JAMMU AND KASHMIR ISLAMIC FRONT (C-NA7-00565)

S E C R E T ISLAMABAD 005640





DEPT FOR S/CT

DEPT ALSO FOR SA/RA



E.O. 12958: DECL: (1.6X1)

TAGS: KPRP, PINR, PTER, PK

SUBJ: JAMMU AND KASHMIR ISLAMIC FRONT (C-NA7-00565)



REF: STATE 106548



CLASSIFIED BY ACTING POLCOUNS MIKE ANDERSON. REASON: 1.5 (C).



1. (S) EMBASSY IS WORKING ON GATHERING MORE INFORMATION ON THE

JAMMU AND KASHMIR ISLAMIC FRONT (JKIF) IN RESPONSE TO REFTEL, BUT

OFFERS THE FOLLOWING INITIAL READOUT TO ASSIST ANALYSTS. ACCORDING

TO MUSHTAQ WANI -- ALL PARTIES HURRIYAT CONFERENCE MEMBER AND

KASHMIRI MILITANT LEADER -- THE JKIF WAS FORMED WHEN THE PRO-

PAKISTAN IKHEWAN-UL-MUSLIMEEN GROUP SPLIT APART IN 1995. WANI SAID

THAT THE GROUP IS SMALL -- "LESS THAN 100 MEMBERS" -- BUT THAT IT

IS QUITE ACTIVE IN INDIA. TWO OF ITS MORE PROMINENT MEMBERS

RECENTLY WERE ARRESTED IN NEPAL AND INDIA FOR POSSESSION OF THE

EXPLOSIVE RDX, WANI SAID. ASKED IF THE WORD "ISLAMIC" IN JKIF

MEANT THE GROUP WAS ESPECIALLY RELIGIOUS, WANI REPLIED NO. WANI

SAID MOST OF THE MEMBERS WERE "UNEDUCATED MEN" WHO CAME FROM

KASHMIR.



2. (S) THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION WAS GLEANED FROM A 1996 REPORT

HANDED TO POLOFF BY FIRST SECRETARY ROWAN LAXON (PROTECT) AT THE UK

HIGH COMMISSION IN ISLAMABAD. ANALYSTS MAY ALREADY HAVE THIS

PARTICULAR REPORT, BUT WE OFFER IT HERE FOR WHAT IT IS WORTH:

BEGIN TEXT:



" ACCORDING TO A J&K GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN, HILAL AHMED BEG,

COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE J&K ISLAMIC FRONT, WAS KILLED IN AN

ENCOUNTER WITH J&K POLICE IN THE OUTSKIRTS OF SRINAGAR AROUND

MIDNIGHT ON 16/17 JULY 1996. BEG IS REPORTED TO HAVE BEEN INVOLVED

IN A NUMBER OF SERIOUS TERRORIST ACTS COMMITTED AT THE START OF THE

MILITANCY IN KASHMIR, INCLUDING THE MURDER OF THE VICE CHANCELLOR

OF KASHMIR UNIVERSITY. HIS DEATH FOLLOWS THAT OF SAJJAD KENU, THE

FOUNDER OF THE JKIF, AND COULD LEAD TO THE DEMISE OF THE

ORGANIZATION AS A SERIOUS FORCE IN THE MILITANCY." END TEXT.



3. (S) IN REPLY TO REFTEL REQUEST (PARA. L) FOR INFORMATION ON AN

HUA POSTER AT ISLAMIC INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY, EMBASSY CONTACTS

WERE UNABLE TO LOCATE A COPY OF THE POSTER, NOR DID THEY SEE ANY

OTHER ANTI-US PROPAGANDA ON DISPLAY ON CAMPUS. WE WILL CONTINUE TO

KEEP OUR EYES OPEN FOR ANY SUCH LITERATURE. WE ALSO EXPECT TO

RECEIVE MORE INFORMATION ON THE JKIF -- INCLUDING PHONE NUMBERS --

WITHIN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS. WE WILL PROVIDE THEM AS SOON AS WE GET

THEM. REGARDS FROM I-BAD.





SIMONS