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22,000 fighters deployed by the ChRI Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and even the After , Details more than a decade ago.28 Foreign West.31 Emerge on the Karachi fighters are also in short supply. Since 2003, jihadist syndicates have These developments pose complex Project and its Threat to eschewed the Caucasus in favor of more challenges for Russian officials. A promising fronts in Afghanistan and diffuse insurgency is more difficult Iraq.29 Yet while the aggregate number to defeat using conventional military By Animesh Roul of militants in the has means. A delocalized insurgency, in decreased, the relative intensity and turn, is more likely to attract disaffected the 14 months of calm after the extensity of their operations remains Muslims from other regions. In this November 2008 terrorist relatively consistent. sense, the decade-long devolution from attacks were shattered when militants tariqat to jama`at produced a movement bombed the Indian city of Pune on This consistency reflects longstanding that is more ethical than political—one February 13, 2010. The attack targeted flaws in ’s counterinsurgency preoccupied with idealized notions a popular German bakery located in strategy. Characterized by corrupt of violence rather than the creation of the Koregaon Park area. The bakery is regional leaders, a repressive security social and political institutions. situated near a Hindu spiritual center apparatus, and two decades of (Osho Rajneesh) and a Jewish cultural protracted civil strife, conditions in These attributes indicate chronic center (the Chabbad House) that are the North Caucasus present fertile weakness. The Caucasian Front cannot frequented by foreigners and affluent ground for Umarov’s appeals to pan- seize and hold territory. It cannot Punekars. Seventeen people were killed Islamic solidarity. The operations mobilize sustained indigenous support. in the bombing, including five foreign tempo also reflects emerging It cannot even articulate a coherent nationals.1 Among the injured were recruitment patterns. Although exiled vision of the political future. Reduced Iranian, Sudanese, Taiwanese, German, ChRI leaders such as to a self-styled virtual emirate, it Yemeni and Nepalese citizens. Forensic have openly denounced Umarov’s lacks the attributes associated with investigations into the incident suggest Salafist agenda, the Caucasian Front successful insurgencies. This weakness that the militants used a remotely- now attracts a new generation of Islamic will not translate into a more passive detonated improvised explosive device militants from across the former Soviet or quiescent adversary, however. By comprising a mixture of ammonium Union. engaging in provocative terror, Umarov nitrate, RDX explosives and petroleum actively courts violent reprisal. The hydrocarbon oil.2 The life and death of Said Buryatsky more repressive the Russian response, is a case in point. Born Aleksandr the more radicalized the Caucasus will The bakery was likely targeted because Tikhomirov in the western Siberian become. Against this backdrop, the it is located in a crowded area and more city of Ulan-Ude, the ethnic Buryat Moscow metro bombings suggest the vulnerable to attack. It was a popular abandoned his region’s Buddhist same kind of “vexation and exhaustion” meeting place, and the timing of the blast heritage and converted to Islam at age strategies adopted in other theaters coincided with the peak evening hours 15. In 2008, he joined the Caucasian along the umma’s cultural and geographic when foreigners and Indian visitors Front, using videos, blogs, and other periphery.32 Unable to use force to frequent the area. It is likely that the social networking media to document achieve political ends, Umarov has militants selected the bakery either due his experiences as a guerrilla.30 In embraced force as an end unto itself. to heightened security measures at the 2009, he helped reconstitute Riyadus- respective spiritual and cultural centers Salikhin, launching a series of suicide Christopher Swift is an attorney and a nearby, or as a last minute change in operations targeting Ingush President Ph.D. candidate in the Department of strategy based on the size of the crowd Yunus-Bek Yevkurov. By the time Politics & International Studies at the at the restaurant. of his death in 2010, Buryatsky had University of Cambridge. His research gained international prominence examines convergence and divergence After the attack, a flurry of conflicting as an impassioned advocate of jihad, in contemporary Islamic militancy, with reports surfaced about the terrorist with a following among self-identified an emphasis on the relationship between groups responsible for the blast as “internet mujahidin” in Afghanistan, al-Qa`ida and indigenous Muslim multiple unknown groups claimed credit insurgencies. He has conducted fieldwork for the operation. Suspicion, however, 28 “Federalniim cilam v. Chechne protivostoyat 22 tiic. in regions including Afghanistan and the remains on Pakistan-based Lashkar-i- boevikov,” Cyr.ru, November 4, 1999. North Caucasus. Tayyiba (LT) and its Indian homegrown 29 Despite the presence of foreign fighters in the North affiliate, the Indian Mujahidin (IM). Caucasus during the first and second Russo-Chechen Details continue to emerge suggesting wars, geographic isolation, linguistic barriers, and strong that the plot may have been part of the border controls limited substantial Arab infiltration. See LT’s so-called “Karachi Project.” The Cerwyn Moore and Paul Tumelty, “Foreign Fighters and the Case of : A Critical Assessment,” Studies in 31 Paul Quinn-Judge, “Russia’s Terror Goes Viral,” For- 1 “Pune Blast: Toll Rises to 17,” Outlook India, February Conflict and Terrorism 31:5 (2008). eign Policy, March 29, 2010. 17, 2010. 30 Kevin Daniel Leahy, “Sheikh Said Buryatski and the 32 Abu Bakr Naji, The Management of Savagery, trans- 2 Vishwas Kothari and Asseem Shaikh, “Terror For- Fresh Cult of the Suicide Bombing in the North Cauca- lated by William McCants, Combating Terrorism Center, mula: RDX, Ammonium Nitrate, Oil,” Times News Net- sus,” Central Asia-Caucasus Analyst, September 16, 2009. West Point. work, February 17, 2010.

6 april 2010 . Vol 3 . Issue 4 project entails Pakistan-based militant recruited in India, sent to Pakistan Khwaja’s account also matches Salman groups training and deploying Indian via third-party countries, trained in Ahmed’s statements about future Muslims for attacks in the Indian military tactics, and then deployed back terrorist plots targeting India. Salman heartland. This article provides insight to India to execute attacks. Established reportedly confessed that IM cadres into the Karachi Project, and how it Pakistani militant groups—such as the were being used in the ISI-LT’s Karachi possibly played a role in the Pune LT—continue to serve as the planners Project.10 According to Salman, the blast. of these attacks, but by using Indian leaders of the project remain intent on Muslims they are able to strike deeper executing bomb attacks in New Delhi, The Karachi Project into the Indian heartland. Moreover, Mumbai and Bangalore.11 The cells are Information about the Karachi Project the use of Indian citizens also helps trained to target foreigners in these was revealed by David Coleman obfuscate the role of Pakistan-based attacks.12 Salman also said that Amir Headley, a Pakistani-American who groups in the attacks. Raza Khan, one of the IM’s founders, is in in March 2010 pled guilty in the charge of the Karachi Project, along with United States to terrorist offenses.3 Some recent arrests have helped shed senior IM operatives Riyaz Bhatkal and According to information revealed more light on the activities of the project. Iqbal Bhatkal who hold vital operational by Headley, who played a key role in The interrogations and confessions of positions. The ISI also allegedly plays the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks, Mohammed Abdul Khwaja (known as a role, and collaborates with the LT in the Karachi Project was reportedly Amjad) and Salman Ahmed (known as supporting IM operatives.13 conceived in 2003 after the closure of Chottu) revealed detailed information the Inter-Services Intelligence’s (ISI) on how Pakistan-based, anti-Indian Indian authorities believe that the Pune Forward Section 23 wing in Pakistan- terrorist cells are collaborating to attack blast was part of this project.14 The administered Kashmir.4 The Karachi India.6 The arrests revealed a lethal LT- men that Indian authorities suspect of Project has allegedly mobilized militant HuJI7 and IM nexus. The goal of these having a direct role in the Pune attack and criminal syndicates—both Pakistani cells is to attack Indian-administered have ties to both the LT and the IM, as and fugitive Indian nationals—as part Kashmir as well as the Indian heartland. well as to the Karachi Project.15 Mohsin of a new wave of proxy wars targeting Khwaja is a self-styled HuJI commander Ismail Chaudhary, for example, has Indian urban centers from Karachi. with active ties to LT, Jaysh-i- been identified as an IM operative and The purpose of the project is to deploy Muhammad and IM mastermind Riaz a recruiter of the organization’s Pune Indian Muslims to carry out attacks Bhatkal. Like Headley, Khwaja revealed cell.16 Indian authorities suspect that in India using locally available bomb that a number of Indian nationals are he is part of the Karachi Project and is material so that the attacks are not housed in Karachi and are undergoing controlling sleeper cells in Pune and traced back to Pakistan.5 As part of indoctrination and training for jihadist other cities in Maharashtra state from the project, discontented Muslims are activities in India as part of the Karachi his safe haven in Karachi.17 Project.8 Khwaja himself recruited at

3 David Coleman Headley was born Daood Sayed Gi- least 24 Muslim youth and reportedly Another suspect in the Pune attack is lani and changed his name to hide his Muslim identity. sent them for terrorist training in Mohammed . Yasin is According to Headley’s earlier confessions, Karachi has Pakistan—it is not clear, however, considered to be the IM’s explosives been a hub for anti-Indian activities spearheaded by ISI/ whether his personal recruits were part expert, and authorities believe he 9 18 LT elements. Being part of that larger conspiracy, Head- of the project. is currently in Karachi. Known to ley surveyed targets for the November 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks. He also surveyed Pune, Delhi, Goa and 10 Salman reportedly confessed during his interrogation Mumbai for future terrorist plots. Headley visited Pune that the IM cadres were being used for the ISI-LT’s Kara- in July 2008 and March 2009. For details, see “Nine chi Project. See “Terror Alert Sounded in Mumbai, Ban- Killed, 45 Injured in Pune Terror Attack,” Hindustan 6 For reports on these arrests, see “Hyderabad STF Catch galore and Kolkata,” Economic Times, March 9, 2010. Times, February 13, 2010; “Headley Twisted Facts While Was In-Charge of Terror Recruitments, Say Police,” Mid 11 Ibid. Applying India Visa: Report,” Rediff.com, December 8, Day, January 21, 2010; “MP ATS to Question ‘IM Terror- 12 Ibid. 2009; “US Citizen David Headley Admits Role in Mum- ist’ Salman,” Rediff.com, March 9, 2010. 13 Khwaja told his interrogators that his accommodation bai Attacks,” BBC, March 18, 2010. 7 Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islam (HuJI) was founded by Qari and other facilities were arranged by a “Colonel Ahmed” 4 ISI’s Forward Section 23 monitored subversive anti- Saifullah Akhtar in the early 1980s. The organization has who had been assigned by the ISI to look after the food, India operations from Pakistan-administered Kashmir. been active in Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and Bangla- accommodation and needs of militants who fled from In- The Forward Section 23 unit was allegedly involved in desh with active support from Pakistan-based deobandi dia and were now sheltered in Karachi. See, “ISI Colonel training militants and providing logistics for the proxy religious bodies. It carried out many attacks in India, in- Takes Care of Karachi Logistics,” Express Buzz, March 12, war against India. Under U.S. pressure, the ISI report- cluding the March 2006 Sankatmochan Temple blast in 2010. edly terminated its operations in 2003 by shutting down Varanasi and the May 2007 twin blasts in Hyderabad. 14 “Pune Blast Part of Lashkar’s ‘Karachi Project’?” training camps and operations offices in the region. It In March 2008, the U.S. blacklisted HuJI’s Bangladesh Times News Network, February 15, 2010. supposedly moved its anti-India infrastructure to Kara- franchise as a global terrorist organization. For details, 15 Vishwa Mohan, “IM Man’s Pune Accounts Frozen,” chi to continue its agenda. For details, see Syed Saleem see Ahmed Khaled, “The Biggest Militia We Know Noth- Times News Network, April 1, 2010. Shahzad, “Ceasefire Will Not Hold, With Same Game, ing About,” Friday Times, May 20, 2002. 16 Ibid.; “Hunt Begins for Mohsin, Missing IM Recruit- New Rules,” South Asia Tribune, November 30-Decem- 8 “ISI, LeT Getting Indian Jihadis Together in Karachi er,” Indian Express, February 15, 2010. ber 6, 2003. for Attack,” Indian Express, February 1, 2010. 17 Ibid. 5 Raj Narayan, “Karachi Project: A Nefarious Plan to De- 9 Ibid.; “Khwaja Planned to Bomb IOC Depot in Hydera- 18 “Yasin Bhatkal is IM Bombmaker, Now in Karachi: stabilize India,” India Syndicate, March 28, 2010. bad,” Express Buzz, January 20, 2010. Probe Team,” Indian Express, February 22, 2010; “IM

7 april 2010 . Vol 3 . Issue 4 intelligence agencies as “Shah Rukh,” quite consistent with the Karachi Assessing the Recent Yasin was identified as a terrorist Project.25 Even though the ONGC and following the September 13, 2008 blasts German Bakery plots are different, and Terrorist Threat to the in New Delhi that killed 30 people.19 perhaps schemed by separate terror Malacca Strait Yasin and Mohsin Chaudhary are close modules, authorities believe that the aides of Riyaz Bhatkal and Iqbal Bhatkal, ONGC conspiracy was also hatched in By Peter Chalk two senior IM operatives believed to be Karachi.26 operating from Dubai and Karachi.20 on march 4, 2010, naval authorities Despite pressure from the United States, issued a threat advisory of a potential Continued Threats to India it does not appear that elements within terrorist plot targeting shipping As details emerge about the Karachi Pakistan’s government will completely interests transiting the Malacca Strait. Project, it is clear that militants inside crack down on the activities of the LT. Malaysia’s navy chief, Admiral Abdul Pakistan are posing an ongoing threat Pakistan is already suffering from its Aziz Jaafar, warned that “terrorists to India. Both Khwaja and Salman own jihadist violence from various are targeting specific tankers in the reportedly told their interrogators that Pakistani Taliban groups, and it risks Malacca Strait and Singapore Strait.”1 IM operatives in Karachi were under making more domestic enemies by Singapore’s home affairs minister, pressure from the ISI-LT leadership turning against militant cadres focused Wong Kan Seng, said, “We received to organize fresh terrorist attacks on the country’s rival, India.27 As a intelligence from our liaison partners in India.21 Like Khwaja, Salman was result, it appears only a matter of time about this possible plot to go and attack instructed to reactivate dormant IM before the LT and IM execute another vessels coming through Singapore cells in India.22 As stated by an Indian attack on the Indian homeland. waters through the Strait of Malacca.”2 intelligence official, the IM has become The warning came on the heels of the a potential resource base that the “LT Animesh Roul is a New Delhi-based analyst arrests of 14 suspected terrorists at an hopes to use right from identification with expertise on radical Islam, terrorism, alleged Jemaah Islamiya (JI) training and reconnaissance of targets to and security issues in South Asia. He is a camp on Indonesia’s Sumatra Island, arranging logistics for terror attacks.”23 founding member and presently the executive which forms the eastern boundary of the director of research at the New Delhi-based waterway.3 The incident has heightened Shortly after the Pune attack, the Society for the Study of Peace and Conflict, regional and international concerns that Mumbai police’s Anti-Terrorism an independent policy research organization. the Malacca Strait could become a focus Squad (ATS) foiled another major LT- He has written scholarly and investigative of Islamist maritime terrorism.4 IM plot in March by arresting Abdul papers for Terrorism Monitor, ISN Security Latif and Riyaz Ali, who were allegedly Watch, CBW Magazine and NBR Analysis, In light of these recent threats, this planning to attack the headquarters of among others. Mr. Roul is the recipient of article examines the likelihood of sea- the Indian oil major ONGC, along with the MacArthur Foundation’s Asia Security based extremist violence in the region, the bustling Mangaldas Market and Initiative Blogger award in 2009 and he also JI’s capacity to operate in an offshore Borivali’s Thakkar Mall in Mumbai.24 blogs frequently at the Counterterrorism Blog environment, and whether Southeast The subsequent probe revealed a on South Asian terrorism issues. Asia is a place that al-Qa`ida would seek “strategy” and “recruitment” pattern to exploit in terms of maritime attacks. It finds that the risk of a decisive maritime

Suspect in Pune Blast,” Telegraph [Kolkata], April 9, strike in the Malacca Strait is low, 2010. especially in the context of disrupting 19 “Hunt Begins for Mohsin, Missing IM Recruiter.” For shipping interests as part of an economic details on the September 13, 2008 New Delhi blasts, see war against the West. Rahul Tripathi, “Serial Blasts Rock Delhi; 30 Dead, 90 Injured,” Times of India, September 14, 2008. 20 “ISI Colonel Takes Care of Karachi Logistics.” 1 Alex Kennedy, “Tankers Warned of Terror Threat in 21 “Terror Alert Sounded in Mumbai, Bangalore and Malacca Strait,” Associated Press, March 4, 2010. Kolkata.” 2 “Singapore Raises Security Alert Levels After Malacca 22 Ibid. Strait Threat,” Reuters, March 5, 2010. 23 “IM has ‘Hostels’ in Gulf, Nepal & Bangladesh Too,” 3 Ibid.; “14 Suspects Charged Under Indonesia’s Anti- Economic Times, March 11, 2010. Terror Laws,” ChannelNewsAsia.com, March 4, 2010. 24 According to the Anti-Terrorist Squad of the Mum- 4 The Joint War Council of the Lloyds Market Associa- bai police, the accused were in touch with one Karachi- tion designated the Malacca Strait an area of Perceived based “Uncle,” identified as Khan Abdul Bashir Ainul Enhanced Risk in July 2005. For details, see Peter Chalk, Haq Khan, a fugitive himself accused of involvement in The Maritime Dimension of International Security (Santa the 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blasts case. This “Uncle” Monica, CA: RAND, 2008), p. 33; Martin Murphy, Small reportedly directed the two men to recruit Indian youth Boats, Weak States, Dirty Money (New York: Columbia and arrange them to be sent to Pakistan for training and University Press, 2009), pp. 83-84; Graham Gerard Ong- to carry out terrorist attacks in India. For details, see 25 “Phone Calls Made by Mumbai Terror Suspects Webb, “Introduction: Southeast Asian Piracy: Research “Two Held for Planning Attacks in Mumbai,” Financial Traced to Karachi,” PTI, March 15, 2010. and Developments,” in Graham Gerard Ong-Webb ed., Express, March 15, 2010; “Court Extends Custody of Sus- 26 Ibid. Piracy, Maritime Terrorism and Securing the Malacca Straits pects in ONGC Fire Plot,” Indian Express, April 14, 2010. 27 Narayan. (Singapore: ISEAS, 2006), p. xxxiv.

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