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| Southeast Asia |
| Terrorists may use Southeast Asia to target India - B. Raman |
| 2005-09-12 |
| International terrorist groups may use Southeast Asia to target India, says a leading expert. According to a new book, the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen (HuM), the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), the Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami-Bangladesh (HUJI-B) and foreign branches of the Tablighi Jamaat have been responsible for most terror attacks in India since 1999. All these groups are members of Osama bin Laden's International Islamic Federation (IIF). "It is reasonable to feel concerned that in future they might begin using the Southeast Asian countries for operations mounted against India," says B. Raman, a former Indian government official. His paper, Jihadi Terrorism, forms part of the book, "Terrorism in Southeast Asia: Implications for South Asia". Raman also points to the possibility of the jehadi groups in Southeast Asia forming sleeper cells in southern India. "The increased interest displayed by the LeT in Southeast Asia could be an indicator of its interest in exploring the possibility of infiltrating into south India with the help of recruits from among the large number of south Indian Muslim migrants in Singapore and Indonesia," Raman says. "South India has till now remained free of overt acts of international jihadi terrorism. "However, the LeT has been trying to set up pan-Islamic jihadi movements in south India... In this connection, an LeT presence in Southeast Asia should be of concern to India." Two years ago the Tamil Nadu Police uncovered a plan to set up a new group called the Muslim Defence Force by some locals who were allegedly in touch with a Gulf-based cadre of LeT identified as Abu Hamza. "Though this plan has been thwarted for the time being, renewed attempts are likely in future." Raman pointed to the growing strategic relations between India and Western countries such as the US, Britain and France. Western military ships have also called on south Indian ports. Referring to the detention of 13 suspected members of Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) in Singapore in 2002 who were of Indian origin, he said this showed the Southeast Asian-based group "has already made some inroads into the community of Indian origin in this region. "It would be reasonable to presume that there could be others who remain undetected so far." Raman called for greater interaction by India, at the governmental and non-governmental levels, with the countries of the region and their security and counter-terrorism agencies. "Bilateral cooperation with some countries such as Singapore has been quite good. Much more needs to be done." The writer pointed out that Tablighi Jamaat was an Islamic humanitarian organisation with headquarters in India and was formed during the British Raj with the ostensible purpose of making Muslims better Muslims. While its workers in India have confined their activities to its stated aims, its branches in Pakistan and Bangladesh have helped the Pakistani members of the IIF to recruit cadres for terrorist activities. |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |