INDIA: 2008 COUNTRY REPORTS ON TERRORISM

UNCLAS NEW DELHI 003217


FOR S/CT: RHONDA SHORE AND NCTC

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PTER ASEC IN
SUBJECT: INDIA: 2008 COUNTRY REPORTS ON TERRORISM

REF: STATE 120019



1. (U) Below is New Delhi's submission for the 2008 Country
Report on Terrorism for India.


2. (U) Begin Text:

India continued to rank among the world,s most
terror-afflicted countries in 2008. In a pivotal moment that
is now called "26/11", terrorists struck at a variety of
locations in Mumbai from November 26-28, killing at least 183
(including 22 foreigners) and injuring over 300 more. This
attack was the most recent in a long list of lethal terrorist
incidents this year. Among the major events:

On May 13, Jaipur experienced serial bomb blasts at
crowded market areas and at Hindu temples. At least 60
people were killed, and more than 150 injured.

On June 29 Maoist insurgents attacked and killed 33
security forces in Malkangiri district in the eastern state
of Orissa.

While not on Indian soil, Indian interests were
attacked in Afghanistan when terrorists drove a vehicle-borne
IED into the outer perimeter of the Indian Embassy in Kabul
on July 7. Two Indian diplomats died and a number of Afghan
citizens were wounded.

Serial bombs were set off in Bangalore on July 25 in
both business and industrial areas. At least one individual
died, while 8 were injured.

On July 26, in Gujarat,s capital, Ahmedabad, 21
devices exploded killing 54 and injuring at least 156. These
explosions took place in market areas, on buses and other
vehicles and at the hospital to which the wounded from the
first serial bomb blast were being treated.

Terrorists detonated serial bombs in New Delhi on
September 13 in a variety of market places and other crowded
public areas. These attacks killed at least 20 individuals
and wounded more than 80.

On October 30, insurgents detonated a series of nine
bomb blasts throughout the northeastern state of Assam
killing approximately 110 people.

None of the perpetrators of these attacks has yet been
prosecuted. The Indian government assesses that
Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) or other South Asian Islamic extremist
groups such as the Jaish-e-Mohammad and
Harakat-ul-Jihad-i-Islami (Bangladesh) were behind most of
these events. The Government of India believes that these
attacks are aimed at creating a break-down in India-Pakistan
relations, fostering Hindu-Muslim violence within$India, and
harming India's economic centers to try to retard India's
economic resurgence.

Eastern India (including the Northeastern region) has a long
history of Maoist (left-wing extremist) and insurgent
terrorist activity that has challenged state writ and
control, governance structures, and the ruling political
class. In 2008 there were 50 terrorist attacks in Eastern
India that killed approximately 500 individuals. No American
citizens were targeted or victims of terrorism in any of
these incidents.

Insurgent groups, often fighting for recognition, political
and economic rights, or independence are active in the
Northeast. Failure to properly accommodate the competing
interests of diverse ethnic groups, low levels of
development, and success of previous insurgent movements in
creating new Indian states are cited as explanatory factors
for the appeal of insurgent movements. In 1990 the
Government of India banned one of the most active insurgent
groups, the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA),and in
the 2004 Country Report on Terrorism the United States listed
it as an "Other Selected Terrorist Organization". ULFA is
alleged to have been involved in several terrorist attacks in
2008, including the bicycle bomb blast on September 18 in
Chirang district (20 injured) and the October 30 serial
blasts.

The Communist Party of India (Maoist),commonly referred to
as Maoist/Naxalites, espouses violent revolutionary struggle
to achieve inclusive economic growth and a more democratic
state -- although analysts debate the extent of their
ideological as opposed to monetary motivations. Maoists are
active in the states of Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh,
Karnataka, Orissa, Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal -- the
so-called "Red Corridor". Companies, Indian and foreign,
operating in Maoist strongholds are sometimes targets for
extortion.

Although there is no evidence that the Liberation Tigers of
Tamil Eelam (LTTE) intend to conduct attacks in India, there
are indications that the LTTE has smuggling operations to
move supplies from Tamil Nadu to Sri Lanka. In addition, it
is possible that LTTE operatives fleeing from the Sri Lankan
Army's northern offensive may be retreating into Tamil Nadu.

The terrorist attacks in Mumbai carried out on November 26-28
were the first time that terrorists deliberately attacked
places where foreigners and wealthy Indians were likely to
be. In a series of well-planned, coordinated attacks,
terrorists entered Mumbai from the sea and attacked people in
two western hotels, a Jewish center, the main train station,
and locations en route to those destinations. They also
planted bombs in two taxis that later exploded in different
locations in the city. While accounts differ, it is believed
that ten terrorists killed at least 183 people, including 14
members of the police and security forces, and injured over
300 people. One terrorist was arrested and nine were killed.
The terrorists appeared to have been well-trained and able
to use sophisticated technology, such as GPS trackers. Local
and state police proved to be poorly trained and equipped,
and lacked central control to coordinate an effective
response.

State governments have expressed interest in augmenting their
security forces, either creating or buttressing state-level
assets, or hosting central level units to address the
increased terrorist threat.

Chhattisgarh's government has invested in counter-insurgency
training for police and paramilitary forces at its Jungle
Warfare Training Center. Nevertheless, there is no clear
unified command structure between state and federal forces in
counter-insurgency efforts, hampering their effectiveness.

In response to the Mumbai attacks, the Indian government has
proposed a new agency, the National Investigative Agency, to
create a national-level capability to investigate and
potentially prosecute such acts. It is too early to assess
the impact that this new agency will have on India's
overburdened and uncoordinated counterterrorism structures.
The press continues to highlight a series of crucial gaps in
intelligence sharing and implementation of effective
counterterrorism measures which remain at the heart of the
Mumbai debacle. It is also too early to comment on whether
the addition of this new investigative authority will assist
in bringing specific cases to justice in the slow and
laborious Indian court system.

Also in response to the Mumbai attacks, the GOI amended some
existing laws to strengthen the hands of security and law
enforcement agencies in fighting terrorism. Two themes have
framed the public debate on the new legislation: states'
rights vs. federal power; and civil liberties vs. stronger
law enforcement powers.

Illicit funding sources that may have been exploited to
finance the operations are being closely investigated. It
seems highly likely that funding sources may have included
credit cards, hawala (an informal money transfer system),
charities, and wealthy donors. All of these sources and
their potential for fraud and funding of terrorist and
criminal activities are receiving greater scrutiny in India
than in past years in the wake of the terrorist attacks in
Mumbai. The two groups suspected of perpetrating the Mumbai
attacks ) Jamaat-ud-Dawa and Lashkar-e-Toiba ) have used
the vast network of mosques, madrassas, and fundraising
offices throughout Pakistan to raise money and recruit
members for violence and terrorist activity. In addition to
the Mumbai attacks, the rise in terrorist attacks and their
coordinated nature throughout India in 2008 suggest they were
financially organized.

The Indian government has ceased consultations with Pakistan
under their joint counterterrorism mechanism, stating that
such talks with Pakistan are on hold until Islamabad
demonstrates a lasting commitment to closing known terrorist
training camps that exist on Pakistani soil or territory
controlled by Pakistan, investigating fully charges that
specific LeT members are culpable for the Mumbai attacks, and
extraditing those who have committed terrorist attacks
against India.

Indian officials, particularly in West Bengal and Assam, are
concerned about the porous India-Bangladesh border of which
only 2500 of the 3000 km land border has been fenced (total
land and water border is 4100 km).

India's inability to protect its porous maritime border has
been under media scrutiny since it came to light that the
perpetrators of the 11/26 Mumbai attacks arrived by sea. In
Tamil Nadu, coast guard and police officials, as well as
security analysts, all acknowledge that the government is
unable to sufficiently monitor the thousands of small
commercial fishing vessels that ply the waters between India
and Sri Lanka.

The Indian government has implemented an advance passenger
information system by which it receives inbound passenger
information from air carriers operating in India. The
system, however, is not compatible with or able to share data
with the American and EU equivalent systems. In addition,
the GOI and air carriers have shown an increased interest in
receiving fraudulent document training from the U.S. as well
as similar training provided by other countries.


3. (U) Embassy POC is Martha Mashav: MashavMC@state.gov


MULFORD