• 'Militants agree not to use mines'
• Azad hopeful about peace returning to J&K
• Terrorism cannot revive in Punjab: Badal
• Mobile phone used to trigger explosion at Ajmer
• India for joint mechanism by SAARC to combat terror

• Anti-terrorist cell getting into the business of surveillance
• India seeks early adoption of convenant against terrorism
• Rajapaksa urges India to assume leadership role
• Terror strike fails to disturb peace in Ajmer
• Tracking terror funds may be a click away

December 2005 terrorist attack on the Indian Institute of Science campus here was the "wake up" call that Karnataka is no longer a State where internal security can be taken for granted, M.K. Nagaraj, Inspector-General of Police, Anti-Terrorist Cell (ATC), said here on Tuesday. Speaking on "Internal Security in India", a regional conference to mark the golden jubilee of the Indian Institute of Public Administration, Dr. Nagaraj said the police had begun putting in place information-gathering strategies. There was ample information about fundamentalist groups and "Leftist-extremist" outfits operating in the State. The new policies and strategy adopted by the police and investigative agencies were geared to meet the new challenges, Dr. Nagaraj said. There was no "clear and categorical" policy laid down to proactively predict and prevent terrorist attacks by "underground" soldiers. On the hazards the police now have to face while fighting terrorist activities, Dr. Nagaraj said: "We need more than human intelligence, we need technological intelligence too, to fight cyber crime, and face up to the prospect of militant elements with foreign funding being able to access the numerous Defence establishments and high-security zones." Voice Over Internet Protocol crimes, and young boys and girls being used as couriers were some of the "new-age" crimes that the police need to be prepared to fight, he said. V. Uberoy, chief executive officer, Institute for Organisation Development, who has worked on several missions in the North-East, Punjab, and Jammu and Kashmir, said the task of fighting internal terrorism would be much easier if the country learnt to differentiate between "internal threat and internal security". A separate Ministry to address the problem of internal threat, from militant attacks on public places, and even domestic violence which spring from confrontation between different ideological movements would go a long way in pre-empting such incidents, Maj. Gen. Uberoy said.

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Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad on Sunday lauded the security forces and police for bringing about considerable change in the situation in the state and hoped total peace will soon return to the valley. The improvement in the situation in Jammu and Kashmir is due to the sacrifices rendered by the security personnel hailing from different parts of the country, Azad said addressing a function to mark police commemoration day at Zewan near here. Giving full credit for the improved situation in the state to the police, para-military and army personnel Azad said they come from all parts of the country to defend its territorial integrity and protect the people of the state from anti-national forces. Pointing out that the situation in the state was improving rapidly the Chief Minister hoped complete peace will soon return to the state. As many as 5099 security personnel had laid down their lives fighting terrorism in the state during the past 18 years, he said adding police also did not lag behind losing 866 officers and 477 Special Police Officers in the fight against terror. The Chief Minister made a special mention of SHO Uday Veer Singh and his son DSP Shaily Singh both of whom were killed fighting militants.

Courtesy: www.hindu.com, October 21, 2007

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An international anti-personnel mines pressure group has succeeded in persuading a major alliance of Kashmiri separatist militants not to use the deadly weapon in their violent campaign against the Indian rule in Jammu and Kashmir. In a statement to this newspaper, the Geneva-based International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) on Thursday claimed that the United Jihad Council (UJC) has announced a ban on the use of antipersonnel mines. The announcement came at the end of a two-week mission to Kashmir by the ICBL and was the result of a year-long series of activities carried out in partnership with the Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS), a Srinagar-based ICBL member, the statement adds. The Muzaffarabad-based UJC is an alliance of 13 armed Kashmiri groups and is presently being headed by Syed Salahuddin, the "supreme commander" of main indigenous militant outfit Hizbul-Mujahideen. Five other non-Kashmiri groups have "observer" status in the alliance and UJC directives are binding upon them. "The UJC's pledge is yet another sign of the growing acceptance of the norm which prohibits antipersonnel mines because of their indiscriminate nature," the statement quotes Sylvie Brigot, ICBL executive director as saying. In welcoming statement, Ms Brigot added, "We now encourage both India and Pakistan to consider a moratorium on new mine use and to launch comprehensive mine clearance programmes." According to the ICBL, most mines in Jammu and Kashmir are situated near the Line of Control. In November 2006, the ICBL conducted its first mission to Jammu and Kashmir at the invitation of the JKCCS. "Throughout the following year, JKCCS and the ICBL continued to lobby and seek public statements of support for a mine ban from key political parties and opinion makers," the statement says. While referring to the UJC declaration the statement says that the alliance has stated that use of antipersonnel mines is "equivalent to blind terror" and that use of antipersonnel mines is "prohibited under Islam."

Courtesy: www.asianage.com, October 19, 2007

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A day after a blast claimed lives of six people in a multiplex here, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today said that revival of terrorism in the state was not possible. After visiting the injured at various hospitals here, he strongly condemned the act of anti-national forces for disturbing the peace and harmony in the state. Asked whether the blast was revival of terrorism in the state, he replied in the negative saying, "people would not allow the hard earned peace to go". "People of Punjab have no sympathy with terrorists as they have gone through worst days... there is no chances of revival of terrorism," he said. Badal also announced an ex-gratia grant of Rs. two lakh each for the next of kin of those killed in the blast. Talking to reporters after the visiting the blast site here, he said, Punjab Police was probing the incident and only after investigations reach a logical end, the state police would be able to give details. Badal said it was still premature to say anything about the nature of explosives or the group behind the blast. The top police officers in Punjab reviewed the situation with their counterparts in various districts and directed them to take precautionary measures to prevent re-occurrence of such events. "Police have been put on high alert especially in thickly populated areas including railway stations, bus stands and marriage palaces," DIG Ishwar Chander said. A senior Punjab Police official said that investigations are being carried out on various angles. "Forensic experts were examining the chemicals used in the blast," he said, adding at present the nature of chemicals used cannot be disclosed. The district administrations had been directed not to allow anyone to hold public meetings or gatherings without prior permission, officials said here. Police patrolling had been intensified in view of festive season ahead.

Courtesy: www.saharasamay.com, October 15, 2007

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India has called for the early adoption of the Comprehensive Convention against International Terrorism (CCIT) to provide a solid legal basis for the global fight against terrorism. "We continue to believe that agreement on it is attainable," Nirupam Sen, permanent representative of India to the United Nations, told a UN General Assembly committee meeting Thursday on measures to eliminate international terrorism. Describing the definitional issue as a red herring, he said, "The CCIT is not concerned with terrorism as a philosophical category but terrorist acts that are specific crimes." The UN General Assembly has successfully established a comprehensive legal framework in the field of counter-terrorism, Sen said, noting that India is party to all the 13 major UN instruments relating to specific terrorist activities that remain fundamental tools in the fight against terrorism. India also attaches utmost importance to the fulfilment of its obligations under the relevant counter-terrorism resolutions of the UN. It has filed five national reports to the Counter Terrorism Committee, giving a comprehensive picture of steps taken by India to counter terrorism, he said. The challenge of confronting terrorism is not new to India as it has been a victim of terrorism for more than two decades. "As victims, we are committed to eradicating this threat from our societies," Sen said. Noting that in the last one year terrorists have struck in India, Britain, Yemen, Lebanon, Algeria, Turkey and many other places, he described terrorism as "a global threat that requires a global response". Rejecting the notion that any cause can justify terrorism, he said, "Nothing can ever justify the targeted killing of innocent men, women or children. The senseless slaughter of innocents reinforces the urgency with which we need to unitedly and resolutely confront terrorism everywhere and at all levels and clearly proclaim that terrorism can never be accepted or justified. "One cannot create a fairer world through terror or establish justice through lawlessness," Sen cited a character in German dramatist Friedrich Schiller's plays as saying. The international community should send a clear signal to terrorists that their actions would not be tolerated, irrespective of the motivations underlying them, he said. The United Nations Global Counter Terrorism Strategy also condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. It signals the will of the international community that it will no longer tolerate the actions of the sponsors and abettors of terrorism or of those who wilfully fail to prevent terrorists from utilising their territories. "Welcome as the strategy is, there is much more that needs to be done to combat the menace that international terrorism has become," Sen said. "A strong response to terrorism requires broad-based international cooperation, compressing the space available to terrorists, and increasing the capability of States to address terrorist threats."

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Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Saturday urged India to assume a leadership role in South Asia and the SAARC region and demonstrate to its neigbours that it is not a threat but an opportunity to them. In his keynote speech on 'India in a regional context: A neighbour's view' at The Hindustan Times Leadership Summit here, he reiterated his call for a common currency for the region to stabilise regional economy. ''The challenge for Indian diplomacy in this era of growing Indian stature and prosperity is to demonstrate that India is not a threat but an opportunity for her neighbours and the region,'' he said. He said India had a unique responsibility to ensure that the entire region maintained peace without any outbreak of regional wars. ''If there is a key lesson to be drawn from the experience of the past 60 years, it is that the home grown approach that is seen in the unique model of governance in India has served the country well in facing up to many of the challenges before it at the time of Independence and later,'' he added. It was with this 'home-grown' solution that Sri Lanka sought to face up to its own issues of governance, including the conflict affecting the north of the country. ''...A conflict which has been exploited by separatist forces who, through the use of unmitigated terror, pose a threat to India too. The Sri Lankan government is facing up to this terrorist challenge with increasing success today,'' he added. President Rajapaksa said while his government remained determined to fight terrorism, it was equally committed to seek a negotiated and sustainable solution to the conflict in Sri Lanka. If the LTTE was willing to enter a process of ''genuine negotiations'' for a peaceful and democratic solution, the government and the people would reciprocate. ''In this, it would not be out of place to look forward to understanding and assistance from our regional neighbours and friends, especially those with whom we share the strongest bonds throughout history. We will see in such understanding and assistance the true signs of emerging greatness,'' he said. Asked if Sri Lanka needed more assistance from India in tackling terrorism, Mr Rajapaksa said, ''We have their moral support. That is more than enough.'' Commenting on reports alleging links between LTTE and Indian insurgent groups, the Sri Lankan President said he did not have any such information. However, any such information was taken up with the Indian government.

Courtesy: www.sify.com, October 13, 2007

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Terrorists have failed in their designs aimed at disturbing peace at the famous Ajmer Sharif Dargah which is an epitome of communal harmony. The city has resumed normalcy after the dargah of Khwaja Moin-ud-din Chishti was rocked by a terrorist blast which killed three people and injured several others. The Army has been called in to prevent any violence after the blast, which took place took place 20 metres away from the main shrine. The blast was aimed at disturbing the harmony as it came at a time when the evening prayers were on and at least 500 devotees were packed inside the dargah. Police have cordoned off the area and security has been heightened in Rajasthan and the neighbouring states. The devotees today gathered as usual at the shrine for the morning namaz for 'Alvida', the last Friday of holy month of Ramadan.

Courtesy: www.saharasamay.com, October 12, 2007

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Fresh leads with the investigators in the blast at the revered Sufi shrine of Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti have revealed an unexploded bomb at Ajmer. A report by PTI says that Nokia mobile phone with SIM card was used to trigger the explosion at Ajmer. The modus operandi used in the blast was similar to that used in Mecca-Masjid blast in Hyderabad. The report also says that chemical analysis have revealed the use of Tri-Nitro Toluene (TNT) in the explosion.

Courtesy: www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com, October 12, 2007

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India on Monday favoured establishment of a joint mechanism by SAARC nations to share expertise and resources of their police training organisations in combating terrorism and organised crime. "We need to evolve a shared vision of the future for our region. Such a vision must be rooted in our common values and based on our individual and collective strengths that will enable South Asia to realise its full potential in the 21st century," Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Sriprakash Jaiswal said after inaugurating the first conference of heads of police training institutions of SAARC countries here. The delegates from India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka are participating in the two-day conference which would focus on sharing experiences in tackling terrorism and strengthening cooperation on various issues related to policing.

Stating that law and order in the region was taking newer hues with criminals using latest technology to collect database of their targets, Jaiswal asked the police training chiefs to chalk out a route map for greater cooperation so as to make the South Asian region peaceful. The conference, he said, would provide a window of opportunity for the SAARC members to consolidate the gains in the regional cooperation and to forge a blueprint for exchange of resources, both human and material. Pointing out that the challenges facing the police had changed substantially in recent years, Jaiswal said the technology and communication revolution had fundamentally altered the law and order scenario. Nowadays, criminals are using latest technological methods to collect the database of their targets and their modus operandi is more technical than being manual, the minister said adding, the police methodology must, therefore, keep pace with these changes. The police training institutions of the 21st century should train their officers to meet the future challenges to protect our nations in an ever-changing complex world, he said. The conference, being attended by officials of the Home and External Affairs ministries, will discuss the modalities of organising joint training programmes. It will also deliberate on strategies to improve mutual coordination in tackling terrorist activities, drug trafficking and organised crime. "We must make effective use of the SAARC three-tier mechanism to share experiences, information and data; learn from one another's success stories and mistakes," Jaiswal told the conference, being hosted by Sardar Vallabh bhai Patel National Police Academy near here. The economic growth by itself would not mean much if vast sections of people lived without basic essentials, he said adding that this would also demand "zero tolerance to any violation of human rights in the region".

Courtesy: www.hindu.com, October 09, 2207

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India plans to put in place a network to track terror money. The financial intelligence network, to be fully operational by March 2009, has been named Project Finnet. Ernst & Young will set it up, sources said. There was no response from the company when DNA tried to contact it. All banks, brokers in the securities market, and mutual funds will get a common technology platform to detect suspicious transactions. Some kind of software will be developed for the purpose and phase 1 will be ready by December. According to a Dow Jones-Reuters report, 3-4% of the dirty money coming into India is used for funding terror. An Intelligence Bureau note says fake currency from Pakistan is a growing menace. Hawala transactions and private money transfer companies are the main channels for terror funds, intelligence sources say. Terror financing will be on top of the agenda at the annual conference of directors general of police to be held here from October 3. Subversive outfits operating through sophisticated cartels to manipulate stock markets could cause economic disruptions, the Intelligence Bureau (IB) warns in a note, suggesting police must monitor banking frauds. The suggestions include improvements in money laundering Act , better logistical support for police organisations, better raining and smoothening inter-agency operations. This aspect of tackling terrorism was highlighted by national security adviser MK Narayanan at the 43rd Munich conference on security policy in February when he spoke of instances of terrorist outfits manipulating the stock markets to raise funds for their operations. "Stock Exchanges in Mumbai and Chennai have reported that fictitious firms were engaging in stock-market operations. Some of these firms were later traced to terror outfits," he said. Finance minister P Chidambaram recently denied it was happening. The threat remains. Security agencies alerted the government and the Securities and Exchange Board of India on investment by a Saudi businessman, with alleged links with Osama bin Laden, in Indian companies through the stock market. India has joined the International Convention for Suppression of Financing of Terrorism.

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