PAKISTAN ANNOUNCES TASK FORCE TO INVESTIGATE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ISLAMABAD 000093 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/15/2018 TAGS: PREL PTER PGOV PK SUBJECT: PAKISTAN ANNOUNCES TASK FORCE TO INVESTIGATE MUMBAI ATTACKS REF: ISLAMABAD 79 Classified By: Anne W. Patterson for reasons 1.4 (b),(d). ¶1. (C) Summary: On January 15, Interior Minister Rehman Malik announced a Federal Investigation Agency-led (FIA) task force to investigate the Mumbai attacks of November 2008. Malik emphasized Pakistan's commitment to investigating and prosecuting all the perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks. He also outlined GOP actions to date in the Mumbai-related investigation. Malik's formal task force and his strong words defending Pakistan's cooperation and investigation represent the first public and formal strategy presented by the GOP. The announcement was welcomed by Indian diplomats, but they look forward to more tangible data and results. The Indian Embassy indicated the GOI would welcome Tariq Aziz either as a new National Security Adviser or in a renewed role as a back-channel interlocutor; however, Zardari told the Ambassador that Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Kayani opposed using Aziz. Formation of a task force is a key step forward in the Mumbai investigation, one that will hopefully coordinate multi-lateral law enforcement and intelligence efforts to ensure successful Pakistani prosecution of the perpetrators. End summary. INTERIOR MINISTER'S PRESS CONFERENCE -------------- ¶2. (U) On January 15, Interior Minister Rehman Malik announced the formation of a "high-powered" task force to lead the formal investigation into the Mumbai attacks. The task force would be headed by Pakistan's leading law-enforcement body, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), and would report back "in a few days." Malik promised that Pakistan is committed to bringing the perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks to justice. Also, he announced that the GOP's response to the Indian dossier would soon be made public. ¶3. (U) Malik went on to describe the significant steps that the GOP has already taken in the Mumbai-related investigation. After the UN Security Council's 1267 Sanctions designation against Jamat-ud-Dawa (JUD),the Ministry of Interior instructed all provincial governments to seal all offices of JUD, freeze all assets, bank accounts, and property, ban all publications, seal all presses, cancel all arms licenses, and ban JUD leadership and activists from any public role or organization activity under the name JUD or any successor name. Based on these instructions, law enforcement has taken action against JUD across Pakistan. Malik passed out a list of actions taken thus far for the press. (Scanned copy of document emailed to SCA/PB desk.) The significant actions include the arrests of 124 members of banned organizations, including JUD leader Hafiz Saeed. Also, several JUD camps have been closed and six JUD websites have been shutdown. ¶4. (U) Malik invited Indian investigators to join in the FIA inquiry and stressed that all major Pakistani political forces were onboard. When his authority to act was questioned, Malik responded that he had checked first with the Prime Minister and President. Further, he said he planned to meet with both former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman. Malik described Pakistan's actions as necessary steps for any good neighbor and asked journalists how they would feel if such a appalling attack had taken place against Pakistan. ¶5. (C) On January 14, Malik asked the Ambassador to encourage Washington to issue a statement acknowledging the formation of this task force. Malik explained that the task force would coordinate with relevant Pakistani and international intelligence and law enforcement agencies and ministries to make sure that all the evidence would help to prosecute in Pakistan the perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks. INDIAN RESPONSE -------------- ¶6. (C) Indian PolCouns P. Kumaran met January 15 with A/DCM. He said his Embassy was encouraged by Malik's press conference and he hoped the GOP would release specific information about those individuals who had been arrested and ISLAMABAD 00000093 002 OF 002 jailed (versus those only held under preventative detention or house arrest). A/DCM agreed but pointed out that Pakistan often used preventive detention until it had evidence to file a First Incident Report (FIR) and make an actual arrest. A/DCM noted that the opening of a formal investigation to analyze information shared to date and expand an investigation which the Ministry of Interior had in reality already begun were welcome steps. ¶7. (C) A/DCM noted that Malik had renewed the offer of a joint investigation with India. The U.S. had urged India to agree to proceed with either a bilateral or trilateral investigation. Our goal was to increase information sharing at all levels so we could both bring perpetrators to justice and to prevent any future attacks. Kumaran said there was already a bilateral Counter-Terrorism Dialogue, but it had not produced real cooperation over the years. He noted there was a growing chorus of voices in India to reduce cooperation and exchanges with Pakistan, as Indian Home Minister Chidambarum had proposed to reduce trade, cultural and even diplomatic ties. A/DCM suggested that this would be counterproductive to our shared goals of bringing the Mumbai attackers to justice because the GOP would respond negatively. Kumaran complained to the A/DCM that India had agreed to restart the Composite Dialogue even after the bombing of the attack on its Embassy in Kabul; in exchange, Pakistan had promised cooperation that has never materialized. Nevertheless, he agreed that Mumbai was different in several respects, and he welcomed the Malik announcement of an investigation. ¶8. (C) Kumaran noted that India was dismayed that former National Security Advisor Ambassador Mahmood Durrani had been fired, as he had been a friend of India and a true believer in the goal of improving relations. Speculating about the choices to replace Durrani, Kumaran said that India did not know a great deal about Jehangir Karamat, former Pakistani Ambassador to the U.S., but they knew Tariq Aziz well. He indicated that he expected India would react positively if Pakistan were to appoint Aziz, either as NSA or in his previous role as a back-channel negotiator. However, President Zardari told the Ambassador on January 15 that COAS Kayani had rejected using Aziz as an interlocutor. HAFIZ SAEED'S 1267 DESIGNATION -------------- ¶9. (C) On January 14, A/DCM met with MFA South Asia Additional Secretary Aizaz Chaudhry. Chaudhry mapped out a plan for the Friends of Pakistan (septel) and expressed dismay that all of his work to move the Composite Dialogue forward had been destroyed by the Mumbai attacks. The GOP, he said, was discouraged to hear Indian Home Minister's statement suggesting the GOI would reduce trade, cultural and diplomatic ties. In closing, Chaudhry said he wanted to give the U.S. a quiet heads-up that the son of Hafiz Saeed had approached the MFA to request that his father be de-listed by the UN's 1267 Committee. The MFA had referred the matter to Prime Minister Gilani for a decision. Chaudhry indicated that the GOP would probably need to respond formally by providing the UN delisting procedures in a way that indicated it was not the GOP that proposed Saeed's name for sanction. ¶10. (C) Comment: Malik took a significant step exposing himself politically, and he would very much welcome public support from Washington. He is prepared to quietly allow FBI participation in this task force and, we believe, will give us access to at least some of the detainees once they are in Ministry of Interior custody. End comment. PATTERSON