In just a few weeks, a court in Chicago will decide the fate of Tahawwur Rana — the first of the men who guided Muhammad Ajmal Kasab and nine other Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists to Mumbai on November 26, 2008. The trial has provided dramatic new insights into just how those men came to kill 164 children, women, and men. Based on the testimony of the Pakistani-American jihadist David Headley, and a mass of evidence, prosecutors have charged that serving officers of Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence Directorate financed and directed the attack on Mumbai. In days to come, we will hear Mr. Rana's version of the story; his lawyers are expected to argue that he acted in good faith to help a childhood friend. The problem, however, is that Mr. Rana was at worst a bit-part actor in the Mumbai conspiracy. The men he is alleged to have answered to — commanders in the Lashkar, and their ISI mentors — are not in court, and there are no signs so far that Pakistan intends to bring them to justice.
The consequences the verdict will have for Mr. Rana's life, therefore, are likely to be dwarfed by those it will have for Pakistan's increasingly fraught relationship with India and the world. Pakistani investigators had conducted a separate investigation and claimed to have arrested key conspirators. Their account of events, however, made no mention of the intelligence officers who helped the Lashkar to strike. Nor did it indict key Lashkar figures. E-mail correspondence and testimony presented by the prosecution in Chicago shows that Sajid Mir, the Lashkar's commander for transnational operations, guided Mr. Headley through each stage of the operation. He figures nowhere in the charge sheet presented before a Rawalpindi court by Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). Muzammil Bhat, the Lashkar's chief military tactician and the man who trained the assault team, is also conspicuous by his absence. Pakistani investigators do not seem to have made any great effort, either, to pursue the 20 low-level fugitives wanted for their role in the attack, mainly crew members of the boats used to sail to Mumbai. The sole Lashkar fugitive to figure in the FIA's most-wanted list is Muhammad Amjad Khan, a Karachi-based operative who played a somewhat nebulous logistical role in putting together the operation. The trial in Rawalpindi itself has been deadlocked over procedural issues; there is no word on when, or even if, Pakistan will send a judicial commission to record evidence in India. Pakistan has long said it is committed to eradicating terrorism from its soil. Its conduct of the Mumbai prosecution shows just how little these promises are worth. The trial in Chicago marks one step forward in securing justice for the victims of the Mumbai attacks. But the path that must still be travelled will be long and hard.
Keywords: Mumbai attack, Tahawwur Rana, Muhammad Ajmal Kasab, Lashkar-e-Taiba
Yes, Pakistan has not only said that it is “committed to eradicating terrorism from its soil,” it has also been handsomely paid by the United States for that promise. The U.S. will be convinced that it did not squander taxpayers’ money only when Pakistan nabs the real culprits in this saga. The real culprits are not the foot-soldiers who carried out the Mumbai attacks, but their paymasters in the Lashkar-e-Taiba, and its paymasters in the Pakistani army’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) wing. It has already been proved that Lashkar is a creature of the ISI. The ISI could not have created a large terrorist outfit and directed its activities for over a decade without the knowledge and support of some top brasses in the Pakistani army. The excuse that only some rogue elements in the ISI were responsible for it won’t wash any longer. The Chicago trial is leading towards identifying the actual culprits. They will be saving their government and the people of Pakistan embarrassment and shame if they come forward and confess to their role now, and not wait for the trial to be over.
There are few points to consider.
1) Time and again official involvement of Pakistan in terror attacks against India has come to light.
2) What we have learned from our past experience to avoid terror attacks like this?
3) We somehow wish that people behind these attacks get punished and this trial in US comes as releif to us. Why should be nation of billion plus people and second largest democracy in the world should be so week?
4) We will not gain anyting from blaming Pakistan. There generations
are brainwashed with hatered against India. They will continue to act as they have already done in past. More important for us is to look for avanues of improvement in our tracking system, monitoring system defence and above all transperancy, honesty in our day to day routine work. This will make our country strong and will avoid reoccurance of such incidence in future.
India's foreign policy is totally wrong and smacks of total illogic. Foreign policies can not be decided by the whims and fancies of a Prime Minister who was born in Pakistan. The hatred which the average Pakistani has for India is well known an is displayed in everything that they do, The US policy of giving aid to Pakistan is fraught with danger for India. The reasons given by US, notwithstanding, does not cut much ice with any reasonable Indian. Our recent military purchases from US is very unreasonable as the US may stop giving us maintenance support any time when Pakistan asks them to do so. The US was fully aware of the ISI's involvement in 26/11, but since Headley was their double agent they tried to hush up the matter. In spite of all this the UPA government wants to talk to Pakistan and buy American arms. This is the result of a foreign born individuals sitting at the helm of affairs in the government. The present foreign policy will lead to the disintegration of India and cause serious problems in the future.
Pakistan is sponsor as well as victim of terrorism.This is a consequence of the double game played by Pakistan. General Zia started this double game by covertly supporting Khalistani terrorists.Thereafter, Pakistan sponsored terrorism in Kashmir and Afganistan. It is an open secret that the Mumbai bomb-blast culprits are hiding in Pakistan. Now, Pakistan is not able to control the monster it created and the monster has turned against its own creator.However, the issue is not restricted to Ind-Pak relations alone. Pakistan, a nuclear power is under threat of home-grown terrorism. What if the nuclear assets fall in the hands of these terrorist groups? This is a major threat to global peace and international community has to find an answer to this isssue.Pakistan is now complaining that its sovereignty has been compromised due to Ossama killings. But is Pakistan's sovereignty more important than than global peace? Should Pakistan be allowed to exist as a sovereign power in its present form? The international community will have to answer this vital issues in the near future.
It is highly unlikely that Pakistan will take up action in thsi regard !! They have so many other issues to solve than solve our Mumbai attack !! I dont know who has the power there ?
Pakistan is overheated and shameless society, nothing bothers them anymore, they will continue with terrorism policy toward India. Look at their Leaders, they have one mouth two tongues, one head two faces, they are the biggest liers of the world, they have no control over anything, they just provide lip service to the whole world, like I said shameless society, after the trial nothing will happen, you can provide them all the proofs, would not be enough for them, shame on the blood thirsty people.
Unfortunately, Pakistan has been led to believe that the more terror they execute, the more money will come its way. Unless the money tap is closed, the Pakistani play with terror will not stop. Keeping Afghanistan on the boil is the surest way to keep uncle Sam paying them for services. The day America calls it quits in Afghanistan, Pakistan will run out of money to sponsor terror in Afghanistan. I don't know why the American leaders play this game.
Pakistani Army/ISI has grouped the terrorists into three categories -
(1) Which are anti-Pakistan terrorists, like Pakistani Taleban TTP,
(2) Which are neutral to Pakistan and India, like some Chechen and Arab terrorists,
(3) Which are anti-Indian and anti-Afghan like LeT/JeM/HM/HuJI/HeM/Al-Badr/Haqqani Network/Afghan Taleban, etc which are treated as strategic assets of Pakistan.
Pakistan catches a few of the major terrorists from the second category to get military/financial rewards from USA.
Obviously Pakistan wages a fierce war against the first category of terrorists, as they are treated as foes of Pakistan.
As for the third category, Pakistan controls their indoctrination, training, logistics, finance, co-ordination, plotting and infiltration into India and Afghanistan. Various human and electronic intelligence sources show 43 training camps for the third category of terrorists in Pakistan. These terrorist manufacturing factories produce thousands of terrorists each year, which are well-armed and highly indoctrinated in jihadi terrorism. From 1989 till date, India has so far liquidated about 25000 of these terrorists in Kashmir alone.
For Pakistan, some of these third category of terrorists (which it treats as strategic assets to wage proxy wars) turn into Frankenstein monsters and turn their guns against Pakistan by joining the first category of terrorists. Though ISI tries hard to control them, many of the 'strategic assets' turn rogue to become human bombers and fight against their own masters. Pakistan is busy fighting a loosing war against such Frankenstein mobsters created by themselves.
Unfortunately, Pakistan refuses to learn from it's mistakes and continues to churn out thousands of the third category of terrorists even now. It seems Pakistan is hell-bent on self-destruction due to it's obsessive hatred against India in general and non-Muslims in particular.
Why would India want to have friendly relations with this devious snake? Does anyone think, Porkistan is capable of acting honourably? One has to be dumb, deaf, blind and an idiot to think that. Porkistan is nation of terrorists and terrorism is a state policy as is abundantly evident in Chicago.
Next time US asks India to talk to Pakistan and to develop friendly relations, pleswe tell them to take out the nukes and as Pakistan to get rid of their terrorists.
The only way Pakistan is going to fall in line with the commity of nations is by taking the nukes out. Nukes gives them a sense of infalliability and beleief no one will dare to cross them, you take it out and Pakistan will fall in line. Until then your just whistling in the park.
Main Culprit is Musharraf who is still free man. All the planning and assistance to terrorists started after Mr. Musharraf's coup and throw of civilian government of Nawaz Sheriff. Taliban also got full support while Musharraf was in control in Pakistan. Kargil was started by Musharraf. Abbotabad also became shelter for Osama Bin Ladin chief of Al-Queda during Musharraf's rule in Pakistan. Americans also were fooled and looted by Musharraf in the name of fighting terrorism and Afghan problems. More particularly the Bush Administration trusted too much and depended on Musharraf who proved himself actually a rogue and cause of world of terrorism.
The problem with dealing with Pakistan is that it is run by the Army even though for name sake elected parliament exists. It would have tolerable if the army is professional. But according to Ayesha Siddiqua, in her, "Military Inc", the army's private business assets are worth around £10bn and it owns a handsome share of the country's business and land. The generals, as a result, appear to be more interested in leveraging control over businesses, properties and politics. The army is practically unaccountable and has has some 650,000 active soldiers and another half million in reserve and it has forced every one of Pakistan's democratically-elected civilian leaders to abdicate and a general has directly ruled the country for 34 of its 62 years of existence. It is a great tragedy that despite it repeated failure the institution of army is continued to be lionized by the people of Pakistan and there appears to be no hope at all in the immediate future for any thing positive to emerge from the country.
I note that there is a complete blackout of Rana and Hadley trials, and the shocking indictment of Pakistakin intelligence agency in the planning and funding of Mumbai attacks, in the Pakistani News media.
We shouldn't be surprised at the actions of the Pak authorities. They are playing a double game. Claiming to be victims of terror, but nurturing anti-India and anti Afghan terror outfits. About time the war crimes court brought these people to justice and to actively pursue them into Pak territory.
Pakistan's actions to bring the 26/11 accused to book are expectedly in compliance with its reputation of being a sponsor of terrorism. The entire investigation in this case is merely a hogwash intended to counter the international pressure and parry the tough questions asked by India.
It is well beyond my boundaries of hope that pakistan is going to act seriously against any of the key conspirators involved in the 26/11 attacks on Mumbai.The levity displayed by their govt and judiciary conspiciously demonstrates their reluctance in prosecuting those who controlled the entire operations by sitting in safe havens in pakistan."Procedural delays" are just metaphors to shield the perpetrators for as long as possible until some other event distracts global attention.It is really a shame that despite it being very ostensible that pakistan continues to harbour terrorists and jihad network and has its military and ISI financing and directing terrorism ,they continue to be financially backed by US.I m sure none of the people in the list of fugitives will be acted against,David headley's clear "finger pointing" at ISI will amount to a denial statement by pakistan and the ISI, military establishment and lashkar chiefs will continue to get full cooperation and support to orchestrate similar attacks across the world.
More than Tahawwur Rana it is Pakistan as a nation which is on public trial. On display is a country with a death wish and in the throes of implosion thanks to the country’s extraordinarily short sighted suicidal policies with out parallel in modern history. South Asia region, India in particular, may be forced bear the brunt of the fall out of Pakistan’s disintegration and sagacious plans are urgently called for by our leadership to minimise the impact of the consequences.
Never before have we had such copious news articles linking Pakistan to terror. Unfortunately, no matter what the subject, one can only have one response - the snake is now biting the hand that fed it, one sting after another.
I wonder what we did to deserve such a treacherous neighbor in our backyard - one whose main export and strategic asset is not IT, not advanced equipment, not cutting edge research but terror.
No matter how unlikely or preposterous this seems to the Diggi Rajas out there - this nuclear rattlesnake needs to be defanged and balkanized for good.
It would be futile to expect the authorities in Pakistan to concede that ISI or any wing of their official establishment is even remotely involved in 26/11 attacks, in the face of such damning evidence. This is because Pakistan is run by the Army and not by the elected Govt.
Pakistan must be one of the most unprofessionally run countries in the world, with its so-called leaders and the Army , declaring nothing but untruths day-in and day-out and engaging in deception which borders on the absurd.
If ever a country is at peace living in denial and declaring to the world that they are 'saints' , irrespective of what the whole world shows them as proof of their maintaining 'terrorist assets' and using them as and when needed, it must be Pakistan. Needlessly to say, such an attitude of conducting foreign policy of a State could only be by those on the lunatic fringe.
I wish to emphasise time and again , engaging in a dialogue with such a State with lunatics at the helm, is fraught with serious consequences for India.We will be doing great disservice to the people in general and to the martyrs of the 26/11 onslaught at Mumbai, in particular. Pakistan must be judged by its actions on the ground rather than by its deceptively mouthed intent.
MMS Govt. has embarked on a course of great political folly by agreeing to talk to Pakistan voluntarily. It will be clear from the results of the Lok Sabha elections in 2014, what the people expected them to do. There is no clear and conclusive proof that the vast majority of Pakistanis are not inimical to India, and the general impression that comes across from even the most moderate commentators from that country in Media here, seems to be , that everything will be well and good , if Kashmir is handed over to them on a platter.
There is no point in talking to a devious and a unreliable state, even if that happens to be your neighbour, and the sooner the official establishment in this country realises this , the better.
This editorial seems to reflect the current mood that is prevailing. But what is not understandable is that this editorial space had often in the past advocated the 'peace-at-any-cost' and 'talk-at-any-cost' approach with the Pakistanin establishment.
One thing is certain : A nation founded on hatred alone will be consumed by hatred and shall have to face the inevitable.
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