NARAYANAN SEES PAKISTANI EFFORT TO BUILD TERRORIST

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 007585 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/25/2016 TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER PINR PBTS MOPS KDEM KISL PK IN SUBJECT: NARAYANAN SEES PAKISTANI EFFORT TO BUILD TERRORIST INFRASTRUCTURE IN INDIA REF: A. A) CHENNAI 2467 ¶B. B) ISLAMABAD 021224 NEW DELHI 00007585 001.2 OF 002 Classified By: Ambassador David C. Mulford for Reasons 1.4 (B, D) ¶1. (S) Summary: The Ambassador met with National Security Advisor M.K. Narayanan to discuss counter-terrorism issues and the state of India-Pakistan relations ahead of the Foreign Secretary talks on November 14th and 15th. Narayanan warned that the recently thwarted terrorist attack in Mysore was particularly serious because it shows the extent to which infiltration is spreading throughout India. He said Pakistan is using intelligence tactics to build an infrastructure of terrorist sleeper cells, so they can send people to live in India for several years and recruit others to support their attacks. He clarified his earlier statements to the press that in the case of the Mumbai attacks, where the terrorists have been trained is a greater concern than who gave the order for the attack. Narayanan emphasized that the one thing the US can do to support India is to relate to Pakistan that ultimately these attacks will not accomplish anything for Pakistan. Regardless of the Prime Minister's commitment to the peace process, India will not allow movement on Siachen, Sir Creek, Kashmir or any other issue so long as terrorist attacks continue, he stressed. End Summary. Pakistan Sending Sleeper Cells to India -------------- ¶2. (S) In response to the Ambassadors questioning about the recent arrests of two al-Badr terrorists in Mysore (Ref A), Narayanan said the incident demonstrates that Pakistan is using classic espionage tactics to place sleeper cells in India, sending people in years in advance of an attack to lay the ground work and recruit Indian citizens to carry out the attacks. He said the tactic poses a significant problem for Indian intelligence because it has a great deal of sophistication -- the logistics can come from Singapore, the surveillance from Pakistan, the financial support from Saudi Arabia or Dubai, and the attackers from India. He said one of the al-Badr terrorists captured in Mysore had a Pakistani passport and both of them had been trained in Pakistan. Ambassador reiterated US support for India's counter-terror efforts, emphasizing his growing concern in the US about ;Lashkar-i-Taiba attacks. Giving the Joint Mechanism a Chance -------------- ¶3. (S) Narayanan expressed some optimism on prospects for the joint mechanism achieved by the Prime Minister and President Musharref in Havana in September. The PM believes, according to Narayanan, that this is an idea whose time may now have come. If Pakistan is sincere about the initiative and cooperates, he believes the mechanism could make a difference. He allowed that the two countries will probably take several months to lay the ground work before the joint mechanism can become operable. He cited the example of the Sikh militancy in Punjab, where as soon as Pakistan began to work with India and stop supporting local groups, the insurgency collapsed. He said further that the Director General of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate conveyed at the Havana talks not to be "entirely unwilling" to target some groups -- at least Jaish-i-Muhammad, but maybe NEW DELHI 00007585 002.2 OF 002 not Lashkar-i-Taiba. India will not relent -------------- ¶4. (S) Narayanan said the US can help India by reiterating to Pakistan that they have nothing to gain from these attacks. In a country of a billion people that is very poor, he said, there is a lot of capacity to absorb these attacks and take a lot of casualties. No Prime Minister in India will make concessions in response to attacks from Pakistan. He said his press statements on the Mumbai investigations were misinterpreted by the media. Narayanan is less concerned about who is responsible for ordering the attacks, than for what is being done to prevent them. Where terrorists have been trained is even more important. He warned that, ultimately, regardless of the Prime Minister's efforts, nothing will move on Siachen, Sir Creek, Kashmir or any other issue as long as terrorist attacks continue to emanate from Pakistan. Narayanan: a Strong Message, a Soft Manner -------------- ¶5. (S) Comment: Pakistan has a chance to follow through on its promises to move against these groups. If Narayanan senses that Pakistan is insincere in the joint mechanism -- that it is using it as cover to move Lashkar-i-Taiba or al-Badr operations into India instead of ridding South Asia of them altogether -- he will likely have the influence with Sonia Gandhi and the security agencies to slow if not stop the Prime Minister's hopes of reaching agreement on Sir Creek, Siachen, or even Kashmir. In contrast to ref B interpretation from Pakistan's MFA Director General for India, Narayanan's press statements were intended to refocus blame for the attacks in Mumbai squarely with Pakistan.END COMMENT MULFORD