Thursday, February 5, 2009

Pakistan's Probe Finds Bangla Link in Mumbai


A Pakistani official familiar with the country's Mumbai terror investigation said Thursday that Pakistani authorities had no evidence to indicate the attack was planned or carried out from Pakistan, though they did find involvement by Lashkar-e-Taiba, the Pakistan-based group India blames for the attack. The same official also believes Pakistani investigators have found a Bangladeshi group, Harkat-ul-Jihad al Islami (HuJI), and possibly al Qaeda were involved in the attack along with Lashkar. The unnamed official didn't say where investigators believe the attack was planned, according to reports in the Wall Street Journal and Pakistan's Dawn newspaper.

The Pakistani investigators were also trying to ascertain "if at least one of the Mumbai attackers was of Bangladeshi origin", the newspaper said. Diplomatic and other sources told PTI that the Pakistani security establishment and the senior-most American diplomats here had been referring to a possible Bangladeshi connection to the Mumbai attacks in the past few days. Both Pakistani security officials and US diplomats have also been making a case for "larger regional cooperation", the sources said.

Besides the Bangladeshi connection, there were "clear indications that some of the planning for the attacks was done in Dubai and there is also an element of local Indian support", the Dawn reported. "Investigators believe it would have been almost impossible to plan and execute an attack of this proportion and sophistication without the local Indian support, a fact India is shying away from," it reported.

In a related development, the FBI is reported to have sought access from the Indian authorities to two militants, Fahim Arshad Ansari and Sabbauddin, who were arrested by Uttar Pradesh police some time between February and March last year for having made reconnaissance of several sensitive places and were later questioned for the Mumbai attacks.

Last week, Pakistan's high commissioner to Britain, Wajid Shamsul Hasan, said the attack was planned outside Pakistan and suggested it was part of a transnational plot.

The leaks show that Pakistani investigators sharply disagree with their Indian and the U.S. counterparts who have consistently claimed that the plot began in Pakistan. Indian Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon this week alleged that Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence spy agency maintains ties to Lashkar. Reacting to the Indian statement, Pakistan's Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit said India should not jump the gun by making statements at a time when Pakistan was sincerely carrying out investigations into the Mumbai attacks. The spokesman said that instead of leveling baseless allegations against Pakistani institutions, India should help in investigating the attacks.

While the leaks from Islamabad so far indicate that Pakistani investigation may not be conclusive, it definitely appears to create significant doubts and raise many new questions about the validity of Indian and American claims pinning the blame for Mumbai attacks entirely on Pakistan-based LeT or JuD.

Related Links:

India's Choices After Pakistan's Response

Dawood Provided Logistics to Mumbai Attackers

Dawood Ibrahim Behind Mumbai Attacks

Solving Mumbai Puzzle

No One Knows Mumbai Better

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

While the leaks from Islamabad so far indicate that Pakistani investigation may not be conclusive, it definitely appears to create significant doubts and raise many new questions about the validity of Indian and American claims pinning the blame for Mumbai attacks entirely on Pakistan-based LeT or JuD.

Nice try. Pathetic one though. I guess some little green men will also be named as co-conspirators soon.

Anonymous said...

Now that Pakistan's national hero - AQ Khan (nuclear technology thief and nuclear weapon peddler) is out in the open, he can talk to his mates in Al Qaeda and LeT and give them a crash course in nuclear physics.

I'm waiting for the day when Obama comes on TV to announce Operation Deworming Asia

Riaz Haq said...

Anon:

You hope, "I'm waiting for the day when Obama comes on TV to announce Operation Deworming Asia"

My suggestion: Don't hold your breath. Contrary to what you may have heard, let me break it to you that Obama is not the Messiah who will solve all of the world's problems.

You'd be better off paying attention to his focus on Kashmir as a way to defuse tensions in South Asia.

Anonymous said...

RIAZ -IS THAT YOUR STUPID EXCUSE FOR TERRORISM IN PAKISTAN????BECAUSE PRINCIPLES ARE GREATER THAN RELIGION AND kASHMIR WILL STAY WITH iNDIA.iNDIA STANDS TALLER THAN WEAK RELIGIONS.

Anonymous said...

You'd be better off paying attention to his focus on Kashmir as a way to defuse tensions in South Asia.

Riaz, hate to break it to you that Kashmir has gone from existential threat to "part of the solution to Afghanistan" - and is headed to its final resting place as minor nuisance value.

The recent elections there - which saw a 60% turnout, in defiance of a boycott call by the Valley secessionists and have caused the secessionists by their own account to "introspect" - don't figure in any of your drum-beating. I wonder why.

Anonymous said...

I am sure that Pakistan will soon find Canada, Greenland, Antarctica, Somalia links too.

Riaz Haq said...

Peaceful Indian,

You jest, "I am sure that Pakistan will soon find Canada, Greenland, Antarctica, Somalia links too."

That clearly shows you and your fellow commentators from India see all evil and all things condemnable emanate from Pakistan, ruling out any and all other possibilities. You have a very narrow and unquestioning view of the world by opting to blame Pakistan in a knee-jerk fashion for all of the ills that befall you and your fellow countrymen.

With such a total lack of curiosity and objectivity, no wonder your security and investigative apparatus are so incompetent as clearly demonstrated by their ineptitude in Mumbai during and after the attacks.

Anonymous said...

"no wonder your security and investigative apparatus are so incompetent as clearly demonstrated by their ineptitude in Mumbai during and after the attacks."
I agree partially with you. I agree that there was a huge security lapse, which exposed many such loop holes in Indian system. But it should be noted that whenever India found some Bangla link, India has given a warning to Bangladesh. If there were such a link here, I am sure India would have acknowledged it & taken the matter to Bnagla authorities. But here, India is accusing that attack came from Pak & it is saying it on basis of evidence, which is already shared with Pak. It still remains to be seen what evidence Pak has, on tha Bangla link. What possible benefit India would have, by denying that Bangla was not involved in attacks, if there were such a case?

Anonymous said...

To peaceful Indian, its 100% Indian link in dividing pakistan and creating Bangladesh.So whoever is responsible for unfortunate Mumbai carnage just deal with it Ok.Your frustrated 3rd world every day stone age life wont change.Lugae rahae lugae rahae, song by Shehzad Roy from pakistan.Think of peace my friend, its better for all of us.

Riaz Haq said...

Here's a report I saw in the papers quoting Narendar Modi on Mumbai:

"If we single out that one incident (Mumbai attacks) and ask any person in this country ... with basic information and knowledge, they will say that such a big terror attack on India cannot take place without any internal help from the nation itself", Modi had told a public meeting at Nagpur on Sunday.

Interesting, eh?
I guess Modi wants to demonize his fellow Indians....er Muslims!
Is he planning another pogrom like Gujarat pogrom of 2002?

Unknown said...

Mr.Riaz ,
I am not sure what is it that you are trying to prove "demonize Indians...Muslims"etc. The truth is most Indian (and most of the world)wouldn't give a damn about Pakistan. The only time you manage to get into the collective consciousness is when your Jehadi bunch (sic) keep doing what they did.Period.Your blogs keep ringing and the rhetoric will get louder. Keep praying that Pakistan starts to matter for something more than that , which in my opinion will not happen in this century. Talks of peace is not in your country's DNA. You have no choice .

Riaz Haq said...

S,
Your comment just shows your arrogance and reveals your ignorance about your own nation rather than anything about Pakistan or this blog.

It's just your wish and your obsession on keeping the international focus on "Jehadi bunch" of Pakistan (which I admit is a big challenge for Pakistanis) rather than the deep poverty (Have you seen Slumdog?), widespread hunger (India fares worse than Sub-Saharan Africa on World Hunger Index), continuing atrocities of your government in Kashmir (look at Human Rights Watch and Amnesty reports) and your inability to fight multiple ongoing insurgencies in the heartland of India by Maoists that your prime minister sees as the greatest challenge for India since independence.

While the Indian media and government leaders present a very rosy picture of India's prospects to the world, it is important for Indians and others to understand that there are significant risks in India. For example, the extreme Hindu Nationalists are continuing to stir up trouble in many parts of India. According to All India Christian Council, the 2008 violence has affected 14 districts out of of 30 and 300 Villages in the Indian state of Orissa, 4,400 houses burnt, 50,000 homeless, 59 killed including at least 2 pastors, 10 priests/pastors/nuns injured, 18,000 men, women, children injured, 2 women gang-raped including a nun, 151 churches destroyed and 13 schools and colleges damaged. The violence targeted Christians in 310 villages, with 4,104 homes torched. More than 18,000 were injured and 50,000 displaced and homes continued to burn in many villages. Another report said that around 11,000 people are still living in refugee camps.

People like Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray, BJP leader L.K. Advani and Gujarat Chief Minister Narender Modi represent the ugly underbelly of Indian democracy and a threat to India's secular constitution. Modi is currently in power in Gujarat, in spite of overwhelming evidence of his participation in 2002 anti-Muslim riots resulting in the massacre of thousands of Muslims. Mr. Advani has been held responsible for the destruction of Babri mosque and subsequent anti-Muslim riots. Mr. Thackeray is considered responsible for major anti-Muslim riots in Mumbai and continues to terrorize any one who disagrees with him.

But I do understand why you want the world to see Pakistan's glass as empty and present India's glass as full. You can fool some of the people all the time and all the people some of the time, but you can not fool all the people all the time.

S, My sincere advice to you is not to fool yourself. The consequences of fooling yourself are far worse than the consequences of fooling others.

Riaz Haq said...

Pakistan's interior minister has indicated that Pakistani citizens participated in the Mumbai attacks and part of the planning was done on Pak soil, according to media reports. This latest development has been welcomed by Indian government. An Indian foreign ministry statement said India also expected Pakistan to take steps to dismantle the "infrastructure of terrorism" on its territory.

"Some part of the conspiracy has taken place in Pakistan," Malik told a news conference in the Pakistani capital Islamabad.

He said six of the suspects were in custody while two others remained at large.

"The attackers left from Karachi on a boat hired from Balochistan [Province]," Mr Malik said.

"An e-mail claiming responsibility for the attack was sent by Zarrar Shah of the Lashkar-e-Taiba."

Riaz Haq said...

According to a Times of India report, Kasab has answered the judge's questions in Marathi language.

Another newspaper, Indian Express, has reported that Bal Thackeray is asking why others in Mumbai can not learn Marathi if Kassab can?

Riaz Haq said...

Who really committed #MumbaiTerrorAttack 2008? #LeT? #Indian agencies? #Pakistan agencies? Will we ever know the truth? Is it a betrayal of #India? http://www.countercurrents.org/2017/06/08/the-betrayal-of-india-a-close-look-at-the-2008-mumbai-terror-attacks/

Elias Davidsson

Incompetence is a fact of life, but there are times when the incompetence theory is strained to the breaking point and it is more rational to posit deliberate deception. In the case of the Mumbai investigation, Davidsson depicts its failures as going well beyond incompetence.

Neither the police, nor the judge charged with trying the sole surviving suspect, made public a timeline of events (188-189; 688-689). Even the most basic facts of when a given set of attacks began and when they ended were left vague.
Key witnesses were not called to testify. Witnesses who said they saw the terrorists commit violence, or spoke to them, or were in the same room with them, were ignored by the court (e.g., 279 ff.).
Contradictions and miracles were not sorted out. One victim was apparently resurrected from the dead when his testimony was essential to the blaming of Pakistan (229-230). A second victim died in two different places (692), while a third died in three places (466). No one in authority cared enough to solve these difficulties.
Eyewitnesses to the crime differed on the clothing and skin color of the terrorists, and on how many of them there were (328-331). No resolution was sought.
At least one eyewitness confessed she found it hard to distinguish “friends” from terrorists (316). No probe was stimulated by this odd confusion.
The number of terrorists who committed the deeds changed repeatedly, as did the number of terrorists who survived (29 ff.; 689).
Crime scenes were violated, with bodies hauled off before they could be examined (682-683).
Identity parades (“line-ups”) were rendered invalid by weeks of prior exposure of the witnesses to pictures of the suspect in newspapers (101; 582).
Claims that the terrorists were armed with AK-47s were common, yet forensic study of the attack at the Cama Hospital failed to turn up a single AK-47 bullet (156).
Of the “hundreds of witnesses processed by the court” in relation to the attacks at the CafĂ©Leopold, Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, Oberoi-Trident Hotel or Nariman House, “not a single one testified to having observed any of the eight accused kill anyone” (40).
Indian authorities declined to order autopsies on the dead at the targeted Jewish center in Nariman House. The dead, five out of six of whom were Israeli citizens (427), were instead whisked back to Israel by a Jewish organization based in Israel, allegedly for religious reasons (453). Religious sensitivity seems to have extended to a large safe at the crime scene, which the team also transported to Israel (454).
(3) Extreme secrecy and the withholding of basic information from the population, with the excuse of “national security”

The surviving alleged terrorist had no public trial (661).
No transcript of his secret trial has been released (670).
One lawyer who agreed to defend the accused was removed by the court and another was assassinated (670).
The public was told there was extensive CCTV footage of the attacks, despite the mysterious malfunctioning of the majority of CCTV cameras on the days in question (97-98; 109 ff.; 683 ff.); but only a very small percentage of the claimed footage was ever released and it suffers from serious defects–two conflicting time-stamps and signs of editing (111).
Members of an elite Indian commando unit that showed up with between 475 and 800 members to battle eight terrorists (534) were not allowed to testify in court (327; 428-429).
The “confession” of the suspect, on which the judge leaned heavily, was given in secret. No transcript of this confession has been released to the public and the suspect later renounced the confession, saying he had been under threat from police when he gave it (599 ff.; 681).....