Kashmir: Orchestrated Rage | West Bengal: The PCPA and its ‘Useful Idiots’ | South Asia Intelligence Review (SAIR),Vol. No. 9.7
Show/Hide Search
HomePrint
 
  Click to Enlarge
   

SOUTH ASIA INTELLIGENCE REVIEW
Weekly Assessments & Briefings
Volume 9, No. 7, August 23, 2010

Data and assessments from SAIR can be freely published in any form with credit to the South Asia Intelligence Review of the
South Asia Terrorism Portal


ASSESSMENT

 

INDIA
Click for PrintPrint

Kashmir: Orchestrated Rage
Ajit Kumar Singh
Research Fellow, Institute for Conflict Management

Chief Minster Omar Abdullah on March 2, 2010, described 2009 as the "most peaceful year" over 20 years of turmoil in the State. While trends in terrorist incidents and fatalities continue to decline, the spurt in street violence over the past nearly two-and-a-half months has created a new specter of widening disruption in several parts of the Valley. Political temperatures and administrative concerns have spiraled with the disorders, though the situation is far from being nearly as desperate as is sometimes painted to be. Contrary to popular perceptions, coloured by hysterical media reportage, only small parts of the Valley – itself a fraction of the State – have been engulfed violence, much of which is meticulously stage-managed.

As many 60 protesters have been killed by the Security Force (SFs) in 72-days of street violence since June 11, 2010. If these killings are mapped across the Kashmir Valley, it is seen that, deaths have been reported from seven out of 10 Districts, and four – Baramulla (17 killed), Srinagar (15), Anantnag (11) and Pulwama (11) - have reported fatalities in double digits. The other Districts from where deaths have been reported include Kulgam (3), Kupwara (2) and Bandipora (1). More importantly, Shopian, Ganderbal and Budgam Districts recorded no deaths, though there were reports of sporadic violence in these areas as well. A total of 872 stone-pelting incidents have been recorded in June and July and 1,266 SF personnel have been injured in these two months alone.

Nevertheless, the widespread impression that the present disturbances represent a popular uprising, or that ‘things are worse than they were in the early 1990’s’ is utterly misconceived. The troubles have largely been orchestrated within a minuscule segment of the population, in small areas of the Valley, and the disruption caused is principally a measure of the incompetence of administrative response, rather than of any irresistible upsurge of popular sentiment. The timetables of the stone pelting campaigns have been defined by separatists, in the main led by the Hurriyat Conference – Geelani (G) chairman Syed Ahmed Shah Geelani, backed by Pakistan and its proxy militant groupings in Kashmir. Intelligence available on the profiles of protesters suggests that they include a large number of ‘seasoned campaigners’, provocateurs who have taken up stone pelting as a lucrative business. In an interview in April 2010, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah thus stated, "The industry of stone pelting is very much in our radar. We have in fact been able to identify to a couple of big business houses, one in particular who has used to his network of dealers to route the money through."

The present cycle of violence escalated with the killing of Tufail Ahmad Mattoo in Police firing in Srinagar’s Rajouri Kadal area on June 11. This followed violent street protests in Srinagar and adjoining areas. The street violence gained tempo followed the killing of Javed Ahmad Malla on June 20. Thereafter, a self-perpetuating cycle of street violence, followed by Police firing, has kept things on a boil. Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram informed the Lok Sabha (Lower House of Parliament) on August 4,

Beginning June 11, 2010, there has been a cycle of violence threatening law and order and public peace. The violence in the State has followed a certain pattern. Usually, the violence is triggered by stone pelting by large crowds and their targets of attack are police stations, police outposts and other public property. There have been instances where the security forces have been fired upon by someone in the protesting crowds. There is reliable intelligence that some armed militants may have mingled with the crowds and fired at the security forces.

The orchestration of the disorders has been systematic. When the street rage began to peter out in Srinagar in the last week of June, demonstrations erupted in Sopore in Baramulla District. This was far from coincidental, since Sopore has emerged as a significant hub of terrorism and subversion in the State. On March 2, 2010, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had noted, "Militants are grouping in the Sopore area and Kulgam District. These areas are a challenge for us on the militancy front. We are taking extra measures to deal with the militants there." Subsequently, on Jun 30, 2010, Chidambaram observed, "Anti-national elements are clearly linked to LeT (Lashkar-e-Toiba) which is active in the Sopore area." Government sources argue that the latest strategy of Pakistan's external intelligence agency, the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), and the LeT, is to combine renewed infiltration attempts by heavily-armed militants with escalating civil unrest, to ensure that Kashmir remains in a state of chaos, despite the loss of tempo on the terrorism front.

Troop cuts, long pushed by an uncomprehending ‘peace lobby’, both domestic and international, and by aggressive Pakistani diplomacy, have an adverse impact on the security scenario in the State. A confidential report by the J&K Police blamed the resurgence of militancy in Sopore on troop ‘relocation’. On March 17, Chief Minister Abdullah had boasted, "Without creating any hype we have reduced 35,000 troops and also decreased the number of Central Paramilitary Forces [CPMFs] from internal duty."

The quantum of troop reduction in Sopore is not clear, but it is evident that it has facilitated militant regrouping and contributed significantly to a worsening of the situation. There is significant and cumulative evidence that the current cycle of protests is being backed, if not stage managed by the armed militants. Conspicuously, on March 10, Director General of Police (DGP) Kuldeep Khoda observed, "This (stone pelting) helps militants to move from one place to another. This leaves less chance of ultras [terrorists] getting detected."

Infiltration trends, meanwhile, suggest worrying times ahead. Infiltration attempts across the Line of Control (LoC) show no signs of abating and have, indeed, registered a significant jump. As many as 740 militants have tried to sneak into J&K over the last 18 months. Defence Minister A. K. Antony told the Lok Sabha on July 27, "In 2009, 485 terrorists had attempted to infiltrate into J&K. This year, from January to June, a total of 255 terrorists have attempted to infiltrate.'' More worryingly, these attempts are being regularly aided by cease-fire violations across the LoC by the Pakistan Army [the Indo-Pak cease-fire agreement was signed in 2003]. In the latest of a series of such violations, the Pakistani Army directed mortar and rocket fire at Indian positions on the LoC at Nangi Tekri in Krishna Ghati sector of Poonch District on August 19. Feeding the infiltration are 34 'active' and eight 'holding' terror-training camps that remain operational across the border. According to Government estimates, there are some 371 foreign militants affiliated to foreign terrorist organisations in the Valley.

Despite dramatic and continuous declines in fatalities since their peak in 2001, terrorism related violence remains significant in the State. There have been 168 killings in 2010, till June 30, according to the MHA, including 114 militants, 34 SF personnel and 20 civilians, in 254 incidents. The South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP) data put the death toll at 250 comprising of 166 militants, 55 SFs and 29 civilians upto August 22.

It is evident that present conditions are far from favorable for any dilution on the security front. The Union Government has already shelved plans for further troop cuts and has, instead, sent in an additional 19 companies of Central Paramilitary Forces (CPMFs) to the Valley. 32 companies (3,200 personnel) of CPMFs currently posted in different parts of J&K are also being redeployed to the trouble-torn Districts of Kashmir. Despite a strident campaign for the revocation of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), 1958, the Centre has now made it clear that the demand cannot be considered, though there has been some talk of a ‘dilution’ of the act to accommodate specific ‘concerns’. The AFSPA was extended to J&K in 1990, after militancy gained ground in the State, and currently covers its entire territory, with the exception of Kargil and Ladakh. The Act confers powers and legal safeguards on the Army to undertake counter-terrorism operations.

With the cycles of street violence showing no signs of abating, the Centre has come up with a knee jerk offer of a ‘political and economic package’. On August 10, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh declared,

I am convinced that the only way forward in Jammu and Kashmir is along the path of dialogue and reconciliation. But I recognize that the key to the problem is a political solution that addresses the alienation and emotional needs of the people. This can only be achieved through a sustained internal and external dialogue. We are ready for this. We are willing to discuss all issues within the bounds of our democratic processes and framework. We must promote economic activity and create opportunities for employment. We must build physical and human resource infrastructure.

Earlier, on August 2, Chief Minister Abdullah had stated, at some variance with the Prime Minister’s perspectives,

Jammu and Kashmir is a political situation. It needs political handling. It requires a political package more than an economic package. By political package, I mean dealing with issues like Armed Forces Special Powers Act, footprint of the security forces, rehabilitation package for youngsters who are across the Line of Control and compensation for victims of the ongoing trouble.

There is, clearly, substantial evidence of policy confusion in Kashmir, and this is infinitely compounded by the infirmity of the Abdullah regime in the State. By most assessments, there is endemic administrative collapse in the State Government, and little sign that the leadership has the capacity or acumen to deal with the present and rising crisis with a modicum of competence. The rudiments of crowd control and of the handling of fairly small groups of protesters without the use of lethal force, continue to be ignored, even as every incident of Police firing feeds the street frenzy even further. The crisis of Kashmir is a crisis, not of politics or of economics, but, simply, of competence.

INDIA
Click for PrintPrint

West Bengal: The PCPA and its ‘Useful Idiots’
Fakir Mohan Pradhan
Research Assistant, Institute for Conflict Management

On August 11, 2010, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Ajay Maken informed the Rajya Sabha (Upper House of Parliament) that the People’s Committee against Police Atrocities (PCPA), a Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) front organisation, was involved in the May 28, 2010, derailment of the Jnaneswari Express, which led to the death of 148 persons and injury to many others. "Investigation conducted, so far, reveals that Police Santrash Birodhi Janasadharaner Committee (PSBJC/PCPA), a frontal organisation of Maoists, was involved in damaging the railway track, thereby causing the accident," the Minister stated.

Significantly, the announcement discredited Union Minister for Railways and Chief of Trinamool Congress (TC) Mamata Banerjee’s allegations about the involvement of her political opponents in West Bengal, the ruling Communist party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), as well as her chit to the PCPA and the Maoists. Three days after the incident, Banerjee had claimed, "They [the CPI-M] have been planning sabotage…They are not planning development, but opening clips on tracks. Some comrades are drawing up scientific plans."

On August 9, Banerjee had organised a massive rally in Lalgarh in West Midnapore District – the epicentre of Maoist activities in West Bengal – with the PCPA prominently participating. The PCPA presence was, in fact, so conspicuous that TC members were substantially outnumbered by PCPA supporters. At the rally, Banerjee chose to focus on the encounter killing of Cherukuri Rajkumar alias Azad, the late spokesman and Central Committee member of the CPI-Maoist, describing it as ‘incorrect’ and demanding an inquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), raising a political storm.

The Lalgarh rally had initially been opposed by the Maoists and the PCPA. However, on August 1, the TC chief announced that the rally would be organised under the banner of the Santrash Birodhi Mancha (anti-atrocities platform). The PCPA then changed track and announced that it would participate in the rally, as it stood against ‘State terror’ and for peace in the region. Eventually, the rally turned into a PCPA show of strength, since the TC has little political base in the area. PCPA flags far outnumbered Trinamool flags in the 60,000-strong rally, and even wanted PCPA leaders — including Asit Mahato, who carries a reward of INR 100,000 on his head for the Jnaneswari Express sabotage, and spokesperson Manoj Mahato — led huge processions to the venue. The Police, however, managed to arrest just four PCPA cadres, including one Sushil Mahato. Interestingly, Sushil Mahato had been ‘caught’ and subsequently handed over to the Police by villagers on July 25, but managed to be ‘taken away’ from the Police by his supporters. He had reportedly gone to Nichhinda village near Lodhasuli in West Midnapore District to force people to join a rally.

Though the rally was ostensibly organised for peace in the region, it was essentially intended to build up for the State Legislative Assembly Election which falls due in 2011. The main speakers, who included social activists Medha Patkar and Swami Agnivesh, exhorted the congregation to rally behind Mamata Banerjee in her campaign to dislodge the ruling CPI-M from power.

The Railway Minister’s game plan is quite clear. The Lalgarh rally is intended to build up for the Assembly Elections, just as Nandigram and Singur had helped her consolidate politically in the run-up to the municipal elections of May 2010. The gamble is dangerous. While the TC had a significant base in Nandigram and Singur, it has none in the Jangal Mahal area, and is chalking up a massive debt to the Maoists in its efforts to secure an electoral consolidation here.

The risks were evident even in Nandigram. It is useful to recall that the Maoists had killed Trinamool Panchayat (village level local self Government institution) President Nishikanta Mondal, who had fought side by side with the Maoists, including Telgu Deepak, a Maoist Central Military Commission member, in the Nandigram protest campaign and had apparently earned their trust. Mondal was reportedly killed on September 22, 2009, because he sought to distance himself from the Maoists after winning the election, and had tried to oppose Maoist expansion in the area. In case of a TC victory, the Maoists will certainly call their debt, and will retaliate violently if sufficient ‘cooperation’ is not in evidence.

The Maoists, meanwhile, have had some of their own worries in Lalgarh. The loosely controlled PCPA, with its blurring of lines between the military and political wings, fits uncomfortably into the Maoist scheme. The PCPA’s direct involvement in violent activities is seen to be compromising ‘military secrets’ [the PCPA now has its own armed wing, the Sidhu Kanu Gana Militia].

Notwithstanding their success in Lalgarh, moreover, the Maoists have suffered a number of recent reverses as well. The Maleta forest encounter of July 26, 2010 in which six Maoists, including a woman cadre, and a Central Reserve Police Force trooper were killed; the Ranja forest encounter of June 16, 2010 in which at least 10 Maoists were killed; the Hathilot forest (near Lakhanpur) encounter of March 25, 2010, where Maoist Politburo member Koteswar Rao alias Kishan himself was injured; as well as the loss of key PCPA cadres – have become cause of worry. Of course they are worried not because these leaders are irreplaceable, but because each reverse reflects signs of increasingly effective Police intelligence and infiltration into their ranks. A cell phone conversation intercepted by Intelligence agencies, part of which was published in the media on August 8, 2010, Kishan was heard telling a senior squad leader in Lalgarh:

All our leaders are being arrested or eliminated. How is this possible? Police have penetrated our ranks. We have to disown the PCAPA (People’s Committee against Police Atrocities). We have to convince the media that PCAPA and CPI (Maoist) are different organisations with different political agendas... that neither Chhatradhar Mahato nor Asit Mahato has any links with us."

However, there are some indications that the Maoists may be looking at the possibility of letting PCPA fighting the Assembly Elections. There is also some evidence suggesting that the PCPA is willing to contest elections. PCPA spokesperson Manoj Mahato thus declared, on August 10, 2010, "PCPA swears by the Indian Constitution. It can always participate in elections. In fact, the question came to us before the 2009 Lok Sabha polls. We were then in expansion mode and could not gauge our strength among the masses. We were in two minds. But Chhatradhar Mahato and his supporters went to cast their votes despite the poll boycott call by the Maoists." The PCPA is confident of winning elections on its own in at least three constituencies in West Midnapore and South Bankura, and would not like the TC to make any inroads in its core area. Reports indicate that it would rather offer support to the TC in the fringe areas of Jangal Mahal – Garbeta, Keshpur and Goaltore – where the TC is facing stiff resistance from CPI-M cadres.

The origin of PCPA as a Maoist front organisation in the aftermath of the failed attack on the convoy of the Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya and then Union Steel Minister Ramvilas Paswan at Salboni in West Midnapore District on November 2, 2008, is too well documented to be repeated here. PCPA has, since, been functioning under the guidance of the Maoists to further the Left Wing Extremist cause.

Initially, Chhatradhar Mahato, founder convener, tried to hard sell PCPA as an organization independent of the Maoists, involved in protesting alleged atrocities by the Police, without any semblance of violence. As a front organisation, it provided cover to the Maoists by repeatedly organizing mass protests and shut downs. PCPA cadres also provided shelter to Maoist cadres during Police search operations, and often supplied the ‘people’ in the Maoist ‘people’s courts’, an euphemism for Kangaroo courts.

In the aftermath Chhatradhar Mahato’s arrest on September 26, 2009, however, the PCPA threatened to embark on a "blood-soaked movement shortly" in the Lalgarh area, unless their leader was unconditionally released. Exactly, a month later, on October 26, the PCPA announced that it had turned into an armed group called Sidhu Kanu Gana Militia. The announcement came with the claim that PCPA members had looted 10 firearms by raiding a CPI-M armed rally at Goaltore in West Midnapore District. Asit Mahato, the PCPA spokesperson, who replaced Chhatradhar Mahato (under detention), said the tribal forum would "no longer continue democratic processes of rallies and agitations", adding, "We have formed the People’s Militia Force. After facing continuous torture by the joint forces and the administration in Jangal Mahal, PCPA has decided to pick up arms to combat the forces." Mahato threatened that the militia would soon hit State and Central Government offices and agencies and called for an indefinite strike in Jangal Mahal from October 27. The PCPA has, thus far, enforced at least 62 days of general shut down in the State. Moreover, the organization has since been involved in at least 110 incidents of violence, including murder and arson, along with Maoist cadres. According to the South Asia Terrorism Portal Database, the PCPA has engineered at least 23 incidents of arson – mostly setting ablaze motor vehicles or houses of CPI-M cadre or supporters, or Government offices. The most violent act engineered by the PCPA was, however, the May 28, 2010, derailment of the Jnaneshwari Express near Sardiha station, Jhargram, in West Midnapore, as a result of which 148 passengers were killed as pandrol clips were removed from the tracks. The PCPA claimed responsibility for the derailment through posters left at the incident site. However, the claim was retracted the next day, as news of the fatalities spread, and the leadership of the PCPA announced plans to observe "days of mourning" on June 7 and June 8, in remembrance of those killed in the incident.

Earlier, on October 27, 2009, armed cadres of the PCPA and CPI-Maoist laid siege to the Bhubaneswar-New Delhi Rajdhani Express at Banstala Railway Station, eight kilometres from Jhargram town in West Midnapore District. The SFs rushing to the site for rescue operations, and were ambushed by the PCPA/Maoists, forcing an encounter in which two PCPA cadres were killed and a Policeman was injured.

Meanwhile, at least 13 PCPA cadres have been killed by the SFs, the most prominent among them, the PCPA founder president, Lalmohan Tudu. Tudu was killed by the SFs on February 22, 2010, along with at least two other PCPA cadres who had taken part in the Shilda Eastern Frontier Rifles camp massacre. In addition, Sidhu Soren, chief of the Sidhu Kanu Gana Militia, was killed, along with five other Maoists, on July 26, 2010, during a raid by the SFs on a Maoist hideout in the dense forests of Goaltore area in West Midnapore District. Sidhu was close to Kishan, and was one of the ‘commanders’ who led attack at the Shilda camp.

Police have also arrested at least 82 PCPA leaders and cadres. The most prominent among these was the ‘assistant treasurer’ of the PCPA, Sukh Shanti Baske, who was arrested from the Lalgarh area on September 28, 2009. Sibu Murmu, the secretary of PCPA's Bankura wing, was arrested on October 16, 2009. Though two of the main accused in the Jnaneswari Express derailment case, Umakanta Mahato and Asit Mahato, are still at large, 13 PCPA cadres have been arrested in connection with this incident, including two main accused, Bapi Mahato (June 20) and Manik Mahato (July 7). Meanwhile, with the rise in number of arrests of PCPA leaders/cadres, the Maoists are becoming apprehensive of leaks and security compromises, and have allegedly killed three PCPA cadres.

Despite the reverses that the PCPA has suffered, the disruptive dominance of the PCPA – Maoist combine in the Jangal Mahal area is almost complete, and the leaders that have been lost are quickly replaced. On July 31, 2010, the PCPA announced that Tota Hembram would be the ‘Commander in Chief’ of the Sidhu Kanu Gana Militia, and Manoj Mahato would be the ‘secretary’.

By contesting elections directly or indirectly (supporting the TC), the PCPA/ Maoists would strengthen their political clout, even as they retain their ‘military’ capacities, making it more difficult for the State to neutralize their augmenting threat.


NEWS BRIEFS

Weekly Fatalities: Major Conflicts in South Asia
August 16-22, 2010

 

Civilians

Security Force Personnel

Terrorists/Insurgents

Total

BANGLADESH

 

Left Wing Extremism

0
0
1
1

INDIA

 

Assam

1
0
3
4

Jammu and Kashmir

5
1
1
7

Manipur

1
1
5
7

Left-wing Extremism

 

Bihar

1
0
0
1

Jharkhand

1
0
0
1

Maharashtra

2
0
0
2

Orissa

1
0
0
1

Total (INDIA)

12
2
9
23

PAKISTAN

 

Balochistan

2
3
0
5

FATA

8
1
20
29

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

3
2
4
9

Sindh

4
2
0
6

Total (PAKISTAN)

17
8
24
49
Provisional data compiled from English language media sources.


INDIA

Centre issues terror alert: Country was put on high alert after intelligence inputs suggested that Pakistan-based militants may strike during the coming festival season. The Centre asked the States of Delhi, Karnataka and Kerala to deploy more forces in sensitive locations. The Hindu, August 20, 2010.

Armed militants present among protestors in Kashmir Valley, says Government: The Government on August 17 said it has received reports of armed militants present among protestors in the crowd during the recent spate of violence in Jammu and Kashmir. Daily Excelsior, August 18, 2010.

CPI-Maoist establishing links with militants in Assam, says MHA: The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has alerted the Assam State Police about Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) establishing links with militants in Assam. Times of India, August 18, 2010.

Sikh groups reviving militancy in Punjab, says Government: The Central Government on August 17 said that Sikh militant groups from abroad are trying to resurrect militancy in Punjab. Times of India, August 18, 2010.

Maoists set preconditions for talks: Responding to the Centre’s offer for peace talks, the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) on August 17 set three preconditions for talks - remove Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram, bring in independent mediators and announce a three-month bilateral ceasefire. Hindustan Times, August 18, 2010.

Combined forces not doing well against Maoists, says MHA: The combined forces battling the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) in seven States are not having much success, Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) statistics for 2008, 2009 and the first six months of 2010 show. Combined forces men are running anti-Maoist operations in Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal. DNA India, August 21, 2010.

No revoking of AFSPA, says Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on August 18 ruled out immediate revocation of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), but said "it can be amended to make it humane". Times of India, August 17, 2010.

Andhra Pradesh extends ban on Maoists: The State Government on August 16 issued orders extending ban on the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) by another year with effect from August 17. Times of India, August 17, 2010.

31,703 Bru refugees in Tripura:The total number of Bru refugees, lodged at six relief camps in North District of Tripura, stands at 31,703, according to a resurvey of their population conducted in August 2010 by the Mizoram Bru Displaced People’s Forum (MBDPF). PTI News, August 17, 2010.


NEPAL

Prachanda agrees to withdraw candidacy for Prime Minister: The Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (UCPN-M) chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal aka Prachanda agreed on August 16 to withdraw its candidacy for the Prime Minister’s post given that all the political stakeholders genuinely agree on the formation of a national consensus Government. Kantipur Online, August 17, 2010.


PAKISTAN

20 militants and eight civilians among 29 persons killed during the week in FATA: Six persons died and five others were injured as a vehicle hit an explosive device at Baizai tehsil (revenue unit) of Mohmand Agency in Federally Administrated Tribal Areas (FATA) on August 21.

Six militants were killed in US drone missile attack in North Waziristan, locals and official sources said.

At least 11 militants and one trooper were killed on August 19 in different operations of Security Forces in the Orakzai and Kurram Agencies.

Three militants were killed and several others injured when militants of Mullah Nazir group, a break away faction of Hakeemullah Mehsud led Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), and TTP clashed in Mantoi area of South Waziristan Agency in the night of August 17. Dawn; Daily Times; The News, August 17-23, 2010.

No conviction of terrorist in past three years, indicates report: A report on August 20 indicates that Pakistan courts are yet to convict a single person in any of the country’s biggest terrorist attacks of the past three years, a symptom of a dysfunctional legal system that’s hurting the fight against the Tehreek-e-Taliban Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and al Qaeda at a critical time. Times of India, August 21, 2010.

Militants regrouping, warns Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain warned on August 19 that militants were regrouping in areas around Peshawar and could launch an attack anytime. Indian Express, August 20, 2010.

Militants will gain if leadership fails, says President Asif Ali Zardari: President Asif Zardari warned on August 16 that if the political leadership failed to lead the nation, extremists and militants could step in to fill the vacuum. Dawn, August 17, 2010.

The South Asia Intelligence Review (SAIR) is a weekly service that brings you regular data, assessments and news briefs on terrorism, insurgencies and sub-conventional warfare, on counter-terrorism responses and policies, as well as on related economic, political, and social issues, in the South Asian region.

SAIR is a project of the Institute for Conflict Management and the South Asia Terrorism Portal.

South Asia Intelligence Review [SAIR]

Publisher
K. P. S. Gill

Editor
Dr. Ajai Sahni


A Project of the
Institute For Conflict Management



To receive FREE advance copies of SAIR by email Subscribe.

Recommend South Asia Intelligence Review (SAIR) to a friend.

 

 

 

 

 
Copyright © 2001 SATP. All rights reserved.