http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=52163
“Mullen, Pakistani Officials Discuss Mumbai Terror Attacks”
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Dec. 3, 2008
stepping back in time...
“India’s Intelligence Services Struggle with War on Terrorism”
Publication: Terrorism Monitor Volume: 6 Issue: 6
March 24, 2008 01:46 PM
Age: 255 days
By: Wilson John
ARTICLE SNIPPET: “A diffuse but highly networked group of terrorists, driven by a dangerous cocktail of extremist ideology and a simmering sense of anguish and revenge, currently pose a serious threat to India’s economic and social structure. The militants exploit gaping holes in India’s counter-terrorism architecture and strategy as well as the nation’s ambivalent policies toward religious minorities, particularly the 150-million strong but largely impoverished Muslim community.
What has complicated the Indian intelligence agencies’ task since the flowering of al-Qaeda and a global jihadist movement after 9/11 is the alacrity with which various terrorist groups and their support structures have reworked their strategy and operational methods to effectively dodge a series of worldwide bans. The most dramatic change in the Indian context has been the realignment of terrorist forces, with prominent groups like the Lashkar-e-Tayyeba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM)—proscribed by the United States and other countries, including Pakistan—stepping back to allow Harkat-ul Jihad al-Islami (HuJI), an al-Qaeda ally with a pan-South Asian presence, to lead the terror campaign in India (Rediff.com, May 25, 2007).
Other changes have been noticed in the structure and modus operandi of India’s terrorist groups. The new recruits to the cause are local men: young, educated and without previous involvement in extremist activities. These men form the nucleus of groups throughout India who tap into the local criminal-hawala network of couriers and handlers to move money and explosives—often locally acquired—to carry out terrorist strikes [1]. The group carrying out the operation typically disengages and disappears after striking, leaving hardly any trace of its existence. Since the simultaneous explosions in Delhi in 2005, investigating agencies frequently encounter red herrings left by the terrorists to confuse the investigation and allow greater time to disband and escape.”