship, and you do not worship what I worship, and I will
not worship what you have been wont to worship, nor will you worship
that which I worship. To you your religion and to me my religion."
(Q.109; note that both fools and knaves sometimes quote the latter
sentence as proof of Mohammed's pluralism, when the context actually
shows it to mean the exact opposite.) On another occasion, viz. around
the deathbed of Mohammed's uncle Abû Tâlib, the Meccans again pleaded
reconciliation and pluralism with the words: "Let him have his
religion and we will have ours". But once more Mohammed refused all
compromise and demanded that they accept his monotheism and his claim
to prophethood, nothing less. (Ishaq/Guillaume:191/278)

Yet, at one point he did give in to the tempting idea of a quick way
to bring the Meccans into his fold, viz. by accepting the reality and
auspicious role of the three popular goddesses al-Lât, al-Uzzâ and
Manât. A revelation duly arrived from heaven, saying: "Have you
thought of al-Lât and al-Uzzâ and Manât, the third, the other? These
are the exalted cranes whose intercession is approved."
(Ishaq/Guillaume:165/239) The Meccans were enthusiastic, prostrating
along with the Muslims at the mention of the goddesses in Allah's
company, and word even spread that they had converted to Islam.

But then another revelation came down, telling Mohammed that he had
been deceived by Satan, who had smuggled these goddess-revering words
into the channel of the prophet's wahi or revelatory trance, falsely
making it look like a divine message on a par with all the others
Quranic verses. So Allah annulled the Satanic verses and sent down the
verse: "We have not sent a prophet or apostle before you but when he
longed [viz. for acceptance], Satan cast suggestions into his longing.
But God will annul what Satan has suggested. The God will establish
his verses, God being knowing and wise." (Q.22:51/52;
Ishaq/Guillaume:166/239) Since then, the Quran gives a corrected
reading, this one properly revealed by Gabriel himself: "Have ye seen
Lât, and Uzzâ, and another, the third, Manât? (….) These are nothing
but names which ye have devised, ye and your fathers, for which Allah
has sent down no authority." (Q.53:19-23)

Mohammed got away with it, the indignation among a few of his
followers at this lapse from orthodoxy remaining brief and
inconsequential. But an objective observer cannot avoid facing the
question: if the prophet could be thus deceived by Satan, how could he
know on all the other occasions that he hadn't been deceived? The only
answer the Islamic apologist can come up with, is the one given in the
above narrative: God or Gabriel told Mohammed which revelation to
believe and which one to reject as false. That way, the only guarantee
of revelation is another revelation.

But at least we can sympathize with Mohammed's brief pang of
conscience when he realized the deception (he "was bitterly grieved
and greatly in fear of God", according to Ishaq/Guillaume:166/239).
Clearly he tried to be honest and bring only genuine revelations to
his audience. Unfortunately, the fullness of Mohammed's critical sense
vis-à-vis his revelations had been abandoned at the very beginning,
when, safe and warm between Khadija's thighs, he had accepted the
basic genuineness of the process of divine revelation through the
voice and vision of Gabriel.

4. Cultural relativism comes to the defence of Mohammed's wahi

There is a school in psychiatry, now well past its prime but quite
strong in the 1960s and 70s, which rejects the whole notion that we
can arrive at a diagnosis of mental disturbance for people from other
climes and cultures. If you tell that crowd about a psychopathological
diagnosis of a 7th-century Arab, they will dismiss it as cultural
imperialism, as projection of modern notions onto radically different
premodern cultures. In non-specialist circles, this cultural
relativism is now probably stronger than ever before: postmodern
intellectuals refuse to be "judgmental" about characters from other
cultures, including the Prophet of Islam.

Thus, it is argued that more or less controlled and ritualized forms
of ghost-possession were an established part of many cultures since
thousands of years. This way, Mohammed's Quranic trance (wahi) could
be justified as a form of Shamanic contact with the spirit world. To
be sure, clas­sifying Moham­­­­­med as a kind of Shamanic medium would
still un­der­mine his claim to a unique status as the final prop­het,
but it does sound better than labels like "hallucination" or "sensory
delusion". Georg Feuerstein (Holy Mad­ness, Arkana Books 1992, a book
on the interface between religion and altered mental states, p.15)
does Mohammed the honour of describing him as a "mystic".

And yet, the relativistic position is refuted by spokesmen of those
premodern cultures themselves. It is simply not true that where we see
pathological symptoms, the ancients merely saw a state of divine
intervention. Some of the terms still in common use as names of
specific psychopathological syndromes, such as mania and paranoia,
originate with the ancient Greeks. Manuals of Ayurvedic and Tibetan
medicine already try to classify and treat mental problems. Indeed, it
is hard to find any culture which doesn't have a notion of "madness",
however vague and general. In this particular case, we cannot say that
the 7th-century Arabs already had an embryonic knowledge of
psychiatry, but at least they were clearly of the view that there was
something wrong with Mohammed's mind.

In our latest chapter, we saw that Mohammed himself initially evinced
a healthy skepticism vis-à-vis the visions and revelations which he
had started receiving from AD 610 onwards. It was mainly his first
wife Khadija who helped him in getting accustomed to this recurring
psychic phenomenon and in accepting his status of prophet. Meanwhile,
most of his townsfolk in Mecca remained unconvinced. It is not modern
neo-colonial Western psychologists who imposed this skepticism on
them, it is clearly they themselves who, within the framework of their
own culture, saw sufficient reason to reject Mohammed's belief in his
status of recipient of divine revelation.

The Quran itself gives more than a dozen instances where Mohammed, or
the "voice" he heard, puts him on guard against the Meccans' view that
his revelations are merely the effect of ghost-possession. This is
very explicit in the ten verses 15:6, 23:70/72, 34:8, 34:46/45,
37:36/35, 44:14/13, 52:29, 68:2, 68:51, 81:22. Thus: "They say; 'He
suffers of ghost-possession'? No, he came to them with truth but most
of them abhor truth." (23:70/72)

To this list, Mohammed himself adds several references to Biblical
prophets likewise accused of ghost-possession: earlier prophets in
general 51:52, Noah 23:25, Moses 26:27/26 and 51:39. It is to be noted
that the Bible nowhere mentions such an allegation against Noah, Moses
or most other prophets. The one exception is verse 9:7 of Hosea, a
prophet apparently unknown to Mohammed: "They call the man of the
spirit a madman: so great is their guilt that their resistance is
likewise great". Undoubtedly, Mohammed, whose knowledge of the Bible
was only sketchy, was merely projecting his own plight onto Noah and
Moses.

To be sure, the Arabs were not modern psychiatrists, they had no
clear-cut diagnosis though they were in no doubt that something was
wrong. In a few instances, they gave the alternative explanation that
Mohammed was an ambitious but fanciful poet who had merely invented it
all: Q.21:5, 36:69, 37:36/35, 52:30, e.g.: "But no, they say: 'A web
of dreams. He must have invented them. He must be a poet.'" (21:5)
They also opined that he was "enchanted": 17:47/50, 25:8/9. Mohammed
counters this by calling the unbelievers themselves enchanted
(23:89/91), but mostly, we again see Mohammed defending himself with
the plea that the same allegation had been made against earlier
prophets: Moses 17:107/108, Shu'aib 26:185, Salih 26:153.

The argument that "I am a prophet but am not acknowledged as such by
my narrow-minded contemporaries, just as the ancient prophets were not
given due recognition either" somehow manages to make non-recognition
into an indication of genuine prophethood. Ordinary people would start
doubting themselves when confronted with general skepticism of their
beliefs. But not Mohammed, whose reasoning went like this: because I
have these revelations from above, because I have the exceptional
status of prophet, people reject me or laugh at me, but far from
shaking my belief in the divine origin of these visions, this merely
proves the weightiness and genuineness of my prophetic mission, for it
puts me up there in the top league with prophets like Noah and Moses.
For people of the scientific temper, this subjective and self-centred
rationalization of the negative feedback that Mohammed encountered,
can be put aside as just that: a fallacious rationalization of a
private belief easily recognized as irrational.

5. Herman Somers' diagnosis of Mohammed

Ever since Mohammed's first preachings, people have tried to pinpoint
the psychic ailment accounting for his prophetic self-delusion. Thus,
some Christian polemicists described him as an epileptic, citing
episodes in which he foamed at the mouth and rolled on the floor. This
was a meritorious guess, but its explanatory power was limited because
the neurological disorder of epilepsy need not be accompanied by
hallucinations and an enduring self-delusion. However, now that
psychopathology has matured into a scientific discipline, a more
accurate diagnosis is available.

The Flemish psychologist, Dr. Herman Somers, formerly a Jesuit who
became a religious skeptic after discovering psychopathological
elements in the utterances of some Biblical prophets, has elaborated
the first technical diagnosis of Mohammed's behaviour. So far, it is
only available in Dutch: Een andere Mohammed ("A different Mohammed",
Hadewych, Antwerp 1993), but I will give its general outline in
English. The basis of this diagnosis is the elaborate description of
Mohammed's personality and conduct provided by the Quran and by the
Hadîth (traditions of the prophet, grouped by theme) and Sîra
(chronological biography) literature.

As for the nature of these sources, it is worth noting the contrast
between Jesus and Mohammed. Jesus is a composite literary character
made up of essentially historical reports on a wandering
healer-preacher combined with religious stereotypes, partly borrowed
from other traditions, and with deliberate interpolations made by the
evangelists in compliance with the developing political and
theological needs of the budding Church. Mohammed, on the other hand,
is a fully historical character.

To be sure, we are aware of unconventional theories questioning the
historicity of the entire Mohammed narrative including the Quran (vide
e.g. Ibn Warraq: The Origins of the Koran, Prometheus, New York 1998).
If these were to be accepted, Islam is in very deep trouble, for the
whole edifice of Islamic belief and jurisprudence is based on the
assumption of the historicity of the traditions concerning Mohammed.
It is not our job to save Islam from these skeptics, but we think they
are going too far.

One of the reasons why the tradition should be given the benefit of
the doubt is that it contains too many admissions against interest,
accounts of less than flattering data about Mohammed and his
companions (even about Mohammed being derided as a madman), clearly
included because they happened to be known as factual to
contemporaneous audiences and not because they served anyone's
political or hagiographical interests. Another reason is that there is
simply no motive for inventing most of it. In the case of certain
political rules laid down by the Prophet, one could still assume
strong motives on the part of later contenders for leadership to
attribute this or that position to the Prophet,-- though in that case,
it is strange that he was allowed to remain silent on so many
contentious issues, e.g. that before his death, he wasn't made to
speak out on the question of how his succession was to proceed (a
matter leading to a fratricidal war, the murder of caliph Ali and his
son Hussein, and the Shiite schism). But the tradition contains many
uncontroversial judgments and regulations and plenty of humdrum
information devoid of implications for later inter-Muslim power
struggles or theological system-building; it is unlikely that this was
all interpolated. This is especially true when it comes to the
description of the Prophet: the Ummayad- or Abbasid-age
traditionalists had nothing to gain from describing Mohammed's
complexion, hygienic habits, sex life etc. with the information they
gave rather than with any other.

Even if a lot has been added to or changed in the historical data
during the editing of the core Islamic text corpus, many correct data
must have been preserved. In particular, if the tradition describes a
pathological syndrome entirely in conformity with modern medical
knowledge unavailable to the authors, it is clear that the latter
cannot have invented the description but must have been describing a
real case to which they or their informants had been witnesses. Dr.
Somers explains:

"The reader be warned against a strange type of reasoning by certain
doctores, whether historians or medics. They assume that the preserved
traditions have been written down belatedly, that they are hard to
control, and that some clearly belong to mythology. Preparing a
diagnosis on the basis of such uncertain data is clearly nonsense. (…)
They forget that they are proceeding from an unproven and dubious
supposition, viz. that all data in the sources are untrue and
unreliable. (…) First of all, the tradition undeniably preserves a
number of more or less reliable data. Secondly, modern science
disposes of detailed information about all kinds of diseases. These
information elements are called symptoms; they are bundled into
syndromes. (…) What we now find, to our amazement, is that the facts
passed on to us by the tradition correspond with the symptoms and
syndromes known to modern science. Now, if these traditions describe
the facts with such exactitude, they must be reliable." (p.18)

It is one thing if someone makes a general claim that Mister X is
"mad" (as in jokes about a stereotypical madcap's hilarious
behaviour), but quite another when he describes in detail the typical
development of the paranoia syndrome. In the latter case, either he is
a student of modern psychopathology quoting a textbook description, or
he is describing an actual case to which he was a witness.

Mohammed, according to Dr. Somers, was a classic case of paranoia. The
syndrome of paranoia is essentially characterized by a delusion about
oneself nourished by recurring hallucinations. These hallucinations
may be auditory (hearing voices), visual (seeing visions or
apparitions), or purely mental (being struck with sudden "insights" of
enormous and unshakable certainty, not susceptible to falsification by
reality). The delusion typically puts the affected person in the
centre of events: either he is the target of a ubiquitous and
all-powerful conspiracy (delusion of persecution); or he is the
privileged witness to a cosmic event, esp. the imminent end of the
world; or he has been selected for a unique mission.

Mohammed's life-story offers only a hint at a delusion of persecution.
He (and later his apologists) liked to see himself as persecuted by
the Meccans, which is usually given as the reason for his migration to
Yathrib/Medina. While this might have been true, the reality of his
interaction with the Meccans after his migration suggests otherwise.
Thus, a few months later, he lets his followers invite their families
from Mecca to join them in Medina. However, if the Meccans had really
been serious about confronting and "persecuting" Mohammed, it is
unlikely that they would have allowed these relatives to leave, as
they made perfect hostages of great strategic value in a grim
confrontation.

The delusion of being privy to esoteric information about the
approaching end of the world (though not about its exact timing, a
prediction that would have been uncomfortably testable), also
announced by some Biblical prophets, is already much more pronounced.
The verses Q.15:85, 44:10/9 and 78:40 assure us that the end is nigh
(as Jesus' apostles had also been made to believe). The description of
the Final Judgment is one of the main recurring themes of the Quran.
While partly based on Mohammed's hearsay knowledge of Jewish and
Christian theology, it is charged with a strong personal involvement
based on his deeply impressing visions of how the Judgment would
arrive, what the fate of the different categories of men would be, and
what the roles of major religious beings in it would be: that of a
gloriously returning Jesus, but also that of Mohammed himself.

Mohammed's central delusion, however, was his belief, first hesitant
but soon becoming unshakable, that he had been selected for a unique
mission of cosmic proportions. He is God's spokesman, and not just one
among many, but in his age the only spokesman, and for the remaining
interval before Judgment Day also the final spokesman, the "Seal of
the Prophets". This unique mission forms the contents of his second
"revelation" on that fateful day in the month of Ramadhân, AD 610. In
the first "revelation", the archangel Gabriel had ordered him: "Read!"
(or "Recite!", or "Proclaim aloud!"), and Mohammed had been left
confused and incomprehending. Thinking that he was becoming "a man
possessed", he made up his mind to go and commit suicide, but then
Gabriel appeared again, this time with a very clear message: "O
Mohammed, thou art the apostle of God and I am Gabriel."
(Ishaq/Guillaume, p.106/153 ; Q.96:1)

This self-delusion turned the businessman Mohammed into a prophet,
then a cult leader for a small secret circle, next a prominent
religious leader with political ambitions, and finally the first
emperor of all Arabia and founder of a conquering world religion. It
forms the core of the creed pronounced by all Muslims: "There is no
God but God and Mohammed is God's prophet." (At this point I won't go
into a theologico-linguistic discussion of the name Allâh, analysable
as "the God", "the deity", sometimes used by the Pagan Arabs as a
generic term for any deity, sometimes as a title for a kind of deus
otiosus at the top of their pantheon, then singled out by Mohammed as
the only genuine deity.) Whereas monotheism, the belief in a single
God, is espoused by several other religions beside Islam, the belief
in Mohammed's prophethood, which implies the belief in the divine
origin of the Quran and hence the commitment to revere and obey the
Quran, is the unique and defining doctrine of Islam. Sad to say, this
world religion espoused by more than a billion contemporary human
beings, is based on a private delusion entertained by its founder.

6. Further symptoms

Of all the founders of religions, none has left a more detailed
biography than the Prophet of Islam. So, what useful information about
Mohammed's psyche can be distilled from the core texts of Islam in
order to give more body to our suspicion of a paranoid condition?

About his childhood, admittedly the less public part of his life and
hence less likely to yield information that was widely remembered, a
few strange data emerge which can be interpreted as prodromes or
pre-symptoms. As a three-year-old, he was found lying on the ground,
pale and in shock, and he complained to his foster-parents
(townspeople often put their children in the care of poor country
folk) that two white-clad men had come and opened his belly, looking
for something. His foster-mother Halima even considered returning him
to his real mother, not wanting to bear the responsibility if
something went wrong with the boy, and she opined to her that the boy
might "have a jinn" or ghost. As indications of a latent mental
problem, this is still pretty vague, but this much is clear that even
as a boy, Mohammed was noticed as a special case.

When he became a young man and his vital powers were strong, these
strange traits were not in evidence, but as he entered middle age,
they returned. In the years preceding the start of the Quranic
revelations, we know that his wife Khadija thought he had the "evil
eye". For this reason, she sent him to exorcists for treatment. This
again we only know in very general terms, but it corroborates the
suspicion that Mohammed was predisposed to developing a mental
problem, and that his contemporaries were aware of his unusual psychic
complexion. When the prophetic trances became really serious,
involving the vision of the archangel Gabriel, Khadija took him to the
Christian godman Waraqa ibn Naufal, who certified the genuineness of
Mohammed's visions. From that point onwards, her supportive attitude
to her husband's initially desperate attempts to come to terms with
his trances took on the character of a folie à deux: though not
afflicted herself, she went along with his self-delusion. She became
the first believer, the first one to surrender (islâm) her
common-sense judgment and take his claims as true.

More than these corroborative indications, however, it is the contents
of Mohammed's hallucinations which clearly mark him as a paranoia
patient. A loud voice localized in heaven or in a gigantic heavenly
person speaks to him in the second person: you are the prophet, chosen
to convey the words of the Creator of the Universe. He is given a
uniquely central role in the cosmic scheme of things: God's final
spokesman, the rightful ruler of mankind as God's vice-regent on
earth, mediator for sinful mortals on the impending Day of Judgment.

The disproportion between his new self-perception and his actual
social status as an ordinary businessman and later as a derided cult
leader was unbearable. In fact, intolerance of others' skepticism,
along with vengefulness, is a typical trait of paranoia patients. And
so, we find Mohammed singling out each of his critics for
assassination or execution. Not that other, more regular tyrants
haven't executed critics, but it fits Mohammed's paranoid personality,
and only the non-occurrence of his campaign of vengeance against his
doubters would have given us reason to doubt the diagnosis of
paranoia. Incidentally, not a few of these other tyrants may also have
exhibited traces of paranoia, a condition which (unlike schizophrenia
and some more psychopathological syndromes) is not incompatible with
worldly success. Megalomania, in particular, often provides a strong
motivation for the climb to centrality and power.

7. The physical basis of a mental problem

Mohammed's megalomania may partly have been an overcompensation for
the misery he had suffered, the early death of his parents and of his
little sons. Yet, this purely psychological explanation of the
Freudian type cannot fully explain the strange phenomena surrounding
the development of his delusion: the hallucinations and their
neurological infrastructure. The denial of physical determinants in
favour of purely socio-psychological explanations (for problems
ranging from poor school performance to impotence), so popular from
Freud down to the 1970s, has given way to a restored respect for the
materiality of the human being: as a conscious subject, he may
establish his freedom by skilfully sailing on the sea of his material
being, but he is affected by its storms, which are not of his own
mind's making. The immediate impact of psychotropic drugs on one's
mental condition, for better or for worse, provides experimental proof
for the relative materiality of our minds. Less sensationally, it has
now been established that the sufficient or insufficient presence of
certain hormones and even of certain minerals and vitamins in the body
may cause good or poor concentration, aggressiveness or passivity,
euphoria or depression, or other mental states.

Therefore, it may be apt to search for physical problems underlying
the Prophet's mental troubles, and this is what Dr. Somers has tried
to do in his book Een Andere Mohammed. Of Mohammed's physical traits,
one which draws the attention is that he suffered of chronic
headaches, which he tried to remedy by bleeding himself in two veins
in his neck. While in itself not enough to indicate a brain problem,
it certainly will fit that picture as soon as more indications are
found.

The mention of his falling on the ground once during a trance was
earlier interpreted as an indication of epilepsy, e.g. by the
Byzantine author Theophanes in his Chronographia (AD 814). But this is
clearly unsatisfactory, not only because epilepsy is not typically
accompanied by a permanent self-delusion, but mainly because one of
its typical symptoms is the complete forgetfulness about even the
occurrence of an epileptic fit after the recovery. Paranoid (or
similar) hallucinations, by contrast, leave a very strong impression
on the mind.

Closer to an explicit symptomatology is Mohammed's own description of
the physical sensations accompanying his trance, as Somers explains.
During the initial revelations, the Prophet felt the angel's presence
exerting an enormous, suffocating pressure on him. To Abdullah ibn
Umar he once described the sensations typically accompanying the
trance: loud noise, being hit by a mighty blow, feeling outside
himself. The intensity of the sound was unbearable to his
oversensitive ears (or rather his auditory brain centre), which is
also why he disliked live music, a dislike later emulated by Padeshah
(Moghul emperor) Aurangzeb in the late 17th century and by Ayatollah
Khomeini in the 1980s as a matter of piety. Somers also quotes Ibn
Sa'd recording the Prophet's words: "Revelation comes to me in two
ways. Sometimes Gabriel comes and speaks to me from man to man, but I
forget what he says then. But sometimes he comes to me with the sound
of a bell, like the roaring of many waters, so that I get into
confusion. But what is revealed to me in this manner never lets go of
me again."

This indicates an identifiable neuropathological basis for Mohammed's
hallucinations. As a hypothetical physiological explanation of
Mohammed's mental problems, Dr. Somers suggests that very near the
main sensory (auditory and visual) nerves in the mid-brain and on the
front part of his pituitary gland, Mohammed may have developed a
tumour. The descriptions of Mohammed's physical characteristics may
indicate traces of acromegaly, a disorder involving a belatedly
over-active growth hormone and leading to roughness of the extremities
and a strong body odour (suggested by Mohammed's well-attested
abundant use of perfumes), and that would only confirm this
hypothesis. But this, of course, is more speculative than the
well-established psychopathological diagnosis of Mohammed's paranoia
condition. As both Arabic scholarship and neuropathological science
continue to progress, future researchers may determine more definitely
what we must leave as merely an interesting hypothesis for now.
Mohammed's paranoia, by contrast, is an obvious, scripturally
well-attested and diagnostically articulate fact.

8. Dealing with a mistaken religion

Now that science has spoken out on the true nature of Mohammed's
revelations, we should explore the practical implications of this new
and more enlightened understanding of Islam. How to deal with our
Muslim neighbours now that we realize they are the prisoners of a
gigantic centuries-spanning delusion?

(1) Distinctions within Islam

The first thing to do is to cultivate a correct understanding of Islam
among ourselves. Whenever something critical is said about Islam,
non-Muslims are always the first to come to its defence and to lambast
the critics as "prejudiced hate-mongers" or some such unthinking
hate-filled smear. Just as the so-called "anti-anti-Communists"
provided the first line of defence to Communism by countering or
ridiculing every serious anti-Communist argument, we are now faced
with anti-anti-Islamism as the first major roadblock on the way to a
candid analysis of the Islamist problem. Many Hindus and other
non-Muslims have a romanticized view of Islam centred on Sufi poetry
and vague reminiscences of civilizational successes during the bygone
Golden Age of Islam. For the sake of argument, we may concede for now
that these are indeed meritorious contributions of Islam. The point is
then to distinguish within Islam its different components.

Charming achievements such as algebra, Arabic calligraphy or the basic
and most attractive ideas of Sufi mysticism are all external to Islam.
Arabic calligraphy, geometrical ornamentation on mosque walls and
other non-figurative aesthetic developments were stimulated by the
Islamic prohibition on the depiction of human or animal life; but they
were no more than variants on art forms which have existed outside and
before Islam as well. Algebra and other sciences were borrowed from
India, China or Greece, as the Arab conquerors readily admitted,
witness their name for the so-called Arabic numerals, viz.
rakmû'l-Hindî, "Indian numerals" (written from left to right, like the
Indian and unlike the Arabic scripts); the belief that they were in
possession of the true religion was enough to bolster their pride, so
they could honestly concede other achievements to other nations. The
central aim of Sufism, the self-extinction in the merger with God, is
obviously borrowed from Buddhist and Vedantic sources. Initially the
orthodox clergy persecuted outspoken Sufis who said blasphemous things
like "anâ'l Haqq" ("I am the True One", Arabic translation of the
Upanishadic dictum "Aham Brahmâsmi"), because they saw through its
un-Islamic inspiration, but later they adapted and domesticated Sufism
into an acceptable Islamic form of devotion for both the spiritual
eccentrics and the sentimental illiterate masses.

At any rate, all these attractive sideshows of Islam can be evaluated
separately without judging the defining beliefs of Islam. Even within
Islamic theology proper, a distinction must be made. Firstly, there is
a distinction between general religiosity or ethics and the
specifically Islamic innovations. Partly in order to gain
respectability, Mohammed included in the Quran and in his own sayings
many elements of traditional morality, injunctions against stealing,
slander, child abuse or marital infidelity. This can be compared with
Moses' Ten Commandments, where his own theological innovations
(monotheism, taboo on idolatry, taboo on uttering the God-name,
keeping a weekly day of rest) are coupled with age-old moral rules
against lying, stealing, disrespect to parents, adultery etc. In both
Moses' and Mohammed's case, the intention seemed to be, to confer the
authority of age-old morality upon the prophet's own innovative
religious ideas. The net result is at any rate that a believer in the
Bible or the Quran can truthfully say that his Holy Book has taught
him morality. That much in the Quran deserves respect: elements of
universal ethics which are not specifically Islamic but which
nonetheless have come to form a part of Islam.

Even in the theological core which defines Islam as distinct from
other religions, a further distinction must be made, one which
practically coincides with the two assertions of the Islamic creed:
monotheism ("there is no God but Allah") and the belief in Mohammed's
prophethood ("and Mohammed is the prophet of Allah"). Monotheism, the
belief in the oneness of the Divine, can be deduced from different
sources of inspiration, not merely the Bible or the Quran. One can
discern a kind of monotheism in Aristotle's philosophy or in Stoicism,
it has been claimed for Zarathushtra's religion of Ahura Mazda, and
even Hindu devotionalism to Vishnu or Shiva is sometimes conceived as
monotheistic. Within the monotheistic framework, Medieval and
Renaissance philosophers (al-Arabi, Cusanus, Bruno, Galilei, Leibniz
et al.) have developed profound conceptions of consciousness and the
universe. In principle, it is possible to subscribe to monotheism
without developing the allegedly typical problematic features of the
major monotheistic religions, viz. their intolerance. So, if your
Muslim neighbour says "Alhamdulillâh" (Praise be to Allah) or some
other Allah invocation, please don't jump to jihadic conclusions. He
may well mean the exact same thing intended by a Hindu who invokes
Bhagwân.

The real problem arises when he understands God/Allah as exclusively
the character revealed in the Quran, the collection of sayings which
Mohammed claimed to have heard from a supernatural source identified
as the Archangel Gabriel. The ultimate core of Islam is not Allah and
monotheism, but Mohammed and prophethood. Monotheism is a fairly
widespread idea, but Mohammed and his Quran are truly the defining
elements of Islam. If the oneness of God can conditionally be accepted
as a valid manner of speaking about the Divine, there can be no
compromise with Mohammed's deluded belief in his exclusive telephone
line with Heaven. Here, we hit the radically irrational and
unacceptable core of Islam. Here, there is no room for sweet-talk,
even if only metaphorically or figuratively intended, of a "basic
unity" or "equal truth" of all religions. The defining core belief of
Islam is wrong. It is nothing but the paranoid delusion of an ordinary
early-medieval Arab businessman. Putting such vain self-delusion on a
par with the profound insights of a Yajñavalkya, a Buddha, a
Confucius, a Laozi or a Socrates, is plainly absurd.

(2) Speaking out

Speaking with Muslims about the deluded basis of Islam may initially
prove to be difficult, both for non-Muslims and for ex-Muslims.
Believers will not like to hear criticism of Islam from anyone, but in
a paradoxical way, they will tolerate more of it from non-Muslims who
enjoy the benefit of their unbeliever status. In the present world,
Muslims have had to accept at least the existence of unbelievers, and
an unbeliever is by definition one who doesn't believe in Mohammed's
prophetic claims. After all, if he believed in Mohammed's claim to
prophethood, he would accept the validity of the Quran and hence the
whole contents of the Quran, and by accepting all that, he would by
definition be a Muslim. So, in private conversation, subject to rules
of politeness and diplomacy, a non-Muslim has a certain freedom to
express his doubts about the core belief of Islam. There is no need to
be intrusive with your message, as most Muslims spontaneously bring up
the subject of the relative superiority of one religion vis-à-vis
another once in a while.

For born Muslims, introducing critical questions about Islam is more
difficult, as it amounts to a statement of apostasy, a crime
punishable by death under Islamic law. Yet, it is mainly these
enlightened ex-Muslims who will do the job of opening the exit gate
from Islam for their Muslim-born brothers and sisters. It is helpful
and meritorious if we non-Muslims speak our minds about the
fundamental questions of religion, but our influence on Muslim
audiences will always be much more limited. We may work for the
inclusion of properly scientific information in all general textbooks
of religious history, so that Muslim children in state-funded schools
will be exposed to a more enlightened view of Mohammed's prophecies;
but we should expect many Muslims to distrust and reject all such
information emanating from unbeliever sources. By contrast, born and
bred Muslims who have shaken off the veil of the faith and exposed
themselves to the light of Reason may have more impact on the Muslim
masses,-- which is why it is also much more dangerous for them to
speak their minds.

However, I am confident that recent developments in communications
technology, particularly the entry of satellite television and the
internet in even the remotest harems of Arabia, will profoundly alter
the mental climate in the Muslim world. So far, a lot of the authority
wielded by the orthodox clergy over their flock was purely the result
of the latter's ignorance about the world outside Islam. Most Muslims
have grown up with caricatured enemy-images of Western and Asian
cultures, which made it that much easier for them to identify
civilization and morality with their own familiar Islam. In the next
decade, their mental horizon is bound to widen dramatically.

Already, websites hosted by ex-Muslims centralize all the information
about the dark side of Islam, about persecutions of non-Muslims and
injustices to women, and more consequentially, about the irrationality
and unsustainability of the core beliefs defining Islam. Books can be
burned and speeches interrupted by the police, but the newer forms of
communication are very discrete and can penetrate into the private
rooms of every inquisitive Muslim.

(3) The alternative

Experience in the secularized West has shown that apostasy from
religion can have unpleasant side-effects. On the one hand, people are
better informed and more open and honest about touchy subjects. On the
other hand, many people flush out ethics and self-restraint along with
the religion which they have come to see as irrational and obsolete.
In this sense, one can sympathize with those Muslims who fear that a
weakening of Islam will lead to immorality, hedonism, crass
consumerism, flaky quasi-religions (whether political, sex-centred or
occultist) and a general lowering of cultural standards. If the world
of non-Islam gets identified with Hollywood, McDonalds and Playboy, it
is understandable that Muslims will cling to the devil they know
rather than expose themselves to the intruding devils from the West.

This is where Hinduism and other Asian spiritual traditions have a key
role to play. They have to show the Muslims that there is life after
apostasy from an irrational belief system. They have to prove that
religion can be something else than a silly acceptance of some
prophet's vainglorious claims about himself. In the case of India, it
is even very simple: Muslims are surrounded by the heirs of one of the
great spiritual traditions of mankind. Hindus have to cultivate or
rekindle the best in their tradition, and Indian Muslims merely have
to switch off a few centuries of Islamic alienation and return to
their native civilization still alive all around them.


LINK
http://koenraadelst.voiceofdharma.com/articles/hinduism/wahi.html

Mac's Chutneyz - 06-10 November 2005

1. Bangladeshi man in Aussie Terror arrest
2. Actionable Intelligence: 17/08 and Thereafter
3. Not by appeasement
4. People's war leads Naxals to a new 'high'
5. US uneasy as Beijing develops a strategic string of pearls
6. On the Campus Prowl: Hizb-Ut-Tahrir Bangladesh

[Chutney of the Day: One of the Sydney suspects, Bangladeshi-born
Abdul Rakib Hasan, has been under the watch of Australia's top spy
agency, the Australian Security Intelligence Organization, since at
least 2003, The Australian newspaper reported. Last month, the
34-year-old Hasan, who runs a halal butchery, appeared in a Sydney
court charged with lying to the agency about his relationship with
Willie Brigitte, a French terror suspect.]

1. From butcher to bit-part actor; a snapshot of Australia's terror suspects

2005/11/9
SYDNEY, Australia (AP)

A former bit actor, a Halal butcher and a radical Islamic cleric who
has praised Osama bin Laden as a "great man" were among the 17 terror
suspects arrested in a series of pre-dawn raids on Australia's two
largest cities.

Police allege the men were part of two Islamic terror cells that were
in the final stages of preparing for a major "jihad" attack in
Australia that could have killed hundreds of people.

Some have roots in Algeria, Lebanon and Bangladesh but at least six
are born or naturalized Australian citizens, police said.

Together, they represent a broad cross section of Australia's
300,000-strong Muslim community.

Police and intelligence agencies have released virtually no details
about the men, but pictures already are emerging of some of their
family backgrounds and beliefs.

Some are young fathers _ many of the suspects are in their 20s _ who
lived with their families in quiet suburbs in Sydney and Melbourne
with strong immigrant populations.

But for several of the men, Tuesday's raids were not their first
encounter with Australia's counterterrorism forces.

One of the Sydney suspects, Bangladeshi-born Abdul Rakib Hasan, has
been under the watch of Australia's top spy agency, the Australian
Security Intelligence Organization, since at least 2003, The
Australian newspaper reported.

Last month, the 34-year-old Hasan, who runs a halal butchery, appeared
in a Sydney court charged with lying to the agency about his
relationship with Willie Brigitte, a French terror suspect.

Australian officials believe Brigitte was planning a terrorist attack
on Sydney before he was deported in October 2003 to France, where he
is in custody on suspicion of having links to al-Qaida.

Investigators allege Hasan knew of Brigitte's plans to attack an
Australian target and helped him find three safe houses in Sydney.

Among the other Sydney suspects, Khaled Cheikho, 32, and his nephew,
Moustafa Cheikho, 28, are believed to have attended a paramilitary
training camp in Pakistan run by the militant Islamic group
Lashkar-e-Tayyaba in 2001, The Australian also reported.

The pair were allegedly identified by a fellow trainee turned witness
and have been under surveillance for the past two years, it said.

Another suspect, Mohamed Ali Elomar, 40, had family ties to a rural
property that was raided by security officials ahead of the 2000
Olympic Games in Sydney after farmers reported hearing automatic
gunfire and explosions, the newspaper reported. Police who raided the
property found what appeared to be a terrorist training camp, complete
with live ammunition, rudimentary explosives and Islamic literature.

The group's alleged spiritual leader, Abdul Nacer Benbrika, also known
as Abu Bakr, arrived in Australia from his native Algeria in May 1989
on a one-month visitor's visa and spent the next six years fighting to
remain in the country.

According to immigration documents, Abu Bakr cited his "love of the
Australian lifestyle" among his reasons for wishing to remain in the
country, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.

But earlier this year, Abu Bakr caused outrage when he told a national
current affairs program that he would be violating his faith if he
warned his students not to join the jihad, or holy war, in Iraq.

During the interview, Abu Bakr praised Osama bin Laden as a "great
man" and suggested he was not responsible for the Sept. 11, 2001,
attacks on New York and Washington.

All eight suspects arrested along with Abu Bakr in Melbourne are under
the age of 30, and all but one _ 28-year-old Shane Kent _ have names
that appear to be of Islamic origin. When they faced court on Tuesday,
many of the suspects wore close-cropped hair and long beards.

Each of the Melbourne suspects has been charged with being a member of
a terrorist organization. They are being held in custody until their
next hearing, scheduled for Jan. 31.

The Lebanese father of one suspect, 21-year-old Aimen Joud, said his
Australian-born son was a devout, even conservative, follower of
Islam, but was no extremist.

"Aiman Joud has never done anything to harm the country," Mahmoud
Joud, 50, told the Herald Sun newspaper. "I have eight kids and we all
respect Australia. ... It's the best country in the world. If someone
attacked Australia I would take all my kids to attack them."

Seven of the Sydney suspects were charged Tuesday with conspiring to
manufacture explosives for a terrorist attack. All of the suspects
face a maximum sentence of life imprisonment if convicted.

The 17th suspect, former actor Omar Baladjam, was shot in the neck
after he allegedly fired at police during the Tuesday morning raids.
He was taken to a local hospital and charged with a range of offenses
including attempted murder and the terrorism charge, police inspector
Hans Rupp said.

Baladjam, 28, who now runs a car painting business, held a small role
as a graffiti artist on popular Australian soap opera "Home and Away"
in 1998, and also had a bit part as a troubled street kid who led two
police officers on a fatal car chase in a gritty 1990s police drama.


LINK
http://www.chinapost.com.tw/i_latestdetail.asp?id=32396

2. Believably Unbelievable - 1
Maqsoodul Haque

Actionable Intelligence: 17/08 and Thereafter

Two months after the near simultaneous bomb attacks across Bangladesh
- the answer to a question eluding us; has anything happened since to
make us feel safer?

On records we have 'hundreds of militants' arrested, remanded etc we
also get feel-good 'real life accounts' of how 'they almost got us
this time' close calls, the bravado of our police commandos, security
and intelligence agencies, of 'bomb materials' (usually nut, bolts and
batteries) being seized from Madrasas, or at least from the 'types'
who study there, crossfire death of yet another 'terrorist' or his
accomplice. We have horrifying confessions to Magistrates but never
want to know how statements from prisoners obtained by duress, while
not acceptable for disposal of cases in a Court of law, seems to be
the sole or hypothesis of so-called Governments evidence of 'actions
against militants' and much more.

Unsurprising is the new found gusto of newspapers, because in a long
time – the Government of the day on a denial mode for years,
officially consented to what must be the 'wolf has finally arrived'
music for the media ears; 'them jihadist exist and that's the truth
and nothing but the truth' so help us God. Never before has the news
starved 'mainstream' cashed in this heavily for chock-a-block
'anything goes' reports, that in other 'civilised nation' would be
consigned, confined, quarantined and trashed into the first conspiracy
theory bin available.

Our penchant for news stories appears to savor offerings by
institutionalised fear merchants with unverifiable stories from
'reliable sources', 'intelligence officials', or very officious 'Staff
Reporters' who stamp seals of validity to stories that are believable
– only because they are so unbelievable! The sore truth, we are
getting nowhere, and as days progress we will be finding ourselves in
situations worse than what our mental preparation as a nation, which
is an entirely different ball-game from that of the State or
Government – was, as on 17/08 - unprepared?

The bomb attacks have continued mercilessly, as have murder mayhems
and it sends chills down our spines when we have to reflect on what
may happen next. The hush-hush world of espionage gets progressively
overpowering and the veal of secrecy heavier by the days. Sadly we do
not have any mechanism of forward analysis available in the public
domain to placate our fears, nor any actionable intelligence
forthcoming in newspapers reports that may help us in anyway arrive at
our own conclusions, simply because nothing we read are based on
'verifiable facts'.

A nation stripped off a right to analysis through deliberate
spin-doctoring of events by the state or its media is susceptible to
willingly accept abuse, the worst being a denial of the right to
information that is enshrined in our Constitution. In the unfolding
tragedy - the system and status quo, whatever or whoever they may be
is provoking us to capitulate and become criminal accomplices to a
disaster we will have none else to blame. The ultimate casualties
while advancing the Bushonian 'War on Terror' (WOT) – is Human Rights
and personal liberty, and from the US on to the UK to more recently
'down under' – Australia, Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand
it's a repetitive yet predictable pattern, and it is not long before
we welcome similar aggressions to our shores.

The 17/08 bomb attacks, back in perspective - it is all the easy for
anybody to appropriate blame on the invisible JMB and the
BNP/Jamaat-e-Islami 'fundamentalist axis', which in turn completes and
compliment the long held hysterical loop of Pakistan's ISI
'involvement' -- as much as it is the Awami League/India/ RAW
'triangle of the secular'; there are yet others who have invoked
involvement by the Israeli Mossad as the ultimate 'brainchild'! Axis,
Angles and triangles we have plenty, but how many – if any - have been
able to bring to satisfactory conclusion investigations on major
terrorist incidents ex- 1996; or how many of these so-called
terrorists do we have where they really belong – in prisons?

Clearly all 'counter-pointing' analyst and retired military strategist
embedded safely in newspaper columns and TV channels have willfully
exonerated elements from within Bangladesh off even the slightest
possibility of 'masterminding' these attacks. That this was launched
by a home grown terrorist outfit, independent of affiliations and
working outside the Al-Qaeda satellite… wiped clean from the slate.
The mentality being, who the hell are we to deal with 'foreign
terrorists' and their games in Bangladesh? It 'pays' to give 'foreign
affiliations' to our faceless enemies and best to link our destiny
with anything foreign if we have to appear credible. Appropriately the
first excitable whoops that go off as if on chorus whenever a bomb
explodes is 'antorjatik todonto' …'international investigation' !

The idea that this was a simultaneous attack to prove domestic
existence of larger networks with 'foreign affiliation' is a media
driven absurdity that falls hollow, because transnational Jihadist
groups are known NOT to waste opportunities when they have one. The
simultaneous bomb attacks that we saw and the number of simultaneous
targets chosen (over 500) did not under any circumstances carry the
hallmark of Al-Qaeda strikes for the following:

1.In the manner it was planned and executed it implies a cheap
unsophisticated dry-run by an enemy state for a possible 'alternative
military strike' with a jihadist terrorist angle meant to confuse,
complicate, divide and create a volatile situation inside Bangladesh
at minimum cost and liability.

2.Vitally, the operation tested Bangladesh's response to a major
terrorist strike, and whoever planned and executed it must have been
heartened to note that the state machinery did not wake up from its
slumber until about 12 hours had past. 'Precision' if at all -- was
merely on the clock-work timing, which could only be ensured by the
military, not a terrorist group – not in an operation this size.  It
did however succeed in the element of surprise resoundingly.

3.Whoever carried out the attack did not have a follow-up plan, nor
was it a part of a larger action plan, indeed well orchestrated news
events post the blasts were meant to confirm that Bangladesh is
incapable of handling its own affairs and/or needs a change in its
leadership, probably the only message to be conveyed and rightly so.

4.The answer to questions on the numbers of 'terrorists coordinating
the attack' is making too large a mountain out of too tiny a molehill.
One only had to follow  the modus operandi of dope and phensydyl
smugglers who hire any number of civilian's who gladly drop a package
at a location for a fee without asking what is inside to get a clear
picture. On this one however, all the better if they wore beards and
skull caps!

5.The undue haste at which the JMB was 'credited' implies that
somebody wanted to take the quickest route possible to claim credit
for 'creating' a terrorist group and get away with it, much in the
manner Harkat-ul-Jihad was 'created' following a fake attack on a Poet
in 1996? Al-Qaeda backed groups usually claim credits in sophisticated
fashion, through Internet websites – not cheap leaflets placed inside
or near bombs.

6.If this was at all an attack by elements trying to foment a Jihad
and bring the Government of Bangladesh to its knees, and had the bombs
only caused casualties of twenty or more in every location, the
resultant turmoil in the country would have prompted either for
declaration of a Martial Law, or intervention of sinister 'foreign
forces'. The intervention propaganda howitzers from across the border
were fired forcefully following 17/08.

7.It was in all appropriation the biggest known terrorists attack in
recent history and let us not just fault Bangladesh or its security
and intelligence services being caught napping. On a larger frame our
neighboring countries as much as the forever prying US who are most
interested on global jihad trends in South Asia were actually caught
with their pants down…. but one cant be too sure!

8.Nothing as huge as this could have been planned or executed so
innocently naïvely, not without the intelligence service of so many
nations not knowing - unless there were good reasons that we know not.

9. Any terrorist group with so-called 'precision intelligence and
planning' displayed by the 17/08 attackers that we have been asked to
TRUST would have been more than able to predict, pre-empt and launch
further attacks and the possibilities were endless. A series of
assassination perhaps on foreigners or any other soft targets would
have been enough to capitalize on the administrative helplessness and
make it capitulate easily to its agenda.

10.The attacks were meant solely to terrorise the citizens of
Bangladesh, not the Government as neither key-point installations nor
any of its officials were targeted.

Whenever the perpetual 'whodunits but you-dunnits' by the Government
and Opposition that mar the first precious hours of investigation
following terrorist incidents simmer down, intelligence analyst back
tracking news are left with damming accounts of the shift and slides
in the systematic cover-up that follows. If there is anything called
actionable intelligence we can safely cull them from mind-boggling
array of the  open source variety that the Bangladesh media provides,
provided one has perfected skills at reading between the lines, and
have a retinue of who, what, where, when and why questions flashing
like neon signs when doing the reading.

No rocket science this, but drawing fine lines between believably
unbelievable might just get us there….. more on this next week.

New Age 28th October 2005


3. Not by appeasement

India had played a crucial role in the liberation of Bangladesh, but
that did not guarantee upbeat Indo-Bangla relations. Instead, the
history of their interface is a sad tale of Dhaka's unmitigated
hostility towards this country.

In the backdrop Mujib's assassination, General Ziaur Rehman, acting
under the influence of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, deleted secularism
from the constitution and lifted the ban on communal parties.

Pushing the Islamisation process further, HMS Ershad declared Islam as
the state religion. He joined Pakistan's low-intensity, proxy war
against India by extending camping and training facilities to Ulfa and
other insurgent groups of Northeast India. His Directorate General of
Forces Intelligence (DGFI) got successive batches of Ulfa cadres
trained by the ISI in Pakistan.

Aggressive assertion of the country's Muslim identity distanced
Bangladesh from India. It attracted a liberal flow of petro-dollars
from West Asia, which promoted the mushrooming of mosques and madrasas
and ensured rapid growth of Islamic radicalism in the country.

Participation of 5,000-odd Bangladeshi mujahideen in the ant-Soviet
jihad in Afghanistan in the 1980s further radicalised Bangladeshi
Muslims.

In 1991, the BNP came to power riding on the crest of a rabidly
anti-India campaign, but the Narasimha Rao government gifted it the
Tin Bigha corridor. In return, the Khaleda Zia regime dilly-dallied
over taking back the 56,000 Chakma refugees from Tripura, engineered
countrywide post-Babari backlash that drove panic-stricken Hindus in
droves to India and stepped up support for the Northeast insurgents,
permitting import of weapons to their bases in India from Southeast
Asia through Bangladeshi territory.

The Awami League government of Sheikh Hasina (1996-2001) took back the
Chakma refugees and settled the contentious Ganga water-sharing issue
with New Delhi, but rogue elements in Bangladesh's military-security
establishment, continued to support the Northeast insurgents.

The rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan, the September 11 terrorist
attacks on America and the US invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq have
fuelled Islamic militancy in Bangladesh. A host of jihadi outfits,
supported by the Jamaat, have since cropped up in the country.

They have launched coordinated terror operations for establishing a
transnational Islamic state comprising Bangladesh, Muslim majority
districts of West Bengal, Assam, Tripura and the Rohingiya
Muslim-dominated Arakan state of Myanmar.

Bomb attacks by them have killed about 200 people. The gruesome
grenade attacks on an Awami League rally last year and the
simultaneous explosions at 500 places last August have demonstrated
the Islamists' high potential to destabilise the region.

Instead of condemning the devastating Hindu-cleansing in Bangladesh in
2001, the NDA government assured the Khaleda Zia regime of New Delhi's
friendship and support in the hope of securing natural gas supplies,
transit and trans-shipment facilities for Northeast India. While
disappointing Delhi on these counts, Dhaka has brazenly reneged from
the tripartite agreement that would enable India to transport gas from
Myanmar via a pipeline through Bangladeshi territory. Propped up by
the DGFI, the Ulfa, NDFB and the NLFT contingents in Bangladesh have
lately stepped up attacks on targets in India.

Recurrent communal violence since 1947 has forced millions of Hindus
to migrate from Bangladesh to India. Since the mid-1970s, pauperised,
landless Muslims from rural Bangladesh have been infiltrating India on
a massive scale. No fewer than 20 million Bangladeshis have illegally
migrated to India in the last three decades and the flow continues
unabated.

This "demographic invasion" has changed the population structure and
upset the communal balance in the border belts of Assam and West
Bengal. Bangladeshi migrants in Assam decide the outcome of election
in 56 of the total 120 Assembly constituencies. A similar situation
prevails in West Bengal. No wonder, in the mid-1990s, Bangladeshi
intellectuals, print media and a Cabinet minister had made a concerted
bid for lebensraum for the country's teeming millions in India's
Northeast region.

Infiltration, spillover of radical Islam and the proxy war by
Bangladesh pose a serious threat to India's sovereignty and national
security, but Dhaka's repeated denial of the existence of these
problems has foreclosed their peaceful solution.

New Delhi's policy of appeasement has inevitably backfired and
rendered negotiations intractable. On the sidelines of the upcoming
Saarc summit, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh must do some plain
speaking, leaving his hosts in no doubt that their intransigence may
now trigger a tougher response.

(The author is a former Additional Secretary, Government of India.)

LINK
http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=4&theme=&usrsess=1&id=95702

4. People's war leads Naxals to a new 'high'
Rajesh Sinha

Thursday, November 10, 2005  00:06 IST

NEW DELHI: Involvement in drug trafficking could hardly be part of
people's war that the naxalite groups claim to be waging, but that's
exactly what recent intelligence reports indicate.

In the last monthly review of naxalism and other security-related
matters in the Ministry of Home Affairs, there were reports indicating
that the umbrella Maoist organisation, which India naxal groups had
merged into, was involved in illicit narcotic trade.

The link between drugs and terrorism has been reported since 1980s in
India, drug trafficking serving as a lucrative source for raising
money for armaments and use by terrorists themselves. Intelligence
reports indicate naxalite groups in India are the latest entrants to
narco-terrorism.

The merger of naxal groups to form Communist Party of India (Maoist)
last year and its linkage with the Nepalese counterpart was a key
factor in this. According to intelligence reports, the Nepal Maoists
were smuggling heroin and hashish to obtain sophisticated weapons
through the now famous weapons/drug route from Southeast Asia to
Bangladesh, onto Assam, West Bengal and Nepal.

The International Narcotics Control Strategy Report released earlier
this year said the guerrillas were involved in smuggling drugs to
India in the absence of laws in Nepal to crack down on drug-related
corruption. The report, quoting Nepal police, said cannabis production
was growing in the southern areas of the country, adjacent to the
border with India, and most of the crop was sent to the Indian market.
Reports also indicate that illicit cultivation of opium poppy was also
on the rise in Nepal, a phenomenon attributed to the Maoists.

Maoist sympathisers insist that the rebels do not use drug money to
bankroll their operations. Though they have imposed a ban on the use
of alcohol in areas under their control, the Maoist leadership has
said nothing about cannabis cultivation and production that go on
unhindered in the same region.

Security agencies of the two countries have decided on joint
patrolling in border areas and sealing of the border, particularly
during the last two phases of elections to state Assembly in Bihar. To
strengthen the security apparatus in the region, the Sashastra Seema
Bal (SSB) has been asked to identify infrastructural development steps
required in the area. While enabling better patrolling, such steps are
also expected to provide some employment and encourage economic
development.

It is the more backward regions of the country - the tribal and forest
areas - that have come under the growing influence of naxalites.

US uneasy as Beijing develops a strategic string of pearls
Declan Walsh in Gwadar

5. Thursday November 10, 2005
The Guardian

There is an air of El Dorado about Gwadar, a fishing village on the
Persian Sea with dreams of becoming a glittering metropolis.
Advertising billboards along the rubbish-strewn streets feature
digitised images of skyscrapers and tourist-clogged beaches. Offices
with names like Gold Mine Investments and New World City have sprung
up overnight. Property prices have risen up to 30-fold, turning poor
fishermen into small-time tycoons with four-wheel drives and second
wives.

Dealers such as Kamran Ali, 25, have flooded in from the big cities.
"In five years' time this will be like Dubai, or parts of Europe," he
said.

Or, possibly, Beijing. Gwadar's ambitious plans hinge on a giant
deepwater port whose money, bricks and mortar come from China. Last
year 400 Chinese labourers worked 24-hour shifts to complete the
project, intended to serve Afghanistan and Central Asia. Through cheap
loans and generous grants the Chinese government covered 80% of the
$250m (£144m) cost.

Now a dredger is out in the bay carving a deep channel that will
accommodate cargo ships, oil tankers and, if necessary, warships.

A high-stakes geopolitical game is sweeping Asia. Triggered by a
roaring economy, propelled by swelling confidence and funded by
chequebook diplomacy, Beijing is projecting its new might across the
continent - and setting off alarm bells from Washington to Tokyo.

"There is a cauldron of anxiety about China," the US deputy secretary
of state, Robert Zoellick, said in September.

In May China signed a $600m deal with the president of Uzbekistan,
Islam Karimov, 12 days after his troops killed hundreds of protesters.
Relations are warming with former enemies seeking a bulwark against US
might. In August almost 10,000 Chinese and Russian forces took part in
a joint exercise.

In Pakistan an old friendship is being rekindled. China helped to
build Pakistan's weapons plants and, according to western
intelligence, had a hand in its nuclear bomb. The two countries'
friendship is "higher than the Himalayas and deeper than the ocean",
according to popular cliche.

Now it is driven by a fresh impetus - increased cooperation between
Islamabad's enemy, India, and China's rival, America. "It's a classic
case of the enemy of my enemy is my friend," said Dr Rifaat Hussain,
director of the army-run Institute for Strategic Studies and Research
Analysis in Islamabad.

This year the two countries signed 22 trade agreements, including the
joint production of a jet fighter, and the sale of four Chinese navy
frigates to Pakistan. But in Gwadar, China insists, its interest is
purely commercial.

The port has a great commercial attraction. It lies 1,250 miles from
Xinjiang, a landlocked western province and latecomer to China's
economic boom. From next year Beijing hopes for a fresh flow of
traffic across the Himalayas and down to the Persian Sea.

But Gwadar also has an immense strategic lure. It lies close to the
Straits of Hormuz, the gateway to the Gulf through which 40% of the
world's oil passes. Most Chinese oil supplies pass through the Malacca
Straits, thousands of the miles to the south, that Beijing perceives
as US controlled. To counter this vulnerability Beijing has adopted
the "string of pearls" policy - cultivating commercial or military
ties in strategic ports from the Gulf to the east coast of China.
Gwadar is the first pearl in a line that stretches to Bangladesh,
Cambodia and into the South China Sea.

The Pentagon is watching uneasily. China's military is modernising
rapidly. One US military report claimed the Chinese navy was beefing
up to "deter the potential disruption of its energy supplies from
potential threats, including the US navy, especially in the case of a
conflict with Taiwan".

China dismisses such talk as scaremongering. The dragon does not
breathe fire, Premier Wen Jiabao told a meeting of Asian ministers in
Islamabad last April. "Even if we become stronger and more developed,
we will not stand in the way of others, still less become a threat,"
he said.

Other analysts say a purely military analysis ignores the wider
picture of China's political reforms, embrace of international trade
and normalisation of relations with the west.

When the first ships sail into Gwadar by the end of next year it will
not be used by any military, Chinese or otherwise, according to Akbar
Ali Pesnani, chairman of the Gwadar port authority: "It's a strictly
commercial venture."

Chinese officials brush aside claims they will use Gwadar to monitor
sea traffic passing into the Middle East. Their main future
involvement with the port is an offer of help in building a railway
link across Pakistan towards their own borders, they say.

Even then, there is no guarantee Gwadar will succeed. Most access
roads are still on the drawing board; property development has been
marred by fraud and speculation; land prices dipped sharply recently,
causing some estate agents to leave town. "We give it a 50/50 chance
of success," said one western diplomat in Islamabad.

However, China's enthusiasm is undiminished, despite running into
bloody local opposition. In May 2004 a car bomb in Gwadar killed three
Chinese engineers working on the port and injured 11. Intelligence
services suspected local nationalists.

But elsewhere optimism is tinged with apprehension. "China has to turn
to the international resource supply system, and will seek military
force to safeguard its share when necessary," wrote Zhang Wenmy of the
China Institute of Contemporary International Relations this year.
"There has never been a case in history where such a pursuit was
realised in peace."

LINK
http://business.guardian.co.uk/story/0,16781,1639037,00.html

6. On the Campus Prowl: Hizb-Ut-Tahrir Bangladesh
Islam's new face?
by Mahfuz Sadique

  'When the right time comes, we shall achieve our goal,' says a
smiling, bright-eyed Mohiuddin Ahmed. As the head of Hizb ut-Tahrir in
Bangladesh, he is an Islamist revolutionary with a twist. Having
graduated from Bangladesh's top business school, the Institute of
Business Administration at Dhaka University, with enviable scores,
Mohiuddin presently teaches the same corporate strategies and
'cash-cow' principles at his alma mater that his teacher's had taught
him. But the number of students attending his business classes are
dwarfed by the attendance at the Chhatra Sabha (Students' Society)
sessions of the Hizb ut-Tahrir. He and others like him represent the
new face of the Islam-based religious politics that is slipping into
the mainstream of Bangladeshi consciousness. Unlike in the past, his
foot soldiers are career-oriented, upwardly mobile young men, and
women, from the country's public and mushrooming private universities.
Almost tip-toeing into the 'ideological vacuum' left from the aimless
student politics of mainstream student bodies, Hizb ut-Tahrir is, to
use the own words of a gleeful Mohiuddin, 'selling the time-proved
cocktail of popular discontent and faith.' And they are selling good.

But there is the catch. What this ever-growing number of 'modern
Muslims' envision, with intoxicating and chilling precision,
contradicts the principles of conventional liberal, democratic and
secular society, and nations that abide by it.

For a man who is the chief coordinator and spokesperson of a
religion-based political party presently banned in several Middle
Eastern states, throughout Central Asia, Germany (the reason cited was
anti-Semitism) and Pakistan, Mohiuddin couldn't appear any less
worried. 'We have done nothing to instigate such a response. We do not
believe in any form of violence, or force,' he explains. When asked
about the size of the membership roll, but Mohiuddin claims that
figure is not compiled. What he does reveal is that attendance in the
monthly seminars they hold is in the region of 250 – 300, and not
always the same people.

Hizb ut-Tahrir was founded in Jerusalem in 1953 by an appeals court
judge, Taqiuddin al Nabhani. Initially the group's operations were
restricted to the Arab countries. The group first appeared in Jordan
and Saudi Arabia. Today, Hizb ut-Tahrir claims to be have operations
in more than 100 countries.

Hizb ut-Tahrir Bangladesh, the country chapter of the international
organisation of the same name which envisions a Shari'ah-based
Khilafah state, has been gaining most momentum through its activities
at the country's universities. Alongside its national launch in
Bangladesh in 17 November, 2001, just weeks after the 9/11, with
anti-American sentiment and Islamic fervour peaking, the party started
off university chapters at several public and private universities,
including Dhaka University and North South University. Though
religion-based student politics is nothing new at the nation's higher
educational institutions, Hizb ut-Tahrir has their eyes on a strata of
students isolated from the mainstream. Non-practicing students,
marginalised from mainstream politics, and open to discussions on
lifestyle, society and science sprinkled with faith were the party's
first and prime target audience. But why this specific cross-section?

Beginnings

The dynamics of student politics, and the role religion has played in
it, has changed gradually over the years. Student political
organisations based on religious ideologies, just like their
mainstream counterparts, have almost always had their origins and
visions pegged to their mother ships, political parties.
Religion-based student politics in our higher educational institutions
has its roots from the Pakistan period. Though, in their
organisational strength and ideological rigidity they had little
resemblance to their present day setup. In the early sixties, three
religion-based student organisations operated actively: Pakistan
Chhatra Shakti, National Student Federation (later referred to
infamously by its abbreviated form: NSF) and Islami Chhatra Sangha.

While Pakistan Chhatra Shakti was relatively obscure, the NSF and the
Sangha had political muscle behind them. Established in 1956, as the
student wing of the Khelafat-e-Rabbani party and later endorsed by
then politically powerful Muslim League, the NSF had always been
plagued by internal strife but remained a powerful and 'bullying'
student organisation with direct backing from the East Pakistan
governor Monem Khan. Though referred to as the 'musclemen on campus'
and also responsible for first bringing violence into the student
politics of Dhaka University, the NSF never had a strong footing among
general students. And even more significant was their lack of
political vision. Worth mentioning is that the cultural front of
Khelafat-e-Rabbani, Tamaddun Majlish, played a pivotal role in the
early days of the language movement.

But the Islami Chhatra Sangha, the Bengali name of Islami
Jamiat-e-Talaba, was a different story. Though, not a front running
student organisation at the time, they set the pace for the Islami
Chhatra Shibir of today. Syed Abul Ala Maududi had established the
Jamaat-e-Islami, an Islamic political party based on his own
ideologies, in 1941. Right after the partition of India and Pakistan,
the student wing of the party — the Islami Jamaat-e-Talaba ('Talaba'
meaning students) — was formed in Lahore on 23 December, 1947. But
until 1954 there was virtually no student representation in the
organisation from East Pakistan. It was only in 1955 that a
full-fledged East Pakistan wing, the Islami Chhatra Sangha, was
formed.

Another organisation that played a crucial role in galvanising the
Islamic student movement was the Jamiat-e-Talabae-Arabia, though it
did not fall under the general fold of student politics. This
organisation's member base was the madrassah-based students in the
country. Till the mid-1960s they complemented the powers of the
Chhatra Sangha.
The first major clash, in terms of viewpoint and action, between
Islamic student bodies and the mainstream surfaced in the 1969 student
movement, when countering the 11-point general demand, the Islami
Chhatra Sangha put forward their own 8-point charter, which favoured
the confederation. This resulted in the first visible alternative
Islamic student force emerging alongside the majority student
factions. There were even some violent clashes between the two
opposing camps that left a prominent Chhatra Sangha leader killed.

The beginnings of the Chhatra Sangha in East Pakistan might have been
modest but by the late sixties they had gathered considerable clout
within the organisation's All-Pakistan (Nikhil Pakistan) body which
culminated in the election of Matiur Rahman Nizami (presently a
minister in the four-party alliance government and also the head of
Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh) as the president of the national
committee. This was the first time that an East Pakistani was at the
helm of the Jamaat-e-Islami's student wing for all of Pakistan.

Islamic student organisations, taking queue from their parent parties,
always treaded the line of an Islamic state in direct contradiction to
the ideologies of both the mainstream right and left student bodies
which centred their actions around the four basic governing political
principles of the progressive politics at the time: Bengali
nationalism, self-rule, socialism and the most objectionable to the
Islamic camp: secularism.

Stepping stones to the mainstream

While the actions of today's mainstream student political
organisations — some originating from the pre-liberation period and
some formed later — have shifted from their original political
philosophies (few of them consider their political charters as guiding
principles) the contradiction between progressive and religious
conservative student politics, set off in the Pakistan period, has
carried on to the present day. With the strength and spread of Islamic
political parties growing with every passing year, and as two Islamic
political entities (Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh and Islami Oikya Jote)
are sharing state power, the underlying conflict between the two
fundamentally polar camps is reaching dizzying heights.

Though big Islamic student organisations, such as the Islami Chhatra
Shibir, have made inroads into the student bodies of most public
universities, their conservative views, actions, and also the
unfavourable image among general students towards its parent party,
the Jamaat-e-Islami, has prevented them from capturing a larger
support base. Other Islamic parties which target universities, such as
the, Islamic Shashantontra Chhatra Andolan, Islami Chhatra Majlis,
Khelafat Chhatra Andolon do not have any specific support base. But
most activities of these organisations in turn have assisted the
growth of the greater movement to legitimise Islam-based politics
within the mainstream, or as is the case with such organisations,
engage students with their politics.

While Shibir might not have been able to tap into general students, a
stagnant 'depoliticised' psyche of general students has resulted in
their (students) disassociation from any of the other major student
bodies of either the right or the left. After the anti-Ershad movement
brought together students throughout the eighties, the nineties saw a
gradual fallout phase which has resulted in a great vacuum. As the
'incorruptible purists' of left student bodies in the 1960s and 1970s
are a distant memory, a great intellectual lapse has engulfed the
universities, and waits to be filled by a convenient force. This is
where the Hizb ut-Tahrir comes in.

Islam, intellectually speaking

Though, the political ideology they represent is radical in terms of
its values and implementation, the approach they have taken is least
to say modern, and even appealing to the moderate Muslim, university
crowd. Engaging in dialogue with both general students and opposite
camps on previously taboo issues among Islamists through numerous
seminars, discussion sessions and study circles, they are tactfully
using the same political tools that previously worked so well for
leftist student bodies during their heydays. The topics covered
include 'Existence of God', 'Blind faith of Atheism' and 'Cloning'.

Hizb ut-Tahrir's aim, as summarised in their publication, is 'to
resume the Islamic way of life and to convey the Islamic da'wah
(invitation) to the world. This objective means bringing Muslims back
to living an Islamic way of life in Dar al-Islam and in an Islamic
society such that all of life's affairs in society are administered
according to the Shari'ah rules, and the viewpoint in it is the halal
and the haram under the shade of the Islamic State, i.e. Khilafah
State. That state is the one in which Muslims appoint a Khalifah and
give him the bay'ah to listen and obey on condition that he rules
according to the Book of Allah (swt) and the Sunnah of the Messenger
of Allah (saw) and on condition that he conveys Islam as a message to
the world through da'wah and jihad.'

It also states: 'The Party, as well, aims at the correct revival of
the Ummah through enlightened thought. It also strives to bring her
back to her previous might and glory such that she wrests the reins of
initiative away from other states and nations, and returns to her
rightful place as the first state in the world, as she was in the
past, when she governs the world according to the laws of Islam.'

The party believes in establishing 'the Islamic State' through three
stages. The first stage involves 'culturing to produce people who
believe in the idea and the method of the party, so that they form the
party group.' As part of this stage, members of Hizb ut-Tahrir are
mingling with the general public and creating Sahabahs, associated to
the Islamic thought of 'companions'. The second stage involves in
'interaction with the Ummah (the masses), to let them embrace and
carry Islam, so that they take it up as its issue, and thus works
(sic) to establish it in the affairs of life.' The third, and final,
stage is: 'establishing government, implementing Islam generally and
comprehensively, and carrying it as a message to the world'.

It is the final stage that is contentious. Though Hizb ut-Tahrir is a
political party, they do not accept any conventional political
process. Parliamentary democracy is not acceptable in their system.
Though, election as a process is acceptable, elected lawmakers
formulating laws to govern a country is not acceptable in the Hizb
ut-Tahrir's final stage: 'establishing government'. Now the obvious
question arises: how then do we establish government?
'We do not believe in violence. We have condemned all terrorist
activity in the country and abroad. We are presently spreading the
vision of Hizb ut-Tahrir among the public. We are also engaging in
dialogue with society's opinion-making figures as they can influence a
greater number of people,' explains Mohiuddin. On the issue of taking
power, he replies: 'That is the third stage. We believe that by the
time we have substantial members and a critical mass of sympathisers
who agree to our cause, there will be pressure on the state machinery
to follow suit. In such a scenario, the culmination of populist
support and key opinion-makers on our side, we shall be take power and
form a Khilafah state.'

What about jihad, which is mentioned within the party's aim?

Mustafa Minhaz, Media and Promotions Secretary of Hizb ut-Tahrir's
central committee, and a lecturer at the University of Asia Pacific,
cautiously responds to this question: 'That is a stage when an Islamic
state has been formed. A jihad, or war, between armies is not against
Islam's principle. It is not a scenario that will arise later.'

'Religious zeal speaking', the uninitiated might say. But while
Bangladesh has just seen close to four years of Hizb ut-Tahrir,
countries with longer exposure to the party have started seeing
growing signs of active resistance. Though their name came up as a
possible suspect in bombings in Uzbekistan last July, analysts have
termed it unlikely. Three British members of their party are being
prosecuted in Egypt 'for plotting to overthrow the government'.
Despite such sporadic incidents, or rather allegations, the party has
maintained an ostensibly non-violent positioning.

An interesting facet of their ideology is that, in principle, they
subscribe to the same school of thought as the Taliban, or even Al
Qaeda for that matter, since neither believed in engaging with a
democratic structure. Their basic distinction is in their approach.
'The perceived but not necessarily implied difference between the
Hizb-ut-Tahrir and them (Taliban and Al Qaeda) is the fact that while
the former insists that the end does not justify the means and that
the Islamic Caliphate can be ushered in by non violent political
activism, the latter has carried out a series of violent terrorist
acts, which it claims are justified for the ultimate cause,' points
out Swati Parashar, associate fellow with the International Terrorism
Watch Programme, in a research paper for the South Asia Analysis
Group.

Green growth

Hizb ut-Tahrir's activities, as with any rising political
organisation, need a constant supply of committed, intelligent and
resourceful members. Young men, and women, fit exactly that profile.
What better place to recruit such youth than universities?
Mohiuddin admits the result though not the intent. 'Yes, we have a
greater following among students. But that is not intentional.
University students are embracing our vision as it is a viable
solution compared to the misdirected philosophies of other political
camps,' he clarifies.
But a clearer indication to such intentions came from Minhaz. 'We have
studied, and scrutinised, major political movements of history. For
example, in our own country, if you look at the phenomenal rise of the
left student movement during the sixties and seventies, the key
element in their success is their ability to galvanise a large support
base within university students. And in doing this they first engaged
the intellectually aspiring students and in turn these students had
been able to attract a larger mass. We have also taken a similar path
though we believe our philosophy has a larger appeal as it is based on
faith,' explains Minhaz.

This process has been going on simultaneously at both public and
private universities. But the two streams of institutions have yielded
different results. While their efforts in public universities have
been mostly limited to Dhaka University, private universities have
shown a remarkable acceptance to their efforts.

At Dhaka University, initial successes were thwarted when in late 2003
activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League, the student wing of the main
opposition party Awami League, chased away several Hizb ut-Tahrir
members. Despite the incident, they have splintered support in the
Commerce Faculty of the university. Several general students have
mentioned being approached by Hizb ut-Tahrir, and some of them have
also admitted to attending their seminars.

Seminars targeting Dhaka University students are organised close to
the campus. For example, one of the largest seminars, accompanied with
a debate between leftists and Hizb ut-Tahrir members, was held at the
Public Library auditorium at Shahbag. With prominent figures like
Farhad Mazhar attending, the seminar saw a large attendance.

'When programs are organised close to Dhaka University we get more
audience. Along with our own members we do get interested observers
who want to know what we have to say. It is at these seminars that we
invite those interested from the audience to attend our group
sessions,' points out Muhammad Al Amin, an MA student of Department of
Finance, Dhaka University and Hizb ut-Tahrir's Student Representative
at the university.
But whatever shortfalls they have had in recruiting from public
universities were amply replenished by the phenomenal rise in their
growth at private universities.

Culture clash

Private universities have become the new front in the war to win
hearts and minds to the Khilafa state. Since the enactment of the
Private University Act 1992, Bangladesh — or, Dhaka to be precise —
has seen a sharp increase in the number of private universities. The
present count, according to the accrediting authority for private
universities — the University Grants Commission — is 54. While the Act
has no mention of prohibiting student unions, or student political
bodies, most of the big private universities have taken a
safe-approach by enforcing a strict embargo on any form of student
organisation which may have an affiliation with politics. And as new
universities came up, they maintained the status-quo. There was reason
to. The growing acceptability of private university among students,
and the parents who pay for their education, was largely due to the
non-political atmosphere they assured. After a frightful decade of
violence and session-jams at public universities during the eighties,
it was a welcome option to many.

Though the initial enrollment into private universities had been
mostly restricted to students from fairly well-off families, by the
mid-nineties students from middle-class families with a
public-schooling education started getting into private universities
too. While universities worldwide are considered as the melting pot of
ideologies and also a primary 'culturing platform' of opinion, the
forced vacuum at private universities left many students craving a
political identity. By the late nineties, most universities had
elaborate student activity clubs to compensate for this vacuum. But
even then none of them provided the intellectual succour to sustain
student interest.
Enter Hizb ut-Tahrir.

In fact, along with the one at Dhaka University, one of the first
'circles' formed was at one of the leading private universities: North
South University. Though this 'circle' had no physical infrastructure
to show for, they aggressively started preaching their cause through
some initial contacts. To put it mildly, they had a field day,
everyday. Encouraged by the initial success, Hizb ut-Tahrir started
putting in more concerted effort into private universities. At
present, they have groups at Independent University Bangladesh, East
West University, American International University Bangladesh, City
University and Southeast University.

'It is true that we have tapped into the ideological, or rather
intellectual, vacuum at private universities as few students get to
discuss any serious issues at university,' admits Imtiaz Selim, who
heads Hizb ut-Tahrir's activities at private universities and
in-charge of the party's activities in the Gulshan Circle. A
business-graduate of North South University and presently working for
a telecommunications company, Imtiaz is an amicable, mild-spoken young
man. Originally from Chittagong, insiders say he is also the
second-in-command of the party's growing activities in Chittagong.

Well versed in major political philosophies, and abreast with global
events, Imtiaz is not your average private university graduate. With
good social networking among students of various private and public
universities, he can pull his weight in a conversation on just about
anything. And this power to socialise with students from all social
and economic backgrounds has enabled him, and members of his party, to
infiltrate the diverse student demographics at private universities.

'Politics, philosophy, economy, culture, lifestyle are issues that any
young man, or woman, would like to discuss. While activity clubs
rarely address this need, whatever activity there is, they are all
related to career, or studies,' says Imtiaz, and adds, 'so Hizb
ut-Tahrir members at private universities started discussing serious
issues such as globalisation, imperialism, economic systems.

'And we didn't shy away from talking about sensitive issues, which had
surfaced at private universities, or even those which contradicted our
principles. We talked about pre-marital sex, we talked about drugs, we
talked about alcohol, and we even talked about communism, as there was
no other place these students could discuss that. Many of these
discussions were not at all superficial in nature, rather
intellectually engaging. And after having an open discussion, we
presented to them the ideologies that Hizb ut-Tahrir believes in. We
presented the Islamic way of life as a solution to all of their
problems,' elaborates Imtiaz.

'Guerilla marketing'

From the very beginning, students started paying attention. At North
South University, dozens of members attended their group sessions
after prayers at the most convenient location, the prayer room. While
not just staying restricted to male members, they started recruiting
female members. Within months Hizb ut-Tahrir had become a topic of
discussion. Though the number of core members remained low,
sympathisers grew rapidly.

A final semester student at North South University's School of
Business, referred to the approach taken by Hizb ut-Tahrir at private
universities as 'nothing less than guerilla marketing.' 'Their
leaflets are minimal but attractive in design and many of them are in
English, which conveniently caters to the psyche of private university
students. Their members mingle within the general student body. Be it
in the canteen, in the student lobby, in the study areas, and mostly
in the tea-stalls adjacent the university, they whip up conversations
with any student on some topical issue, like the Iraq war or hartal,
and eventually bring up their discussion sessions,' says the student.

'I attended one of their seminars as I found the topic interesting. It
was about cloning. But I started avoiding them when they asked me to
attend their sessions at the prayer room,' says another student.

A female student at Independent University Bangladesh's School of
Environmental Science and Management attended a women-only session of
the Sisters' Circle. 'They had discussed the Islamic way of life. It
was quite general talk. But one of my friends has joined in their
party, and she has started wearing a hijab since then,' says the girl.

Authorities at the universities observed the activities of Hizb
ut-Tahrir with caution. And breaking their self-imposed embargo on
student's engagement with political organizations, they stayed quiet.
As prayer rooms, canteens, rest areas, study rooms became the
political playing field for Hizb ut-Tahrir, they just overlooked it as
general religious practice. Only when their activities became
elaborate did the authorities ask Hizb ut-Tahrir to take their
activities outside the campus perimeter. While group sessions shifted
to local mosques near the universities, and restaurants, the political
activism of Hizb ut-Tahrir members at private universities has
continued.

Though officially denied, insiders within the university
administration and several faculty members have indicated that as
religion is a sensitive issue, the universities think it better to
ignore it. 'The private universities already have a reputation for
being 'too western' and we are scared that cracking down Hizb
ut-Tahrir will further strengthen this allegation,' says a teacher at
a prominent private university. In fact, with the official stance of
no-student-politics still in place, they have tried hard to keep the
situation under wraps. To stop leaking of such damaging 'business'
information in the media, some of the major private universities even
keep several paid media consultants, which generally include
university and education correspondents of major dailies, who in turn
have kept such and other issues out of the media.

A highly-placed source in North South University said that the US
Embassy brought up the issue with the university last year as many of
the universities' graduates go on to attend graduate schools in the
US. Activities of members of the party have been under heightened
scrutiny since then though with a spread out member base within the
general body, their activities have merely taken a more clandestine
nature.

Is there anybody out there?

An interesting loophole within the systems of private universities is
that student unions, or student political bodies, are not legally
prohibited at any private universities as none of the private
universities have published 'statutes' which legally restrict students
from forming student bodies.

While Hizb ut-Tahrir is actively entertaining its political
aspirations, it is interesting to observe that other political camps,
either from the right or the left, remain completely absent.
Ideologically, the left student bodies are the only ones that are
directly in clash with Hizb ut-Tahrir. But they seem surprisingly
inactive. A little inquiry revealed a classic reasoning; adding to a
better understanding of the rise of faith-based student politics. The
Student's Union, the largest leftist student body operating at public
universities, do not consider private universities as legitimate
educational institutions, and therefore they don't operate in them.

For what its worth, the Islamic student movement in Bangladesh has a
new face. Their gathering clout among private university students is
likely to have far reaching consequences. As a faith-based
organisation, students have been found to be connected to the party
even after graduation, and as they will rise through the ranks in
Bangladesh, the party's financial and organisational capacity will
increase likewise as all members contribute both compulsorily and also
voluntarily. And along with it, as Hizb ut-Tahrir's influence within
the general public increases, the day may actually come when they just
might say: step aside!

Courtesy New Age Eid Edition 2005

CHUTNEY OF THE DAY [" Q: "What did you do in Bangladesh?" A: "The
people were very kindhearted and welcoming. But we stood out; my
husband is almost two meters tall and has fair skin, while the locals
are mostly short and dark-skinned. We rented an apartment in Dhaka and
hid, until we left for Riyadh." "]

1. India increasing stock of weapons-grade plutonium
2. The U.S. is threatened by 'Aggressive Chinese Sea' power
3. India seeks permission to use Chittagong port
4. Indian hawk gets key US intelligence post
5. INTERVIEW: An Al-Qaeda Love Story

1. India increasing stock of weapons-grade plutonium

WASHINGTON: Since the 1998 nuclear tests, India is believed to have
invested more resources into increasing its inventory of weapons-grade
plutonium, the focus being the increase in the plutonium output of the
Cirus and Dhruva reactors, according to a recent study.

David Albright of the Institute of Science and International Security
(ISIS) writes that an estimate of India's military plutonium stock is
composed of two basic assessments. The first involves calculating the
total amount of plutonium produced in the Cirus and Dhruva reactors. A
part of this assessment is accounting for any plutonium from Candu
power reactors assigned to the military program. The second assessment
involves determining the amount of plutonium produced in these
reactors that has been consumed or used for non-military purposes.

According to Albright, "It is assumed that almost all of the plutonium
is successfully recovered during reprocessing. Any estimate of India's
weapon-grade plutonium inventory remains highly uncertain.
Complicating any estimate is the mixture of solid and ambiguous
information regarding India's capabilities and actions. As a result,
an analytical approach is used that specifically aims to capture
varying and conflicting information about key parametres affecting
estimates of the size of India's plutonium stock."

According to Albright, the formula used to estimate the total amount
of weapon-grade plutonium produced in the Cirus or Dhruva reactors is
straightforward. The most critical parameter in estimating the total
amount of plutonium produced by one of these reactors is its capacity
factor, which is defined as the energy produced divided by the amount
theoretically possible to produce in a year. Estimates of the capacity
factors of these reactors vary widely.

Indian officials state that the reactors achieved a capacity factor of
60 to 70 percent over long periods of time. Indian senior nuclear
officials stated in interviews in 1992 that the annual capacity factor
of the Dhruva reactor was 60-65 percent. Indian officials also state
that Cirus achieved a capacity of 70 percent until 1990, after which
the capacity factor decreased because of aging problems in the
reactor. One report implied a capacity factor of less than 50 percent
during this period.

Albright writes, "These statements cannot be confirmed and
interpreting them is difficult. Dhruva had a capacity factor less than
25 percent during its first few years of operation. Other problems may
have developed in the reactor that lowered its lifetime capacity
factor below 60-65 percent. Indian officials may be giving capacity
factors for periods when the reactors operated well and ignoring
periods when the reactors were shut down or operating at significantly
reduced power. This practice is rather common when discussing nuclear
power reactors. In this case, a capacity factor of 60-65 percent would
more likely be a maximum lifetime capacity factor.

Such an interpretation is supported by statements from US government
experts. In the late 1990s, knowledgeable experts from US national
laboratories stated in briefings and interviews that the Cirus and
Dhruva reactors had achieved a lifetime capacity factor of only about
40 percent. These estimates were widely circulated at the time, but
their reliability could not be ascertained."

The ISIS expert, a former IAEA inspector, believes that the amount of
plutonium from power reactors assigned to the military programme is
believed to be relatively small. Some of the plutonium produced in the
Cirus and Dhruva reactors has been used in nuclear tests, lost in
processing, or assigned to civil fuel. These quantities must be
subtracted to derive the net plutonium stock. The largest overall
users of plutonium from these reactors have been civil reactors
utilising plutonium fuels, including the Fast Breeder Test reactor
(FBTR), the Purnima reactor, the Zerlina reactor, and power reactors.
Nuclear testing in 1974 and 1998 also used a portion of this
plutonium.

Albright writes that the net military inventory is the total amount of
plutonium produced minus the amount of plutonium used in nuclear
testing, lost during processing, and assigned to civil uses. At the
end of 2004, the median value of the estimate of this inventory is 445
kilograms of plutonium, and the 5th and 95th percentiles are 360 and
530 kilograms, respectively. Estimates of the number of Indian nuclear
weapons are highly uncertain.

Media and government sources continue to suggest that India has not
built as many nuclear weapons as it could, given its inventory of
weapon-grade plutonium. Nonetheless, India has likely used the bulk of
its plutonium to make nuclear weapons. "As a result, an upper bound
estimate of India's nuclear arsenal at the end of 2004 can be derived
from its estimated stock of weapon-grade plutonium. In this estimate,
the amount of plutonium needed for a nuclear weapon is represented by
a triangular distribution that varies from 4 to 7 kilograms with the
most likely value as 5 kilograms. The median value is about 85
weapons, and the 5th and 95th percentiles are about 65 and 110
weapons, respectively." khalid hassan

LINK
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_12-9-2005_pg7_22

2. The U.S. is threatened by 'Aggressive Chinese Sea' power

Hideaki Kaneda, retired Vice Admiral of Japan's Self-Defense Forces,
have stated that "China's goal is to build a series of strategic bases
– a so-called 'string of pearls' – along the major sea lanes."

China is increasingly emphasising its naval and maritime interests:
economic development, territorial management, energy and food security
as well as trade. And with the help of Russia, and the EU when
possible, China has started boosting its navy to be able to promote
such activities.

And like many of China's neighbours, the United States was alarmed.
The U.S. Defence Department believes that China's goal is to build a
series of military and diplomatic strategic bases – a so-called
"string of pearls" – along the major sea lanes from the South China
Sea to the oil rich Middle East.

China's not only seeking to secure its energy supplies, but to achieve
broader security goals. For example, the Gwadar military port,
currently under construction in southwest Pakistan, is strategically
located so as to guard the throat of the Persian Gulf, with electronic
eavesdropping posts to monitor ships – including warships – moving
through the Strait of Hormuz and the Arabian Sea.

Also, China is building container port facilities at Chittagong in
Bangladesh for its naval and merchant fleets and other naval bases and
electronic intelligence gathering facilities on islands owned by Burma
in the Gulf of Bengal.

In Thailand, China plans to build a US$20 billion worth canal across
the Kra Isthmus to connect the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Siam,
which will provide an alternate oil import route that avoids the
Strait of Malacca.

Moreover, China is developing systems in the South China Sea to allow
large-scale deployment of naval and air force units by fortifying
bases on Hainan Island and the southern Chinese coastal area.

Moving to the Spratley and Paracel islands, China is building port
facilities so as to secure large surface ships and runways large
enough to handle long-range bombers.

And currently, China is building a several unsinkable aircraft
carriers in the middle of the South China Sea.

Why has China always been considered a "continental power," engaging
in this maritime expansion? China has succeeded in dominating Asia in
terms of "sea power" until the seventeenth century. During the Ming
Dynasty (1368-1644), Admiral Zheng He's "Great Navy" was the world's
most powerful.

But for the last three centuries, China has had no global maritime
strategy, nor has it sought to possess naval forces to support such a
strategy. It's current maritime strategy has its roots in the U.S.,
China's key strategic rival, namely in the "sea power" theory
developed by Admiral Alfred Thayer Mahan at the end of the nineteenth
century.

In "The Influence of Sea Power upon History", published in 1890, Mahan
states that China's maritime power and economic development are deeply
intertwined, and that it's only the ability to protect trade and
project power by sea could assure the vitality of this nexus.

The book identified the conditions that determine "sea power":
geographical position and environment; territorial capacity,
specifically coastline; population; character of government eager to
embrace "sea power".

Today, China is the world's third largest trading nation and rapidly
developing its port capacities to manage an ever-increasing volume of
trade.

Rapid expansion of ship tonnage is part of China's current five-year
plan, and by 2010 its shipbuilding capabilities are expected to
surpass Japan and Korea.

But, today, China needs to turn to overseas bases rather than
colonisation to enhance its "sea power" – hence its "string of pearls.
"

Still, China is transforming its coastal navy into an ocean-going navy
at a pace far quicker than most experts expected. Analysts suggest
that by 2010, China will have 70 of the most modern surface vessels,
several modern strategic nuclear submarines, and several tens of
modernised attack submarines, exceeding the modern forces of both
Taiwan's navy and even Japan's Maritime Self-Defence Force.

It's been reported that China plans to develop its capabilities for
assault landing and joint logistical support, which used to be weak
points. This will provide China with the needed capabilities to attack
Japan's most remote islands, including the Senkaku Islands, as well as
Taiwan. If the rapid growth of China's naval continued, it is expected
to have the world's largest naval force by 2020.

All Asian countries need to pay a special attention to the arrival of
Chinese-style aggressive "sea power". According to political analysts,
Japan, in particular, must reformulate its national maritime strategy.
Also the United States must once again treat "sea power" in Asia as a
key component of its ability to defend its national interests.

LINK
http://www.aljazeera.com/cgi-bin/conspiracy_theory/fullstory.asp?
id=259


3. India seeks permission to use Chittagong port

India has sought permission from Bangladesh for using the Chittagong
port as transit point to transport its goods from the mainland to the
land-blocked Seven States.

The proposal that reached the Shipping Ministry of Bangladesh acouple
of months ago sought permission of using the country's mainport to
transport goods through the Agartala land port in India, The Financial
Express quoted a high official of the shipping ministry as saying on
Monday.

The existing shipping protocol between the two next door neighbors
does not allow India to use either land or sea port facilities of
Bangladesh in transporting its goods from one part to another.

According to the daily, the shipping ministry that sought opinions
from concerned ministries like finance, commerce, foreign,defence and
planning on the issue has already received their opinions.

Most of the ministries showed positive attitudes towards the Indian
intention, as it will enable the Chittagong Port Authority as well as
the customs department of the National Board of Revenueand the land
port authority to enhance their income.

They, however, favored putting conditions like that of trination gas
pipeline project to maximize the benefit out of suchpermission, the
official said.

The official said India has even showed willingness to invest on
infrastructure development between Chittagong port and Agartalaland
port to transport the goods to its seven states smoothly.

Experts said that India intends to use the Chittagong port as transit
points for getting better access to its seven northeast states known
as "Seven Sisters", which are geographically almost isolated from
other parts of India.

If Bangladesh allows India to use the Chittagong port, the carrying
cost and time for Indian goods to reach the region will come down to
one third from the existing cost and time, the experts said.

The Seven Sisters, comprising Asam, Nagaland, Tripura, Meghalaya,
Manipur, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh, have a population of 38.6
million (about 3.8 percent of India's total) and border China, Bhutan,
Bangladesh and Myanmar.

LINK
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200509/12/eng20050912_208076.html


4. Indian hawk gets key US intelligence post
By Khalid Hasan

WASHINGTON: The man put in charge of the newly-created South Asia
bureau in the National Intelligence Council (NIC), an arm of the
Central Intelligence Agency, is an Indian-American academic known for
his hawkish views on Pakistan.

Sumit Ganguly, director of the Indian Studies Programme at the Indiana
University, Bloomington, will join the new unit as National
Intelligence Officer. Up to now, South Asia was clubbed with the
Middle East in the Near East and South Asia bureau.

According to one account, "The NIC is the intelligence community's
centre for mid-term and long-term strategic thinking. The National
Intelligence Estimates it produces on behalf of the director of
National Intelligence, who also heads the CIA are the most
authoritative written judgments concerning national security issues,
comprising collated judgments of the intelligence community regarding
the likely course of future events." The NIC has a reputation for
providing the president and top administration officials with frank,
unvarnished and unbiased information.

Ganguly was third on a short-list of three for the position, the other
two being South Asia experts from two of Washington's think tanks.
Ganguly was chosen when the first two on the list declined because
they did not wish to work 14-hour days or undertake long and frequent
foreign trips. The position is initially for a two-year period. In a
recent article in Foreign Affairs, Ganguly made a strong case in
favour of the Indo-US nuclear deal signed by President George W Bush
and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in July this year. He argued
that those who were opposing the deal were looking at India "through
the narrow and parochial prism of nonproliferation".

In a review article published in Foreign Affairs in December 2002
under the title `Pakistan's slide into misery,' Ganguly wrote, " only
the United States can force Pakistan to reorder its domestic and
external priorities. In the absence of substantial American economic
assistance, diplomatic support, and multilateral loans, Pakistan would
plunge into economic distress and social dislocation. Washington's
clout is therefore enormous, and it could demand meaningful and
long-lasting changes to address Pakistan's myriad woes. Whether the
United States will prod Musharraf into changing the course he is so
carefully plotting - a route toward ever increasing military dominance
and ever more limited democracy - remains uncertain, however.
Meanwhile, the fate of Pakistan's 140 million citizens hangs in the
balance."

LINK
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_11-9-2005_pg7_55

5. INTERVIEW: An Al-Qaeda Love Story

On June 17, 2005, the London Arabic-language daily Al-Sharq Al-Awsat
published an interview with Fatihah Mohammed Al-Taher Hosni, the wife
of Moroccan Al-Qaeda member Abdel Karim Al-Tuhami Al-Majati, who was
responsible for the May 2003 bombings in Riyadh and was killed last
April by Saudi security forces. Fatiha herself was arrested along with
one of her sons in an eye clinic in Saudi Arabia in March 2003. [1]

In the interview, Fatiha, also a Moroccan, revealed how she influenced
her husband to become a Jihad fighter and how they came to Al-Qaeda.
She related how they attended Jihad conferences in Europe, after which
her husband went to wage Jihad in Bosnia. She and their children
joined her husband, who became known as a "master of disguise," on
some of his travels between Morocco, Saudi Arabia, the U.S., Pakistan,
Bangladesh, and Iran – from where, she said, crossing the border into
Afghanistan was "the most beautiful day of my life." It was there, she
said, that they were "overjoyed" to hear about 9/11. She also related
how she arranged her husband's marriage to another woman – rumored to
be an American - "because my husband had the religious right to have
four wives."

The following is the interview in full, in the original English
translation: [2]

The Fight to Wear the Veil in Morocco

Q: "When did you first meet your husband?"

A: "I met my husband in 1990-91, when I was working as assistant
manager at an institute for management studies. I had good relations
with all the students. I consider myself a child of the first Gulf
War, and was deeply affected by the bombing of Iraq after it invaded
Kuwait. I felt that innocent Iraqis were paying the price. When the
Amiriyyah shelter was bombed, and hundreds women and children killed,
I couldn't help but think of the victims.

"Before becoming religious, I believed in the principles of democracy
in its Western model, and in principles such as human rights,
equality, and justice. I later realized that these were attractive
slogans used to delude the public. The human suffering during the Gulf
War made me aware of my Arab identity and awoke my religious feelings;
I realized that belonging to Islam should go beyond the level of
words. Prior to that, my Western upbringing meant I was constantly
torn between my identity as a Muslim and the culture of the West."

Q: "How do you characterize your relationship with your husband, Karim
Al-Majati, when he was studying engineering at the institute in
Casablanca?"

A: "It was very casual at first, because I was seven years older than
him. After a period when I wore the veil only during Friday prayers, I
decided to wear it permanently. Before, I used to feel like I was
shedding part of my skin every time I removed it. Without attending
any religious classes, I decided, one day, to start covering myself.

"I didn't think that the manager I worked with would object to me
wearing the veil, since my work was based on my competence and not on
my physical appearance, and I was no fashion model or singer. The
French manager, however, wasn't supportive. I also had to fight with
the owners of the institute. In 1991, the veil wasn't very common in
Morocco, because the Islamic revival started late in that country. The
management employed various tactics and threats to make me remove my
veil. The students even wrote a letter of support asking the
administration to keep me in my job, as the veil had no effect on my
work."

Q: "What was your husband's position on this issue?"

A: "Like the rest of the student body, he was supportive. But when the
students were on vacation, Al-Majati stood by me and offered me his
support when I needed it most. I was taken to the police station and
pressured to resign. I refused and asked them to fire me and give me
my entitlements for unfair dismissal. I believe the management wanted
to make an example out of my case to discourage other women at the
institute from wearing the veil. I remember that when I started to
wear the veil permanently, on July 8, 1991, I had been working at the
institute for a year.

"I married Al-Majati on September 25, 1991. All the events I've told
you about so far took place in within a year. I believe it was God's
will that I brought Al-Majati back to Islam, because before the veil
issue, both of us were Muslims in name but not in practice."

Q: "What did you first think when you met your husband?"

A: "I thought he was a tall, handsome, young man with Western
features. He was a role model for the European-oriented youths who
dreamed of becoming an actor or a filmmaker. At the time, we were both
Westernized, similar to other young non-religious Moroccans who
aspired to get a good job and live abroad. For both my husband and I,
our connection to God and Islam was almost non-existent.

"It wasn't until my confrontation with the institute after I decided
to wear the veil that Al-Majati was introduced to religion. He asked
me once, 'Why did you put yourself through so much trouble?' I
answered that it wasn't me who created the problem, and added, 'This
is a divine command which, as a Muslim, I should not disobey.'"

"Al-Majati didn't speak Arabic very well. When I quoted verses about
the veil from the [Koran] verses Al-Nur and Al-Ahzab, he couldn't
understand them. I then bought him a book as a gift, titled 'The
Translation of Quranic Meanings,' and he became convinced after
reading the verses and their translations. Two days later, I saw him
again and was surprised to see that his thinking had radically
changed. He had read the book and was touched by the word of God. I
believe this was instinctive love, as God himself had planted it in
his heart.

"I was spending my days at home after quitting my job, and stopped
seeing Al-Majati. Then, one day, suddenly, I received a phone call
from a friend who told me that he had spoken to her and told her about
his wish to marry me. I looked to God for guidance and we were married
soon after.

"Let me clarify at this point that during my year at the Institute, I
was no ordinary secretary, as many in the media have said, in attempts
to ruin my reputation.

"In fact, I had my own assistant. I was appointed after receiving a
law degree, in 1985, graduating at the top of my class. My monthly
salary was slightly over $US1000."

Q: "How did Al Majati act after your marriage?"

A: "We only knew each other briefly before we married, unlike others
who have long illegitimate relations for years. It was as if my
purpose at the institute was to meet my husband and marry him. After
our wedding, Al-Majati quit his studies and introduced me to jihad.
Beforehand, I had believed Islam was only about prayer and fasting."

My Husband Discovered Jihad at an Islamic Conference in Paris

Q: "When did your husband discover jihad ?"
A: "Towards the end of 1991, we traveled to Paris for a month to
attend an Islamic conference where representatives from various
organizations, including Hamas and the Mujahideen from Afghanistan,
had gathered. There were also members of the Al-Yarmouk team for
Palestinian songs. We found the atmosphere amazing. It also became
evident to us that Islam was not just a religion for Arabs.
"This was at the time of the war on Bosnia, which affected my husband
a lot. Together, we watched a video on the genocide in the Balkans,
which moved us and increased our revolutionary fervor. Until then I
hadn't known that jihad was an obligation for male Muslims.
"My husband went back to France to sell some traditional Moroccan
crafts. On his return, he made clear his intention of traveling to
Bosnia to fight. At first, I totally dismissed the idea. But after
listening to a tape by Sheikh Sa'ad Al Buraik, I changed my opinion. I
realized that in Morocco, women had many more advantages than in
Europe, where people pretend to care for human rights and where women
were being raped as part of a wider war against Islam."

Italy, Germany, Bosnia, and Spain

Q: "Who were the sheiks who influenced Al-Majati at that time?"
A: "In the beginning, my husband's interest in jihad was based on his
feelings. When he saw Muslims being killed in Bosnia, he decided to
fight on their behalf, without having received any military training.
I couldn't stop him, especially after seeing footage from the Balkans.
I agreed to let him go and didn't expect him to return. However, he
did return and asked me to accompany him on his next trip.

"I obtained a visa to Italy, but the German authorities didn't allow
me into their country. My husband tried to enter Bosnia once more, but
was sent back because the borders were shut. We went back to Morocco
and he was very disappointed.

"One day, when I was pregnant with my second son Adam, my husband
disappeared. After some time, I learned that he had been arrested in
Croatia, on the border with Bosnia. Despite his European looks, the
authorities knew immediately that he was an Arab on jihad. He was held
captive and tortured for a month."

Q: "Did your husband meet any Afghan Mujahideen while in Bosnia?"
A: "No. The country was teeming with European Muslims, especially from
Germany and Italy. My husband spent time in prison with a British
Muslim, whom he asked to contact the French embassy. Eventually, the
French did intervene and he was released. "He returned to Morocco and was
bitterly disappointed. He said he was banned from returning to Bosnia for five
years. After this experience, Al-Majati traveled to Afghanistan."

Q: "When did he first visit Afghanistan?"
A: "In the beginning of 1994, my husband left for Mecca on pilgrimage.
From there, he traveled to Afghanistan, where he received military
training at the Khalden Camp. He contracted malaria and returned home
very skinny. He spent some time in hospital in Casablanca and
continued to suffer from fever after he was discharged."

An Invitation to the U.S.

Q: "Did his parents know he was in Afghanistan?"
A: "No, his family was unaware that he was traveling for jihad. His
father didn't even know we were married at first. There was no way I
could tell him that his son was engaged in jihad in Afghanistan. He
became suspicious after Al-Majati returned looking very ill, and he
wouldn't believe that his son became ill in Saudi Arabia as 'it is a
clean country.' I was then suffering from cancer and my husband had to
stay by my side. Afterwards, he accepted an invitation to visit the U.
S., and kept in touch for some time, until we heard nothing."

Q: "Where did he stay when in the U.S.?"
A: "He was in New Jersey but then he left for Afghanistan."

Q: "What year did that happen?"
A: "I'm very bad with dates; I think it was around 1997. He returned
home asking me to accompany him. But I was bedridden with pneumonia.
When he visited me and the children, I always felt he was preoccupied
with something else. The last time he came back, he asked me to follow
him to Afghanistan. We left Morocco for good on July 17, 2001, not
wanting to return."

Q: "Which countries did you visit on your way to Afghanistan?"
A: "First, we went to Sebta in Spain, where we stayed for two weeks,
awaiting a visa to Iran. We were meant to fly to Iran via Italy, but
were unable to do so. Instead, we boarded a plane from Frankfurt, the
next day. We spent a day in Tehran and then crossed the border into
Afghanistan on a Friday.

"It was the most beautiful day of my life. The first thing we saw in
the horizon was a mosque with a blue dome and a banner reading 'There
is no God but Allah and Muhammad is his Messenger.' The Afghans we
first met immediately knew we were Arabs and made us feel welcome."

Q: "Do you mean people from the Pashtun tribe (an ethno-linguistic
group of people, mainly in eastern and southern Afghanistan)?"
A: "Yes, since most of the Taliban are Pashtun. They gave my husband
and children tea and sweets. The ruler of the border town wrote us a
letter of recommendation to the governor of Heart [sic], where we were
headed."

Q: "Did your husband already know them?"
A: "No, he usually entered Afghanistan from the border with Pakistan."

An Attempt to Meet Osama bin Laden

Q: "Where did you go after visiting Heart [sic]?"
A: "We were meant to go to Kabul but my husband decided to go to
Kandahar, instead, to pay Osama bin Laden a visit. When we arrived in
the city, he'd already left for the capital. This was a few days
before the events of September 11. In total, we spent about forty days
in Kandahar."

Q: "I presume you were the hosts of Al-Qaeda?"
A: "No, my husband wasn't a member of the organization at the time."

Q: "When did his involvement with Al-Qaeda begin, then?"
A: "To be honest, it was only after the U.S. bombings of Afghanistan
that we established contact with Al-Qaeda. We were settled in Kabul,
and everyone knows Al-Qaeda's headquarters were in Kandahar. Al-Majati
didn't want to become involved with any group yet. His plan was for us
to stay in Kabul for a year and then move to Kandahar, but the war
disrupted everything."

We Were Overjoyed At 9/11

Q: "How did your husband react to the attacks of September 11?"
A: "We received orders to gather our belongings and leave the city, a
few days before the attacks. When Northern Alliance Commander Ahmad
Shah Masud was killed, we thought that was the reason behind these
instructions. On September 11, I received the news in the afternoon,
local Kabul time. Women and children were hurried into trucks, and we
all left the city. That same night, the airport in the capital was
bombed. We then moved to the nearby Lugar region, where life was
difficult because of the lack of food and water and the excessive
heat. Afterwards, we went to Halmund, close to Kandahar, and after the
war started we left the country altogether."

Q: "How did your husband feel when he heard of the attacks on
September 11?"
A: "To be totally honest, we were overjoyed."

Q: "Did your husband know that Al-Qaeda was behind these attacks?"
A: "When the planes were hijacked, my husband had no relationship with
Al-Qaeda. I am sure the operation must have been meticulously planned
and kept secret. An attack on this scale would be impossible to carry
out if it became common knowledge. This is also the case with the
bombings in Casablanca on May 26, 2003. It's impossible for hundreds
of people to know about it because it has to remain a secret. "When an attack on
Afghanistan became imminent, my husband decided to go to Kabul, and the children
and I left for Kandahar. He soon joined
us, and we joined other families as part of Al-Qaeda. When U.S. bombs
started to fall, my husband started his jihad mission."

Q: "Intelligence reports indicate your husband was taught how to make
explosives and booby traps. According to you, Al Mataji only joined
Al-Qaeda in 2001. Who else trained him then?"
A: "The term Al-Qaeda wasn't used when my husband first went to
Afghanistan in 1994, during the civil war. The organization only
became important after the bombing of the USS Cole destroyer in Yemen
in 2000."

Q: "What happened to you after leaving Afghanistan?"
A: "We traveled to Bangladesh, thinking it would be a temporary move.
We had initially planned on escaping from Afghanistan through Turkey,
but it wasn't to be. We stayed in Bangladesh for ten months, after my
husband's passport was confiscated by the French Embassy."

Q: "Why did that happen?"
A: "I obtained a one-year French visa from the embassy in Bangladesh.
Our passports were confiscated as we were buying our tickets. I
believe they realized we'd detached a fake Pakistani visa from our
passports, and became suspicious."

Q: "What did you do in Bangladesh?"
A: "The people were very kindhearted and welcoming. But we stood out;
my husband is almost two meters tall and has fair skin, while the
locals are mostly short and dark-skinned. We rented an apartment in
Dhaka and hid, until we left for Riyadh."

Saudi Arabia and How My Husband Made the Saudi Most Wanted List

Q: "How did you enter Saudi Arabia?"
A: "We used fake passports. Since the events of September 11, the U.S.
had been waging a global war on the people of Afghanistan and the Arab
world. Our life in the Saudi capital was hard. We were warned, by a
friend of my husband whom I didn't know, of the dangers and the
numerous checkpoints dotted around the city. He told us it would be
impossible to go on the pilgrimage and that all the Mujahideen
fighters in Saudi Arabia were subjected to intimidation, but none had
resorted to violence.

"On March 23, 2003, I was arrested while visiting an eye clinic with
my son Ilyas, before any bombings had occurred. I believe that the
violence that followed is, in part, a response to the constant
surveillance and harassment by the authorities. Certainly after
Al-Qaeda received the news of my arrest, it wouldn't have stood still.
"

Q: "Does this mean that your arrest by the Saudi authorities was one
of the reasons for the Riyadh bombings?"
A: "After my arrest, my ties with my husband and with my other son
were completely severed. Anybody who is on the run and who at the same time has
his wife and son unjustly taken from him will have some kind of negative
reaction. I'm sure that one of the perpetrators of the Riyadh bombings did not
intend to execute the operation."

Q: "How [are you sure]?"
A: "Because he had stayed at our home, and my husband had asked me to
help him find a wife. When I asked my husband how could I find him a
wife when he might be involved in an operation, my husband answered
that there were no plans for him to be involved in any operation, and
that he was not involved in any specific programs. So when I heard
that he was involved in the Riyadh bombings I was very surprised."

Q: "Who is this man?"
A: "He was Khaled Al-Jehni, the man heading the list of the 26 most
wanted. When I was arrested, the Saudi authorities did not know back then that
Al-Majati was on Saudi soil, and thought that Khaled would be with me."

Q: "After the Riyadh bombings, Morocco went through its own bombings
in Casablanca. Your husband was accused of planning these operations
and the Moroccan authorities issued a search warrant for him. Among
what was said was that he was working with Youssef Fekri's group who
were re-tried after the terrorist attacks. Did you know that your
husband had trained any Militant elements?"
A: "First of all, when the Casablanca bombings took place, I was
detained, and they only brought me Al-Sharq Al-Awsat in my cell, so my
information was limited. I heard back then many things said about my
husband, including his responsibility for the Riyadh, Casablanca, and
Madrid explosions. These are very strange allegations, since my
husband died in the land of the two Holy Mosques [Saudi Arabia]. Even
if I was not his wife, I would use common sense: How could a man
almost two meters tall disguise himself as a woman? How could he
easily get out of Saudi [Arabia], enter Morocco to carry out the
Casablanca bombings, then go off to Madrid to carry out the explosions
there, and then return to Saudi [Arabia]?"

Q: "But what is known about your husband is that he was a master of
disguise and was fluent in several languages."
A: "Disguise is easier for women. The most my husband could have done
was change his eye color. However, this was not the case with my
husband. How could someone on the run from most intelligence agencies
safely carry out all these operations?"

Meeting Abu Hafs

Q: "Was your husband attending the religious lectures of Abu Huzaifah
(the sheikh of North African Afghans) and Abdel Wahab Al Rafiqi (known
as Abu Hafs)? Is it true that he argued with them about the nature of
jihad, because he saw jihad as an obligation against local regimes
while they focused on open form jihad?"
A: "Practically speaking, my husband is not a complicated man, as he
did not attend university. He did attend regular classes in Islamic
law, and even had difficulties in spoken Arabic. I do not think he
argued with any of those imams. Sheikh Abu Huzaifah did not, according
to my knowledge, give public lectures. "I would like to clarify one thing: Since
my husband decided to take us with him to Afghanistan, this probably meant he
had not planned anything in Morocco. Besides, he went in and out of Morocco
freely, and was only stopped once, when they found a Pakistani visa in his
passport and one of Sheikh Abdullah Azzam's books."

Q: "Was this before September 11?"
A: "Yes, of course. In fact, my husband never returned to Morocco
after July 2001."

Q: "Who were the Sheikhs that left an impact on Al-Majati?"
A: "Mostly Sa'ad Al Boraiek and Abdullah Azzam, who opened new
horizons for the issue of jihad. These horizons are necessary to fight
Bush and Sharon, whose only strategy is war."

Q: "Does this mean that Muhammad Al-Maqdisi did not influence him?"
A: "Occasionally we downloaded some of his texts from the Internet.
However, my husband did not read these texts, as his perception of
jihad was more spontaneous."

Q: "However, these Sheikhs have an ability to influence others; for
example, Muhammad Al-Maqdisi influenced Abu Mussa'ab Al Zarqawi. It
was also said that your husband was close to Zarqawi."
A: "Jihad is not a local issue, because there were many nationalities
in Afghanistan and because we are all one Nation (Ummah). As far as I
know, my husband did not have any ties with Al-Zarqawi. When I left
him in Saudi Arabia, I was surprised that he did not go to fight in
Iraq, as he had always wished to fight the Americans in war."

Q: "Was Al-Majati of the founders of the Moroccan Jihadist Islamic
Group in Afghanistan in the late 90s?"
A: "No, my husband has nothing to do with this group or any other. He
only belongs to Al-Qaeda."

Q: "Right after the Madrid bombings, Al-Majati's name was widely
circulated as the mastermind behind these operations. What do you know
about these operations?"
A: "I have been apart from my husband since March 23, 2003.
International intelligence knew that I had no connection with him
since then, because I am constantly watched. My husband was accused of
everything – Saudi [Arabia], Morocco, Madrid, September 11, Nagasaki,
Hiroshima, you name it. Was he behind all these bombings? This is an
exaggeration and [it is] a global policy to attach the terrorism label
to everyone. If I was told that my husband killed Americans, I'd say,
yes he did, but he never killed any Muslims."

Q: "What was your husband's position on the Madrid bombings?"
A: "Al-Qaeda now operates in separate groups. Those in Spain operate
only there, those in Turkey only there etc. When I learnt of my
husband's death in Al-Ras, I was not surprised, as I had left him in
Saudi [Arabia]. When his house was attacked, he had one of two
options: to surrender or to die. He chose the latter. The belief that
my husband took part in all these operations is evidence of the
impotence of international intelligence. Khaled Al-Jehni was put on
the wanted list because he appeared on a videotape kissing a rifle,
even though he neither killed anyone nor blew up anything."

An American Wife in Britain?

Q: "What is the story about your husband's American wife?"
A: "Al-Majati was not married to an American woman. I had not wished
to speak about this topic, but the death of my husband and son have
made me break my silence. However, Al-Majati had a second wife from
Morocco, and she is a friend of mine, since I arranged this marriage."

Q: "Why?"
A: "Because my husband had the religious right to have four wives.
Also, during the time we were in Afghanistan, I spoke with him about
polygamy several times but he always avoided the subject. His second
wife is called Fatihah Al Hawshy, and she has Belgian citizenship.
Since Al-Majati was killed, I have maintained good relations with her.
"
Q: "Where does she live now?"
A: "In Britain."

LINK
http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=19471

CHUTNEY OF THE DAY ["August 17 has changed the averages, since 500
bombs killed two people and injured 150. Overnight the annual average
number of bomb explosions in Bangladesh has increased from 6 to 89,
and reduced the average mortality per bomb. Between 1999 and February
2005 each bomb killed five people on average and injured 51. Today
with more than 500 bombs killing 166 people the average fatality per
bomb stands at less than one person per bomb. What this drastic change
in numbers indicates is an extraordinary change in pattern."]

1. August 17 Blasts: Is there external linkage?
2. Bangladeshi blunder jails Canadian
3. Mathematical precision
4. Foreign NGOs funding militancy in Bangladesh: intelligence:
5. Why India Is Blamed For All The Debacles In Bangladesh
6. India Is Supporting Terror In Nepal

1. August 17 Blasts: Is there external linkage?
M. Shahidul Islam from Toronto

The controversy over Tarique Zia's seemingly misquoted comment in the
BBC interview that al-Qaeda 'may' have been involved in the August 17
serial blasts notwithstanding, despondency is bound to set in as the
investigators have not yet unearthed any significant leads to the
attacks' masterminds (and their political goals) despite over 300
arrestees' testimony having been recorded and a slew of clues found.

Such uncertainty does give rise to an obvious concern: Is there an
external link to the blasts and, if so, who could have pulled the
strings from behind the nation's borders, and why?

A study of the post-blast behaviour of the Indian media and the
intelligence apparatuses can go a long way toward understanding why
terrorist incidents in Bangladesh seem to matter so much to our
neighbour. Since the attacks, the Indian media has launched a virtual
crusade against Bangladesh, spearheaded by the Telegraph that wrote,
'Delhi should urge major donors to impose economic sanctions on
Bangladesh.' The paper also reported that Indian security agencies had
advised the central government to 'force Khaleda Zia to clamp down on
Islamic fundamentalist outfits'.

The government of Bangladesh did respond earnestly to such pressures
and diatribes and conducted a virtual witch-hunt in the preceding
weeks against Islamists of suspicious hues, although the end result of
the ongoing manhunt seems destined to be as much a failure as the
previous ones.

Meanwhile, a just concluded study of Bangladesh's post-blast security
situation by major Indian intelligence outfits pointed the finger of
suspicion for the August 17 blasts at familiar groups like the Jagrata
Muslim Janata and the Jamaatul Mujahideen, which are, says the study,
'banned, and are known to have fanned anti-Indian sentiments'.
Coincidentally, the police in Dhaka say the same thing but cannot
trace the attacks' elusive masterminds.

The masterminds of a series of such attacks over the years not having
been traced, one cannot resist the temptation of being suspicious
about the latest attacks' genesis and the ultimate motivation of the
masterminds.

The Indian intelligence bodies' study, however, has made some
interesting observations. 'There were 370 explosions in 63 of
Bangladesh's 64 districts. The kind of explosives used and the impact
of each blast were similar to that on August 13 at a Muslim shrine in
Akhaura in which one person was killed and 30 others were
injured...There are insinuations that an earlier blast in August 2004
was suspected to have been inspired by India's Research and Analysis
Wing (RAW). It is possible that efforts will be on to malign India
again by pointing fingers at Delhi,' the study opined.

In conclusion, the study noted that 'the outfits were emboldened
because of the lack of tangible action by the Khaleda government...
The blasts are intended to be a message to Dhaka and to discourage the
government from succumbing to international pressure to clamp down on
the outfits.'

Reportedly a separate detailed study, circulated among the top
echelons of the Indian security establishment, says, 'Delhi should
actively consider economic measures against Bangladesh.'

The tirades of the Indian media and comments of the intelligence
agencies aside, everyone knows that the Jamaatul Mujahideen had left
leaflets on the sites of bombing and many of the arrestees have
reportedly confessed to having carried out the attacks at its behest.
Yet BNP Deputy Minister Ruhul Quddus Talukder (also an MP) had a
different view of the events. He had said earlier, 'I don't think they
(the JM) have such a strong network. Awami League must have done this,
using fake leaflets, to blacken Bangladesh's image internationally.'
Does the Minister know something that others don't?

A somewhat similar claim came from Mufti Fazlul Haq Amini, chairman of
the Amini faction of the Islami Oikya Jote and a constituent member of
the ruling four-party alliance. He said on August 19, 'Swearing upon
Allah, I say the 14-party alliance of Awami League and left parties
launched the bomb attacks in a planned way to uproot the Islamic
forces, but Islamic forces can never be eliminated.'

To confound confusion further, both India and Israel were whisked into
the scene by the Jamaat-e-Islami's Amir and Industries Minister Matiur
Rahman Nizami. He blamed India's external intelligence agency,
Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), and Israel's Mossad for 'playing an
important role' in the August 17 attacks. He added, 'They are the
patrons of the serial blasts as they don't want good relations between
Bangladesh and China. That's why the incident occurred when Prime
Minister Khaleda Zia was on a visit to Beijing.'

Juxtapose the above with the embedded Indian concerns over
Bangladesh's political developments over the years. The copy of a 2004
RAW report obtained by this author reads, 'Pakistani intelligence
officers in Dhaka are becoming increasingly active in espionage
against India. In 2002, three modules (sic) being run by them from
Dhaka, and using some Bangladeshi operatives, were busted. A large
number of secret documents and photographs of sensitive defence
locations were recovered from one Ziauddin Ahmed Biswas (resident of
Murshidabad in West Bengal), arrested on November 17, 2002. Later, the
arrest (December 2002 in Lucknow, UP) of Bangladeshi national,
Mohammad Mamunur Rasheed, led to the recovery of fake travel documents
and also incriminating documents indicating a plan to recruit Indian
Muslim youths for training in Bangladesh and Pakistan for subversive
activities within India.'

Another RAW report of 2004 implicates the Dhaka regime more directly.
It says, 'It is hardly any secret that the Inter-Services Intelligence
(ISI) of Pakistan has close links with Bangladesh's
Directorate-General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) and operates openly
and freely in that country. It (ISI) not only helps coordinate the
activities of al-Qaeda and fundamentalist Islamic militant groups
through the DGFI, but backs a Bangladeshi Taliban group named HUJI
that runs six training camps for ULFA terrorists in the Chittagong
Hill Tracts.'

A West Bengal intelligence outfit goes a step further: 'While ULFA
training camps have been organised by the sector headquarters of the
Bangladesh Rifles (BDR), training camps of the CNLF have been
organised partly by 103 and 105 infantry brigades of the Bangladesh
Army at Khagrachhari and Rangamati,' the report claims.

From hindsight, the pattern of such accusations seems a corollary to
many such reports circulated in the past. For instance, prominent
security experts of India have been crying wolf since the late 1990s
(long before the incidents of 9/11 that acted as a harbinger to the
global hunts for Islamist terrorists) that activities in Bangladesh
posed a serious danger to India's security and national interests.

Particularly, Assam Governor Lt Gen (retd) SK Sinha wrote in his
report to the central government in March 1998, 'The long cherished
design of Greater Bangladesh, making inroads into the strategic land
link of Assam with the rest of India, can lead to severing the entire
land mass of the North East from the rest of the country.'

In another report submitted to the President of India in November
1998, Sinha wrote, 'Continued silent demographic invasion of the North
East poses a great threat both to the identity of the Assamese people
and to our national security.' Influenced by such reports, India
decided to fence the entire Indo-Bangladesh border at a cost of over
$500 million and nearly 70% of border fencing was completed by
mid-2005. The Indian Border Security Force also killed more than 500
innocent Bangladeshis over the years since General Sinha filed his
first report.

India now claims that since 1990, Assam has seen the birth of 9 Muslim
militant outfits owing allegiance to Harkat ul Mujahideen and
Lashkar-e-Toiba, the groups that run ferocious operations against
Indian forces in Indian-occupied Kashmir. Indian intelligence outfits
believe the groups have their rear bases inside Bangladesh. Is India
looking for a pretext to launch pre-emptive military assaults on
Bangladesh at some point in the future, based on such reports?
Policy-makers in Dhaka must mull over this prospect seriously.

Coming to the August 17 blasts in particular, one wonders why the
Islamists, whose 'profound' aim is to create a 'Greater Bangladesh' by
creating demographic imbalance in the neighbouring Indian states of
Assam and Tripura in particular (according to Indian reports), should
resort to blasting of 'innocuous' bombs inside Bangladesh and leave
behind signatures for identification? How is the mission of creating a
greater Bangladesh served by such blasts?

Isn't it more plausible that, in the absence of any verifiable and
authentic conclusion, the blasts have occurred to prove to the world
that Bangladesh is infested with Islamist Jihadis determined to take
on India by using Bangladesh as a launching pad? At the least, such a
hypothesis does mesh well with the embedded Indian perceptions of
Bangladesh, as has been learnt from the intelligence reports quoted
above.

It is under such contexts that one must compare the Indian mindset
with the comments made by some Bangladeshi politicians after the
August 17 blasts (quoted above), and try to guess the 'untold' reasons
behind the authorities' inability to reach any conclusion with respect
to the attacks' masterminds. Meanwhile, with each passing day, the
tone of reports in the media of the two neighbours will keep
confounding the conundrum instead of decoding the hidden secrets.

LINK
http://www.weeklyholiday.net/front.html#1

2. Bangladeshi blunder jails Canadian

A Canadian man who returned home to Bangladesh to attend his
daughter's wedding was arrested after he was mistakenly thought to be
a key suspect in the 1981 murder of the country's president.

Moinul Islam a 'retired Bangladeshi major' is a Canadian citizen and
has been living in Toronto for more than a decade, according to his
family.

Members of Bangladeshi's elite Rapid Action Battalion thought Islam
was Major Mozaffar Hossain, who is accused of being involved in the
assassination of President Ziaur Rahman.

Islam's wife, Rousan Ara Islam told Bangladeshi media that her husband
is now being held and interrogated for allegedly deserting the army
and leaving for Canada.

She said her husband returned to the country from Canada on August 20
on the occasion of his daughter's marriage on September 16.

Rousan expressed surprise at her husband's arrest, telling Malaysia's
The Star newspaper, "When they came to arrest him, saying 'you are
Major Mozaffar', he gave them his identity.

"But they nabbed him ignoring his claim."

Rousan said Moin had sent a resignation letter to the military and
left the country for the USA and later shifted to Canada in 1989.

The actual suspect Major Mozaffar Hossain is thought to be in Canada,
according to Bangladeshi media reports.

Canada is also home to at least three men charged by Bangladesh in
connection with the 1975 murder of the country's first prime minister
and president Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Rahman and 15 members of his family were assassinated at home in Dhaka
during a military coup.

Two of them — Najmul Ansar and Kismat Hashem — have become Canadian
citizens while a third Nur Chowdhury was seeking refugee status in
2000.

Ansar was last reported to be working as an accountant for an
Ottawa-based crown corporation while Hashim was employed by an
Montreal-based electronics company.

All three have denied the charges against them.

Meanwhile, the Bangladesh government is gearing up for more nationwide
bomb attacks, citing intelligence reports that Islamist militants and
outlawed extremists have joined hands to attack important
establishments in a bid to force the government to keep their hands
off them.

The government has put law-enforcement and intelligence agencies on
high alert since the Aug 17 attacks which saw 459 bombs being
activated in 63 of the country's 64 districts within a single morning.

Two people were killed and more than 300 injured. As many as 300
people have been arrested in subsequent investigations, with 203 still
in custody.

Islamist militants have also issued death threats against Hindu
journalists for reporting on the Aug 17 attacks.

They warned that journalists of Hindu faith do not have any right to
write on the Islamist outfits, in several letters.

"Our aim is to establish Islamic rule in Bangladesh through an armed
revolution," the letters said.

LINK
http://www.asianpacificpost.com/news/article/666.html

3. Mathematical precision

Apart from the fact that it dramatically reduced the blast fatality
average in Bangladesh, little else is known about the recent spate of
bombings in the country

Afsan Chaudhury Dhaka

After debating about Islamic fundamentalists of the armed and
dangerous variety operating in Bangladesh for years, the argument for
many came to an end on August 17. According to globally sanctioned
wisdom on the matter, Islamic fundamentalism is primarily recognizable
through the bombs it explodes. In a country that has become inured to
bombs going off with tedious regularity, news of another bomb attack
does not excite excessive panic, but it does reinforce the rhetoric of
fundamentalism nationally and internationally. In this climate of
opinion, there are few takers for the sceptical view that all blasts
are not necessarily linked to Islamic fundamentalism. Many bombs have
been targeted at Opposition party leaders.

August 17 witnessed a new phenomenon whose implications have not been
fully grasped. Across Bangladesh, with meticulous precision, about 500
bombs exploded in 63 of the country's 64 districts between 10.30 and
11 in the morning. This exercise in clockwork efficiency targeted
public buildings, and other crowded locations. Unlike the explosions
that have rocked Bangladesh in the past, this time the radius of
attack was large enough to cover the entire country. Yet, what will
puzzle the experts and analysts is why a countrywide attack killed
only a rickshaw-puller and a small child.

Judged against the backdrop of other bomb attacks in the country, this
mega enterprise seems to present a mystifying paradox. For all the
trouble taken to ensure a nationwide chain of attacks the bombs used
were deliberately designed to create low intensity damage.
Consequently, while August 17 raised the average per annum rate of
explosions in the country, it has actually reduced the average strike
rate per bomb. According to a report released by the Opposition Awami
League in Februay 2005, there have been 34 bomb blasts between 1999
and February 2005. Between 1999 and 2003 there were only 13 bomb
attacks, while the year 2004 alone witnessed 13 such attacks, and the
first two months of 2005 saw eight explosions. These 34 bombs killed
164 persons and injured 1,735.

August 17 has changed the averages, since 500 bombs killed two people
and injured 150. Overnight the annual average number of bomb
explosions in Bangladesh has increased from 6 to 89, and reduced the
average mortality per bomb. Between 1999 and February 2005 each bomb
killed five people on average and injured 51. Today with more than 500
bombs killing 166 people the average fatality per bomb stands at less
than one person per bomb. What this drastic change in numbers
indicates is an extraordinary change in pattern.

Unanswered questions

The obvious question to be asked is why there has been a sudden change
in strategy? Does this herald the arrival of a new group or a new
strategy by an old group? The other question is why one district was
left out of the proceedings. While Dhaka was the most affected
district, adjoining Munshiganj escaped attention altogether. Since
there are no reports of pre-emptive arrests in this regard, it is
perhaps safe to assume that alert intelligence and security was not
the reason for this.

Official reports say the telltale signs belong to Jama'atul Mujahideen
Bangladesh (JMB) which, along with the Jagrata Muslim Janata
Bangladesh, was banned earlier in the year, and which has been under
close government scrutiny since it was suspected to have carried out a
large number of attacks. In February this year, the police had
arrested three alleged JMB operatives in Gaibandha and two in Rangpur,
two in Rajshahi, 11 in Dinajpur and Thakurgaon, one two from Chapai
Nawabganj.

At each site of the current series of bomb blasts, Jama'atul
Mujahideen leaflets written in Bangla and Arabic were found which
warned that this was just a preliminary exercise and unless the world
of manmade laws was replaced by god's law, Islamic fury would descend.
Witnesses at many sites say that the typical madrassah-student type
was seen carrying a packet that later exploded. Yet, so far no group
has come forward to claim responsibility for the blasts. There are
more questions raised by this blast than has been answered by the
government.

However, in the perception of most observers, Jamatul Mujahideen is an
organisation of a few hundred followers of the lungi-clad rural
variety almost entirely limited to a part of northern Bengal and never
considered a national threat. The February police crackdown in the
north would have weakened the organisation substantially. Yet, the
organisation was seemingly involved in the August blasts. How they
could muster such organisational skill, dexterity, access to resources
and planning to undertake this exercise is perplexing. So the obvious
questions are being asked about the other hands that rocked this
cradle.

Maulana Abdur Rahman, who left the country some months ago, is being
considered the mastermind of August 17. He is the founder of Jama'atul
Mujahideen and is considered the guru of Islamic extremists. His
follower Professor Muhammad Asadullah al-Ghalib of Rajshahi
University, who is already in custody since the February crackdown,
has been denied bail. The organisation that is seen to be a common
link between different Islamist groups is Ahle Hadith Andolon
Bangladesh (AHAB). Others have also come under a cloud. Maulana Masud,
a former director of the Islamic Foundation, was also prevented from
flying out of the country on charges of involvement in the blasts. He
was running an Islamic non government organisation (NGO), a madrassa
and a private clinic. The government has so far arrested about a 100
mullahs.

A whiff of suspicion

There were some sporadic explosions with at least two reported
incidents in the week prior to the current set of bombs going off.
Attacks on Ahmediyas have been prominent. Shrines, Ahmediya
institutions, circuses and rural folk theatre shows have been the
victims of such violence despite international and national protests.
At least six explosions have taken place at shrines, including the one
at Hazrat Shahjalal in Sylhet in 2004 and another serious one very
recently at Brahmanbaria where an Urs was underway. The government
response in all instances has been tepid, going only to the extent of
providing some perfunctory protection. Why the government response has
been so lukewarm remains a mystery and provides the Opposition Awami
League enough fodder to level allegations of the Bangladesh National
Party's (BNP) tacit complicity in these acts of violence.

Although the Jamaat-e-Islami, the coalition partner of the government
and the country's main Islamist party, was prompt in getting on to
television to condemn the perpetrators of the latest attack for
tarnishing the image of Islam, the whiff of suspicion about BNP being
soft on Islamic extremists may not be dispelled easily. The only way
the BNP can rid itself of this charge is to take more efficient action
on the required scale. As one of the recent targets of a bomb attack,
UK envoy Anwar Chowdhury, a British citizen of Bangladeshi origin put
it, "the Western world would like some answers".

Pressure on the BNP-led government will mount and a crackdown is
imminent if Bangladesh is to remain the landing station of investment
and other benefits they seek. Nor will India take kindly to such
developments and the closing of Bengal's borders could mean Bangladesh
will have to pay attention. However, it is from within Bangladesh that
the government is facing the most heat. The Awami League was quick off
the block. The party led the Opposition's demonstrations all over
Bangladesh on August 18.

League chief Sheikh Hasina called for an international investigation
into the blasts as "the intelligence agencies and the police have
completely failed to perform their duties". She alleged that the "bomb
attacks were masterminded by the government and perpetrated under the
supervision of Jamaat-e-Islami". There may be many who will find her
reasoning persuasive. According to her, "No one can carry out a series
of blasts in 63 districts almost simultaneously without the
government's involvement." Against this the Council for National
Agenda has accused India of engineering the bombings to "derail the
upcoming Saarc summit in Dhaka". Jamaat-e-Islami has blamed the
Indians and Mossad. BNP leaders too are blaming India, but more
cautiously. With charges flying around and the atmosphere turning
murkier, the prospects of clear answers to the questions surrounding
the August 17 explosions are not very bright.

LINK
http://www.hardnewsmedia.com/portal/comment/reply/131

4. Foreign NGOs funding militancy in Bangladesh: intelligence:

By Farid Ahmed, Dhaka: Bangladeshi intelligence agencies, in the
aftermath of the Aug 17 spate of bombings, have put under close watch
nearly a dozen foreign Islamic NGOs which they say are channeling
funds to militant groups here.

The Kuwait-based Revival of the Islamic Heritage Society is on top of
the list of suspect organisations and the government is going to ask
it to close its offices in the country, a senior intelligence official
told IANS.

Sources said the Revival of Islamic Heritage Society is widely blamed
for fuelling Islamist militancy in Bangladesh by channeling funds to
militant organisations. Its top bosses are now hurriedly wrapping up
their activities and preparing to leave the country.

The other organisations put under close watch include the Rabita Al
Alam Al Islami, Society of Social Reforms, Qatar Charitable Society,
Al Muntada Al Islami, Islamic Relief Agency, Al Forkan Foundation,
International Relief Organisation, Kuwait Joint Relief Committee and
the Muslim Aid Bangladesh.

All these organisations are based in different Middle East countries
and have been active in Bangladesh for years.

The intelligence sleuths found that more than 100 foreigners, from
different Middle East and African countries, have been working in
these organisations illegally.

"They came to Bangladesh with tourist visas and joined the
organisations without any work permits," the official said.

The Heritage Society's front organisation, the Higher Islami Education
Institute, in the capital was closed down last week. It has started
trimming manpower in other affiliated institutions as part of the
wrapping-up process.

The government has already deported five foreign officials - two
Sudanese nationals, two Algerians and a Libyan - of the organisation's
country branch office, and kept six other officials under constant
watch.

"They were all deported following specific allegations of their
involvement in fanning the Islamist militancy and extremism," said a
top official of the Special Branch of police.

The official said four of the deported officials earlier worked for
Al-Haramine (banned worldwide) in Bangladesh before joining the
Heritage Society.

The government banned Al-Haramine in 2004 at the request of the US and
Saudi Arabia, who say it has links with the Al Qaeda.

All the 14 foreign officials of Al-Haramine left Bangladesh after the
ban was imposed, but four of them returned several months later and
joined the Heritage Society without the knowledge of intelligence
agencies.

An intelligence report recently submitted to the government said that
the Kuwait-based organisation used to channel funds for Ahle Hadith
Andolon's leader, Asadullah al-Ghalib, also a university professor,
who was arrested last February for exploding bombs at NGOs' offices
and cultural functions in the northern part of the country.

Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh, blamed for the Aug 17 chain of bomb
blasts, has been getting foreign funds for its militant activities
through Ghalib.

More than 400 small bombs were exploded almost simultaneously across
the country, leaving three people dead and 150 injured, on Aug 17.

Kuwaiti national Abdul Aziz Khalaf Malullah, a top official of the
Heritage Society, came to Dhaka Aug 14 on a month-long trip, but left
Aug 21.

The society established four orphanage centres-cum-madrassas, 1,000
mosques, 1,100 places for ablution and one kidney dialysis centre.

In 2002, the US State Department blacklisted some Revival of the
Islamic Heritage Society offices, citing their support of Osama bin
Laden and Al Qaeda.

LINK
http://www.newkerala.com/news.php?action=fullnews&id=20898

5. Why India Is Blamed For All The Debacles In Bangladesh
Mohammad Zainal Abedin - 9/9/2005

India is blamed for the well-knitted and unprecedented bombings of
August 17 and all other debacles occurred in Bangladesh. Some blame
India by directly mentioning its name, while others accuse her
indirectly without mentioning her name. Whenever any untoward incident
occurs in Bangladesh "a neighbouring country acted from behind the
screen" is pointed to. They do not mention India in name. They adopt
this tactic out of fear. One should really be worried for his personal
security, since the security and existence of one's homeland is under
threat. None can predict when, where, how and from which direction he
will face mishap.

Under this situation, at least two ministers of the alliance
government showed their extreme height of courage. One of them is the
Foreign Minister M. Morshed Khan and the other the Industry Minister
Maulana Matiur Rahman Nizami. Indian government, its High Commissioner
in Dhaka and India's Bangladeshi disciples reacted sharply, better to
say furiously at the recent comment of the Industries Minister on the
serial bomb attacks on August 17.

Bangladesh-India Friendship Council tabled a demand before the
government that the Industries Minister should be sacked immediately.
Their allegation is that the Industries Minister replying a question
in a press conference alleged that India might have involved with the
bomb attacks of August 17. The Industries Minister made this comment,
virtually to counter the allegation that some highly placed
personality of the opposition made against his party for the bomb
blasts. According to them (pro-Indians), "It has become a mania for a
section of people to blame India, without any document or proof, for
all untoward happenings in Bangladesh.

The argument is true and acceptable. Many things happen in the world,
whose proof or document is difficult to unearth. But the argument is
not applicable in respect to India. It is India that created the
environment or habit or mania for blaming her for all the misfortunes,
as she is the covert or overt architect of all the debacles and
miseries that the Bangladeshis face.

India that emerged as a rescuer of Bangladesh in 1971, wearing the
mask of an ardent friend, since 1971, behaves in such a way still
date, in which no trace of friendship is visible. India through her
hundreds of thousands of activities proved that she is our opponent
and hostile to us. Due to India none, right from Sheikh Mujubur Rahman
to Khaleda Zia, could rule Bangladesh peacefully. Who floated
anti-Mujib JASAD-GANA BAHINI? Who are the masterminds of Mujib Bahini?
Who did not allow the then Commander-in-Chief of Bangladesh Armed
Forces or chief of the freedom fighters Gen. M A G Osmani, any other
Bangladesh representative, to attend at the surrendering function of
Pakistan Army in Dhaka on December 16, 1971? Who grabbed all the arms
and ammunition and other military equipment, including armoured
vehicles, warplanes and warships. Who plundered materials of hundreds
of crores of dollars from our the cantonments, industrial units,
goodowns, warehouses, shops and shopping malls, mills and factories,
even the residential houses, of all our major cities, including Dhaka
and loading them in lorries and trucks and ships sent outside our
territory? Who are the godfathers of arson in our mills and factories,
including our goodowns of jute and carried out other subversive
activities during Mujib period? Who printed counterfeited Bangladeshi
currency during Mujib regime and created man-made famine through
inflation and zeroed his popularity? Whose black hands were active
behind the killing of Mujib and Zia? These misdeeds do not have any
proof.

But even an ordinary citizen of Bangladesh genuinely comprehends how
our neighbouring country frustrates us in every step. India designs to
ruin us blockading the water of our rivers our lifelines. Why should
we be deprived of the waters of the international rivers? Who attack
our border almost daily? Who kidnap our people living in the bordering
areas? Who kill them or plunder their assets, including cattle and
arson their dwelling houses? Who intrigue to make us dependable on
them by ruining our industrial infrastructures applying multifarious
evil-techniques and smuggling? Who let loose their tentacles to start
guerrilla war to segregate one-tenth of our territory? Who provide
them weapon, training, money and shelter?

From which country arms, explosives and ammunition come to Bangladesh?
Is there any person who can term India as a friend of Bangladesh after
learning all these information? Lets the Indians come forward to
challenge the genuineness of even one these allegations mentioned
above.

No Bangladeshi has any desire to speak ill of or spread scandal for
nothing against India. It is India that instigates and incites us,
provokes us, compels us to write and speak against India. Being
annoyed and vexed at the anti-Bangladesh activities of India, we
simply react. It is not our habit or mania. It is our protest against
unfriendly and inimical attitude and behaviour of a friend. We protest
being beaten and assaulted again and again. Even the beast, not to
speak of human being, protests, reacts out of mental agony. It is the
duty of the patriotic forces to find out and punish that evil power
that is responsible for our deplorable condition, which power does not
allow us to stand erect. There is no room to compromise or to be
frightened in this respect.

The role that India played for us in 1971 does not mean that she is
our master. A smaller country have the right to exist adjoining a
larger one. But the larger country cannot be given the privilege or
license to act against the interest and existence of her tiny
neighbour. The assistance that India provided to Bangladesh in 1971,
does not mean that Bangladesh should become a satellite state of
India.

Threat came from the responsible quarters of India that economic
embargo would be imposed on Bangladesh if the so-called extremity is
not stopped. Is this type of unreasonable threat is a symbol of
friendship and amity? India starts to poke nose whenever a tiny
turmoil occurs in Bangladesh, alleging that her security is under
threat. But extremity, fundamentalism, fanaticism, communalism, etc.
are the main characteristics of Indian society. How many communal,
caste and tribal riots took place in India and how many people were
massacred in those riots? How many mosques, churches, Buddhist
pagodas, gurudwaras (Sikh prayer house) were razed to dust? How many
people lost their lives in the political and social violence or
secessionist wars and Moist people's wars? Where the national Army
fights against its own people, other than India, since its
independence in the name of safeguarding the territorial integrity of
the country? Having hundreds of thousands of social, political, ethnic
and caste violence how so-called extremity in Bangladesh could be an
excuse of imposing economic embargo against Bangladesh? Who will not
feel disturbed at this type of comment?

Let us come to the latest incident of August 17. Though the Industries
Minister passively pointed his fingers to the involvement of India in
that serial bombings (of August 17), but the opinions of print media,
observers and analysts were more open concrete. RAW connection of
Shaiyakh Abdur Rahman is now well-known to all. Above all, the pattern
of the explosives that were used in the bombs of August 17, were
detained and recovered earlier repeatedly when they were being
smuggled to Bangladesh through Benapole, Bhomra and bordering routes.
Same type of bombs, explosives and technology are not available in
Bangladesh. Indian attitude and behaviour and ground situation and
reality indicate that no other country, except India, is the supplier
of these materials and technology. Moreover, some of the arrestees in
their confessional statements have already admitted that the bombs and
their raw materials were brought from India. Considering
circumstantial reality, it is neither impractical nor unnatural to
blame and accuse India for the bomb blasts of August 17.

The responsibility of changing this trend inclusively lies with India.
It cannot be an acceptable and logical argument that India couldn't be
blamed for the bomb blast, though she provides shelter and training to
the Bangladeshi terrorists in her soil. It is India to prove that she
is not our foe, but friend. India herself stated to show inimical
attitude and unfriendly behaviour against Bangladesh. The Foreign
Minister or the Industries Minister only reacted to those (inimical
attitude and unfriendly behaviour) through their mild comments. It is
known to all that India, has been endeavouring to brand Bangladesh as
a terrorist-infested country. For that reason, it is logical if one
blames India for the bomb blasts of August 17. The grievance of the
Bangladeshi people was just simply ventilated through the comments of
the Industries Minister.

LINK
http://www.globalpolitician.com/articledes.asp?ID=1181&cid=6&sid=20

6. India Is Supporting Terror In Nepal
Kamala Sarup - 9/9/2005

India has been supporting the terrorists. New Delhi's intelligence
service, RAW (Research & Analysis Wing) has been supporting the
terrorists perhaps because New Delhi may have designs on Nepal's
territory and wants to see more instability. The professed goal of the
insurgency, now nearly 10 years old, is the establishment of a
totalitarian state, ala Pol Pot's Cambodia. For this, in their view,
it is necessary to begin from "ground zero". For the fulfillment of
their objectives it is necessary, in their view, to first knock down
Nepal's traditional pillars of stability and unity: the Monarchy and
the Army.

In Nepal, India is operating on two levels: officially it says she is
also threatened by the Maoists; yet, they provide facilities for
meetings between Maoists and Indian leftists, not to talk of looking
the other way as far as arms supplies, medication and sanctuary for
them are concerned.

The real threat is to Nepal's very existence.

The last chance for a peaceful resolution is this ceasefire, unless
the pause is used by the Maoists and political opposition to simply
join forces and stage a larger uprising. Their intention being to
overthrow the Monarchy and rule the nation under New Delhi's guidance.

If the government cannot come to terms with the Maoists and the
opposition parties then the violence and suppression will become
worse. With the extent of the problem, peace is virtually impossible
and that may be what New Delhi wants.

According to Sobia Nasir an editor of Pakistan Tribune, "India through
RAW has played terrorist activities in order to destabilize the Nepal.
Most importantly, there are strong operational linkages between Indian
Maoist Communist Center (MCC), Peoples War Group (PWG) and Maoist
guerillas in Nepal. The MCC and PWG based in Bihar and Andhra Pradesh
are instrumental in providing Nepalese Maoists with training
facilities, arms, ammunition, logistical support and safe sanctuaries
to take refuge once hounded by security forces". She further argued
"India through its militant organizations is promoting terrorism in
Nepal. The events of confrontation between Royal Nepal Army and Maoist
guirellas show that Maoists are a hinderance in the revolution and
prosperity and are aggravating the problems of impoverished masses
because of their opportunistic and cruel tactics. Ironically, India is
showing undue munificence towards these Mao rebels and they safely
recede into their hideouts in Indian territory after operating and
attacking Nepali military and paramilitary forces.

She also warned "The Maoists have become the best weapon for India to
fulfill its mission. Nepalese government is also concerned over the
reports that Maoists cadres are being trained by LTTE Guirellas in
Srilanka. There is a palpable apprehension in Nepal that India may use
Maoist insurgency to send a peacekeeping force to consolidate its
influence in Nepal. Besides creating destabilization in Nepal, the
ethnic crisis in Bhutan led by people of Nepalese origin is aggravated
by Indian intelligence agency RAW to try and turn the political crisis
to India's advantage".

Maoists activities of Killing one year babies and civilians and
destruction of infrastructure have turned them into criminals and
terrorists. The communism received its impetus only in twenties in
Southeast Asia from China. The Nepalese Communist Party was
established in 1949 only. That party was established at a 'time when
the great Chinese revolution had been won and socialism was developing
in the USSR.' The adoption of Chinese style revolution, although today
the Chinese diplomat denies of any relationship with Maoist except
with the name of Mao, is based upon the principle of Mao's successful
revolution in China.

In Nepal,--the populations at large condemn Maoists' terrorism. The
best and surest way of controlling the insurgency is to win the
people's heart and mind. Winning heart and mind would require taking
serious actions to reform.

Growing terrorism is the major threat and all must join hands if
national security was to be assured. Besides arms race and terrorism,
poverty remained the most formidable challenge to the security.

Terrorism had become the biggest threat to national security in Nepal.
If world community is serious about getting involved in anti terror
movement world community needs to develop more sophisticated tools and
capacities, must develop counter terrorism capacities that seek to
minimize the problems of mass violence. They also need to develop a
capacity to reintegrate people displaced by crisis into their
societies, food, water and other life-saving resources need to be
introduced quickly.

Maoists terrorism has to stop for the betterment of all people.
Kamala Sarup is an editor of peacejournalism.com

LINK
http://globalpolitician.com/articledes.asp?ID=1182&cid=6&sid=20

CHUTNEY OF THE DAY [ "Bangladesh is a rift-ridden country which, in
the first place, has no right to exist. Partition of Bengal under Lord
Curzon had to be annulled for peace to be re-established in the
province. If we have to have peace again, serious thought has to be
given on how to handle present day Bangladesh. It is plainly silly to
believe that the hard-line outfits like Jamaat-i-Islami, Islami Oikya
Jote, Islamic Shashan-tantra Andolan and Khilafat Andolan will give up
their terrorism easily. Leaflets found at the bomb site make it clear
what these outfits want. They say: 'It is time to implement Islamic
Iaw in Bangladesh. There is no future with man-made laws'. "]

1. What should we do with Bangladesh?
2. Deluge from Bangladesh
3. The intelligence fiasco and all that
4. Has Rip Van Winkle finally awakened?
5. Is the JMB regrouping in North Bangladesh?
6. Half-baked anti-hijack steps
7. Taslima Nasreen gets Indian visa
8. India drops Myanmar-Bangladesh gas project
///////////////////////////////////////


1.What should we do with Bangladesh?
M V KAMATH

Something is fundamentally wrong with Bangladesh politics. And if
India does not take immediate and strong steps things are going to get
worse. Consider this: In a span of 40 minutes between 400 and 500 bomb
devices were exploded in 63 out of 64 districts in the State with
frightening precision. That many devices were put together, despatched
without being discovered to various stations and set to a particular
point in time speaks not just of logistic skills, but the reach of the
organisation responsible for the horrendous and barbaric act.

Targeted were government offices, markets and bus and railway
stations, obviously to attract the greatest attention. The fact that
so few were killed - 100 reportedly were injured - shows that the
terrorists are more not so much anxious to kill as much as to show
their strength, which should be more worrisome, what it means is that
worse attacks can now be expected.

It may be remembered that at least 134 people have been killed in the
past and over 1,000 injured across Bangladesh in bomb and grenade
attacks in the last six years. The worst attack was in August last
year when 23 were killed, including the Bangladesh National Party's
Women Affairs Secretary Ivy Rahman. Sheikh Hasina was injured along
with some 300 party activists. And yet one hears so little of
government action.

Bangladesh is a rift-ridden country which, in the first place, has no
right to exist. Partition of Bengal under Lord Curzon had to be
annulled for peace to be re-established in the province. If we have to
have peace again, serious thought has to be given on how to handle
present day Bangladesh. It is plainly silly to believe that the
hard-line outfits like Jamaat-i-Islami, Islami Oikya Jote, Islamic
Shashan-tantra Andolan and Khilafat Andolan will give up their
terrorism easily. Leaflets found at the bomb site make it clear what
these outfits want. They say: 'It is time to implement Islamic Iaw in
Bangladesh. There is no future with man-made laws'.

The leaflets have warned NGOs to stop 'anti-Islamic activities' lest
they are 'uprooted'. In the past secular journalists, teachers and
intellectuals were the targets. It will be remembered that poet
Shamsur Rahman was attacked by Harkatul militants a few years ago.
Others who have either been attacked or been threatened with death
include Humayun Azad, a Dhaka University teacher and writer,
journalists Arefin Siddiqui, Abed Khan and Shahriar Kabir and
University teachers Mutesir Mamum.

According to Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen, there is a strong current of
secularism in Bangladesh, but if that is so, it does not show.
Everybody apparently is frightened. If it was just a matter of
establishing Islamic Law in Bangladesh, the matter can be of no
concern to India. But the matter is much more serious than that.

Bangladesh Muslims have been steadily infiltrating into Assam and West
Bengal and patrolling is of no use. Border patrolling and forcing have
been tried to no effect. District after district both in Assam and in
West Bengal is being taken over by Bangladeshi Muslims and judging by
events no one can take Dhaka's assurance that the Bangladesh territory
would not be allowed to be used by forces hostile to India.

The strategy of the Islamic extremists is clearly two-fold: One, to
push more and more Bangladesh Muslims into Assam and West Bengal and
virtually take over the two States. The Congress in the past,
especially in Assam, and the CPM now ruling in Kolkata are responsible
for this influx of outsiders.

According to Indrajit Gupta, a former Home Minister, as many as 10
million Bangladesh were living in India illegally between 1996 and
1998. That number has since grown to 20 million, according to Bhibhuti
Bhushan Nandy, as reported in The Statesman (23 June 2005). Letting
them live unchecked is asking for trouble.

One does not know exactly what went on between India's Foreign
Minister Natwar Singh and Khaleda Zia's government when the former
called on her recently. But the time has come for India to take not
just 'stern' action - that is so much talk - but a full-length
invasion of Bangladesh to make it clear to the terrorists that enough
is enough, District after district is being taken along India's
borders with Nepal and Bangladesh and they include Darjeeling, Uttar
Dinajpur, Dakshin Dinajpur, Malda, Murshidabad, Nadia, Uttar 24
Paraganas and Dakshmin 24 Paraganas. This is silent invasion with a
vengeance. It cannot be tolerated. There are two courses open to India
: drive the aliens out, bag and baggage or mount an invasion to
enforce the demographic balance that existed in pre-independence
times. It is no secret that both the ISI and, significantly enough
China, have been encouraging the Wahabis in Bangladesh. It is not that
Delhi has not been warned of Bangladeshi infiltration in the past.

The report submitted as early as in 1998 by Lt General S K Sinha, then
Governor of Assam, is there for all to see. In his report General
Sinha wrote: 'Large-scale illegal immigration from East Pakistan /
Bangladesh over several decades has been altering the demographic
complexion of the State (Assam).

It poses a grave threat both to the identity of the Assamese people
and to our national security... The unabated influx of illegal
migrants from Bangladesh threatens to reduce the Assamese to a
minority in their own State... This silent and invidious demographic
invasion of Assam may result in the loss of geo-strategically vital
districts in Lower Assam. The influx of these illegal migrants is
turning these districts into a Muslim majority region. It will then
only be a matter of time when a demand for their merger with
Bangladesh may be made'. That warning has gone unheeded.

The latest developments in Bangladesh indicate that India must now get
into the action mode before it is too late. The United States should
be told of the facts, though one can be sure it is fully aware of it.
Washington has been involved with Bangladesh right from the beginning
and an American journal has now disclosed that it was the CIA that was
behind the assassination of Sheikh Mujibhur Rehman in 1975. It was the
CIA that promoted the Taliban and all Quaida in Pakistan to fight
Soviet influence in Afghanistan.

Now the United States must be told in no uncertain terms that India
will not put up with a failed State ' as Bangladesh presently is' any
longer, in India's own interest, as well as in the interest of peace
in the subcontinent. Prevarication will only bring in more trouble. Dr
Manmohan Singh had threatened Pakistan with a 'hard' line if terrorism
is not stopped in Jammu Kashmir. Dr Singh must go a step forward in
dealing with Bangladesh. The Islamic terrorists in Bangladesh must
know that India means business. And the sooner it is made clear to
them, the better for all concerned.

(The author is a veteran journalist and chairman of the Prasar Bharati.)

LINK
http://newstodaynet.com/guest/0109gu1.htm

2. Deluge from Bangladesh
Balbir K. Punj

A recent statement in Parliament by the Union home minister on
Bangladeshi infiltration, and a news report in an otherwise "secular"
Hindi daily about the growing clout of illegal Bangladeshi resettlers
in Kishanganj parliamentary constituency of Bihar have once more
underscored the danger Indian civilisation faces, and the ostrich-like
response of the political leadership to this demographic invasion.

Home minister Shivraj Patil, while speaking in Rajya Sabha on August
23, said that the Indian state could not distinguish between Hindu and
Muslim illegal immigrants from Bangladesh as "refugees" and
"infiltrators" respectively. Next day, there was another news item
tucked inside the pages of the Hindi daily Navbharat Times (Aug. 24)
about the decisive influence of Bangladeshi Muslims, resettled in
Kishanganj, on electoral politics. Kishanganj, the sole Muslim
majority district of Bihar, is almost adjacent to Bangladesh. Muslims
form around 67 per cent of the district's population.

According to Navbharat Times, an unchecked influx of Bangladeshi
infiltrators in the post-1971 period has changed the demographic
character of the district. Bangladeshi Muslims are called "Sirsabadi"
whereas local Muslims are called "Surjapuri." Muslims who have come
from other parts of Bihar and UP are called "Paschimi" (western)
Muslims. The strategy of the political parties is either to divide the
Muslim vote or unify it according to need.

A network of madrasas mushrooming all over the district is bedevilling
the intelligence agencies. A Bangladeshi Muslim who resettles in
Kishanganj, uses a land grab technique, and invites several of his
relatives and friends from Bangladesh. Kishanganj is part of the
slender "chicken neck" that links the Northeast with the rest of
India. What if this slender land route is choked and air bases in the
Northeast blown up with explosives under some sinister plan by the
ISI?

Now let's come to the home minister's inability to distinguish between
infiltrators and refugees on religious lines. The suggestion had come
from Pramod Mahajan in consonance with the BJP's long established
views on the subject. Here is a simple and historic logic for such a
distinction being made. Independent India developed a "secular" polity
and never declared itself a Hindu state. But Pakistan that included
East Pakistan, now Bangladesh, proclaimed itself an Islamic Republic.
Pakistan, in principle, was created as a homeland for all Muslims of
the Indian subcontinent. The residual India was meant for non-Muslims.

All Muslim League leaders, between 1940 and 1946, had called for
redrawing the demographic map of India through exchange of population
on communal lines. However, this plan was never implemented.

So, though India was not a constitutionally Hindu country it was
incumbent upon India to shelter any persecuted non-Muslim — Hindu,
Sikh, Buddhist or Christian in Pakistan — or a non-Muslim willing to
migrate to partitioned India. Similarly, it was incumbent upon
Pakistan to accommodate any Muslim from the Indian subcontinent,
either persecuted or willing to migrate. Pakistan (then West
Pakistan), with its few weeks of partition, annihilated and expelled
its Hindus and Sikhs who comprised around one-fifth of its population.
But a large chunk of Hindus stayed back in East Pakistan only to be
ejected in trickles and torrents from 1947 till date. A large number
of Muslims continued to stay in West Bengal (now 25 per cent) none of
whom had to migrate to East Pakistan after 1950.

In Israel, which was established within one year of India's
independence, a Law of Return was promulgated in 1950 that grants
every Jew, wherever he or she may be, the right to come to Israel as
an oleh or aliya (a Jew immigrating to Israel), and become an Israeli
citizen. Till East Pakistan existed, a Hindu could simply walk over to
India especially West Bengal or Tripura, by citing communal insecurity
as a reason and become an Indian. His or her educational
qualifications would be valid in India at par Pakistan. All this
changed with the Indira-Mujib Agreement (1972) and Treaty (1974).

When Mujib-ur-Rehman, the founder father of Bangladesh, declared
Bangladesh to be a secular and democratic country, it was assumed that
no Hindu, Buddhist or Christian would have reason to flee to India due
to communal discrimination and persecution. But he was killed in an
Army coup on August 15, 1974. The new military dictator,
Zia-ur-Rehman, converted Bangladesh into a de facto Islamic state.
Later, in 1988, President Mohammed Ershad officially dropped the word
"secular" from Bangladesh's Constitution. Today, Bangladesh can be
aptly described as a vast concentration camp for Hindus, Buddhists and
Christians.

Their demographic share in Bangladesh's population has steadily
plummeted. However, India never restored provisions for Hindu refugees
as before 1972. India could at least go back to a pre-1971 situation
when Bangladesh has de facto and de jure reneged from its commitment
to secularism.

Pramod Mahajan has a point here. Since Bangladesh has become an
Islamic Republic, why should not our policy be readjusted accordingly?
Why should India accept Bangladeshi Muslims on its territory when they
have their own government? We hear that Bangladeshi Muslims are coming
to India purely for economic reasons, and the Leftists have termed
them economic refugees. Now, as per UNO's definition, a refugee could
be a person who has to flee his native country due to ethnic,
religious, sectarian or political reasons. The term "economic refugee"
might be a Leftist copywriter's brainwave, but it has no meaning.

That way, the entire Ethiopia might want to relocate itself to the US!
In 1997, the UAE did a massive crackdown against illegal workers,
mostly Indians and Pakistanis. Indian embassies and consulates had to
work almost round the clock to secure their repatriation within the
deadline. So a Bangladeshi Muslim can only be an infiltrator.

The Left that sponsors this theory of "economic refugees" is
apparently blind to the fact that 30 per cent of our own people are
placed below the poverty line; 20 million Bangladeshis are stealing
the daily bread of an equal number of Indians. Bangladesh is actually
outsourcing its poverty and squalor to India. It is ridiculous to link
Bangladeshi infiltrators working in India with Indians working abroad.
Indians who work abroad work not only with valid passports, visas,
work permits, green cards, citizenship, but work in affluent
countries. But Bangladeshis infiltrators are neither legal nor are we
affluent like the Western or Gulf countries.

Emboldened by Census 2001 which the government tried to "adjust" with
the sleight of hand, Pakistan has launched Operation Pin Code to
create a Muslim dominated Northeast. We can't sleep over the problem
that there are thousands of sleeper cells of ISI in the Northeast. All
this is a step towards the Balkanisation of India and the creation of
a "Mughlistan," a wide corridor linking Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Contiguous districts in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and Assam
that might go Muslim majority within two decades with infiltration and
explosive birth rates, afford that possibility.

On August 17, 400 small crude bombs exploding across 64 of
Bangladesh's 65 districts might have injured only 100 people, but they
sent a powerful message that the Talibanisation of Bangladesh was on
the cards. According to Reuters, Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen has threatened
more strikes on Dhaka unless puritan Islamic rule is imposed on
Bangladesh. Will India afford to have a Taliban neighbour which might
declare war on India like Khomeini's Iran did against Iraq? If India
has nuclear bombs Bangladesh has innumerable jihadis. Our political
indecisiveness will only augment the precarious situation we are in.

LINK
http://www.asianage.com/?INA=2:175:175:177604

3. The intelligence fiasco and all that
Muhammad Nurul Huda

According to newspaper reports there is very loud and clear anger at
the allegedly widespread bomb blasts of 17th August last and the
massive intelligence failure thereto. If that is the considered view
and the perceived reality then one will have to admit that this is not
the first of its kind as some would like us to believe.

Failures

Facts, admittedly, are disconcerting but then did not the intelligence
fail when father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman with
most of his immediate family members and other near relations were
murdered in the most gruesome manner? Similarly, intelligence also
failed when state apparatus could not prevent the tragic assassination
of President Ziaur Rahman, the liberation war hero.

Nearer home intelligence services could not prevent the sad deaths of
former prime ministers Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi. The smart Brits
and the overbearing Americans could not forestall the 7/7 or the now
infamous 9/11. The discerning observer may find it interesting to
venture further past into the last stages of the second world war when
the failure of German intelligence facilitated the successful Normandy
landings of the allied forces and the great Field Marshal Erwin Rommel
proceeding on leave found himself in a very uncomfortable corner
reaching home to join his dear wife on her birthday after buying a
pair of fancy Italian shoes from Paris.

Organisational climate

The catalogue of intelligence failures could be stretched further for
academic discourses around a roundtable for analytical study but not
much would be achieved if we as a nation refuse to go by the norms and
rules of a democratic polity. This is obvious because a disease can
not be treated by denying its very existence. We had the unfortunate
experience of witnessing a very sensitive intelligence organisation
working principally for the whims and caprices of a virtual dictator
and using public funds for creating and destabilising political
parties, political horse-trading and shadowing people on personal and
flimsy grounds. No wonder in such a scenario the professional
efficiency is sacrificed and public servants turn into personal
servants with the attendant ignominy.

The mission and strategy of our intelligence organisations had not
been stable at least insofar as the domestic threat perception is
concerned. It invariably changes with the change of a political
government. Differing political agenda often tend to cloud the
pragmatic understanding of our real national interests.

Strategy and direction

The broad function of maintaining public order for ensuring internal
security is closely associated with the task of collecting and
collating intelligence in the interest of the state. In reality, in
our situation, the interests of the state often get diluted and mixed
up with the interests of the government of the day. The situation is
marked by an unfortunate lack of understanding and appreciation of the
requirements of the state and the government in a democratic and
pluralist society like ours. The unpleasant truth is that intelligence
agencies maintain file and shadow the leaders and workers of
pronouncedly constitutional politics-oriented parties belonging to the
opposition who are recognised partners in the business of politics. At
some point of time when such opposition party comes to power, there is
an uneasy relationship between the political masters and the agencies.
In such a scenario, professionalism becomes the worst casualty, sense
of direction is lost, the organisation dips into a lackadaisical
environment and interests of the state take a back seat giving greater
space to partisan considerations. Needless to say that the values of a
democratic polity are universal and as such demand unconditional
adherence to it.

Intelligence agencies of the region and beyond cooperate for mutually
beneficial reasons but the national agency is expected to be able to
effectively serve national interests if directed appropriately by the
political authority. If they (agency) have to remain preoccupied with
largely inconsequential partisan matters to the detriment of national
interest, then we will not be able to manage the crisis situation, not
to speak of forestalling the tragedies of recent times. We have been
criticizing the agencies very loudly without, however, appreciating
the impediments to the growth of an apolitical professional
organisation. Time has come when we must have the honesty to call a
spade a spade and realise that the governments will change hands but
not the state.

In Bangladesh today, we are passing through a sad time when doubts are
being expressed publicly about the efficacy and honesty of some vital
organs of the state whose functions can neither be arrogated to others
nor be privatised. The compounding tragedy is that such criticisms by
leaders of our society can not be summarily dismissed. It would not be
prudent to treat a disease by denying its very existence. At the same
time we cannot give in to the cynics by agreeing to endure what can
not be cured. We can definitely overcome the impasse by dint of
political goodwill and foresight if we admit that the damage caused
during the yesteryears have to be repaired and the safety and security
of the people will receive unbiased attention. Let us be forewarned
that progress in the damage repairing will be slow but if we can
muster enough courage to initiate the process and avoid being myopic,
our future generations would be the proud citizens of a healthy
polity. Our politicians have to take the lead. They have to
rise to the occasion.

The perspective

While the agencies and the police must unearth and detect the bomb
blast cases and prevent such incidents from happening by dint of
quality intelligence, they cannot be expected to put a complete stop
to such incidents because of circumstances beyond their control.
Extreme views advocating and implementing annihilation of the opponent
is a sad socio-political reality of our society and in rooting out
this menace the police is at best a marginal player. Similarly, the
so-called extermination campaign of class enemy by apparently
ideologically motivated elements can not be effectively controlled by
adopting a purely conventional law and order approach. Extremism of
the so-called fundamentalist variety can be countered by a joint
strategy of persuasion and tough action, with political direction
being conspicuously pronounced. In all these matters, the acumen
needed is political sagacity and patience to fight the painfully long
battle against extremist depredations and insurgency.

If it is a political battle with armed support and not the other way,
we will definitely overcome the present predicament sooner than
apprehended. Violence must not be allowed to be a way of our life
along with a political consensus to abjure it. The police, admittedly,
in this regard has a secondary role to perform and that relates to
prevention of some description and intensive investigation once the
damage has been done. Let us make sustained efforts to facilitate the
police organisation in acquiring the hallmarks of a professionally
upright body.

Political imperatives

In striking the core of the problem and offering durable long-term
remedies what should engage the serious attention of our leaders is
the dispassionate study of the rise of violence and extremism in our
political life. It needs to be seen whether some institutions are
promoting violence as a means to achieve partisan political objectives
and what actions could be taken to convince young people to abjure
violence as a way of life. At the same time the areas affected by
extremist/fundamentalist activities must come under special
surveillance to nab the incorrigible hardcore elements. The
government's authority must be conspicuous in such places.

The menacing reality of physical annihilation of political opponent is
a phenomenon of comparatively recent origin. What is needed is strong
political will resulting into demonstrable actions. The
de-criminalisation of the political process will surely prove to be a
challenge of an uphill task. In this task there is no alternative to
success because we have committed ourselves to a democratic way of
life and undoubtedly no democrat can allow the aberration of violence
to interpose between the nation and the polity.

We have to decide if violent deaths from grenade attack and bomb blast
should be allowed to continue as a pathetic recurrent reality on the
national scene as is the situation now. Civility demands that all
instances of such deaths be treated apolitically and efforts made to
de-link violence from the mainstream politics. The language of reason
must take precedence over the language of weapon to prevent us from
sliding into an ungovernable scenario. We have to catch the
not-so-invisible enemy by the forelock because the follies of
democrats will undoubtedly solidify obscurantism of the worst type.

Muhammad Nurul Huda is former Inspector General of Police and
Secretary to the Government.

LINK
http://thedailystar.net/2005/09/02/d50902020330.htm

4. Has Rip Van Winkle finally awakened?
A.K.Faezul Huq

The Prime Minister, Begum Khaleda Zia seems to be quite serious this
time. She is visibly annoyed with most of her cabinet colleagues, who
she thinks now, have collectively let her down. While cruising at an
altitude of 35, 000 feet above the sea level over the Chinese
mainland, she was conveyed the most ominous, the most disturbing, the
most disquieting news of the serial blasts in Bangladesh. Perhaps even
if she had wanted, she could not have asked the pilot of the Biman
DC-10 to turn back her special aircraft and rush back to Dhaka,
because her hosts in Beijing were waiting quite enthusiastically to
receive her with bouquets and red carpets. However, later she wisely
cut short her visit and came back home slashing the formal receptions
and dinners, with her mission in China mostly achieved. And here in
Bangladesh she was initially provided with all nonsensical stories
which must have confused her a great deal. But within a short period
of time she fully recovered her composure as it appeared, and then
took to task one by one, the 'big wigs' of her party. We are told,
even some of the senior Ministers were literarily trembling as they
whispered and gossiped in low tones. And those who have the disgusting
habit of talking too much and showing off too often quickly just
entered their shells. But the Prime Minister seemed determined this
time, as I said earlier. She immediately called for the Secretary
General and the LGRD Minister [who deserves to be rated as a C_
Cabinet Minister]; the over confident Health Minister; the
'chatter-box' Minister of State for Home Affairs and of course the
redoubtable 'SQC', who is also the Adviser to the PM on Parliamentary
Affairs.

What transpired in that all important meeting and within the four
walls of the Prime Ministerial palace could not be gathered in detail
but everyone knew that Begum Zia was simply raging with anger---both
exposed and concealed. Perhaps she wanted to know clearly as to how
all this could happen and with so much precision; and what were the
people who man the intelligence agencies doing all along? As a matter
of fact, the entire nation would like to know the same thing. And then
Mowlana Matiur Rahman Nizami, the Minister for Industries who also
happens to be the chief of Jamaat e Islami Bangladesh and an important
partner of the present alliance cabinet, almost messed up whatever was
left over by some of his over exuberant but inefficient colleagues. In
one breath and in a lightning speed the Mowlana straight away accused
the Indian 'RAW' and the Israeli intelligence agency, the
'MOSSAD'---pretending to show off as if he knew everything in advance
and too well! Why didn't he report it to the national press then and
there or the Prime Minister for appropriate action obviously remains a
pertinent query?

However, as it appears now, in a spurt of a moment, he did the major
diplomatic damage without even measuring its profound impact. The
Indian reaction under the circumstances was also instant, which was
accompanied by strong diplomatic jargon that sounded like a clear
protest. And at home, Dr. Kamal Hossain very rightly asked the Mowlana
to resign at once, or conversely as he opined, qualms, because if the
Mowlana thinks and feels that he was right when he uttered those
sweeping remarks against India, then he needs to prove it squarely;
but if he thinks that he has just uttered everything 'as a matter of
factly' then he should apologise to the Indian government personally,
since we are pretty sure, whatever the Jamaati Minister had said so
bluntly without a second thought, was certainly not the official stand
of the Bangladesh government. [Please refer to the statement of the
Foreign Minister, M. Murshed Khan, in this connection which was issued
the next day].

Now the million dollar question is: would the present awakening of the
perpetually sleeping 'Rip Van Winkle' [i.e the ruling party leaders]
lead us to any logical conclusion or not, with proper enquiry and
investigation for the 8/17 blasts, followed by a fair, fast and open
trial of the criminals responsible for creating such a tremendous
panic like situation in the whole country. The initial governmental
action, which ought to be coated with all sincerity, should be
followed by adequate punishment of the persons found guilty, without
melting once again into a 'mock show'/political gimmick. The World
Bank; the generous donor agencies, our friendly bunch of the
diplomatic corp and all our well wishers world-wide are really worried
and at the same time quite sceptic, because nothing concrete or
tangible has been done so far in the past, although tragedies one
after the other and such colossal ones as on 8/21 of 2004 have been
mishandled by the callous BNP led alliance government. Sheikh Hasina
and others in the opposition therefore, have a right to criticize
Begum Zia's government without any reservations whatsoever. And it is
here that the ruling alliance should have the guts to admit their mega
mistakes and flaws, for having side-tracked the timely advice which
was rendered in the past almost gratis, by those who feel for the
country in order to check the gradually rising communal forces. On the
other hand the world wide apprehension that Bangladesh was surely
turning into some sort of a fundamentalist state; the slow but sure
rise of bigotry and the huge, unprecedented growth of the 'madrasahs'
all over with all sorts of covert activities reported extensively in
the press, the like of which was never seen or heard in the past, were
all ignored purposely by the powers that be. And who has to pay for it
now---the entire nation, obviously? But the pertinent question is: why
should we, the innocent citizens, pay for the misdeeds and lapses of
those running the show who were timely warned?

In any case, waking up from the continuous, undesirable slumber the
ruling alliance should fully prepare itself for a double prone attack.
First, the traditionally opposed opposition would certainly allow no
concessions and would try to catch them on the wrong foot and take
full advantage of the near chaotic situation now prevailing in the
country with rising prices of essentials still to stabilize; and on
the other hand the extremists of all types and forms including the
religious zealots shall also try to strike back at the first available
opportunity---a situation very much akin to Pakistan, where General
Pervez Musharraf is at his wit's end trying to control the situation
by pacifying divergent and hostile groups. For them, i.e the
extremists, the country obviously comes after their ideological
bigotry and they know quite well as to how to exploit religion in a
country where most of the simple folks are utterly religious minded.
It is purely for the Prime Minister therefore to deal with the
situation deftly. Nevertheless, the big question once again is: would
she still continue to drag on with her inefficient, 'sleeping
beauties' or immediately sack them and get hold of some serious people
who should have been in the alliance cabinet from the very beginning?

And here I can't resist the temptation to narrate an interesting story
of the olden times which has a lot of resemblance to our present day
situation. The story that I wish to narrate today goes somewhat like
this: Many years ago, in what was called Persia, there used to be a
joyous King who was very fond of good music and dancing beauties. In
his 'Durbar' [or court] were gathered dozens of such performing
artists with whom he spent most of his time. But slowly, over the
years, the performers became very lazy and inefficient and started
performing much below the acceptable standard. One fine morning the
King realized that although he had to pay for 500 odd performers
regularly, only a handful showed up each day. "Where are the others,"
he angrily enquired from the courtiers. "Your majesty, most of them
are sleeping." "What---at this time of the day?" roared the King.
"Fire them at once and report it to me." The King's orders were
carried out immediately and in the process more than 400 performers
lost their job on the spot and were also punished. Those few who were
retained just did a wonderful job later and proved that 3/4ths of
their colleagues who were sacked were simply redundant and the overall
job that they were assigned could be done efficiently by only a few
people also. Perhaps Begum Zia should also follow the above mentioned
King of Persia and get rid of at least 20 or 25 of her
non-functioning, inefficient and corrupt ministers/advisers without
any further delay and replace them if needed with competent persons of
repute. We don't need to enter the Gunnies Book of World record
anymore on another count and with negative credentials as the French
CDA has pointed out rightly the other day, because we have enough
potentials, talents and resources to compete with many of the Asian
countries and emerge on the top. The only thing of course that we
desperately need today is unity, sense of patriotism and a bit of
tolerance. The rest, I bet, shall simply follow suit or descend from
the sky as they say! And that is the bottom line.

LINK
http://nation.ittefaq.com/artman/publish/article_21319.shtml

5. Is the JMB regrouping in North Bangladesh?

Dhaka: Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) is trying to reorganise
itself in various parts of Northern Bangladesh like Rajshahi and
Rangpur.

Despite the ongoing crackdown on the banned outfit across the country,
the militants are holding secret meetings in the remote areas of
Bangladesh.

According to the intelligence agencies, the militants are preparing
themselves to carry out more attacks in the future, though they are
calm at present.

Intelligence sources said that they got information about the secret
militant activities very frequently, adding that all operations
against them were being controlled from Dhaka.

Officials said that about 100 trained JMB militants held regular
meetings at several remote villages under Gangachhara upazila,
Rangpur.

As many as 200 students from different madarsaas, colleges and
universities, across the country are to be trained in "exclusive
warfare" and fidayeen attacks at different militant camps at Satkhira,
Chittagong and Cox's Bazar, reports The Daily Star.

Reports said that these 200 were selected out of several thousand, who
went through a rigorous three to ten day regimen at 130 training camps
spread across various districts.

The paper quoted a JMB source as saying that 50 of the 200 selected
students, who belonged to Rajshahi, Natore, Naogaon, Chapainawabganj
and Bogra districts, were chosen by five experts from Chapainawabganj,
Gaibandha, Jamalpur, Satkhira and Cox's Bazar.

Sources said that both JMB chief Moulana Abdur Rahman, who has been
absconding since June last year, and Bangla Bhai were in Bangladesh.
They, however, did not give further details about them.

"We have support from an influential quarter and the relation
developed between us when Bangla Bhai and Abdur Rahman enjoyed state
support during the vigilante action against outlaws in Rajshahi region
last year," the source added.

LINK
http://www.newkerala.com/news.php?action=fullnews&id=18682

6. Half-baked anti-hijack steps
Vinod Vedi

The Government of India has done well to enunciate, unequivocally, the
basic tenet of its anti-hijack policy – shoot first. But it needs to
reconstruct, with some urgency, the mechanism that will prevent an
airliner full of passengers from falling into the hands of hijackers
as happened to flight IC-815. Also, it needs to set up defences for
those moments of vulnerability at takeoff and landing when an aircraft
can be shot down with shoulder-fired weapons.

Taking the ground-based danger first, because certain information has
already been acquired by intelligence agencies from two different
terrorist sources that "Palam airbase" could be the next target. It is
not the aircraft based there (they are all antiques in the IAF museum)
nor are there any worthwhile static installations that a terrorist
would salivate over. But it is in this sector of the aerodrome at
Palam that the VVIP enclosure is located from where aircraft taking
VVIPs out or bringing them into Delhi operate.

The VVIP bay is within the "line of sight" of the railway line on the
periphery of the aerodrome on its south-eastern approach and, worse,
in terms of vulnerability, an aircraft taking off or landing from the
direction of Bagdola village which lies on either side of the 'funnel'
which an aircraft must traverse if it is flying in the direction of
the Dwarka complex.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has reacted to earlier news reports about
the vulnerability of this segment and has posted the Central
Industrial Security Force (CISF) but a recent reconnaissance shows
that determined terrorists can use the railway embankment, the road
that runs below it, as well as at least one house that lies close to
the 'funnel' to fire a weapon at an aircraft carrying a VVIP in or out
of Delhi.

Given the manner in which Sri Lanka Foreign Minister Lakshman
Kadirgamar was assassinated (and the earlier attack on the Colombo
airport in which about a dozen aircraft were destroyed by the LTTE on
the ground) India needs to draw urgent lessons and close this "window
of opportunity" particularly because it already has information that
the airport is under threat of terrorist attack. As an immediate step
it should ban all VVIP flights from taking off or landing from the
direction of the Dwarka/Bagdola village complex.

In fact the Government needs to survey all airports and shut the
"window of opportunity" and "line of sight" that exists in all of them
in the brief period of takeoff and landing of aircraft. The hijacking
of IC-814 from Kathmandu to Kandahar in Afghanistan after touching
down at an airport in Punjab has lessons for India on steps needed to
be taken to stop a hijack at ground level within the confines of the
airport itself.

Two measures already suggested to handle hijackers once they make
their presence known after takeoff are sky marshals – armed guards in
civilian clothes – and well-bolted doors leading to the cockpit must
be supplemented with well-concealed closed circuit television cameras
to survey the cabin area with small monitors in the cockpit so that
once they have locked themselves inside the cockpit the pilots can
still be aware of what is happening in the passenger lounge.

In the final analysis, it is only the pilots who can react effectively
to counter a hijacking once they are secure in the cockpit and it is
from the cockpit that counter-measures can best be deployed against
hijackers.

There are two weapons that can be made available to the pilots. One is
the use of the air-conditioning ducts to pump a quick-acting
anaesthetic into the passenger section so that everyone is knocked out
immediately including the hijackers who should be expected to be
wearing cloth masks or stockings over their heads. The other is the
stun-grenade which can be deployed from special compartments in the
baggage holds. Both can be activated by the pilots from the cockpit.

As a backup, all cabin crew both male and female should be armed with
small, easily concealed, aerosol dispensers full of the same
quick-acting knockout spray.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation, the laboratories of
the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research and the IITs should
be asked to create the gadgetry whereby at some point of time it could
become possible for all images on the monitor in the cockpit to be
transmitted in real-time to the nearest air traffic control tower as
well which, in turn, would activate the air defence system (of
missiles and combat air patrol) well before the aircraft reaches the
"no fly zone' over pre-designated vital points – making for a longer
space-time envelope for Government to act.

It is in the context of the explicit order to shoot any aircraft that
is heading towards the "no fly zone" that this kind of an early
monitoring system that allows the air traffic control tower to pick up
the first signs of a hijack in motion inside the passenger cabin that
the intended shooting down can be effected. This is because unless
there is a permanent combat air patrol comprising fighter aircraft
armed with air-to-air missiles and guns over the "no fly zone" it will
make the intended interception difficult to execute.

On closer examination the answer to hijacking may well be the cockpit
counter-measures which will make it possible to tackle the terrorist
within the aircraft itself and thereby obviating the need to shoot the
aircraft passengers and all over a thickly populated area (where all
the designated vital points are situated) and thereby doubling the
possibility of collateral damage on the ground.

It is well within Indian technical genius to fit the CCTV cameras, the
monitor and the stun gun suitably miniaturized within an aircraft.

Some work will need to be done on the fast-acting anaesthetic the
effectiveness of which would be gauged by both how fast it acts and
that it does not kill everybody on board the aircraft. Studies in
dosage will need to be conducted once the chemical is identified. The
Russians have some know-how in this kind of chemical because they used
it against the Chechen terrorists who took hostages in a theatre in
Moscow not long ago. Though the terrorists were eliminated many
theatre-goers were also killed by an overdose of the knockout gas.

Having enunciated its broad policy statement on hijacking the Cabinet
Committee on Security needs to fine tune the nitty-gritty as well
because there are so many inter-connected yet wholly separate elements
that need to be analysed as a whole. The case in point is the
"pre-intelligence" from different sources indicating that Palam
airport could be a target. An analytical approach would pinpoint the
likely targets that would give the terrorists the maximum dramatic
political effect.

This aspect cannot be overemphasized because the Cabinet Committee on
Security under the NDA Government made a grossly erroneous conclusion
that the Taliban regime in Kabul was assisting in securing the release
of the passengers after one, Rupin Dang, was killed by the terrorists
to emphasis their demands. The presence of infantry combat vehicles
and fighters armed with shoulder-fired rocket propelled grenades on
the tarmac outside the IC-814 was assumed to be to protect the
passengers. In fact, it was a deployment designed to deter any Indian
attempt to execute an Israeli-type Entebbe rescue.

This mis-reading of the Taliban intentions has cost the nation dearly
in that the terrorist who was released in exchange for the passengers,
Azhar Masood, became head of the Jaishe Mohammad, the most notorious
terrorist organization, which is a component of Osama bin Laden's
International Islamic Front.

Azhar is currently enjoying the special protection by Pakistan Army's
Inter-Services Intelligence in the Rawalpindi cantonment where he
preaches regularly to Pakistani army personnel on the spiritual
goldmine that jehad and suicide attacks can bring. It is this mindset
that any anti-hijacking operation has to offset.


LINK
http://www.asiantribune.com/show_article.php?id=2679

7. Taslima Nasreen gets Indian visa
Subir Bhaumik BBC News, Calcutta

Ms Nasreen has got a year long Indian visa

Controversial Bangladeshi feminist writer Taslima Nasreen has got a
year long Indian visa and permission to stay in Calcutta.

She had applied for an Indian tourist visa in June this year.

In May she left Calcutta for Europe and the US unsure if she would be
allowed back into India.

The writer left Bangladesh for Sweden in 1994 amid calls for her
execution, but has lived in Calcutta recently, where she wants to
settle down.

'Citizenship'

Ms Nasreen had requested the Indian government earlier for a long term
residential permit or Indian citizenship.

"The Indian government has not granted me citizenship or a permanent
residential permit to stay in Calcutta as I wished but they have given
me a one year entry visa."

She says she wants to make Calcutta her home even though the European
Union has offered her refuge.

"For a while, the Indian government did not respond and I was getting
worried. But now I can stay in Calcutta without any hassle for a
year."

Ms Nasreen's detractors in India wants her to leave the country

But the communist government in the Indian state of West Bengal has
said her presence in the state could have an adverse impact on the
local law and order situation.

The government said orthodox Muslims are opposed to her stay in
Calcutta, the capital of West Bengal.

Earlier this year, she was prevented by the police from attending a
convention in the state's Midnapore town following a demonstration by
some Muslim radicals.

'Ban'

A friend of Ms Nasreen, Sujato Bhadro, who is also a leading human
rights activist in West Bengal, is working with her lawyer to contest
a ban imposed on her latest book 'Dwikhondito' (Split into Two) by the
state government.

Several Indian authors and intellectuals have come out in support of
the Bangaldeshi writer and said the government must grant her
citizenship.

The author fled Bangladesh in 1994 after receiving death threats from
radical Muslim groups who condemned a number of her writings as
blasphemous.

Ms Nasreen rose to prominence in 1993 after her first book, Shame, ran
into problems.

She fled Bangladesh shortly afterwards, following calls for her
execution by Islamic radicals.

They were incensed at comments she is said to have made to an Indian
newspaper calling for changes in the Koran to give women more rights.
Ms Nasreen denies making the remarks.


LINK
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4205200.stm

8. India drops Myanmar-Bangladesh gas project


NEW DELHI: India has abandoned the option of bringing in gas from
Myanmar through Bangladesh. Instead, it is now proposing a power
project in Myanmar while exploring the possibility of an on-land gas
pipeline through northeast India.

Going by Bangladesh's non-committal response during External Affairs
Minister Natwar Singh's talks with the political leadership, New Delhi
is convinced that chances of Dhaka joining the tri-nation gas pipeline
in "a time-bound manner are rather dim.''

India would therefore pursue the next best alternative of getting gas
through an on-land pipeline through the northeastern states. In
addition, gas would be exported through CNG ships on an experimental
basis. The option of converting gas into LNG and then shipping through
tankers is being dissuaded as it is much costlier.

What has been added on is a power project in Myanmar with electricity
transmitted across the border. Petroleum Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar
too has favoured it, but a separate proposal would be sent by the
Power Ministry.

During the talks held earlier this month, India declined Bangladesh's
pre-conditions for allowing the pipeline through its territory and
urged Dhaka to take them up at the appropriate fora.

Dhaka wants permission to transmit power from Nepal and Bhutan through
India, transit rights for supply of goods from the two Himalayan
nations and measures by New Delhi to correct trade imbalance, which is
against Bangladesh.

The Foreign Office has directed that Dhaka be asked to indicate an
early date of its willingness to join the project. "If for any reason,
Bangladesh does not want to participate, then India and Myanmar will
look at other options, including a direct bilateral route between the
two,'' it said.

LINK
http://www.newindpress.com/Newsitems.asp?ID=IEH20050901122337&Title=Top+Stories&\
Topic=0

[CHUTNEY OF THE DAY: "Currently, no other nation has demonstrated a
bombing campaign of this magnitude conducted by a domestic movement.
None of the revolutionary movements in South Asia have been able to
coordinate a similar operation. The exception is the Maoist forces in
Nepal, which have taken over two thirds of the country and encircled
the capital Katmandu at will. To put it into perspective, no known
underground movement in Bangladesh has the capacity to take over state
power, unless, of course, these bombs were meant to announce a
newcomer, an old player shedding discretion, or the successful merging
of different organizations."]

1. Is India preparing to subdue Bangladesh!
2. Natwar's pride, neighbour's agony
3. Bangladesh Christian leader gives stark bomb blast warning
4. Paradise shattered
5. Bangladesh`s bomb factories
6. Dhaka struggles to respond to bombs
7. ANALYSIS-Bangladesh blasts recall experience of Indonesia
8. Why Afghanistan is important to India
9. Asian militants sharing bomb designs

1. Is India preparing to subdue Bangladesh!
Shamsuddin Ahmed

Bangladesh should prepare for any odds. Even a war may be imposed upon
this small and poor country. This is what a section of the Indian
press suggesting the government in New Delhi. Of late, particularly
after August 17 serial bombings in Bangladesh, Indian press has
launched a highly provocative campaign against Bangladesh. Their
objective is clearly to malign the people of Bangladesh as Islamic
militants and the rulers branding Talibans. The campaign might also be
tactics to hide their guilt. Many in the country are directing fingers
at the Indian intelligence agency for orchestrating the bombings
through their agents here.

Prof M D Nalapat, a former Editor of Times of India and Mathribhumi,
now teaches in Manipal University, wrote on August 20: The security of
India will be at risk until Bangladesh returns to the path of
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and becomes a secular state where
Shias and Hindus are treated the same as Sunnis…"War may be the only
option available to India to destroy this cancer in our midst."

He suggested immediate steps against Bangladesh as documentation and
publicity of human rights atrocities and discrimination being
committed against Shias and Hindus and its emergence as base of
militant jihadis. "Prepare for a likely conflict with Bangladesh by
basing and acclimatizing naval, air, land and missile forces in the
region."

The plea for imposing war on a smaller neighbour is preposterous. The
threat of war is to bring Bangladesh to its knees before India and to
go by the dictate of New Delhi. Prof Nalapat has misread Bangabandhu
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman who was neither secular nor a coward. He must be
aware that Sheikh Saheb had attended the OIC summit in Pakistan
ignoring India and sacked Tajuddin Ahmed for insisting on going by the
advice of New Delhi. Nalapat advocates conflict with the present
regime in Bangladesh. Conflict was possibly inevitable long ago had
Sheikh Mujib was alive.

Prof Nalapat painted the religious people of Bangladesh as jihadis and
termed Khaleda Zia ideological sister of Mollah Omar. "Continuance of
the present situation (in Bangladesh) may necessitate another
Bangladesh war, this time to liberate the inhabitants of that country
from rule by Wahabis….."

He says no other great power as India has meekly accepted numerous
blows that Bangladesh delivered to her. He cited example of BSF
casualties at Raumari border at the hands of BDR during the previous
regime of Awami League. He has conveniently forgotten that BSF in its
misadventure had crossed into Bangladesh territory in the darkness of
night, attacked the BDR camp without any provocation. They died in
retaliation and bodies of BSF troops were all lying in Bangladesh
territory. The facts should not be unknown to Prof Nalapat.

He says, probably invented, that "in the higher reaches of Bangladesh
army, there is talk of a 'greater Bangladesh' that would annex most of
Assam and neighbouring Indian states, of course after India has been
stunned into submission by the ISI. It is beyond imagination that
Bangladesh may even dream of waging war against India and annex its
parts.

The entire effort of Prof Nalapat was to provoke war against
Bangladesh. "With proper use of her naval, air and ground assets,
India would be able to subdue the Wahabis in three weeks and
afterwards, ensure the stability of a future secular government by a
security treaty." It may not require three weeks for the mighty armed
forces of India to conquer Bangladesh. But it is unlikely, Bangladesh
will again enter into security pact with India. The 30-year
Indo-Bangla security treaty was not renewed when it expired during the
Awami League regime.

"Cordial relations with India are a must for any SAARC country," says
Prof Nalapat, meaning that all SAARC countries must be submissive to
India and go by its dictate on all regional and international matters.
Eventually, he visualises, "there will be visa-free access from India
to any SAARC country, and the Indian rupee will be legal tender."
Indian rupee is almost legal tender in two of the six other SAARC
member countries of SAARC. You can buy anything by Indian currency on
the streets and pay hotel bills in Nepal and Bhutan.

Sikkim, a small kingdom in between Nepal and Bhutan, was annexed by
India in 1973. A number of journalists told this correspndent in
Kathmandu early this year that a group of Indian black cats left Nepal
hours after the Palace massacre in which King Birendra was killed.
Maoist insurgents of Nepal have got training, arms and sanctuaries in
Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.

Who is not aware that LTTE is a product of India? The peace loving
people of Sri Lanka is long suffering from civil war. So-called Shanti
Bahini of Chittagong Hill Tracts had waged a secessionist war and long
fought from the sanctuaries across the border. Santu Larma is still
having close relationship with the state government of Tripura where
his family lives. After the fall of Awami League government in 1975, a
group of its followers crossed over to India and waged war against the
country. It was only stopped when Morarji Desai came to power in
India. Again, it is during Desai regime that unfolded the RAW plan to
assassinate President Ziaur Rahman. The plan was revealed by weekly
Sunday of India years after assassination of Ziaur Rahman.

Some Indian leaders proclaim Akhand Bharat. They say it is not Bharat
but Bharatbarsha, its border stretching from Afghanistan in the west
to Mayanmar in the east. Now armed with 30-year defense Pact with USA
some Indian leaders and intellectuals appear to be doubly encouraged
to try-out their dream.

All this should be known to the people to forge rocklike unity. Only a
united nation can thwart evil design of an alien power. Leaders of all
political parties should rise in one voice, rally the entire nation to
safeguard the country from any external aggression.

(Writer is city editor of UNB)

  LINK
http://nation.ittefaq.com/artman/publish/article_21265.shtml
=viewArticle&code=L.%2020050827&articleId=868

2. Natwar's pride, neighbour's agony
Kuldip Nayar

AN obsession, magnificent or otherwise, is an obsession. It is an
impulse that a person cannot escape. Foreign Minister Natwar Singh is
overpowered by the idea that India must be on the UN Security Council.
To him the membership represents the country's foreign policy.

First, he sent on government expense his retired colleagues to
different countries to woo support. Then he approached practically
every nation in Africa to line them up behind a formula through which
he thought he would see India on the Security Council. Now there is
hardly any statement he makes without talking about the membership.
Naturally, the policy is big power-centric at the expense of
neighbouring countries.

This may well explain why Natwar Singh had very little to say on some
370-bomb blasts in Bangladesh or the foreign minister's murder at
Colombo. Even otherwise, he has a simplistic view of the world and
does not want to face the sea change it has undergone since the end of
the cold war when he was a career diplomat. He has his mind set on the
Nehruvian non-alignment, not realising that India's own credentials
have come to be challenged after its defence "agreement" with the US.
The habit of living in the past has dulled Natwar Singh's reaction to
the present. Otherwise, it is difficult to understand why he could not
read the Bangladesh situation when he was at Dhaka a few days before
the bomb blasts. If he wanted to befriend the ruling Bangladesh
Nationalist Party (BNP), he should have moved earlier, not when the
country is general election is due next year and when the BNP is keen
to spread the impression of having good relations with India to win
liberal voters.
What happened to Bangladesh was the writing on the wall. The rise of
fundamentalism was inevitable when the Jamiat-e-Islami got credibility
_ and opportunity _ after its two members were appointed ministers.
The alliance between the two parties is so firm that religion and
politics are the two sides of the same coin. The state has got lost in
the thickets of extremism and terrorism.

Natwar Singh has suddenly woken up to the dangers in Bangladesh where
practically every outfit against India is operating under foreign
intelligence agencies, particularly the obsequious ISI. There is also
the phenomenon of Bangla Bhai, the Al-Qaida type, indulging in looting
of minorities on a large scale and threatening secular elements in
Bangladesh. The way to retrieve it is through economics. This has been
always so. Wooden bureaucrats in India have seldom appreciated this
point. The proposed visit of Industry Minister Kamal Nath is a step in
the right direction. Why has India wasted so many years?

And what is the guarantee that it has got it right this time?
Probably, India's make-up is such that it does not react to a
situation until it explodes on its face. Sri Lanka has been wanting a
complete economic integration with India for a long time. It is one
country which does not see an Indian ugly. But New Delhi is still
drawing up a list of commodities which it cannot allow without duty
and excise and which it can. It is a strange response to a country
which is demanding complete economic integration. Had the process of
integration begun, it would have spilled over to the political field
by this time. Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar might
have escaped murder.

The LTTE might have changed its tactics of defiance and killing if New
Delhi had been seen moving towards integration. Whenever I met
Kadirgamar at Delhi or Colombo, he would talk about his dream of
seeing the India-Sri Lanka economic union coming true. Even now New
Delhi has not learnt any lesson from his murder, more so from the
civil war between the Sinhalese majority and a separatist Tamil
majority. Since 1983, more than 65,000 people have died. True, New
Delhi burnt its fingers when it sent the Indian Peace Keeping Force to
Sri Lanka in 1988. But conditions have changed since. The LTTE wants
to have a settlement with Colombo. Both sides trust India. It must
step in now to span the distance between the LTTE and President
Chandirika Kumaratunge to consolidate Sri Lanka's unity.

Confidence building measures between India and Pakistan also need
consolidation. Natwar Singh has been rightly ticked off. He has not
been doing anything except crossing the t's and dotting the i's.

The seasoned S. Lamba's appointment in the Prime Minister's Office
indicates that Manmohan Singh will himself supervise the peace
process. It may be because of Natwar Singh's mindset or because
Manmohan

Singh and President General Pervez Musharraf have hit it off well.

In fact, Siachin, Baglihar, Kishen Ganga and Sir Creek can be sorted
out at one go. There has to be give-and-take by both sides. Pakistan
should accept the Line of Control's extension through Siachin, a
straight line as would have been drawn in 1972 between the commanders
of the two countries. On the other hand, India should demolish at
Baglihar, the structure which can be used to impound water. The Indus
Water

Treaty allows the use of run-of-water to produce power. But New Delhi
cannot impound the river water allotted to Pakistan. In the same
spirit the Kishen Ganga and Sir Creek can be solved. Natwar Singh
should
have done that. The Prime Minister may do it now because he is
reportedly of the view that the entire Indus basin should be developed
jointly, not on the basis of three rivers with one country and the
other three with another. I do not know how India is going to sort out
the mess in Nepal. Here Natwar Singh had the correct instincts. He
wanted the democratic forces, political parties, to be strengthened
against the dictatorial king. But some

retired army officers at Delhi seem to have influenced the government
on the basis of their connections with the Gorkha soldiers. America's
pressure to be on the side of the king may have been another
compulsion with

New Delhi.

It is obvious that both China and Pakistan are taking advantage of the
situation. Their systems of governance are such that the democratic
leeway does not fit in. India has to help Nepal's political parties
which, however limited in vision, represent the voice of people.
Natwar Singh should continue to support the democratic structure which
will prevail in the long run.

My purpose of drawing attention to Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and
Pakistan is to make the foreign minister realise that membership of
the Security Council is important but more important is the
normalisation of

relations with the countries around us. He cannot pursue his obsession
at the expense of our neighbours.

LINK
http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/aug302005/nayar.asp

3. Bangladesh Christian leader gives stark bomb blast warning

An unprecedented series of simultaneous bomb blasts in Bangladesh is a
"clear indication of a growing Islamic fundamentalism in our country,"
according to a Bangladeshi church leader. The bombs killed two people
and injured about 100 two weeks ago.

"It's unbelievable that 63 of our 64 districts witnessed explosions
without police and intelligence officials having a single clue," said
Augustine Dipak Karmakar, general secretary of the Church of
Bangladesh.

Speaking to Anto Akkara for Ecumenical News International during a
visit to New Delhi for a South Asian church meeting, Karmakar said the
bomb blasts showed that the fundamentalists "are getting stronger and
stronger".

Hundreds of crudely made bombs exploded at government offices, courts
and even press clubs across Bangladesh on 17 August, but no arrests
had been made by 22 August. Police recovered from the blast sites
leaflets with messages from the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen group calling for
Islamic rule in Bangladesh and warning the US and Britain against
occupation of Muslim nations.

Though the blasts did not target any community, Karmakar noted the
message was very clear: "The secular space is shrinking in my
country". "This is a matter of serious concern to Christians and
others," he said, while noting that the minuscule Christian community
in Bangladesh was "safer compared to the Hindus whose condition is
miserable".

Christians number around 400 000 among Bangladesh's 144 million people
- about 83 per cent of whom are Muslims. Bangladesh was known as East
Pakistan till 1971 when it seceded from a union with West Pakistan.

Karmakar said that apart from Islamic fundamentalist violence, the
Hindu minority is victimised politically under Muslim-dominated
government machinery. As a result, he said, Hindus are migrating to
the bordering Indian state of West Bengal - which shares the Bengali
language.

Since Bangladesh's breakaway from Pakistan, the non-Muslim population
has shrunk, especially Hindus who accounted for 30 per cent of the
population prior to the independence of Bangladesh, but were less than
10 per cent by 2000. If the pattern continues, Karmakar cautioned: "In
a few years time, things will get worse and we too will be targeted."

The hard-line Islamic lobby, he pointed out, has spread into the
government machinery as the present administration is headed by a
coalition in which the Bangladesh Nationalist Party shares power with
the Jamaat-e-Islami party.

The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the
views of Ekklesia

LINK
http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/content/news_syndication/article_050831bangla.shtml

4. Paradise shattered
NORTHEAST ECHOES / PATRICIA MUKHIM

Terror is no longer the proud privilege of a few states in the
Northeast. Arunachal Pradesh, which was until a couple of years ago
the only peaceful sanctuary, has now joined the charmed circle.
Another paradise is invaded and peace is shattered. Three known
militant outfits are operating in the eastern sector of Arunachal
Pradesh, bordering the states of Nagaland and Assam. Of the three, the
National Liberation Front of Arunachal (NLFA) has close links with the
National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muivah). Koj Tara, the
NLFA chief, who was recently arrested from Dimapur, the commercial
capital of Nagaland, was mentored by the NSCN (I-M) and possibly acted
at its behest.

Tirap and Changlang districts of Arunachal Pradesh have been safe
havens for both factions of the NSCN — one led by Swu and Muivah and
the other by Khaplang. The two districts border Myanmar and are
thickly forested, thus affording the militants a steady income through
timber logging and smuggling. Militancy is never a stand-alone
activity. Spin-offs include extortion, drug peddling, arms and timber
smuggling and a host of related criminal activities. Lack of
employment opportunities within the region attracts able-bodied youth
to militant outfits which actually pay the cadres a monthly salary.

Misled ideology

Proliferation of militant activities devoid of ideology only goes on
to show that the present-day youth no longer question or care about
what they are doing as long as they are doing something profitable.
Youthful innocence and naivety are today replaced by a cynicism that
is frighteningly akin to that of a hardcore terrorist operating in any
part of the globe. Ruthless ambition has taken the place of hope and
trust in a system which is increasingly seen as insensitive,
unresponsive and corrupt. Name any state in the region and you have a
litany of grouses against politicians. They care for themselves and
their own and of course their party cadres. The rest of the janata be
damned! Nepotism has taken a whole new dimension in all of the
northeastern states. Naturally, those who do not belong to the clique
of influence peddlers are bound to be discontented. And the number of
the disgruntled is steadily rising.

Tirap and Changlang districts of Arunachal Pradesh are, of course,
contentious spaces. They are part of the map of Nagalim or Greater
Nagaland — that sovereign territory which the NSCN (I-M) is
negotiating with the Indian state. What could shatter the peace of
Arunachal Pradesh completely and list it among the most troubled
states of the region is the operational space it affords to its own
militant outfits and also those from other states of the region.
Assam's most virulent insurgent group, the Ulfa, is presently an
itinerant pedestrian of the thick forests of Arunachal Pradesh. One
advantage that militants enjoy is Arunachal Pradesh's vast uncharted
territory and its difficult terrain, which is a formidable
battleground.

Politicians are the most upset lot when militancy strikes. No wonder
Gegong Apang, Arunachal Pradesh's street-smart, astute chief minister,
has briefed Delhi about the impending danger. Militancy is the only
element of surprise that politicians are apprehensive about. For one,
militancy creates too many contenders for that "pie in the sky".
Development funds now have to be shared by more people. While
politicians extort through more beguiling tactics, militants do it the
crude way. They use potent weapons and do not believe in the polite
language of negotiations. No wonder the comfort zone of politicians is
disrupted. However, it cannot be denied that a symbiotic relation does
exist between the two, especially during elections.

Islamic influence

Coming back to another very crucial point, not many would have missed
the news item which appeared in several newspapers a couple of days
ago, that Ulfa chief Paresh Barua, who was languishing in a jail in
Bangladesh, has been invited to Karachi by the ISI, Pakistan's
intelligence agency. Barua is scheduled to visit Karachi in September
this year to attend a meeting which is aimed at better coordination
between Islamic fundamentalist groups operating from Bangladesh. This
is a very alarming development as far as the Northeast is concerned.
If the recent blasts in Bangladesh are the brainchild of Islamic
fundamentalist groups who ostensibly want that country to become an
Islamic state, the echoes will reverberate beyond its borders.

Jaideep Saikia, writing for Dialogue in the chapter entitled
"Revolutionaries or Warlords, Ulfa's Organisational Profile", says,
"One of the most important contradictions in the Ulfa movement and one
that symbolises its increasing deviation from its revolutionary
character and principles, is the sudden shift in stance that it
engineered towards the illegal immigrants (referring to Bangladeshi
migrants). Saikia avers that while the Ulfa preamble puts the blame on
illegal migrants for "turning the people of Assam into street beggars
and minority in their own country", the outfit took a completely
different stance later on. Perhaps the Ulfa's ambivalence is best
illustrated by Udayan Mishra in his book The Periphery Strikes Back,
when he says, "There is reason to believe that military needs have
compelled the outfit to shed much of its earlier intransigence towards
foreigners and outsiders on Assam soil and adopt a position which
would ensure support and sanctuary in Bangladesh." Mishra points out
that once safely ensconced in Bangladesh, the Ulfa distanced itself
from the AASU-led anti-foreigners movement and from the Asom Gana
Parishad (AGP) and even termed the movement as "emotional".

ISI missile

Military exigencies and the need for extended hospitality on Bangla
soil will once again force the Ulfa to shed its sanctimonious
self-image as the saviour of the Assamese people and instead lend its
shoulders to the ISI to fire its destructive missile. In this emerging
scenario, how is it possible for promoters of peace to speak of a
dialogue between Ulfa and the Centre? Perhaps the dialogue drama at
this critical juncture is aimed at buying time. What happened in
Bhutan had dislocated the Ulfa militants and dislodged their money
collection circuit. The Ulfa budget for 2001-2002 was to the tune of
Rs 31 crore. According to Saikia, out of the above amount, the Ulfa
rebels who were at the time not more than 1,200 in number, were paid a
paltry sum of Rs 2,000 per month as salary. An amount of at least Rs
28 crore was kept by the top three leaders, Arabinda Rajkhowa, Paresh
Barua and Raju Baruah, who invested the money in various business
ventures.

What is clear is that Ulfa and other militant outfits in the region
have a one-point agenda, which is to assume the role of warlords by
accumulating wealth and becoming the capitalists that they had derided
and even killed when they began their revolutionary journey. Our
problem is that the state's response to this whole challenge has been
pretty unintelligent.

In several cases, the state has been reactive and thereby reinvented
an equally terrifying method of dealing with terror. The saga of
secret killings that have now surfaced tells its own story. How is it
possible to have peace when there is so much falsehood, corruption and
double standards from the terrorist groups as well as from the state?
It seems we will have to wait a long time before regaining paradise.


LINK
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1050830/asp/northeast/story_5174935.asp

5. Bangladesh`s bomb factories
Muazzam Gill

ANAHEIM HILLS, CA, United States (UPI) -- Terrorism has reared its
ugly head in the land of Rabindranath Tagore, Sri Aurobindo, Satyajit
Ray and Pandit Ravi Shankar.

In a single day earlier this month about 200 explosions that hit
Bangladesh within a 30-minute period is cause for serious reflection
upon the growing terror landscape in South Asia and its regional and
global implications. With military precision and cold-blooded
efficiency reminiscent of the deadly Mukti Bahini guerillas fighting
for independence from Pakistan in 1971, bombs exploded almost
simultaneously in 63 of the 64 districts of one of the world`s most
populous Islamic nations. Given the scale of the operation and the low
casualty figures -- two dead and 100 injured -- unleashing death and
destruction was obviously not the purpose of the detonations.
Government buildings were the primary targets while Western and other
institutions were spared.

Even for those who have long focused on the growth of Islamist
extremism and terror in Bangladesh, the sheer scale and dispersal of
the coordinated bomb blasts have come as a surprise. Indeed,
recoveries of a number of unexploded devices, as well as arrests and
the discovery of cottage "bomb factories" suggest that the numbers
could well have been higher. Intriguingly, in Munshiganj, the single
district that escaped the serial blasts, more than a hundred bombs
were recovered from Baligaon village indicating that the hamlet could
be the geographical headquarters.

To successfully conduct such an operation requires several thousand
people using available technology. They also have to be trained,
financed, transported, housed and provided with a secure
communications network. The entire operation could have been executed
using simple code within a given timeframe over cell phones.

What is hard to imagine is that intelligence agencies did not know
something was afoot because the huge network required to pull off the
bombings could hardly have gone been accomplished without telltale
signs of an impending operation of magnitude. The Bangladesh Home
Minister initially said that he had prior information. He subsequently
changed the story furthering the common perception among most citizens
that powerful interests are able to protect radical Islamist movements
from arrest or scrutiny.

The dimensions of the operation might not imply technical support from
outside Bangladesh, since they have a large enough educated workforce
to provide the handful of minds required to master such an operation.
Personnel, however, is another matter, notably for a covert operation.

Intelligence sources estimate that at least two persons would have
been involved in the planting of each explosive device -- suggesting
an operation mobilizing at least one 1,000. Significantly, just two
hours after Prime Minister Khaleda Zia left for China on a five-day
official visit, a bomb went off on the stairs inside the Airport.

Currently, no other nation has demonstrated a bombing campaign of this
magnitude conducted by a domestic movement. None of the revolutionary
movements in South Asia have been able to coordinate a similar
operation. The exception is the Maoist forces in Nepal, which have
taken over two thirds of the country and encircled the capital
Katmandu at will. To put it into perspective, no known underground
movement in Bangladesh has the capacity to take over state power,
unless, of course, these bombs were meant to announce a newcomer, an
old player shedding discretion, or the successful merging of different
organizations.

However, thirty-five years ago, the professional Pakistan Army was
only rarely able to out-think Bangladesh`s Mukti Bahini guerillas
fighting for independence, and rightly so. Their ranks were made up of
Bangladesh`s finest intellectual minds trained in commando operations
by the Indian Army. These bombs resurrect a tradition that worked in
the interest of India. This time round, has a "new" Mukti Bahini been
convinced to deploy their talents first to seize domestic power, then
let the Indians feel their bite before the rest of the world does?

Over the past years, Islamist extremist activities have been
flourishing in Bangladesh`s western districts, each sharing a border
with the Indian state of West Bengal. States sharing borders with
Myanmar have also witnessed significant terror activity attributed to
the Harkat-ul-Jihad Islami Bangladesh (HuJI-BD) and its international
partners, including Al-Qaeda. In addition, Sylhet in east Bangladesh,
sharing a border with India`s Assam state, has also seen Islamist
terrorist violence, including the May 21, 2004 attack in which two
persons were killed and the British High Commissioner to Bangladesh,
Anwar Choudhury, was among the70 injured in a powerful bomb blast at
the Hazrat Shahjalal Shrine.

The two main political parties, the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist
Party alliance and the opposition Awami League, have publicly accused
each other. Neither party can possibly benefit from such instability.
The grass roots organizations of both parties are reportedly
disorganized and not ready for campaigning in elections set for
January 2007. In fact, the prospects of holding elections in such an
environment appear dim.

Bangladesh has held three general elections since 1991 in a relatively
free and fair manner. The political culture is embedded around the
capital city of Dhaka. A growing urban middle class in the capital has
benefited from the success of the ready-made-garments industry and the
retail and real estate boom in the capital, fueled partly by allegedly
illegal diversion of aid money. However the general population has
failed to reap the benefits of foreign aid or export earnings.

The usual suspects have been identified -- including the banned
Islamic movement, Jamaet-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB). Political
violence, bombings and assassinations are not new to Bangladesh but
the sheer audacity, reach and synchronization of the bombings have
shaken most citizens out of their complacency. This appears to them to
be an omen of more violence. Given the unsettled political situation,
which could worsen this winter, more bombings, are likely.

There are other, most disturbing aspects of this coordinated operation.

Was this a final initiation rite to qualify a cadre of elite
terrorists? If so, will their military competence be restricted to
Bangladesh or shared worldwide, like its precursor in Afghanistan? And
who are the inheritors of the Mukti Bahini`s highly cerebral tradition
of deadly efficiency, what is their agenda, who runs them and for what
purpose?

(Muazzam Gill is a news analyst and vice-president of the American
Leadership Institute.)


LINK
http://news.monstersandcritics.com/southasia/article_1044938.php/Outside_View_Ba\
ngladesh%60s_bomb_factories


6. Dhaka struggles to respond to bombs
Roland Buerk, BBC News, Dhaka

The bombs went off simultaneously in 63 of the country's 64 districts

The recent multiple bomb attacks have thrown the government in
Bangladesh off guard, with ministers struggling to find a coordinated
response, analysts say.

Foreign diplomats say they have been surprised that they were not
quickly briefed about the 400 small bomb attacks across the country on
17 August.

Sixty-three of the country's 64 districts were affected in attacks
claimed by the banned Islamic group, Jamatul Mujahideen.

"Usually after any major incident they'll call all the heads of
mission into the foreign ministry to reassure them, say 'please don't
alter your travel advice, please don't tell your investors not to
come'," said one diplomat in Dhaka.

"This time they have not done that. Read into it what you will."

A spokesman for the foreign ministry says ambassadors will now be
briefed this week.

'Under control'

The bombings have left the government facing a number of questions,
not least why it did not crack down on religious extremists earlier.

The government is confused about what position they want to take

Mohammed Jehangir, analyst

For years, despite a series of explosions and killings, ministers
denied there were any militants in the country.

In February the government changed its position, and banned two
Islamic organisations.

Jamatul Mujahideen and Jagrata Muslim Janata Bangladesh were alleged
to have been behind blasts at the offices of aid agencies.

After a number of arrests, ministers then said militants were under control.

The attacks sparked protests from opposition parties

But leaflets in the name of Jamatul Mujahideen were found at the blast
sites on 17 August.

And the police have said their investigation is focusing on the group.

So far 160 people have been detained and it is reported that some of
them have confessed to links with Jamatul Mujahideen.

Bangladesh is governed by a four-party alliance that includes two
Islamic parties, Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Oikya Jote.

Analyst, Mohammed Jehangir, of the Centre for Development
Communication, says: "The government is confused about what position
they want to take.

"Our government is a coalition government, so it is very difficult to
take a position against fundamentalists or extremists, because the
fundamentalists are with them.

"If they say extremists are responsible, members of the coalition will
be angry and they will have internal problems."

Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Oikya Jote have insisted they have nothing
to do with the blasts, and that they are opposed to violence.

Disagreement

Journalists are finding it difficult to gain access to ministers.

The BBC has made repeated requests for an interview since the blasts,
but no minister in charge of a department involved in the
investigation has been available.


About 160 people have been detained since the bombings

Local media organisations have had the same problem.

"Every day I have tried Lutfozzaman Babar (minister for Home Affairs)
and other senior ministers - and nothing," said one senior reporter in
Dhaka.

Mr Babar was criticised for his comments to journalists in the
immediate aftermath of the bombings.

He said the government had information that an attack might take place
on the 14, 15 or 16 August. When it did not happen security was
reduced and the bombers struck the next day.

There was further criticism when two cabinet ministers appeared to
disagree publicly about the blasts.

Industries Minister Moulana Motiur Rahman Nizami, also the leader of
Jamaat-e-Islami, told reporters that the Research and Analysis Wing of
the Indian secret service might have been responsible.

Later Foreign Minister M Morshed Khan, from the Bangladesh Nationalist
Party, told reporters that Moulana Nizami's views were those of
Jamaat-e-Islami, not the government.

Opposition leaders said the men had broken the principle of cabinet
collective responsibility and one of them should go.

Neither lost his job, but since then ministers have appeared reluctant
to speak to the press.

The government finally directed a senior bureaucrat to answer the
BBC's questions.

"I don't agree that there is any problem with the government," said
Zahirul Haque, the director general of external publicity at the
foreign ministry.

"Of course they will speak as and when they feel it is necessary. But
at the moment it is not possible on my part to say why they are not
talking."


LINK
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/4194578.stm

7. ANALYSIS-Bangladesh blasts recall experience of Indonesia
Dan Eaton

JAKARTA, Aug 30 (Reuters) - The explosion of hundreds of small bombs,
some little bigger than fireworks and mostly harmless, across
Bangladesh on Aug. 17 may serve as a wake-up call that a much larger
problem is brewing.

The size of the United Kingdom, impoverished and with the world's
third-biggest Muslim population, the Indian Ocean nation could become
fertile ground for groups like al Qaeda if Dhaka fails to act
decisively, security analysts say.

Asia experts see disturbing parallels with Indonesia, another bastion
of moderate Islam, where a long-ignored fringe announced itself with
the blasts on the island of Bali in 2002 and has targetted Western
interests in a major attack every year since.

"Bangladesh was very much like Nepal or Thailand or like Indonesia
before their respective insurgencies broke out ... because all these
governments were in denial," said terrorism analyst Rohan Gunaratna.

"Both the government now in power, and the previous government, have
not taken this threat seriously and as a result we have seen this deep
escalation in the more recent past."

U.S. officials are concerned the Aug. 17 blasts that killed two people
and wounded about 100 may presage bigger things. They say that
although the damage was relatively minor and deaths few, sophisticated
coordination was evident.

The blasts were in many areas accompanied by leaflets warning the
government not to arrest militant Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen members and
calling for Islamic rule. They also warned Washington and London
against meddling in Muslim lands.

That group and others were banned in February for what the government
called involvement in criminal activities.

Critics who have warned about the dangers of extremism for months say
the government, which includes Islamic parties, has been reluctant to
take a harder line.

Bangladesh denies it has ignored the problem.

"It's just a silly allegation that Bangladesh has been denying the
existence of extremists. We have been aggressively hunting them from
the moment we knew they existed," said Moudud Ahmed, Law and
Parliamentary Affairs Minister and a senior member of the ruling
Bangladesh Nationalist Party.

"How could we do it (crack down on them) before they committed a
crime? Did England know that there were criminals and they were going
to bomb trains in London?" he told Reuters.

Bangladesh police now have nearly 150 people in custody in connection
with the bombings, most of them suspected members of
Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen, and are seeking 500 more.

POLITICAL VIOLENCE COMMONPLACE

Bangladeshis are relatively used to political violence. Attacks during
political gatherings are commonplace and a grenade attack last August
at an opposition party rally killed 23.

The country's fractious politics and corruption have created a
political vacuum that has done as much as poverty to foster extremism,
said Samina Ahmed, the International Crisis Group's South Asia project
director.

"Islamic extremists have exploited the political vacuum elsewhere and
could here too," said Ahmed.

"These are very early stages of threat that could assume more
dangerous proportions ... I think the Indonesian case is the same. If
you deal with these issues far earlier on and in terms of an inclusive
political process you can stop the rot."

The Bali nightclub bombings, which killed 202 people, most of them
foreigners, were preceded by less deadly attacks and forced Jakarta to
finally acknowledge the threat of radical Islam.

After Bali, anti-terror laws were passed and police rounded up scores
of militants. Many have now been tried and sentenced.

But a fear of upsetting sensitivities in the world's most populous
Muslim nation means Indonesia has yet to outlaw, or even fully
acknowledge, the existence of the group held responsible.

Gunaratna, author of "Inside al Qaeda: Global network of Terror",
believes like ICG's Ahmed that foreign militants have yet to make
serious inroads in Bangladesh.

But that could change.

"It's definitely something we think would be a wake-up call to the
Bangladesh government about the dangers of extremism there," an
official in Washington told Reuters.

Local analysts agree.

"Next time they are expected to come in a big way, and in a more
violent manner," said Shahedul Anam Khan, a retired Bangladeshi
brigadier-general turned analyst. (Additional reporting by Nizam Ahmed
in Dhaka and Paul Eckert in Washington)

LINK
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/JAK157672.htm

8. Why Afghanistan is important to India

Ever since Operation Enduring Freedom evicted the Pakistan-sponsored
Taliban regime from Kabul in December 2001, various powers started --
as they always have been -- jockeying for political and economic
leverage in Afghanistan.

India -- one of the main supporters of the anti-Taliban Northern
Alliance, which had managed to hold on to a tiny sliver of the country
in the north during the five years of Taliban rule -- and Pakistan are
among them, in addition to Iran, Russia and, of course, the United
States.

Afghanistan has a long and tumultuous history full of warring tribes
and ethnic factions, including a decade of brutal Soviet occupation
from 1979 to 1989.

Its main advantage -- its geography -- has perhaps also been its main
drawback. Anyone who controls Afghanistan controls the land routes
between the Indian subcontinent, Iran, and resource rich Central Asia.
Almost every major power therefore wanted a slice of the pie.

Today, flanked by Iran on the west, Pakistan on the east and the
Central Asian republics of Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan in
the north (and a very small stretch of border with China in the
northeast), the country's geo-strategic importance has multiplied
manifold.

What are India's interests in Afghanistan today?

Economically, it is a gateway to the oil and mineral rich Central
Asian republics. Also, the massive reconstruction plans for the
country offer a lot of opportunities for Indian companies.

Historically, apart from the five years of Taliban rule from 1996 to
2001, India has enjoyed good to excellent cultural and economic
relations with Afghanistan. Indian movies are reportedly a staple part
of the Afghan culture, while Afghan shawls and dry fruits, among other
things, come into India both legally and illegally.

Strategically, an actively pro-Delhi regime in Kabul (at the moment,
fierce warlords rule most other parts of the country) would rattle
Islamabad, which has traditionally seen Afghanistan as its backyard.

The issue of transit rights has affected the talks for the gas
pipeline from Iran, with India's request for a highway parallel to the
proposed gas pipeline from Iran being repeatedly rejected by
Islamabad.

Pakistan has linked almost all economic issues, including granting of
MFN status to India, to the resolution of the Kashmir dispute.

Unofficially, it has to do with Pakistani fears that it would be
swamped with Indian imports, and its desire to retain hegemony over
trade with Afghanistan. A huge chunk of Afghanistan's trade is
channeled through Pakistani ports like Gwadar and Karachi.

'We have to induce Pakistan to fall in line'

Pakistan is wary of the number of Indian consulates in Afghanistan --
in Jalalabad, Kandahar, Herat and Mazar-e-Sharif. It believes that
these missions are being used to foment unrest across the border in
Pakistan's Balochistan and other frontier provinces. Some Pakistani
officials have accused the Indian missions of printing and circulating
fake Pakistani currency and recruiting Afghans to carry out sabotage
in Pakistan.

India, however, asserts that 'It's for the Afghans to decide which
countries get to set up consulates in their countries.'

'We have strong bilateral relations with Afghanistan, and we want to
help them rebuild their country. India also sees Afghanistan as a
route to Central Asia. So it has nothing to do with Pakistan,' a
government spokesman said.

But a Pakistani official was quoted as saying that 'Pakistan wants a
stable Afghanistan, because they are next to us, and any instability
up there will leak into Pakistan.' As 'for the Indians, we have told
Afghanistan that if they open those consulates in southern
Afghanistan, the only purpose is cross border terrorism into
Pakistan.'

What is the significance of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Kabul?

Since the fall of the Taliban, India has been one of the primary
donors towards Afghanistan's reconstruction. Apart from presenting
aircraft to kickstart its Ariana airlines, India has been active in
building roads, schools, hospitals, power and communication networks,
besides training its military, police, bureaucrats, diplomats and even
businessmen.

The prime minister's visit is aimed at consolidating these efforts, to
send out a message of solidarity and trust with the war-scarred
nation, still deeply divided along ethnic lines.

According to Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran, 'On the political side,
really our effort has been to contribute to the strengthening of this
national consensus, inter-ethnic harmony in Afghanistan because we
believe that for the return of political stability it is important for
the different ethnic communities to work together.

'We have supported President Karzai in this direction the past and we
will continue to do so,' he said.

LINK

http://www.rediff.com/news/2005/aug/30spec4.htm

9. Asian militants sharing bomb designs

Al-Qaida's Southeast Asian ally is sharing bomb-making expertise with
Muslim militants in the Philippines, providing at least nine explosive
designs and eight chemical recipes to help ragtag insurgents become
more lethal, according to government reports.

The results: 116 people killed in the country's worst terror attack, a
series of high-tech explosions and close cooperation among local and
foreign militants using the southern Philippines as a training ground
following the loss of al-Qaida camps in Afghanistan.

While U.S.-backed offensives have overrun established camps in the
Mindanao region in the last couple of years, training by
al-Qaida-linked Jemaah Islamiyah's Indonesian operatives has continued
on a limited basis with militants setting up classes and plotting
attacks, police and military intelligence officers told The Associated
Press.

One Philippine security official said Mindanao in the southern part of
the country "is like a terrorist academy" with trainees taught how to
make bombs, plant them, then set them off in test missions designed to
help militants perfect their techniques to complete the course.

Jemaah Islamiyah militants appear to be continuously testing new
designs and explosives mixtures, said officials, who spoke on
condition of anonymity because of the secretive nature of the
information. Previously, many Philippine militants, especially Abu
Sayyaf rebels, had relied on simple hand and rocket-propelled grenades
to attack civilian targets.

Investigators looking into Sunday's bombing of a passenger ferry while
it was boarding on Basilan island, injuring 30 people, said it
appeared to be designed more to sow panic than kill, but that it was
too early to speculate on the design.

A number of recent bombs ¡ª pieced together from fragments found at
attack sites or recovered from Philippine rebel hideouts ¡ª carry
Jemaah Islamiyah's signature: the use of electronics, including
Indonesian-designed integrated circuit boards, and cell phones that
allow more efficiency and flexibility as triggers, according to
several investigation reports seen by AP.

Making detection difficult, the attackers use mundane items ¡ª a TV
set, egg cartons, a tin of cookies, even a tube of toothpaste, a
roll-on deodorant or shampoo bottle ¡ª to hide the bombs and their
components.

More powerful chemical mixtures not used before by local militants
also have been detected at bombing scenes in recent years, the reports
said.

The new mixtures give the militants more leeway in attaining a
particular effect. Some spark fires to scare extortion targets; others
are designed to kill and destroy.

Authorities said they have detected evidence of al-Qaida and Jemaah
Islamiyah "training and technology transfer" in bomb devices for the
past four or five years.

Such international cooperation and terror technology exchanges is not
entirely new.

When police in 1995 raided the Manila apartment of Ramzi Yousef, the
convicted mastermind of the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center in
New York, they found several juice bottles filled with the same
powerful explosives used in that attack and a brand of quartz alarm
clock later used in a bombing in Iraq.

Most of the bombs used in attacks in the Philippines and Indonesia are
believed to have been designed by Jemaah Islamiyah's top experts,
including Pitono, a Bali bombing suspect and electronics expert also
known as Dulmatin, the reports said.

The army has been hunting for Dulmatin, along with at least nine other
Indonesian militants, in the region of Mindanao, where he ii thought
to have joined the group of Abu Sayyaf chieftain Khaddafy Janjalani,
the military said.

Philippine authorities have detected mostly cell phone-triggered
explosives while poring over bloody scenes of attacks by the Abu
Sayyaf and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in the last five years,
according to investigation reports.

The Indonesians also have passed on the formulas of at least eight
powerful explosive chemical mixtures, the reports said, and
authorities in both countries have found identical bombs rigged the
same way in the metal frames of two strikingly similar bicycles.

Local militants ¡ª many young peasants with limited schooling ¡ª
appear to be struggling with the new technology. Blunders have fouled
up some attacks, including a homemade bomb that prematurely exploded
in a backpack two years ago, killing the rebel toting it.
The burnt Superferry 14 lies on it's starboard side as rescuers search
for missing people in Mariveles, Bataan province northwest of Manila
in this Sunday Feb. 29, 2004 file photo. An 11-pound TNT firebomb
crammed in a TV set that went off on a passenger ferry in Manila Bay
last, killing 116 people in the Philippines' worst terror attack,
employed a Jemaah Islamiyah bomb design that could be set off by an
alarm clock or a cell phone. [AP/file]

Filipino militants have not yet undertaken suicide missions, although
there is evidence that they have acquired knowledge to make body-worn
explosives and truck and car bombs. Car bombs used in an attack at
Manila's airport in December 2000 and an airport in southern Cotabato
city in February 2003 appear to have been set off by timers, security
officials said.

"We call them `baby al-Qaidas,' " said Ric Blancaflor, executive
director of the government's anti-terrorist task force. "We have no
reason to believe that they are already experts."

An 11-pound TNT firebomb crammed in a TV set that went off on a
passenger ferry in Manila Bay last year, killing 116 people in the
Philippines' worst terror attack, employed a Jemaah Islamiyah bomb
design that could be set off by an alarm clock or a cell phone.

The clock was set to trigger the bomb in seven hours but it went off
sooner, leading investigators to believe that a cell phone was used to
trigger the blast, the reports said.

Philippine authorities arrested and charged the suspected attacker ¡ª
Habil Dellosa, a Filipino Muslim convert who authorities say is an Abu
Sayyaf member trained by Indonesian militants.

Three bombs, concealed in empty cell phone cases and found in a mall
in southern General Santos city in March 2004, used new Jemaah
Islamiyah-designed electronic timing circuits and small amounts of new
explosive mixtures using TNT powder and potassium chlorate that
indicated the militants were testing its features, authorities said.

Authorities believe Abu Sayyaf trainees crafted the bombs as a
graduation test from explosives training. The mall had received an Abu
Sayyaf extortion letter, a security official familiar with the
incident told AP.

Guerrillas have used common household items to disguise their new
lethal weapons. A mortar time bomb that killed a child and wounded
eight others in a bus terminal in southern Davao city on Feb. 14 was
concealed in a hole punched through a stack of egg trays topped by
real eggs.

Other bombs were hidden in a Malaysian biscuit can, gift boxes and
ordinary bags. A pink plastic lunch box with flower designs, found in
a public market in southern Cotabato city, contained a small mortar
round that could have gone off. Police found bomb parts in toothpaste
tubes and roll-on deodorant containers in a raided Manila rebel
hideout early this year.


LINK
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2005-08/31/content_473757.htm

1. A Regime In Denial 
2. Bangladesh: Brace yourself for a bumpy ride
3. Bangladesh worried about 'illegal' stay by Indian truckers:-
4. Indian cattle feeds Rs 2000 cr industry in Bangladesh
5. Why does China need that navy?
6. Noose Is Nigh 
7. Manhunt begins for top militant
8. Asian Economies Starting to Feel Effect of Oil Prices
//////////////////////////////////////////////

1. A Regime In Denial 
The 500 explosions were real, what's unreal is Dhaka refusing to recognise extremism
 
JULFIKAR ALI MANIK

 
When a bomb exploded in front of Dhaka's National Press Club, little did the city's press corps know of the grisly hours awaiting them on August 17. Soon the news began trickling in from across Bangladesh: a bomb here, a bomb there, yet another bomb at a third place. By noon, the figure had ballooned to 500, spread over 63 of Bangladesh's 64 districts, killing two and injuring 100.

It triggered an expected wave of panic. Dhaka wore a deserted appearance. As calm eventually descended, it became obvious that the bombs had been too crude to inflict devastation on a mind-numbing scale; that the 500 explosions were triggered more to communicate a warning to society than to kill randomly.

Those trying to decode the terrorists' message need not have bothered. The Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), banned earlier this year, claimed responsibility for the bombings. One of its leaflets read, "We are the soldiers of Allah. We have taken up arms for the implementation of Allah's law.... 
 
Those who want to give institutional shape to democracy are the enemies of Islam." There was also an outpouring against the Bush-Blair duo, together with a warning of bloody retaliation should the government arrest its cadres.

The government anyway arrested nearly 150 people. Four of them told interrogators that they were JMB members and had carried out the attack at the behest of their chief Moulana Abdur Rahman. Also arrested was Moulana Fariduddin Masud, a former senior official of the government-run Islamic Foundation, who was on his way to London. Masud told the court, "Grill Nizami and vital clues to the bombings will come out."

Hold your breath. Nizami is none other than Moulana Matiur Rahman Nizami, chief of the Jamaat-e-Islami and the industry minister in the federal government. Nizami had earlier convened a press conference to accuse Indian and Israeli intelligence outfits—RAW and Mossad respectively—for perpetrating the bombings. "They are the patrons of the serial bombings as they don't want good relations between Bangladesh and China. That's why the incident took place when Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia is in China," Nizami said. (India denied these charges.)

Also looming large over Bangladesh is the menacing shadow of Bangla Bhai, who has attained notoriety for his violent reprisals against banned Left groups in western Bangladesh. Bangla Bhai belongs to the JMB; his mentor is Moulana Abdur Rahman. His bloody acts against Left radicals, though, were carried out under the banner of the Jagrata Muslim Janata Bangladesh (JMJB). Both the JMB and the JMJB are overlapping outfits.

Bangla Bhai's possible role in the August 17 bombings pushed the Zia government into a corner. On January 26 this year, state minister for home affairs Lutfuzzaman Babor had rubbished the media about its report on the JMJB and Bangla Bhai. A month later, the government banned the JMB and the JMJB. The government's vacillation on militancy prompts Dhaka University's Prof Sirajul Islam to ask, "What will the government do now after denying the existence of such groups? After this well-planned attack, they can't deny their existence any longer."

The BNP leaders, however, are doing exactly that. Nadim Mostafa, a BNP lawmaker from western Natore district, told this correspondent, "I do not believe there is any extreme militant force in the country." He claimed the bombings were aimed at sabotaging the SAARC summit in November. Deputy minister for land Ruhul Quddus Talukder, also an MP from the same area, told this correspondent, "The (main opposition) Awami League must have done this using fake leaflets to destroy Bangladesh's image internationally. The JMJB and the JMB may have some hold in some areas, but they are not strong (enough to launch a countrywide attack). Those who are doing this are aiming to grab power by creating anarchy." Both these leaders and state minister for housing Alamgir Kabir had been earlier accused of bringing in Bangla Bhai to counter the outlawed left-wing Sarbahara Party in western Bangladesh.

Apart from the JMB and the JMJB, another outlawed group—the Ahle Hadith Andolon Bangladesh (AHAB) of Muhammad Asadulllah Al Galib—is under scrutiny for the bombings. Intelligence sources say these three Islamic militant groups are interlinked, and have connections with Islamic groups in Muslim countries in West Asia, and Pakistan. One school of opinion in intelligence circles believes AHAB is a mass platform of the JMB, and most AHAB workers are involved in JMB activities. Another school says JMB militants through Galib have utilised the facilities of some 700 mosques built across the country by the Revival of Islamic Heritage Society (RIHS). This Kuwait-based NGO, they say, has funded Galib with crores of takas over the last one decade.

Worried citizens feel August 17 is perhaps the last warning before the country spirals into a vortex of violence. Brig General (retd) Shahed Anam Khan told Outlook, "The organisation behind August 17 was extremely sophisticated and networked. It's clear that at least 500 people were used to place the bombs; their strategy was classic—send in men who don't know the core group which had planned and assembled the bombs. This is something which we never encountered in the past."

Khan, like so many others, thinks August 17 has brought into question the very existence of the nation. Its citizens can only hope that both the BMP and the Awami League sink their differences and come together to fight the monster called terrorism. Before it consumes them
 
LINK
http://www.outlookindia.com/full.asp?fodname=20050905&fname=Bangladesh+(F)&sid=1

2. Bangladesh: Brace yourself for a bumpy ride —Taj Hashmi

Sections of frustrated, angry young men have swelled the ranks of the Islamist militants, including the ultra-extremist JMB. The situation is very similar to what Algeria and Afghanistan have experienced — class war between the Western (secular) and vernacular (Islamic) elites

It is disturbing that two innocent people died, hundreds wounded and millions were terrorised by synchronised bombing in 63 district towns of Bangladesh, including Dhaka, on the morning of August 17. Around 400 "home-made" bombs, with not-so-crude electric timers, went off in government offices, court houses, public parks, universities, airport, and shopping centres and on roadsides. Although the number of dead and injured is not very large, the message is frightening for those who do not want Bangladesh to turn "Islamic" or unstable.

The most alarming part is the widely perceived assumption that there was the direct involvement of some clandestine Islamist group, linked to Al Qaeda, in the bombing. Leaflets in Bengali, and in Arabic, were found nearby, which conveyed an ominous message in the name of the Jamaatul Mujahedeen Bangladesh (JMB), a party of holy warriors:

"People who are against Allah are now running the country. The process, under which the head of the state and other officials are elected, is not in accordance with the Islamic rule. Neither the Koran nor the Hadis approves democracy or secularism, formulated by Kafirs [non-believers] and Mushriks [pagans]."

It calls upon the government and the political parties to abandon democracy and adopt the Sharia. "Otherwise, the organisation will resort to Qital [all-out killing] for the establishment of the rules of Allah on His land." It also prescribes punishment for George W Bush and Tony Blair and their local supporters in Bangladesh, including those who run NGOs and work for the government.

The shadowy JMB, banned earlier by the government for terrorising people in pockets of north-western Bangladesh under the leadership of one "Bangla Bhai", drew the attention of New York Times correspondent, Eliza Griswold in early this year ("The Next Islamist Revolution?" January 23, 2005). Griswold is not the first Western reporter to draw such an alarmist picture of Bangladesh. In April 2002, Bertil Lintner wrote in the Far Eastern Economic Review and the Wall Street Journal, that an "Islamic revolution" was in the offing in this poor, overpopulated and the most corrupt country in the world.

However, the then US ambassador Mary Anne Peters registering her anger at the FEER and WSJ for publishing such biased articles on "a liberal Muslim nation" demanded an investigation into the motive behind the story. Philip Bowring, former editor of the FEER, also came forward to criticise Western "Islam-bashers". Many Bangladeshi academics, journalists and politicians condemned Lintner and Griswold for their stories. The government continued denying the existence of any "Bangla Bhai" and his terrorist gang for some time.

After the arrest of some workers of several clandestine Islamist groups by the Government, including Dr Asadullah Ghalib, a university professor and one of the top leaders of the JMB, there have been sporadic bomb attacks on public rallies, movie theatres and Muslim shrines since early 2005. Attacks on Ahmaddiya mosques and properties and demands to declare the community "non-Muslim" have also become endemic. The present British High Commissioner and Sheikh Hasina, former prime minister and present leader of the opposition, narrowly survived grenade attacks during the last one year.

From police interrogations, it appears that more than 1,500 JMB activists planted the bombs to pressurise the government to release Dr Ghalib and to warn both the ruling and the main secular opposition parties of the dire consequences of not establishing a Sharia-based government in the country.

The JMB is just the youth front of the global jihadi network of Al Mujahideen. There are scores of branches and offshoots of the parent organisation in Bangladesh. They often take new names and banners to evade arrest and detection. The Harkatul Jihad, Hizbut Tawheed and Shahadat-i-Hikmah have been some of the offshoots since the mid-1990s.

It is widely known that several ruling party lawmakers and a minister are directly connected with some militants in northwestern Bangladesh. It is widely believed that the Islamists of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait (and most probably Taliban sympathisers from Pakistan) have been indoctrinating, arming and financing the JMB for quite some time.

The sharp polarisation of the polity between the so-called secular "pro-Independence" and the not-so-secular "Islam-loving" groups has contributed to the Islamisation of the country. Both the "secular" group under Sheikh Hasina and the "Islam loving" group under Prime Minister Khaleda Zia have been championing the cause of Islam ever since the overthrow of military dictatorship in 1990. It seems, as if the two major parties, Hasina's Awami League and Khaleda's BNP, have been competing with each other to prove their Islamic credentials to secure more votes from God-fearing Bengali Muslims.

President Ziaur Rahman had formally scrapped "Secularism" and "Socialism" from the Constitution. His successor, General Ershad further Islamised the polity by making Islam the "state religion" through an amendment of the Constitution in 1988. Three successive governments under Khaleda and Hasina since 1991 could neither restore "Secularism" as enshrined in the original Constitution, nor scrap the "state religion" amendment. Realising the political importance of Islam in this backward and predominantly Muslim country, no major political party champions the cause of secularism by scrapping the "state religion" clause from the Constitution.

It seems that the biggest stumbling block in the way of secularism is the popular culture of the vast majority of the population. Since the immediate post-independence government of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (1972-75), regarded by many as the founding father of the nation, miserably failed in delivering the promised poverty-free, prosperous Bangladesh in a "secular" and "socialist" authoritarian democracy, most Bangladeshis have become suspicious of secularism and socialism.

And while democracy has remained elusive, the average Bangladeshi Muslim has remained loyal to traditional Islamic and authoritarian values. The changed circumstances of the post-Cold War era — the disappearance of Soviet style socialism and the advent of market economy and Globalisation — also brought Islam in the arena of global politics. This time it appeared not as an ally but as an adversary of the hegemonic West, mainly represented by the US and its allies.

Bangladesh's Islamism has similarities with its counterparts in Muslim majority countries like Algeria, Egypt, Pakistan and Indonesia. All of them had gone through secular national socialism and autocracies under civil/military rulers before turning Islamic during the last decade and a half. Islamism in these countries may be attributed to the failure of the promised welfare state under pseudo-socialism or corrupt and inefficient state capitalism.

Although Bangladesh emerged as a symbol of freedom and equality, unfortunately, it is only symbolic and historical. Since its emergence in 1971, the rich are getting richer, and the poor are getting poorer, far faster than anywhere else in South Asia. Around 50 percent of the population is very poor and more than 35 percent are practically unemployed. The tax-evading rich, the absolutely corrupt politicians, bureaucracy and thousands of bank defaulters have accumulated more than $60 billion in "black money" since 1971.

While the rich and powerful get their children educated in English medium schools, at home and abroad, and are the most employable in the country, the fast disappearing middle class sends its children to Bengali medium schools and the poor mostly send their children to Islamic seminaries or madrassas. Besides the stream of the under-employed Bengali medium graduates are millions of unemployed/underemployed madrassas graduates. No wonder, sections of these frustrated, angry young men have swelled the ranks of the Islamist militants, including the ultra-extremist JMB. The situation is very similar to what Algeria and Afghanistan have experienced — class war between the Western (secular) and vernacular (Islamic) elites.

Taj Hashmi teaches at Simon Fraser University, Canada. This is the first of a two-part series

LINK
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_29-8-2005_pg3_5

3. Bangladesh worried about 'illegal' stay by Indian truckers:-
 
Bangladesh says it will closely monitor what it calls the illegal overstay and movement of trucks from India following an official report that this posed a threat to national security.

A home ministry official told IANS Sunday that the government had formed a committee to look into the matter after the Bangladesh Rifles, which patrol the border between the countries, said in a report that overstay by Indian truckers was a cause of concern.

The committee, headed by the home ministry's joint secretary (border) Mohammad Harun Chowdhury, was formed Saturday. Officials from the customs and intelligence agencies, land port authorities and communications ministry will be part of the body.

The move comes 10 days after a wave of over 400 near simultaneous blasts rattled the entire country. The government said the banned Islamist group called Jamaatul Mujahideen was responsible for the Aug 17 blasts that killed two people and injured 150. The government beefed up security across the country after the blasts.

The Bangladesh Rifles said in its report that the illegal stay and movement of foreigners, especially Indians, was posing a threat to national security.

Some 1,500 to 2,000 Indian trucks are estimated to enter Bangladesh daily through 26 land ports for facilitating export and import.

Due to lack of effective measures by the customs and port authorities, hundreds of Indian truck drivers, helpers and labourers were illegally staying and moving inside Bangladesh territory near the land ports, the report said.

"Many of the Indian trucks are parked four to five kilometres inside Bangladesh and are being driven to the capital, which is very alarming," said another home ministry official.

In its report, the Bangladesh Rifles voiced serious concern at different types of firearms, explosives and illicit drugs being smuggled into the country.

It said spies, in the guise of truck drivers and helpers, could easily enter the country because of lax security at the land ports.

"This kind of espionage and anti-state activity is very dangerous in the context of the current world situation," said the report, calling for immediate steps to tackle the problem.

All the trucks cannot manage to unload their cargo on the day of arrival and have to stay overnight in the country. As per customs rules all the trucks, while unloading goods, must stay within customs areas, but most ports do not have such areas.

As the trucks remain out of sight of the port authorities, smugglers could easily import illegal goods along with legal ones and unload them in the country at night, the Bangladesh Rifles report said.

LINK
http://news.webindia123.com/news/showdetails.asp?id=110934&cat=Asia

4. Indian cattle feeds Rs 2000 cr industry in Bangladesh
SHANTANU NANDAN SHARMA

NEW DELHI: THE Border Security Force (BSF) faces a strange challenge at the Indo-Bangladesh border. The smuggling of cattle from India to Bangladesh, which is valued approximately at Rs 1000 cr per annum, has turned out to be a major menace for the BSF personnel, manning the posts. It is estimated that Indian cattle feeds a Rs 2000 cr industry in Bangladesh covering leather, meat supply and meat export etc.

R S Mooshahary, Director General of BSF, told ET that the porous border coupled with a massive demand of cattle in Bangladesh have made their task of checking this illegal trade even more difficult. "The problem is that there is a huge demand for Indian cattle, mostly cows and bulls, in Bangladesh. Indian cattle caters to their leather and fertiliser industries and also contributes to the vibrant meat export business. All this adds up to several thousand crores of rupees. We have around 1500 km of border, which is either not fenced, or fencing in those sectors need immediate repairs. Also, one fourth of the 4000-km-long Indo-Bangladeh border is riverine, where policing is very difficult."

Significantly, Indian cattle is bought from states like Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, UP and Bihar. The middlemen who get lucrative commissions and trade at cattle haats of Malda, Kalyani and Berhampur in West Bengal. The cattle are brought into Bangladesh in small batches of three to four.

"It's not that we don't catch illegal traders. We hand over the cattle to the customs department, which in turn auctions them, but the same middlemen somehow manage to buy the cattle. As long as the demand remains so huge, it will be difficult to stop this menace. For Bangladesh, an Indian cow is very valuable. It gives meat, fertiliser, leather and other products," Mooshahary said.

In fact, India would have earned some revenue, if it had legalised the cattle export to Bangladesh. But no government can take the initiative of legalising it because of the sensitivity of cattle export.

The BSF has 157 battalions with a total manpower of over 200,000. The DG added: "Though we are supposed to man the border areas, many of our battalions are being posted for counter-insurgency operations. We have requested the ministry of home affairs to give us 20 additional battalions and I hope, that will help a lot in managing the situation at Indo-Bangladesh border better." 
 
LINK
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1212364.cms\

5. Why does China need that navy?
By Richard Halloran
The Washington Times
Published August 26, 2005

HONOLULU -- The new commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, Adm. Gary Roughhead, an interested onlooker of the joint Chinese-Russian military maneuvers during the past eight days, has posed a critical question about the rapidly modernizing Chinese navy: "What do [the Chinese] see as the intended use of that navy?

"Clearly, the Chinese are developing a very capable modern military, especially the navy," Adm. Roughead said in an interview at his Pearl Harbor headquarters.
    
If that navy "is to ensure the free flow of commerce, that would not be surprising," he said, nodding toward the sea lanes in the South China and East China seas through which pass the oil and raw materials that feed China's expanding economy, not to mention its soaring exports.
    
The admiral added, however: "What if the intent is not purely to defend the sea lanes?" He left the question open.
   
Adm. Roughead said his command had been watching the maneuvers centered in China on the Shandong Peninsula across the Yellow Sea from the Korean Peninsula.
    
He was keenly interested in learning what ships and aircraft the Chinese and Russians had sent into the war games, how they operated together, and how they integrated their commands and communications.
    
The exercise marked another step in a gradual Sino-Russian reconciliation after decades of rivalry during the days of the Soviet Union.
    
It appeared to have had three purposes: Put the United States on notice that it has military competitors in the Western Pacific; show the Taiwanese once again that China would use force if that island nation declared formal independence; and market more Russian weapons to China, which already has bought Russian warships and aircraft.
    
The U.S. Pacific Fleet was not invited to send observers to the maneuvers, nor would Adm. Roughead or any other officer discuss ways in which intelligence was being gathered.
    
It would have been normal practice, however, for U.S. forces to have been watching and listening closely, using U.S. submarines, reconnaissance aircraft and surveillance satellites.
    
Adm. Roughead, who took command of the Pacific Fleet's 200 warships, 1,400 aircraft, and 190,000 sailors and Marines on July 8, said he would not drastically change course from that set by his predecessor, Adm. Walter F. Doran.
    
"When you come on watch," Adm. Roughead said, "normally you don't try to trim the sails right away."
    
Much of his attention will be directed to continuing the transformation of the armed forces as ordered by Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld.
    
In the Pacific and Asia, that objective is adding to Navy responsibilities as the United States plans to depend on sea power and air power rather than ground forces in most contingencies.
    
On the dispute over Taiwan, for instance, the United States would rely on ships and planes to help defend Taiwan if China sought to enforce its claim of sovereignty with an assault, and if President Bush decided it would be in the U.S.'s interest to resist.
    
Adm. Roughead said he planned to invite more Asian and Pacific navies to take part in multilateral exercises, in contrast to bilateral drills.
    
To increase their ability to operate together, he would like to persuade allied navies to codify their procedures.
    
That would be true not only with blue-water navies, such as those of Japan, Australia and India, but also with the smaller navies of Southeast Asia fighting pirates that prey on merchant ships in those constricted waters.
    
The admiral stressed, however, that he would seek informal arrangements, not another NATO one.
    
The need for codified procedures is also needed within the U.S. Navy, Adm. Roughead said.
    
Not many years ago, the United States really had two navies, the Atlantic and the Pacific, each with its own way of operating. With a smaller Navy today, ships could be deployed from one fleet to another and must be able to fit in to a new assignment seamlessly.
    
With an eye toward China's expanding submarine force, Adm. Roughead emphasized anti-submarine warfare.
    
The Navy relies on submarines, said to be the best weapon against other submarines, and surface ships equipped with sonar and torpedoes. It also depends on new anti-submarine missiles and low-flying aircraft such as the PA-C Orion laden with detection devices and weapons.
    
"This is an area that we want to be able to dominate," the admiral said.

LINK
http://www.wpherald.com/storyview.php?StoryID=20050826-092811-5547r

6. Noose Is Nigh 

Was Sarabjit a RAW agent? Why the apathy from the Indian side in the case? Updates
 
V. SUDARSHAN
 
Damned if it does and damned if it doesn't. That's the situation India finds itself in after the Pakistan SC sentenced Sarabjit Singh aka Manjeet Singh, an Indian national, to be hanged on charges of carrying out a series of bomb attacks in Pakistan 15 years ago. Since the news broke out, relatives and politicians have cranked up the pressure on New Delhi to intercede and save him from the gallows. His family have written to the president, prime minister as well as the Pakistani president saying Sarabjit is innocent. To make matters more poignant, family members are now threatening suicide the day Sarabjit is executed. Politicians have also got into the act, lobbying with the foreign minister and the PM. Subsequently, there have been reports that Manmohan Singh is going to make a phone call to Pervez Musharraf on the matter. "The PM assured us he will speak to Musharraf and that the government will do all it can to save Sarabjit," Punjab PCC chief Shamsher Singh Dullo declared.

That's only one side of the story. After confirming that New Delhi has sought consular access, the government has gone all quiet on the issue. Consular access, if granted, will only be a first step in verifying the antecedents of the accused, whether he's an Indian and is indeed Sarabjit.

A little of history, first. Sarabjit disappeared in August 1990; a year later he wrote to his family in Bhikhiwind village, Amritsar, informing them that he was in a Pakistani jail. It isn't clear what efforts the family undertook to bring his misfortune to the notice of the authorities. In 2005, though, the family suggests he was in an inebriated state at the time he inadvertently crossed over to Pakistan.

Reports from Pakistan suggest otherwise. His prosecutors claimed Manjeet was an agent of RAW (Research and Analysis Wing, India's external spy agency) who carried out five bombings, reportedly earning Rs 8,000-10,000 for each. These blasts occurred in Anarkali and Bhatti Gate in Lahore, Bhawana Bazar in Faisalabad, and on a Ghazi-bound bus from Lahore. He was arrested on August 30 when he was leaving Pakistan after allegedly perpetrating the blasts.

During the investigation, the prosecutors say, it emerged that the accused joined Indian military intelligence in 1987 and subsequently became a RAW agent, visiting Pakistan as many as 14 times for clandestine duties earmarked by his bosses.

Manjeet's counsel differs, claiming his client had only been smuggling liquor into Pakistan, where prohibition remains in force. Court arguments apart, is there a possibility that Manjeet (or Sarabjit) could have been a RAW agent guilty of destabilising Pakistan?

Sources say it's common for both Pakistan and India to launch people into one another's territory for minor probing operations. Usually, such agents are from border areas; it provides scope for claiming their illegal forays were accidental; it also ensures the blame doesn't fall on the agency.

Nevertheless, the Sarabjit issue can prove tricky. Should the PM make the call to Musharraf and claim that Sarabjit is a victim of mistaken identity, then he could prompt reciprocal calls asking New Delhi to free or at least not hang those Pakistanis in jails here. Sources point out that instances of Indians being named for crimes in Pakistan are far less than Pakistanis apprehended in India on similar charges.

At the time of writing this report, it was not clear whether Pakistan would grant consular access to Sarabjit. Did New Delhi seek consular access earlier or had it been corralled into asking for access because of the din over the issue? Such questions will arise if he is actually hanged.

Ultimately, it is to be said that Manjeet's case is not unique. There are hundreds of prisoners whose lives are wasting away for much lesser crimes, both in Pakistan and India. The real story is the institutionalised apathy towards these people. Sarabjit's case is unique in this only because he's been sentenced to death.

LINK
http://www.outlookindia.com/full.asp?fodname=20050905&fname=SPY+(F)&sid=1

7. Manhunt begins for top militant
From our correspondent

KOLKATA — Indian intelligence agencies have begun a manhunt for Sheikh Abdur Rahman, the alleged mastermind of the daring serial bombings in Bangladesh in which 434 bombs exploded in 63 main cities and towns across the country on August 17 killing two people and injuring over 150.

Bangladesh's most wanted man is believed to have slipped into India's West Bengal with armed key lieutenants, including his bodyguards, to evade the police dragnet in his country.

West Bengal is home to an ever-growing population of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants. Besides a 4,000-km long land and riverine border, Bengal and Bangladesh share a common language — Bengali — and culture. "The intensive search operation under way is exceedingly difficult and challenging", said an Indian government official.

Under extra surveillance are West Bengal madrassas and transit points along the India-Bangladesh border. Rahman is the supreme leader of the banned Islamist militant group Jamaatul Mujahideen of Bangladesh (JMB) headquarterd in southern Satkhira district.

Besides requesting New Delhi to hunt down Rahman, Dhaka has sought the help of Paris-based Interpol. Bangladesh charged Rahman in absentia on Friday.

Investigators say that those involved in the simultaneous blasts in more than five dozen towns 63 across the country wanted to convey that their national network is capable of bigger and deadlier coordinated attacks. Leaflets found at blast sites demanded introduction of Islamic law in Bangladesh and criticised the presence of American and British troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

A senior Intelligence Bureau (IB) official said here that no stone is being left unturned to catch Rahman and Siddiqul Islam, alias Bangla Bhai, who heads Jagrata Muslim Janata (JMJ) which is closely allied with JMB. Besides para-military Border Security Force and IB, New Delhi has deployed Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and Special Services Bureau (SSB), two highly-secretive espionage units, to nab the fugitives from across the border.

An official disclosed that while Indian intelligence and security agencies were building up lots of background information on Rahman and Islam, such as who they might be with, they had no no real new leads. "But if they are hiding in India, we will find them sooner than later", he said.

Several Kolkata hotels where Bangladeshis usually stay when they come shopping or for medical treatment are being closely watched.

Analysts say New Delhi has a vested interest in nabbing Rahman and Islam because of their strident anti-India stand. JMJ and JMB are the prime suspects in grenade attacks on Awami League party leaders, particularly former prime minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed, because of her pro-India tag.

Both outfits accuse Hindu-majority India' of trying to colonise Bangladesh and grab its natural resources. An Indian official said that Rahman's father collaborated with the Pakistani army in 1971 prior to the birth of Bangladesh. East Pakistan seceeded with Indian help and became Bangladesh.

LINK
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle.asp?xfile=data/subcontinent/2005/August/subcontinent_August1031.xml&section=subcontinent&col =

8. Asian Economies Starting to Feel Effect of Oil Prices

Countries in the region are taking steps to cushion the effect of soaring energy costs.

By Evelyn Iritani, Times Staff Writer

The global economy has shown few ill effects from rising oil prices, but the latest surge is starting to exact a toll on Asian economies.

In Thailand and Indonesia, where high fuel prices have sparked political protests, governments have slashed growth estimates for the year.

Other countries, including Japan and the Philippines, are employing energy conservation programs to blunt the effect of oil costs.

India faces the prospect of political instability from expected price hikes, and analysts say high energy costs could soon become a drag on China, which relies heavily on cheap fuel and other raw materials to prime its manufacturing growth.

Skyrocketing oil prices are "a heavy tax on most Asian economies," said William Overholt, director of Rand Corp.'s Center for Asia Pacific Policy.

Oil has doubled in price since the start of the year, ending last week at $66.13 a barrel. That's worrisome news for Asia Pacific economies, which rely on imports for 67% of their oil needs. Not only do they face unexpectedly high oil bills, but they fear that high energy costs, coupled with rising interest rates, will spook consumers in one of their largest export markets, the U.S.

As U.S. companies trim their energy consumption and consumers pare their spending, the slowdown is already being felt across the Pacific.

"Some of these countries are facing some real issues," said Kenneth Courtis, vice chairman of Goldman Sachs Inc. "Their trade numbers are going bad, inflation rates are moving up and people are grumbling" because governments are being forced to let energy prices rise.

The World Bank predicts that the global economy will slow to about 3% this year from 4% in 2004, but the effect on individual countries will vary widely.

Oil-rich nations in the Middle East and Central Asia will reap an extra $100 billion this year in oil exporting receipts, according to the International Monetary Fund. Similar good fortune will befall Latin American countries with vast oil reserves, such as Venezuela.

But oil importing countries in Eastern Europe and Africa will suffer, and the poor will be hit particularly hard because they depend heavily on kerosene for cooking and warmth, according to the World Bank.

Some economists warn that the global picture could darken if political tensions between the U.S. and Iran or Venezuela, or a natural disaster, lead to a sudden squeeze on oil supplies.

"We are very concerned, even more so than in recent years, that these kind of supply shocks will be much more difficult to handle for the global economy," World Bank economic forecaster Hans Timmer said.

Much depends on where oil prices are headed, with at least one prominent energy analyst — Matthew R. Simmons, chairman of Houston investment bank Simmons & Co. International — predicting oil prices could reach $100 a barrel.

Robin Bew, chief economist at Economist Intelligence Unit, a London-based economic analysis firm, disagrees with that prognosis. Barring a major supply disruption, he believes that oil prices will stabilize soon and soften next year as the U.S. and Chinese economies start to slow, demand eases up and new refining capacity comes on line.

John Kingston, director of oil for Platts, a New York-based global energy information service, said a tight supply and political uncertainty in key oil-producing regions had made markets unusually jittery. Last week, prices spiked to record levels on news of a temporary oil shutdown in Ecuador, a power outage in Iraq that hit the refineries and the sight of Hurricane Katrina bearing down on the Gulf of Mexico.

"Without much spare capacity out there, these things tend to get magnified," Kingston said.

The biggest worry right now is Asia, which, with the exception of Malaysia, depends heavily on imported oil. Even Indonesia, a member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, is a net oil importer.

Asian experts are not predicting a replay of 1997, when a collapse of the Thai baht triggered a financial contagion that impoverished millions. They said most Asian economies are stronger today, having developed new markets in China, pared back their debt and rebuilt their foreign reserves. Japan, the region's largest economy, is also a world leader in energy efficiency, thanks to steps taken after the two oil shocks of the 1970s.

Nevertheless, Asian governments are taking steps to cushion the economic effect of energy costs. Some have imposed emergency energy restrictions in hopes of avoiding more draconian, and unpopular, price hikes. Filipino workers have been ordered to take three-day weekends. Japanese salarymen are wearing short-sleeved shirts and abandoning their ties so they can turn off their air conditioners.

Ifzal Ali, chief economist at the Asian Development Bank in Manila, said those steps had simply delayed the pain for countries such as Thailand and Indonesia, which will experience much slower growth in 2006.

"Countries have been in denial, and now it is gradually sinking in that this is here to stay for the foreseeable future," he said.

As oil prices have risen, many Asian governments have spent billions of dollars to avoid raising prices for kerosene and other fuel. But those expensive subsidies are eating away at governments' reserves and forcing them into debt to maintain them, said William Belchere, chief Asia economist at Macquarie Securities in Hong Kong. "At some point, that will begin to grind into their economies," he said.

That has already happened in Thailand, which was forced to abandon price controls on diesel fuel this summer after spending $2.5 billion in subsidies, said Eugene Davis, managing director of Finansa, a Bangkok-based investor group. He said the government's mishandling of the energy situation had contributed to a loss of investor confidence and put pressure on the currency.

Davis said Thailand's growth could slow to 2% this year, less than half its projected growth.

Elsewhere, high oil prices are extracting a political price. In Indonesia, there were nationwide protests this spring when the government raised fuel prices to cover soaring energy costs. But the government recently warned that fuel subsidies could double this year to $15.3 billion if prices held at current levels, which would force another price hike.

In India, where state-owned energy companies are running huge losses, the government will soon be forced to raise fuel prices, said Amitabh Dubey, an analyst at Eurasia Group in New York. He predicted that energy would be a hot issue in next year's elections in the Communist-controlled states of Kerala and West Bengal. "There will be political instability," he warned.

Energy prices have also become a problem in China, where fuel prices are heavily subsidized, said Jason Kindopp, a China specialist at Eurasia Group. Last week, the government dispatched extra police to Guangzhou after service stations ran short of gas and motorists were forced to endure lengthy waits and rationing.

Kindopp said the shortages occurred because some of the state-owned refineries had trimmed production or exported their gasoline because they were tired of operating at a loss under the government's strict price controls. Since the start of the year, retail gas prices in China have risen by 15%, while global oil prices have risen by 50%, he said.

To avoid future shortages, the Chinese government may have to raise retail prices, which will not only be politically unpopular but also stoke inflation and put a brake on the economy.

"It'll certainly have a dampening effect," Kindopp said, "because so much of what is driving China's economic growth relies on low-cost inputs."

*

Hungry for oil

In 2005, the Asia Pacific region will import nearly 16 million barrels of oil a day, representing 67% of its daily needs. That figure is expected to rise to 71% in 2010.

Imported oil as a percentage* of total consumption, 2005 estimates

Japan: 100%

Korea: 100%

Singapore: 100%

Taiwan: 100%

Philippines: 94%

Thailand: 85%

India: 71%

Pakistan: 65%

China: 46%

Australia: 45%

Indonesia (An OPEC member): 15%

*Oil dependence ratio is based on net, not gross, oil imports

Source: FACTS Inc.

Los Angeles Times

LINK
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-globaloil29aug29,0,1375146.story?coll=la-home-business