From: Feroze Mithiborwala <feroze.moses777@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, Feb 23, 2010 at 11:14 PM
Subject: Pune terror attack - an analysis by Sadia Khanam (The Eastern Post - Kolkatta)- a thought provoking article
To: peace-mumbai <peace-mumbai@googlegroups.com>, awami_bharat@googlegroups.com, citizen-mumbai <citizen-mumbai@googlegroups.com>, grey-youth-movement@googlegroups.com, cairo-rafah <cairo-rafah@googlegroups.com>, mumbai_intellectuals_voice_and_media_source@yahoogroups.com, muslim_youth_connection@yahoogroups.com, MEDIA CELL <mediacell.jih@gmail.com>, Ghulam Muhammed <ghulammuhammed3@gmail.com>
Pune Blast: The Real Story
The Media wasted no time in concluding that the involvement of Indian Mujahideen seems to be evident in the blast. However, Many other facts and figures reveal that this might be another attempt to put the Muslim image on radar while at the same time targeting the proposed India- Pakistan Dialogue.
Sadia Khanam (The Eastern Post - Kolkatta) analyzes the facts and details of the unfateful incident with the help of Feroze Mithiborwala and Kishore Jagtap, well known socio-political activists of Awami Bharat of Mumbai.
Minutes after the Blast at German Bakery in Pune on 13th February, 2009, all leading News Channels were displaying Breaking News- Indian Mujahedeen attack Germen Bakery in Pune! Obviously the credentials of such media channels should be applauded for their "sources" present everywhere who are much more efficient in finding culprits than the whole state and national forces!
But it is an appreciative and welcome move by the Maharashtra government, which said that it may check the possibility of right-wing Hindu organizations' involvement in the Pune blast and not carry on biased investigations against Muslims only. However, the Centre is awaiting for the ATS' probe report on the Pune blast. The report is expected to come in a week's time.
Who Is Against Indo- Pak Talks?
But one cannot help doubting ATS's intention and attitude in this case. As Shabnam Hashmi, Member, National Integration Council, MHA, said in her statement: "The Pune blast has all the hallmarks of a Hindutva attack, down to the ammonium nitrate used as the explosive. This is all the more likely since it comes in the wake of the Shahid Azmi murder and Shiv Sena's defeat on the SRK film episode. Yet this will never be revealed so long as the investigation is being handled by the Maharashtra ATS headed by Raghuvanshi. (1) Abhinav Bharat (which is, after all, headquartered in Pune) should be considered a suspect; and (2) that pressure should be put on the government of Maharashtra to remove Raghuvanshi from the post of ATS chief on the grounds that (a) he mishandled the Nanded and 2006 Malgaon blasts (which is why he was replaced by Karkare in the first place, and (b) he is a close associate of Lt.Col.Purohit, a suspect not only in the Malegaon 2008 blasts but also in the Samjhauta Express and various other terrorist attacks."
Talking about the attack, it is more than evident that the primary reason behind the German Bakery Blast was to undoubtedly subvert the Indo-Pakistan dialogue process that has been currently underway since the last week, with the Foreign Secretaries to meet on 25th feb.
Though the government has desisted from naming the usual suspects, the media backed by the pro-US/Israeli political elements within, is already blaring away about the involvement of the Indian Mujahedeen as well as David Coleman Headley. But the fact of the matter is that is this the only terror force in this country opposed to the talks??
Suhasini Haidar of CNN- IBN also noted that "The timing of the attack should also be lost on none- coming just a day after India and Pakistan set a date for talks, after a lull of 14 months without bomb blasts of this nature. It's also part of a larger pattern of attacks that serve to vitiate the atmosphere just before other such engagements between the two countries- in July 2006, the Mumbai train blasts, in February 2007, the Samjhauta express blasts, and in July 2008, the Kabul embassy bombing, all preceded Foreign secretary and Foreign Ministerial talks by a couple of weeks. The Mumbai attacks of November 2008, took place during the visit of Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, here to 'fast-track' the 5th round of the composite dialogue." Even the Jaipur terror attacks of 13th May, 2006 occurred a week prior to the proposed Indo-Pakistan Foreign Ministerial talks. And many of these terror attacks have been established as handiwork of Hindu right wing groups.
Even while condemning the blast the BJP which went a step ahead of all and asked the government to reconsider the proposed talk. While BJP Vice President Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said that the Maharashtra government was engaged in protecting the makers of MNIK leaving the terrorists scot free to attack, its spokesman Prakash Jawadekar, who visited the blast site, demanded that Government to reconsider the proposed dialogue with Pakistan in the wake of the blast in Pune. "Terror and talks cannot go together" he said at the blast site. How the Public should view this demand is up to them, as every rational minded person would agree that dialogue is the only way to prevent enmity and more bitterness and much more efficient in solving problems than armed reaction, if handled wisely and sincerely.
Factual Report
The alleged Abhinav Bharat's (AB) face has once again come up after it went into obscurity following Cl. Purohit's trial while the police has detained more than two dozen young Muslim men for questioning.
Part of the reason for the controversy is that key suspects involved in Abhinav Bharat's terror campaign have never been held. Jatin Chatterjee- better known by his alias Swami Asimanand- is thought to be hiding out in Gujarat's Adivasi tracts, where he runs a Hindu proselytisation organisation. Ramnarayan Kalsangra, Abhinav Bharat's key bomb-maker, is also a fugitive. They could never be detained but detaining young Muslims men is much easier in today's scenario where islamophobic ideas have blinded all rationalities.
Press statements issued by Awami Bharat after a Press Conference says: "It has been reported that a bag with deadly bombs was found in an auto-rickshaw that was to have targeted the Chabad Lubavitch House nearby. Cycles, Scooters or Auto-Rickshaws; they are all part of the pattern that matches an Abhinav Bharat operation. The fact that Ammonium Nitrate mixed with RDX & nails is a Abhinav Bharat finger print. But no discussion on this fact. This was not a Sanatan Sanstha operation, simply due to the level of deadly sophistication. The bombs were placed below the tables & blown off by remote control or a timer. This was the handiwork of highly trained professionals that the Abhinav Bharat does have."
The statement also says that "apparently the American & Europeans & other foreigners were the main target & the media is discussing the Israeli factor as usual. The blast occurred at 7.00pm or thereabouts & that is when the Westerners are actually within the Osho Ashram, as it is the time of meditation. Thus the ones in the restaurant were mainly our very own Indians from all religions & languages. Interestingly not a single Israeli was injured or killed, as none were present. "
Mustafa Khan from Malegaon, in his article "Need to Throw the Net Wider" notes, "Lt Col Shrikant Prasad Purohit (the main accused in 2008 Malegaon blast) may be behind the bars but some 500 activists trained at Goa hideout and at Bhonsla Military Schols of Nasik and Pune are still inopen. He had stolen 60 kg of RDX from the army stock. Traces of it were found in the house of Sudhakar Chaturvedi in Matunga. Some of it Purohit had kept at his house in Pune. A part of it he had given to one Bhagwan for Samjhauta express incident. Then there is narco test record of the accused in Nanded blast which shows that explosives were given by Mithun Chakravarth (Purohit?) to the Hindutva activists. Another source of explosives could be from the scrap collection of Shankar Shelke of Ahmednager from whom police had seized 195 kg of RDX and some bomb shells on September 16, 2006- he disappeared and committed suicide the following day. Aurangabad is often mentioned for the haul of arms and explosives. But little do you know that from the Sarpanch of a village near Aurangabad the police had recovered 300 kg of ammonium nitrate, timers and fusers."
He further analyzes that "there are some reasons why this aspect should be thoroughly explored. The IM did not claim responsibility either before or after the blast. If IM is located in Pune in sizable number the least they would want is to arouse the suspicion of investigation authorities. On the other hand Abhinav Bharat is in a different class of its own. Like Sanatan Sansthan its denial is surely going to be accepted by the media without a hubbub created over it. Who now bothers much about Sanatan Sansthan's involvement in Margao, Vashi, Thane and other blasts? The remote control blast in Pune reminds the commissioner of Pune Satyapal Singh of Malegaon 2006 blast as well as Mumbai local trains bombing of July 2006."
It should also be noted that Purohit's plans to bring about a Hindutva state were often fantastical. He claimed, the prosecutors say, to have secured an appointment with Nepal's King Gyanendra in 2006 and 2007 to press for his support for the planned Hindutva revolution. Nepal, he went on, was willing to train Abhinav Bharat's cadre, and supply it with assault rifles. Israel's government, he said, had agreed to grant members of the group military support and, if needed, political asylum. Thus, the failed detonations of bombs placed in an auto-rickshaw close to the Chabad House makes some sense. Another basic fact is that Israel is the biggest obstacle to Indo-Pak peace & is once again trying to solicit sympathy as it did in the aftermath of the 26/11 false flag terror attack of which Israel was the biggest strategic gainer..
Many believe that Abhinav Bharat carried out many attacks earlier attributed to jihadist groups — notable among them, the bombing of the Mecca Masjid in Hyderabad in May 2007, and a subsequent attack on the famous shrine at Ajmer. Despite persistent questioning of Abhinav Bharat cadre, though, the investigators have not been able to link the group to the attacks. And the one who established any link– Hemant Karkare- was murdered. Similarly Shahid Azmi who was defending the primes accused in the various cases of terror that included the Ghatkopar blast, Aurangabad arms haul, the Mumbai train terror of 2006, the Mumbai 26/11 terror attack, amongst myriad others, was also murdered in cold blood as his investigations were a serious threat to the entire IB-Police version. But Pune Blast acted as a nice shadow over his murder case!
Coming to David Coleman Headley's involvement, the theory- and it's still a theory- is that Headley was used to infiltrate the Lashkar, but gradually went astray under the influence of the very terrorists he was supposed to be spying upon.
According to the Home Ministry's statement on the Pune blast, Secretary G.K. Pillai said the Multi-Agency Centre (MAC) had alerted the Maharashtra police about the survey done by Headley and warned citizens to refrain from opening unattended packages and report all such instances to the nearest police station or control room. He noted that "the scene of Pune's bomb blast was very close to Osho Ashram which had been surveyed by Headley."
If we delve into the details of Headley and his Associate Rana, coming to a conclusion against the prevalent misconstrued version won't be difficult.
Aftermath Mumbai attacks, CIA and Indian intelligence agencies started claiming that two Pakistani origin US nationals namely David Coleman Headley alias Daood Syed Gilani and Tahawwur Hussain Rana are the main culprits. As per the details Headley was born in Washington. His father was a US national of Pakistani origin namely Syed Salim Gilani while his mother was pure American namely Serril Headley. In 1970 Headley parents divorced and his mother returned to the US and opened a liquor bar in Philadelphia "Khyber Pass Pub." As soon as Headley attained the age of 18 years, Headley moved to US and started living in Philadelphia with his mother. Being exposed to liquor, prostitution and other vices, Headley started taking heavy dozes of alcohol and drugs including Heroin. Public debate has focused on claims that Headley—who served as a Drug Enforcement Administration informant after being arrested with two kg of heroin in 1988—may have been planted by U.S. covert services inside Lashkar after his release in 2002.
CIA, during the same period, also spotted Rana family including Tahawwur Hussain Rana who was deserter from Pakistan Army. To this regard Rana also confessed before Chicago District Judge Matthew Kennelly in January this year that he is deserter from Pakistan Army. It is pertinent to mention here that Rana is criminal and wanted by Pakistani Police in desertion and other cases. However, despite bilateral extradition treaty between Pakistan and US, Rana was not handed over to Pakistani authorities rather, US and Canadian authorities legalized his stay and granted citizenship to Rana and his family. Thus, it is very much evident that setting up of Headly and Rana combo was initially a CIA handiwork.
Headley is now in the custody of the FBI in Chicago. Many in the intelligence services even suspect that owing to the CIA involvement the United States is less than committed to letting the whole truth be known. "If this David Headley was working for the CIA all along, which is a very plausible conclusion," says writer and journalist Webster Tarpley, "It means that the CIA implicated and was running and masterminding the Mumbai terror attack of 2008."
Headley visited the Osho Ashram (which is linked to CIA) in Pune twice during 2008 and 2009. Some people believe that Osho Rajneesh was a CIA agent. (refer First suicide squad was set up in Pune 2 years ago, TNN, Nov 18, 2002). In 1985, The Portland Oregonian published a series linking the Osho Rajneesh cult to the CIA. The Oregonian also linked the Osho Rajneesh cult to opium trafficking, prostitution, money laundering, arson, slave labour, mass poisonings, illegal wiretaps and the stockpiling of guns and biochemical warfare weapons. (refer: The Strange Legacy of Osho - eMusic Spotlight)
Sources privy to the investigations of the terror suspect's trail in India said 48-year-old Headley was very much present in the room from where the 10 LeT terrorists were being guided to various locations during the 26/11 attacks.
India has asked for a voice sample of Headley from the FBI to match with a voice which was unidentified so far for the security agencies. This voice was giving information on exact surroundings of the targets attacked by Lashker-e-Taiba militants. However, there was no firm response from the FBI on providing the same to Indian investigators, the sources said.
If one reads the Times of India article "Is Headley an American agent who turned rogue?" one would get the details of how the CIA and FBI have willingly abstained from given much clues or access to Headly.
Much before the incident of November 26, Mumbai attacks, US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) had been trying to convince New Delhi that Pakistan is planning to attack India through its network of terrorists. Ironically, at the same time Islamabad was also tipped about possible attack on its nuclear facilities by New Delhi
Suspicions are getting stronger as Americans delay giving Indian investigators access to Headley. The hope here is that Indian agencies would get their turn to talk to the terrorist after charges- indictment in the American lexicon- are framed against him on Jauuary 1. There is also the possibility that Headley has promised to sing on the condition that he is not exposed to interrogators from India.
India Pakistan Should Move Ahead Together!
US' intelligence plot could have been flawless if certain basic defects were catered in the Planning Stage. The blunders in the ongoing conspiracy has not only exposed that Headley-Rana story is self-engineered but now everyone doubts the genuinity of Mumbai attacks. Probably CIA failed to realize that ordinary masses would come to know striking similarities in Headley and Rana as families of both the individuals are related to Western media. Headley father namely Syed Saleem Gilani, worked for Voice of America while father and brother of Rana works for Hill Times. This isn't all, the biggest blunder that was overlooked is that headley and Rana have common sectarian school of thought which is in clash with orthodox Sunni Muslims. One wonders that how come CIA links both the individuals with Lashkar-e-Tayyiaba when their religious school of thought is deadly against such organizations. CIA is rejoicing that by engineering Headley-Rana case, they have killed two birds with one stone; by creating further hatred between India and Pakistan as well as established a reason to carryout barbaric attacks on other Muslim organizations in Pakistan and elsewhere.
India and Pakistan should be alert enough to identify able to identify foreign agents and conspirators in their files. Had there been no US political involvement in the peace talks between India and Pakistan, one can feel that till now they might have come down to some common points and acknowledged each other's status in Asia with due respect. However still, one feels optimistic that in the coming years Pakistan and India would fight the foreign forces which is continuously trying to harbour enmity between the two neighbours and will be able to live with peace and harmony as good neighbours.
In India, the government should now acknowledge the fact that terrorism is not limited to Muslims outfits only. Obviously those Muslims who are perpetrating terror and taking innocent lives should be brought to book as soon as possible. But we can no more turn a blind eye toward the right wing fascist outfits formed by those who call themselves Hindus, but act in every manner against the Vedic doctrines just like their Muslim counterparts who disrespect the quranic principles by their terrorist activities. The government should now develop an unbiased attitude towards terrorism and punish all those who are guilty. At the same time, it also needs to understand where to draw lines in its relationships with foreign countries and how to maintain its sovereignty and not be directed towards hate policy against its nieghbours by conspirators.--
Palash Biswas
Pl Read:
http://nandigramunited-banga.blogspot.com/
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