Lashkar-e-Taiba, which is the primary suspect in the serial bomb blasts in New Delhi, has close links with the global terrorist outfit Al-Qaida, besides Palestinian terrorist outfit Hamas. "We have strong inputs that the cadres, ammunition and funds are shared by al-Qaeda with LeT," a top intelligence officer told TOI.
According to a senior state police officer, Lashkar is a sister or an ally of al-Qaeda because ideologically and nature wise they are alike. Both seek rule of Nizam-e-Mustafa in the world. Lashkar, according to the intelligence sources was born out of the forces that fought in Afghanistan against Russians in 1980s. The success in Afghanistan gave the confidence to Pakistan that it had the expertise to create terrorists and it was in 1983 alone that Markaz-e-Dawa-ul-Irshad set up its terrorist wing Lashkar-e-Taiba to establish pan-Islamic rule in the world. "Since then Lashkar has closely worked and sought assistance from Al-Qaida," an intelligence officer said.
LeT set up its base in J&K in early 1990s and has succeeded in establishing its modules in all Indian states which have substantial population of Muslims. These modules comprise well educated and computer literate Sunni Muslim boys between 20-30 years of age, as per sources in Intelligence Bureau (IB). Only Sunnis are recruited because the group propagates Sunni Wahabism, the pan-Islamic doctrine. The Indian Muslim members of Lashkar are never promoted as top commanders in the organisation. The first and the second rung leadership level is always held by Pakistan nationals.
Lashkar is headed by Hafiz Mohammad Sayeed based at Lahore, Pakistan. After being banned, LeT has been reorganised into two supposedly exclusive bodies, one devoted to preaching of Islam under Hafiz Muhammad Saeed and the other to carry on its violent campaign under the leadership of Kashmiri scholar Maulana Abdul Wahid Kashmiri. It has also taken up its new name as Al-Mansurian in Jammu and Kashmir. It has further divided the leadership into two wings for carrying out violent activities with an agenda to enforce Nizam-e-Mustafa, the Muslim rule in India. One head looks after operations in J&K and the other commander deals with terrorist activities in India. |