Widening Polarisation | Targeting Stabilization | Karachi: Banking for Terror | South Asia Intelligence Review (SAIR), Vol. No. 11.8
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SOUTH ASIA INTELLIGENCE REVIEW
Weekly Assessments & Briefings
Volume 11, No. 8, August 27, 2012

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


NEPAL
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Widening Polarisation
Fakir Mohan Pradhan
Research Associate, Institute for Conflict Management

The uncertain calm in Nepal, disturbed by no more than occasional rumblings for the ouster of Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai, received a jolt when at least 20 Political parties, mostly from the ruling coalition, announced the formation of an alliance – the Federal Democratic Republican Alliance (FDRA) – at a press conference at Hotel Radisson in the capital, on August 17, 2012. Led by the Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (UCPN-M) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal aka Prachanda and its constituents, the alliance includes the UCPN-M, Terai Madhesh Democratic Party (TMDP), TMDP-Nepal, Madheshi People’s Rights Forum–Democratic (MPRF-D), Madhesi People's Rights Forum-Republican (MPRF-R), Rastriya Janamukti Party, Sadhbhwana Party and the Nepal Rastriya Party, among others. Samajbadi Janata Party Chairman Prem Bahadur Singh was declared the spokesperson of the alliance.

On August 9, 2012, top leaders of the constituent parties of the FDRA had agreed on the proposal to constitute an alliance named the Federal Democratic Alliance (FDA). However, on August 13, leaders of 26 political parties decided to change the name from FDA to FDRA, and to make the formal announcement on August 17.

The alliance, declaring itself in favour of federalist principles, aims to work towards ethnic-based federalism and the promulgation of a new constitution through the now dissolved Constituent Assembly (CA). Prachanda said the alliance has “long-term” and “strategic” importance and that it would continue until another election. He further stated that the alliance was prepared to hit the streets if a “conspiracy is hatched against identity-based federalism.”

The major opposition parties - Nepali Congress (NC) and the Communist Party of Nepal – Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) – and the newly formed Mohan Baidya-led CPN-Maoist (CPN-Maoist-Baidya) have come down heavily against the alliance, seeing it as an attempt to vitiate the political atmosphere by working against the politics of consensus. NC and CPN-UML see it as an attempt to prolong the life span of the care taker government and demand immediate resignation of the Prime Minister Bhattarai to pave the way for consensus government which would further the peace process.

The alliance was established because of a felt need to forge national consensus in favour of ethnic-based federalism and the promulgation of a new constitution through the CA. Prachanda argued that the alliance would negotiate from a position of strength, urging the NC and the CPN-UML to agree to identity-based federalism. The veiled threat in this argument was made more openly by Prachanda when he declared that political confrontation in the country in the days to come would be “between alliances”. Daring NC and CPN-UML to forge an alliance, Prachanda declared, on August 18, 2012, in Lahan, "Whether it is a fight or a deal, it will now be between alliances."

The FDRA has put forward two options to end the current political impasse – either to hold election to the CA or to revive the dissolved CA.

Complicating issues, the CPN-Maoist-Baidya, created an alliance of nine fringe political parties – the Nepal Federal People's Republic Front – on August 10, 2012, to unseat the Bhattarai Government. Baidya slammed the UCPN-M led FDRA, describing it as "a desperate attempt of the present Government to cling to power".  

In another development, marking the World Indigenous Day on August 9, 2012, Janjati and indigenous leaders unveiled the manifesto of a proposed indigenous people’s party – the Social Democratic Pluri-National Party – and vowed to complete the task of party formation within the next two months. The proposed party manifesto advocates single identity-based federalism. The party is expected to join the FDRA.

Meanwhile, on August 17, 2012, President Ram Baran Yadav rejected two election-related ordinances —Election to Member of the CA and Ordinance to Amend Some Existing Electoral Laws — recommended by the caretaker Government on July 27, sending a message that he would not approve ordinances that did not "satisfy" him or that lacked a minimal consensus among parties. The President's office argued that the recommendation for the ordinance was rejected as they were not "relevant" in light of the formal announcement by the election Commission on July 31 to the effect that polls to CA on November 22 cannot be held.

Visibly dismayed by these developments, the Bhattarai Government was mulling over the prospects of resending the ordinances to the President on the grounds that it was within the constitutional powers of the Government to issue ordinances. However, better sense prevailed, and, on August 25, the Government decided not to bring any ordinance without political consensus. This has helped avoid a confrontation between the President and the Prime Minister, which has long been expected, but has been averted till now.

The FDRA is increasingly being regarded as an attempt to prolong the life of the UCPN–M-led caretaker Government, as well as muscle flexing by the UCPN-M. The political deadlock continues as NC and CPN-UML continue to demand the immediate resignation of Prime Minister Bhattarai, and the formation of a ‘consensus government’ under which the next election would take place.  The UCPN-M, however, remains adamant that, before the resignation of the Prime Minister, contentious issues – especially that of identity-based federalism – must be solved. However, the demand for the ouster of the PM is getting louder, despite a defiant Prachanda’s declaration that the Caretaker Government would continue for 20 or 30 years, and even longer, if there was no consensus on identity-based federalism.

The FDRA is expected to be a prelude to come in handy for the UCPN-M, in case opposition parties take to streets to oust the Bhattarai Government. In the event of elections, moreover, the FDRA is expected to boost the chances of the coalition. The alliance is now trying to project the NC and CPN-UML as ‘anti-federalist’, though these parties contest such a projection. The CPN-UML has stated that it is ready for identity-based, but not single-identity based, federalism. It remains to be seen what the position of the Madhesh-based parties will be; these parties have been pressing for ‘One Madhesh, One Province’. They have, however, entered an alliance which is demanding single-identity based federalism, which militates against their ‘One Province’ demand.

Amidst the continuing deadlock , another crisis appears to be brewing. The ‘special budget’ that was brought by the Government through an ordinance, and approved by the President, provided funds for a third of the current year’s expenditure. If the political impasse is not cleared by then, a major crisis is likely, as the NC and CPN-UML are expected to oppose any further grants, to put pressure on Bhattarai to make way for a consensus government.

As a consequence of the current political crisis, one of the most contentious issues that had almost been resolved – the integration of People's Liberation Army (PLA) combatants with the Nepal Army – has gone into limbo because of disagreements over meeting the Army’s selection criteria.

As the war of words continues, the major political parties reached an understanding on August 25, 2012, to refrain from a blame game and to hold a ‘serious dialogue’ to find a way out of the current political deadlock. Considering the belligerent positions of the major political formations and the UCPN-M’s present initiatives, both in the formation of the FDRA and to push through several ordinances, however, no early resolution appears likely. The NC and CPN-UML’s attempts to secure the dismissal of the Bhattarai Government through the President also militate against any negotiations in good faith. The grounds appear to be prepared for street mobilization – and the spectre of street violence cannot be far behind.

AFGHANISTAN
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Targeting Stabilization
Sanchita Bhattacharya
Research Associate, Institute for Conflict Management

A spike in targeted killing in Afghanistan has seen Anti-Government Elements (AGEs) hitting critics and opponents with increasing frequency. The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), in its Mid Year Report of 2012, noted that casualties resulting from targeted killings of civilians by AGEs increased by 53 per cent in the first six months of 2012 in comparison to the corresponding period of 2011. UNAMA documented the killing of 255 civilians between January 1 and June 30, 2012, as compared to 190 civilian fatalities during the corresponding period of 2011. A total of 495 persons were killed in targeted killings in 2011, up from 461 in 2010; 225 in 2009; and 293 in 2008. AGEs have targeted community leaders, governmental authorities and civilians whom they suspect of supporting the government or military forces.

Significantly, on May 2, 2012, the Taliban had announced that their Spring Offensive of 2012, codenamed Al-Farooq, would specifically aim to kill civilian targets, including high ranking government officials, members of Parliament, High Peace Council (HPC) members, contractors and “all those people who work against the Mujahideen”.

International humanitarian and human rights laws prohibit the deliberate and systematic targeting of civilians, categorized as a war crime and the violation of the right to life.

In 2011, the Taliban had claimed responsibility for numerous targeted killings of civilian government officials, tribal elders, government workers, contractors, drivers, translators and other civilians, and also included civilians in their public lists of targets to kill or capture. In an October 2011 statement, responding to the Government’s convening of a Loya Jirga (Grand Assembly), the Taliban identified a broad range of civilians participating in the Jirga or associated with the Government as ‘lawful targets’, declaring:
The Islamic Emirate wants to warn every person who wants to participate in this so-called Loya Jirga that such traitors will be pursued by Mujahideen of Islamic Emirate in every corner of the country and will face severe repercussions. The country's trustworthy scholars have passed a decree in this regard and every participant of this convention shall be charged with treason if caught. The Islamic Emirate also calls on its brave and courageous Mujahideen to target every security guard, person with intention, participant and every follower of this convention.

A variety of methods have been employed to execute targeted killings, including shootings, Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and suicide attacks. The Taliban often publicly broadcast names of intended targets over mobile radio stations before the killing. In a number of cases where AGEs use remote-controlled IEDs (RCIEDs) targeting Pro-Government Forces, civilians have been disproportionately harmed, particularly when AGEs target military objectives in civilian populated areas.

Targets have included civil servants at all levels, tribal and religious elders, humanitarian aid workers, civil society members, political figures, individuals who joined the Afghanistan Peace and Reintegration Program and their relatives, and family members of AGEs who sought to re-integrate into Afghan communities. 

On another plane, the insurgents systematically target the educational infrastructure, destroying schools. According to partial data collected by Institute for Conflict Management, 1,178 targeted incidents on schools have taken place in Afghanistan since 2008. The more bizarre attacks have included poisonings, either by contamination of drinking water or by the release of unknown substances into the air, at schools. Ironically, in a statement, issued on March 7, 2012, the Taliban identified the promotion of education as one of their main objectives, declaring that education was the “need of the new generation”.

Some of the most significant targeted incidents include: 

August 13, 2012: Ishkamesh District Mayor, Abdul Aziz, Takhar HPC member Haji Hashim and three others were killed in a roadside-bomb attack in Takhar Province. Local officials blamed the bombing on the Taliban.

August 12, 2012: The Governor of Alishing District of Laghman Province, Faridullah Neyazi, was killed, along with three of his bodyguards, when his vehicle was hit by RCIED.

May 13, 2012: Arsala Rahmani, a close adviser to President Hamid Karzai, and former HPC member was killed by a gunman in Kabul city.

March 24, 2012: Haji Khairo Jan, a former Afghan senator, was killed along with four persons, when their vehicle was targeted with a RCIED near Tiran Kot, capital of Uruzgan Province.

December 6, 2011: A suicide attacker targeted civilians by detonating his explosives at the entrance to the Abulfazl mosque, belonging to Shia sect, in Kabul, killing 56 civilians and injuring 195 others. The Shias have frequently been targeted in sectarian attacks by the Taliban.

September 20, 2011: Former Afghanistan President and head of the HPC Burhanuddin Rabbani was killed in a suicide bomb attack at his home, close to the American Embassy in Kabul.

July 17, 2011: Jan Mohammad Khan, a senior advisor to President Hamid Karzai, and Hashim Watanwal, a Member of the Afghan Parliament, were killed when two assailants stormed Khan's house in Kabul city.

July 12, 2011: Ahmad Wali Karzai head of the Provincial Council of the Kandahar Province and younger brother of President Hamid Karzai was assassinated by one of his guards at his residence. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the incident.

February 22, 2010: Mohammad Zaman, prominent military and political leader was killed in a suicide bombing, while addressing refugees in Khogyani District of Nangarhar Province.

September 2, 2009: An attack in Mehterlam city of Laghman Province targeted and killed the Deputy Head of National Directorate of Security (NDS), Abdullah Laghmani and four other NDS staff. 18 civilians were also killed. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack.

August 25, 2009: At least 46 civilians were killed and more than 60 injured when a truck bomb exploded in Kandahar city of Kandahar Province. The target was National Directorate of Security building.

April 28, 2008: An attack targeting President Hamid Karzai was carried out during a military parade in Kabul. A Member of Parliament, Fazel Rahman Samkanai, and two others were killed.

February 17, 2008: A suicide bomber blew himself up in the Nagahan Rudkhana area of Arghandab District in Kandahar Province killing Abdul Hakim Jan, a prominent leader of the Alokozai tribe and the commander of the District’s contingent of the [now disbanded] Afghan National Auxiliary Police (ANAP) force and another 12 ANAP personnel. The attack also killed at least 67 civilians and wounded some 90 others.

Targeted killings have destroyed tremendous potential of creating an independent political culture in the country, creating a chilling effect on those who seek to participate in democratic processes and structures. The Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC), notes, moreover, “There is often no clear delineation between where intimidation ends and violence begins. The insurgents specifically use targeted assassinations as a form of intimidation, to impact on the population far beyond the individual victim(s).”

The social and political order in Afghanistan remains extremely fragile, and targeted killings have undermined the emergence of any effective alternative to the current regime of dominance by the International Security Assistance Force. The incipient democratic and national security institutions in the country are reeling under the impact of the Taliban violence, and the tentative consolidation of the structures of stable governance in Afghanistan is put at extreme risk by targeted attacks that impose a pall of terror on the wider population and on those involved in the tasks of administration.

 

PAKISTAN
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Karachi: Banking for Terror
Tushar Ranjan Mohanty
Research Associate, Institute for Conflict Management

On July 27, 2012, a local ‘commander’ of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), identified as Umer Khattab, was shot dead in a Police encounter in the Manghopir Police Station area in Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh. Khattab was wanted by the Police in more than 25 cases of target killings as well as a number of bank robberies in the West District area of Karachi to generate funds for the TTP.

Khattab’s elimination is a major success for the city Police. 3,129 lives have been lost to target killings since January 2010 (data till August 26, 2012), and Khattab was a significant player in this bloody business. Crucially, Khatab was connected with a wider campaign of bank robberies in Karachi, engineered by the TTP to secure finances for their terrorist operations.

Terrorist formations were involved in at least 28 bank robberies in Karachi between 2009 and 2011. In 2011, TTP cadres robbed banks of about PKR 500 million, according to an internal report of the Karachi Police obtained by Central Asia Online. That total included Karachi’s biggest bank robbery of that year, a heist of more than PKR 90 million, from a Muslim Commercial Bank (MCB) branch at Jodia Bazaar in the jurisdiction of the Kharadar Police Station on April 12, 2012. Khurram Bari, Superintendent of Police (SP) of Special Interrogation Unit (SIU), which interrogates suspects linked to terrorism or terror-financing cases, disclosed, on May 12, 2012, “Several activists of TTP ... have confessed to police that they have committed bank robberies to provide money to the organisation.”

According to official data, nine bank robberies have been recorded in Karachi between January and June 15, 2012. A June 19, 2012, media report noted that over PKR 33.55 million had been looted in these robberies, the biggest among which was committed on April 24, 2012, in which PKR 9.5 million was looted from a private bank situated at Tipu Sultan Road in the Gulshan-e-Iqbal Township. In the most recent incidents, two back to back bank robberies were reported on June 14 and June 15, 2012, in which the robbers looted PKR 2.35 million from a private bank located in Gulberg Block No. 10 and PKR 4.5 million from a bank situated in the Nazimabad area, both in Karachi.

Police arrested 42 TTP activists in 2010 and 2011 in connection with various robberies, and recovered PKR 110 million, as well as a range of weapons, from the suspects.

Karachi-based security expert Raees Ahmed stating that TTP extremists rob banks to raise money for the group’s terrorist activities, noted, in December 2011, that the group was “facing a severe financial crisis and a shortage of funds in wake of the measures taken by Pakistani authorities to cut off their main source of income abroad, especially from Gulf States.” Interrogation of some of the arrested robbers disclosed associations with the TTP and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ), and Ahmed noted, further, “Their involvement in organised crime had increased recently, following a Government ban on jihadi groups and the seizure of their bank accounts.”

Meanwhile, SP SIU Shahjahan claimed, on June 19, 2012, that it was impossible for the Police Department to provide proper security to all bank branches of the city, due to extreme paucity of personnel and resources. Shahjahan added, “We suggested to all bank managements to establish at least one bunker outside its branches for security purpose, but they do not take the suggestion seriously.”

Significantly, Karachi, with a population of 18 million, has only 31,861 Policemen, yielding a meagre 177 Policemen per 100,000 people, an abysmal ratio for a major urban concentration, particularly the financial capital of the country, with overwhelming problems of security. Indeed, the overall Police population ratio for Sindh stands at a substantially higher 263 per 100,000. The Police population ratio for Lahore, to take an urban comparison, is 343/100,000.

The shortage of Police personnel in Karachi has resulted in increasing reliance on private security agencies, the benefits are dubious. Major (Retd) Munir Ahmed, a leader of the All Pakistan Security Agencies Association (APSAA), notes, “Karachi alone has more than 250 security companies with about 45,000 to 50,000 guards.” Bank authorities, among others who are hiring private security guards, do so without any significant verification of backgrounds, opening the door for terrorists and criminals to infiltrate the security structure. The Government is now reported to be working on ways to monitor the hiring process in private security agencies to ensure that they do not give jobs to criminals and extremists.

While Karachi is currently among the worst affected cities, an August 23, 2012, confidential report of the National Crisis Management Cell of the Ministry of the Interior, claimed that the TTP was planning more terrorist activities in the country’s major cities – including Islamabad, Lahore and Multan in Punjab and Peshawar and Bannu in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa – which included bank robberies to generate funds. TTP ‘commander’ Qari Shafiullah Moavia has assigned the task to Nauman Moavia, who has been authorised to rob banks and jewellery shops and to execute abductions in order to raise funds for the purchase of transport, arms and ammunition.

With the pressure on direct terrorist financing increasing, even as the operational capacities of the terrorist groups augment, alternative efforts for fundraising to support the terrorist infrastructure, including robberies, abductions, extortion and other organized criminal activities, can only widen. The country’s financial capital, with its already degraded security environment, is a natural target for an escalating campaign of terrorist fundraising. Given the current capacities for Policing, and the visible disinclination on the part of the political establishment to radically augment these in the foreseeable future, Karachi can only expect much worse to come.


NEWS BRIEFS

Weekly Fatalities: Major Conflicts in South Asia
August 20-26, 2012

 

Civilians

Security Force Personnel

Terrorists/Insurgents

Total

INDIA

 

Nagaland

0
0
2
2

Left-wing Extremism

 

Bihar

1
0
0
1

Chhattisgarh

0
0
2
2

Maharashtra

2
0
0
2

Odisha

1
0
0
1

Total (INDIA)

4
0
4
8

PAKISTAN

 

Balochistan

8
0
0
8

FATA

17
0
85
102

PoK

 

Gilgit-Baltistan

3
2
0
5

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

2
4
6
12

Sindh

17
2
2
21

Total (PAKISTAN)

47
8
93
148
Provisional data compiled from English language media sources.


INDIA

Pakistan might plan bigger cyber attack, says Government report: A classified Government report on the recent incidents [incidents after Assam Riots], described as the worst cyber attack on the country, has said that it should not be treated as an 'isolated incident'. According to the report, this exercise was not merely aimed at spreading communal hatred, but also to test the effectiveness of network of 'modules and sleeper cells' of subversive outfits in states like Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Kerala. Deccan Chronicle, August 25, 2012.

115 designated NE terror groups high on IB radar, says report: Out of the 115 terrorist organisations of Northeast (NE), there are many who have been fighting for a 'homeland', while there are many more who have been fuelling the fire from across the borders. Intelligence Bureau officials point out that they suspect that terrorist groups from Bangladesh funded by the Pakistan establishment are looking to strike. KanglaOnline, August 25, 2012.

Terrorists reviving outfits in Tripura, says State DGP Sanjay Sinha: Terrorists have been trying to strengthen their base in Tripura ahead of the assembly polls early next year but Security Forces are ready to tackle them, the State's Director General of Police (DGP) said on August 21. "Even though the outlawed guerillas have been trying to create troubles before next year's assembly polls, the security forces are also getting ready to hit back with a befitting manner," DGP Sanjay Sinha said . The Sentinel, August 22, 2012.

Maoist organisations backing Maruti Suzuki workers' agitation, says Union Government: The Union government on August 22 said several frontal organisations of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) and their sympathisers had been supporting the Maruti Suzuki workers' agitation and had even organised demonstrations aimed at influencing labour unions and workers in Delhi and its adjoining industrial belts. Minister of State for Home Jitendra Singh said Maoists had adopted new strategies, which include using women and children as human-shields during exchange of fire with security forces. The Hindu, August 24, 2012.

Funds from LeT and JuD routed via Indian banks, IB alerts RBI: Based on intelligence inputs, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has asked banks to scrub the system to spot the transfer of funds to an account in Lahore (Pakistan). The move is seen as a significant move to spot beneficiaries and supporters of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) founder Hafiz Mohammad Saeed in India. The Times of India, August 24, 2012.

Intelligence agencies updating sources of terrorist funding all over the country: Intelligence and investigating agencies are updating understanding of the financial structures and sources of funding of terrorists' outfits all over the country, said Minister of State of Home Affairs Jitendra Singh on August 21. "Available inputs indicate that most outfits receive funds through a combination of hawala, bank accounts and Money Transfer Service Schemes, debit cards and Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN)," Singh said . India Blooms, August 23, 2012.

IM founding member Mohammed Sajjid key suspect in the August 1 Pune serial bomb blast, say Police officials: According to Police officials, Mohammed Sajjid, one of the founding members of Indian Mujahideen (IM), is a key suspect in the August 1, 2012, Pune (Maharashtra) serial bomb blasts. A bicycle shop owner who was shown pictures of some suspects identified Sajjid alias 'Bada Sajjid' as the man who had purchased from him one of the cycles used in the explosions. DNA, August 21, 2012.


NEPAL

Deputy Prime Minister Shrestha says Government ready to quit if parties forge agreement on peace, statute: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Narayan Kaji Shrestha on August 20 said that Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (UCPN-Maoist) is ready to quit Government if the parties forge agreement on peace and constitution. Shrestha said his party is open to discussion on a formation of a new government if that creates an enabling atmosphere towards forging national consensus. Nepal News, August 21, 2012.


PAKISTAN

85 militants and 17 civilians among 102 persons killed during the week in FATA:Security Forces on August 26 killed at least 20 militants and injured 10 others in a clash during a raid in Batwar area of Salarzai tehsil (revenue unit) in Bajaur Agency of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).

At least 28 militants and four members of the Salarzai Qaumi Lashkar were killed and 10 militants and four Security Force (SF) personnel injured as the fighting continued for the second day on August 25 along the border area of Batwar in Bajaur Agency. In addition, seven persons belonging to one family were killed and eight others, including women and children, were injured when two mortar shells hit a house in Qambarkhel area of Bara region in Khyber Agency.

Eighteen suspected militants were killed and another six were injured when missiles fired by United States (US) drones slammed into suspected militants' hideouts in Shawal area of North Waziristan Agency (NWA) on August 24. Also, eight militants were killed and two of their hideouts destroyed after SFs shelling in Gawaki area of Orakzai Agency. Also, six militants and two Lashkars (tribal militia) were killed and five civilians were injured when at least 100 militants from across the Afghanistan border entered Batwar village in Salarzai tehsil (revenue unit) in Bajaur Agency and started firing on the posts set up by Salarzai Qaumi Lashkar.

Five militants were killed and two others injured when a US drone fired missiles at a vehicle near Shnakhura village in NWA on August 21. Daily Times; Dawn; The News; Tribune; Central Asia Online; The Nation; The Frontier Post; Pakistan Today; Pakistan Observer, August 21-27, 2012.

There is evidence of TTP presence in Karachi, says Interior Minister Rehman Malik: Interior Minister Rehman Malik on August 23 said that there was evidence of presence of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh, and that action was being taken against them. He asked TTP to surrender arms, saying that otherwise the Government was determined to take the campaign against terrorism to its logical conclusion. Daily Times, August 24, 2012.

Osama bin Laden's Abbottabad hideout carved out of Pakistan military academy, claims book: A new book, 'Leading from Behind: The Reluctant President and the Advisors Who Decide for Him', written by American journalist Richard Miniter, has claimed that Abbottabad [Khyber Pakhtunkhwa] house where al Qaeda 'chief' Osama bin Laden lived was "carved out" from Pakistan Military Academy compound and its Army chief may have been briefed beforehand on the 'kill Osama mission'. The Book also claims that an officer of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) helped the CIA track down Laden. In addition, the book said that the US President Barack Obama put off three times operations to kill Osama bin Laden before finally going ahead with the mission at the insistence of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The Indian Express, August 23, 2012.


SRI LANKA

Sri Lanka begins final stage of resettlement process, says Minister of Resettlement Gunaratne Weerakoon:The Minister of Resettlement Gunaratne Weerakoon on August 20 said that Sri Lank has begun the final stage of resettlement process to resettle the remaining internally displaced person (IDP) families in the Northern Province. Recently the government has resettled 994 IDPs belonging to 300 families who had been living in Menik Farm Village in Puthukudiyiruppu West in Mullaitivu District which had been cleared of mines recently. ColomboPage, August 21, 2012.

Cabinet approval granted to amend Terrorist Financing Act, says Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella:Cabinet approval was granted on August 23 to a proposal by External Affairs Minister Prof G L Peiris to instruct the Legal Draftsman to draft amendments to the Convention on Suppression of Terrorist Financing Act No 25 of 2005. Cabinet Spokesman and Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said this is in keeping with the recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force of the G 7 countries to eliminate the remaining deficiencies in the law. Daily News, August 24, 2012.


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.

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