INDIA-PAKISTAN JOINT ANTI-TERROR MECHANISM: SLOW

C O N F I D E N T I A L NEW DELHI 002831

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/31/2013
TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER PK IN
SUBJECT: INDIA-PAKISTAN JOINT ANTI-TERROR MECHANISM: SLOW
PROGRESS ON KABUL BOMBING INVESTIGATION

Classified By: Acting POLCOUNS Lesslie Viguerie for Reasons 1.4 (B, D)


1. (C) Indian External Affairs Ministry Additional Secretary
Vivek Katju and his Pakistani counterpart, Aizaz Ahmad
Choudry, held a Special Session of the Joint Anti-Terror
Mechanism (JATM) on October 24 in New Delhi. This meeting,
which was scheduled when Indian Prime Minister Singh and
Pakistani President Zardari met in New York on September 24,
is the fourth meeting of the JATM.


2. (C) The Special Session focused on the evidence
surrounding the bombing of the Indian Embassy in Kabul on
July 7, and on the Red Corner Notices (RCN) which India
provided Islamabad in March 2007. These list the names of
suspected terrorists operating in India and finding refuge in
Pakistan. Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Deputy
Secretary for Pakistan Affairs G. Balasubramanian told PolOff
that even though MEA was expecting much more from the
Pakistanis during the talks, New Delhi is still hopeful it
will receive additional actionable information from
Islamabad. Katju had reportedly -- according to the Times of
India quoting &sources8 -- shared evidence the GOI had
obtained, including wireless intercepts by U.S. military
agencies, about ISI,s role in the Kabul blast. However, the
JATM had made less progress than MEA had anticipated,
Balasubramanian stated, and India is still waiting on the
results of the independent investigation the Pakistanis
launched after the Kabul bombing. More frustrating to MEA is
what they view as a lack of progress on the RCN. According
to Balasubramanian, Katju told his counterpart that there
needs to be more action on the ground and that visible
progress was needed.


3. (C) In addition to the Kabul bombing, which India also
formally addressed with Pakistan during National Security
Advisor Durrani,s visit earlier in the month, the two sides
reportedly agreed to work to identify further
counter-terrorism mechanisms and assist in investigations
into terror related cases. A Ministry of External Affairs
statement emphasized the &positive, constructive and forward
looking atmosphere8 of the meeting. Katju and Choudry
agreed to meet more frequently and regularly. The previous
JATM regular session was held in June 2008, but only four
meetings -- including the Special Session -- have taken place
since March 2007. The two sides had originally agreed to
meet quarterly.


4. (C) Comment. The emphasis on the Kabul bombing at this
meeting indicates the GOI was not satisfied with Durrani,s
assurances that Pakistan,s Inter-Services Intelligence
Agnecy (ISI) was not involved. As terrorism continues to
mount in India -- the JATM came amidst an uptick in attacks
that has baffled the central government since July --
pressure is increasing on the Congress Party to demonstrate
results in the fight against terror. Certainly India talking
with Pakistan about issues of concern is preferable to not
talking, but given the high profile put on this meeting of
the JATM following its setup by PM Singh and President
Zardari, India has to be disappointed to still have nothing
to show for its dialogue with Islamabad on the Kabul bombing.
With elections just around the corner in India, and the
opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) already making
terrorism an election issue, the Congress Party -- and the
Indian people -- can ill afford counter-terrorism mechanisms
which achieve little more than a positive atmosphere.
MULFORD