DELHI DIARY, DECEMBER 3-7

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 005228

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E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER KISL MCAP PINR SOCI IN
SUBJECT: DELHI DIARY, DECEMBER 3-7

REF: A. DELHI 5208

B. DELHI 5158

C. KOLKATA 372

D. 2006 NEW DELHI 08344


1. (U) Below is a compilation of political highlights from
Embassy New Delhi for December 3-7, 2007 that did not feature
in our other reporting, including:

-- Delhi Police on Terror Alert
-- Babri Masjid: Continues to Cast Shadow
-- India Conducts New Missile Defense Tests.
-- Minor Demonstration Against Pakistani High Commission

Delhi Police on Terror Alert
--------------


2. (SBU) All major newspapers ran front page articles
December 4 on the Delhi Police going into high alert
following an Intelligence Bureau (IB) advisory warning of a
possible terrorist attack in Delhi during the next two weeks.
The likely terrorist outfits mentioned in the news reports
are Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad and
Harkat-ul-Jihad-e-Islam, all of which have been linked to
previous terrorist attacks within India. A spokesman for
Delhi Police acknowledged that the police have stepped up
security measures at courts, crowded public places and high
value targets. He noted that the police had deployed dog
squads, bomb disposal units and quick reaction teams at
strategic locations and are keeping a close eye on the
capital city,s borders with neighboring states. Security has
also been reinforced at police and paramilitary targets and
temple compounds.


3. (SBU) The latest terrorist warning comes about one week
after a series of bomb blasts at courthouses in three Uttar
Pradesh (UP) cities (Ref B). Minutes before the first UP
court bombing on November 23, media outlets received an email
warning about the UP attacks. That email also carried a
threat of attacks against Delhi police. The latest IB warning
apparently is broader, covering all likely terrorist targets
instead of only courthouses and police and paramilitary
compounds. The Delhi Police are also nervous because
December 6 is the anniversary of the Babri Masjid
destruction. RSO New Delhi notes that while the Delhi police
are telling the public not to panic they are taking this
threat seriously. Embassy convened an EAC meeting on
December 5 and reported more fully on the security aspects of
this issue (Ref A).

Babri Masjid Continues to Cast Shadow
--------------


4. (U) Although some of the emotion has dimmed, the 15-year
old Babri Masjid destruction remains provocative and
continues to find its way into political debate in India. On
the event,s December 6 anniversary, there were noisy scenes
in both houses of parliament as members demanded punishment
for perpetrators of the Babri Masjid demolition. The Left
parties were joined by the Samajwadi Party and the Telegu
Desam Party in leading the protests in parliament. Bharatiya
Janata Party members tried to deflect the attack by
countering with its catigating the CPM over its actions in
Nandigram (Ref C). Both houses adjourned for the day due to
the uproar on the floor.


5. (U) Half a dozen groups organized protests and took out
demonstration at Jantar Mantar, the designated central Delhi
location for political protests. Delhi Police quickly
quelled a few physical clashes that broke out between small
numbers of Shiv Sena activists and some Muslim organizations.
A television station aired a story about the discovery of
five crude bombs at a courthouse in Rae Bareli, Uttar
Pradesh, as police continued to tighten security at sensitive
locations in the state.

India Conducts New Missile Defense Tests.
--------------


6. (U) The GOI has claimed success in two tests of a new
missile defense weapon system it conducted on December 2 and

NEW DELHI 00005228 002 OF 002


6 in the Bay of Bengal. Both tests involved a mock "enemy
missile," a modified, indigenously designed Prithvi missile,
launched over the Bay of Bengal, and an interceptor missile,
launched within minutes in an attempt to intercept the target
missile. India,s missile defense (MD) system is led by Dr.
Saraswat of the Defense Research and Development Organization
(DRDO),who told reporters that the December 6 missile test
successfully destroyed the target missile. The interceptor
missile did not physically meet the target missile but used a
proximity fuse to destroy both missiles when it reached
within a few hundred meters of the target missile,s
trajectory. DRDO reportedly conducted these latest tests to
validate an "endo-atmospheric" MD system, designed to knock
out enemy missiles while they are within 30km of the earth,s
surface. In November 2006 DRDO tested an "exo-atmospheric" MD
system, launching an interceptor missile that reportedly
destroyed a target missile at a higher altitude,
approximately 50km above the earth,s surface (Ref D). DRDO
used modified Prithvi missiles for both interceptor and
target vehicles in the 2006 tests and for the target vehicle
in the latest tests, but reportedly deployed a new missile
design for the latest interceptor vehicle, described in the
media as a single-stage, solid propellant missile.


7. (U) COMMENT: India has demonstrated its continuing keen
interest in developing a functioning MD system capable of
defending itself from possible Pakistan or Chinese hostile
missile attacks. Yet Pakistan is pushing forward with
deployment of a ground hugging cruise missile which can reach
India within minutes, against which India,s current MD
system is entirely inadequate. Indian contacts tell us they
are interested in continuing low-level exchanges on MD
concepts, and would welcome any technology anyone would be
willing to give away, but operationally these tests show that
India is interested in developing its own indigenous
capabilities.

Minor Demonstration Against Pakistani High Commission
--------------


8. (SBU) An obscure Indian leftist political organization
held a small march and demonstration in New Delhi,s
diplomatic enclave on December 4 to protest President
Musharraf,s administration and US engagement with Pakistan.
Delhi police informed RSO that approximately 30-40 people
identifying themselves as the
"Bangladesh-Bharat(India)-Pakistan People,s Forum" (BBPPF)
marched to the Pakistani High Commission at 11:00am to
deliver a prepared political memo. After going to the
Pakistani High Commission, the demonstrators wished to submit
a copy of the memo to the U.S. Embassy but police admitted
only two persons to submit it in person, which was received
by RSO and a copy given to POL section. The memo accuses
President Musharraf of subverting democracy and oppressing
the Pakistani people and accuses the USG of being the puppet
master of Pakistani politics. The address and telephone
number on the pamphlet is that of Mr. Debabrata Biswas,
leftist Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament, West Bengal. The
BBPPF has been in existence for approximately two years, and
has enjoyed the public support of Mulayam Singh Yadav and his
Samajwadi Party. There was no violence, traffic disturbance
or other problems reported in relation to the demonstration.
MULFORD