Pakistan wants 'concrete evidence' on Mumbai suspect sought by U.S.

Editor's Note: Next the U.S. will be offering rewards for anyone who generates evidence for whomever the U.S. Security apparatus would like to convict. A boon for PR firms like the one that created the "babies in incubators" fable prior to the first invasion of Iraq. The stupidity of this bounty alone should be enough to un-elect Obama.

CNN



Pakistan has suggested that the United States needs to provide convincing evidence against a man accused of masterminding the 2008 terrorist assault on Mumbai before it will take any action.

Washington posted a notice Monday offering as much as $10 million for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Hafiz Mohammad Saeed, a 61-year-old Pakistani man wanted by Indian authorities in connection with the Mumbai attacks, which killed 166 people.

"Pakistan would prefer to receive concrete evidence to proceed legally rather than to be engaging in a public discussion on this issue," the Pakistani foreign ministry said in a statement.


"In a democratic country like Pakistan, where (the) judiciary is independent, evidence against anyone must withstand judicial scrutiny," the statement, released Wednesday, said.

Saeed has given an nonchalant response to the news of the multimillion-dollar offer for his capture.

"I am living my life in the open, and the U.S. can contact me whenever they want," he told Geo TV in Islamabad on Tuesday.

Saeed said the U.S. government had a problem with the Defence of Pakistan movement against drone attacks, adding that his presence had never caused any problems for Pakistan.

Saeed said the Pakistani Supreme Court had cleared him and his organization of wrongdoing in relation to the Mumbai attacks.

"The U.S. government is listening to the Indian lobby and not making its own decisions," he said, condemning the attacks in Mumbai.

The "wanted" notice announcing the large bounty for Saeed, 62, was posted on the website of the U.S. State Department's Rewards for Justice program late Monday.

US fronts $10 million dollar reward for Pakistani terrorist

Examiner
Robert Tilford

Hafiz Muhammad Saeed

Hafiz Muhammad Saeed founded the violent extremist group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), which in the 1990s sent Islamist militants to fight Indian troops in Kashmir, and is blamed by US and Indian officials for organizing the 2008 attacks on tourists and commuters in India's commercial capital. As such the US has offered a $10m (£6m) reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the Pakistani radical blamed for the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, in which 166 people were killed.

The move is seen as a affront to Pakistan's security establishment, which has a close relationship with Saeed.

The US state department's Rewards for Justice program also announced a lesser reward of $2m reward for Hafiz Abdul Rehman Makki, Saeed's brother-in-law and the group's second-in-command.

The rewards were announced by Wendy Sherman, US under secretary of state for political affairs, in a meeting with the Indian foreign secretary, Ranjan Mathai, on Monday in a move that is sure to upset officials in Paksitan.

ONE HAND WASHES ANOTHER

Sherman is visiting India to broker support for US sanctions against the nation of Iran – India is a significant customer for Tehran's oil so the move to comply with US wishes will cost India in the form of higher oil and gas prices. The Indian ministry of external affairs said Delhi "sincerely appreciated" the move against Saeed, that could greatly complicate already fraught US relations with Pakistan.

In an interview with Al Jazeera, Saeed said the US move came after he organized rallies against the reopening of military supply lines through Pakistan to US and NATO forces in Afghanistan.

He denied having links to the Mumbai attacks.

"We are not hiding in caves for bounties to be set on finding us. I think the US is frustrated because we are taking out countrywide protests against the resumption of NATO supplies and drone strikes," he said.

"I believe either the US has very little knowledge and is basing its decisions on wrong information being provided by India or they are just frustrated."

Muhammad Yahya Mujahid, a spokesman for Saeed's Jamaat-ud-Dawa, the political wing of LeT, which stands for Laskar e- Tibia said the announcement was "an onslaught on Islam and Muslims".

He told the Guardian newspaper : "The world knows that Hafiz Muhammad Saeed and Hafiz Abdul Rehman Makki … are the mainstream religious and political leaders of the country.

Headley, Rana to admit plotting 26/11 attack at ISI's behest

Hindustan Times

Pakistani-born Canadian citizen Tahawwur Hussain Rana and his accomplice David Headley are likely to admit during their trial in the US next month that they masterminded the Mumbai terror attack at the behest of Pakistan's spy agency ISI, according to a report. The trial of Rana and Headley begins in Chicago May 16. It was postponed in February at the request of Rana's lawyer.

"India-Pakistan tensions will likely be inflamed by a trial that's slated to begin in the United States next month: New court documents reveal that two terrorist operatives accused in the 2008 Mumbai massacre conspiracy are preparing to say they believed themselves to be working for Pakistani spies,'' according to the Globe and Mail newspaper.

Rana, 49, who runs immigration service in Chicago with offices New York and Toronto, was arrested Oct 3 for plotting to attack the Danish newspaper that published the controversial cartoons of Prophet Muhammad in 2005.

Investigators found that Rana was also involved in helping David Headley, whose real name is Daood Gilani, in plotting the Mumbai terror attacks of November 2008 which left 160 people dead.
Headley had travelled to India for doing the surveillance work for the Lashkar-e-Toiba before the Mumbai terror attacks.

As India has all along suspected that Pakistan's ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence) had a role in the terror attack, the report said, "Rana's trial threatens to lend an aura of credence to the suspicions of ISI complicity. According to court documents, the jury will hear the two Chicago conspirators say they believed themselves to be working for both LeT and the ISI.

"Previously secret testimony heard only by a grand jury is referred to in a decision published earlier this month.''

But Headley in his testimony to the grand jury has said, "I also told him (Mr Rana)... how I had been asked to perform espionage work for ISI,'' says the newspaper.

Having turned FBI informer to escape the death penalty,  Headley will reveal the blow-by-blow of the Mumbai massacre surveillance scheme when he gives evidence against Rana, says the report.
Headley's testimony will reveal how he anglicized his Pakistani name, cultivated ties with LeT, videotaped sites in Mumbai, and briefed his handlers in Pakistan in the run-up to the carnage, according to the report.

About his entry into India under a "false flag" to scout targets, Headley has told the grand jury that "I told (Mr Rana) about my assignment to conduct surveillance in Mumbai. ... I explained to him that the immigration office would provide a cover story for why I was in Mumbai.''

To save himself, Rana has been struggling to explain away allegations that he gave Mr. Headley the papers that allowed him to pose as an immigration consultant.

But in his recent filings in his defence, Rana has argued "that he is a Pakistani patriot who was led to believe the ISI wanted his help - and therefore he should get the equivalent of diplomatic immunity.''
But Judge Harry Leinenweber ruled April 1 that Rana's defence is "objectively unreasonable."

"Defendant's proposed defence is that his alleged illegal acts of providing material support to terrorists - at least those related to the Mumbai attacks - were done at the behest of the Pakistani government and the ISI, not the Lashkar terrorist organization," reads the decision.

"He argues that he is entitled to a public-authority defence because he acted under the authority - whether actual or apparent - of the Pakistani government and the ISI.''

Raymond Davis: US blackmails Pak

Pakistan Observer
Sajjad Shaukat

US Senator John Kerry (D) Mass meets
Pakistan's Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani,

Controversial debate continues between Pakistan and the United States in connection with the arrest of American national, Raymond Davis who is an under-cover secret agent of American CIA, and has become a symbol of anti-American resentment in Pakistan because of the dreadful murder of two innocent Pakistanis in Lahore and subsequent suicide by the wife of one of his victims. Like other US high officials, even President Barack Obama urged Pakistan on February 15 this year to free Raymond as he has diplomatic immunity under the Geneva Convention. Meanwhile, the visiting Chairman of the US Foreign Relations Committee, John Kerry, while addressing a press conference in Lahore pointed out that issue of “Davis has nothing to do with local courts as diplomats enjoy immunity…we cannot allow that one incident can break the strong relationship between the two countries.”

On the other side, legal experts in Pakistan opine that Raymond Davis is a murderer who has no diplomatic immunity. Many Pakistanis are suspicious about Davis, who was arrested with loaded weapons, a GPS satellite tracking device, photographs of Pakistan’s defence installations and tribal areas, while American authorities are still silent about his role in Pakistan.

It is notable that the former Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has stated that he was dropped from the new cabinet owing to his principled position on the question of diplomatic immunity to the killer, and he adopted a stance, seen by majority of people. Some sources confirms that Raymond Davis has visited Pakistan twice under the cover of diplomatic status, and this time he came with changed name to conceal his identity. However, Davis is killer and is an agent of CIA, while Washington is blackmailing Islamabad by applying coercive diplomacy. In this respect, on the one hand, US high officials say that on the issue of Davis, America will not break relations with Pakistan; while on the other, they continue pressure on Islamabad for his immediate release.The issue of Raymond Davis is not new one as past history of Pak-US ties prove that America has always blackmailed Pakistan on various occasions. In this context, it is of particular attention that in the aftermath of the November 26 catastrophe of Mumbai, Washington, while tilting towards India had blackmailed Islamabad. Setting aside the ground realties that Pakistan, itself, has been the major victim of terrorism, which has been bearing multiple losses in combating this menace since 9/11, with the support of the US, Indian blame game against Islamabad, continued during exchange of information between the two neighbouring countries regarding Mumbai mayhem.

While, rejecting Pakistan’s stand that its government or any official agency was not involved in the Mumbai attacks, presenting one after another list of bogus evidence, New Delhi wanted to make Islamabad accept all other Indian demands since our rulers admitted on February 12, 2009 that Ajmal Kasab is Pakistani national and Mumbai terror-attacks were “partially planned in Pakistan.” In fact, being a responsible state actor, Islamabad’s admission which had emboldened New Delhi was forced by the US-led some western countries which have continuously been blackmailing Pakistan by insisting upon our government to “do more” against the militancy in the tribal areas by ignoring internal backlash and sacrifices of our security forces during war on terror—while paying no attention to the Lahore-terror attacks on the Sri Lankan cricket team including other similar terror-incidents. In that context, India wanted to avail the Mumbai tragedy in increasing further pressure on Pakistan with the help of America in order to force Islamabad to confess that all the terrorists responsible for Mumbai attacks came from Pakistan.

In that respect, US former Secretary of State, Condoleeza Rice and British Foreign Secretary Milliband who had visited India and Pakistan stressed upon Islamabad to take actions against the banned Jamaatud Dawa and the already banned Lashkar-i-Tayba. Speaking in Indian tune, they had also said that the terrorists involved in the Mumbai events came from Pakistan. In that connection, Ameria had played a key role in getting passed a resolution through the UN Security Council which added Pakistan-based Jamaatud Dawa and four of its leaders to the list of Al Qaeda-related terrorists. Without any doubt, this similar approach by the US and India show that these states are in collusion to destabilize and ‘denuclearise’ Pakistan through blackmailing diplomacy as demands on Pakistan to take action against the Jamaatud Dawa and its related welfare organistions including admission regarding the departure of the Mumbai culprits from our soil were forced. And Islamabad accepted these false allegations as our country was facing serious internal and external challenges of grave nature.

In the recent past, IMF decided to sanction loan to Pakistan after American green signal. Past experience proves that economic dependence on foreign countries always brings political dependence in its wake. While, at that critical juncture, our country had been facing precarious financial problem, US-led some western allies compelled Pakistan to accept some Indian false demands. Hollowness of New Delhi’s allegations and forced admission of Islamabad could be gauged from the fact that on February 27, 2009, Pakistan’s Naval Chief of Staff Admiral Nuaman Bashir remarked that he had no proof that Ajmal Kasab, the lone surviving gunman of the Mumbai attacks used Pakistani waters to reach India. The statement of our naval chief coupled with American duress makes it quite clear that Mumbai mayhem was pre-planned by the Indian intelligence agency, RAW to further distort the image of Pakistan in the comity of nations.

Another example of blackmailing is that the US is emphasising Islamabad to to take action against the militants of North Waziristan. It also continuous drone attacks on Pakistan’s soil without bothering for the sovereignty of the country. Inaction of the US-led west over Hindu terrorism and such duplicity undoubtedly indicates that America and major European states have their common interest in India. Hence, they blindly support New Delhi’s shrewd diplomacy against Islamabad. These major countries only tolerate Pakistan owing to its role as a frontline state against terrorism, otherwise, they leave no stone unturned in blackmailing our country so as to harm our interests. In this respect, forced demands on Pakistan regarding Mumbai mayhem entailing accusation of cross-border terrorism either in Afghanistan or the Indian-held Kashmir are also part of this blackmailing practice. In fact, we are living in an unequal world order. The prevalent global system tends to give a greater political and economic leverage to the affluent developed nations who could safeguard their interests at the cost of the weaker countries. Whenever, any controversy arises on the controversial issues, the UN Security Council enforces the doctrine of collective security against the small states, while the five big powers protect their interests by using veto.

This shows discrimination between the powerful and the weaker. In this context, it is notable that in 2001, UN had permitted the United States to attack Afghanistan under the cover of right of self-defence. In case of the Indian occupied Kashmir, the issue still remains unresolved as UN resolutions regarding the plebiscite were never implemented because Washington and some western powers support the illegitimate stand of India due to their collective interests. Particularly, in economic context, the world order reflects greater disparities as the flow of capital and credit system is also dominated by the United States and other developed countries—the consequent result is an increase in the activities of the Multinationals which have shattered the economies of the poor developing states. Besides, international financial institutions like I.M.F and World Bank are under the control of the US and its partners who protect their interests by blackmailing the governments of the small states through financial pressure. In these terms, US-led countries especially blackmail Pakistan directly or indirectly.

In sense of Hobbes, Machiavelli and Morgenthau, a renowned strategic thinker, Thomas Schelling remarks about the US, “coercion to be an effective tool of foreign policy.” Kissinger also endorses politics of bargaining and pressure through threats, coercion and even violence as essential elements of the American diplomacy. In this regard, diplomacy itself becomes the real tool of blackmailing. Returning to our earlier discussion, Raymond Davis is a murderer, but the US blackmails Pakistan for his release as the latter depends upon Washington for military and economic aid in wake of multi-faceted problems. America should remember that it also depends upon Pakistan which is a frontline state of the US war on terror, and without Islamabad’s support the sole superpower cannot win this ‘different war’ against terrorism.

Pakistan intelligence services 'aided Mumbai terror attacks'

Militant arrested last year described dozens of meetings between ISI officers and senior Lashkar-e-Taiba operatives

Pakistan's powerful intelligence services were heavily involved in preparations for the Mumbai terrorist attacks of November 2008, according to classified Indian government documents obtained by the Guardian.

A 109-page report into the interrogation of key suspect David Headley, a Pakistani-American militant arrested last year and detained in the US, makes detailed claims of ISI support for the bombings.

Under questioning, Headley described dozens of meetings between officers of the main Pakistani military intelligence service, the ISI, and senior militants from the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) group responsible for the Mumbai attacks.

He claims a key motivation for the ISI in aiding the attacks was to bolster militant organisations with strong links to the Pakistani state and security establishment who were being marginalised by more extreme radical groups.

Headley, who undertook surveillance of the targets in Mumbai for the operation, claims that at least two of his missions were partly paid for by the ISI and that he regularly reported to the spy agency. However, the documents suggest that supervision of the militants by the ISI was often chaotic and that the most senior officers of the agency may have been unaware at least of the scale and ambition of the operation before it was launched.

More than 160 people were killed by militants from LeT who arrived by sea to attack luxury hotels, a Jewish centre, a café, a hospital and the main railway station in Mumbai, the Indian commercial capital. Casualties included citizens from 25 countries, including four Americans killed and seven Britons injured. The attacks dominated media for days and badly damaged already poor Indian-Pakistan relations.

European and American security services now fear that LeT, which has thousands of militants, runs dozens of training camps and has extensive logistic networks overseas, is moving from what has been a largely regional agenda – focused on the disputed Himalayan former princely state of Kashmir – to a global agenda involving strikes against the west or western interests. The documents suggest the fierce internal argument within the organisation over its strategic direction is being won by hardliners.

Headley, interviewed over 34 hours by Indian investigators in America in June, described how "a debate had begun among the terrorist outfits" and "a clash of ideology" leading to "splits".

"The aggression and commitment to jihad shown by several splinter groups in Afghanistan influenced many committed fighters to leave [LeT]," Headley said. "I understand this compelled the LeT to consider a spectacular terrorist strike in India."

Headley, who changed his name from Daood Gilani, told the investigators that the ISI hoped the Mumbai attack would slow or stop growing "integration" between groups active in Kashmir, with whom the agency had maintained a long relationship, and "Taliban-based outfits" in Pakistan and Afghanistan which were a threat to the Pakistani state.

"The ISI … had no ambiguity in understanding the necessity to strike India," Headley is reported to have said. The aim of the agency was "controlling further split in the Kashmir-based outfits, providing them a sense of achievement and shifting … the theatre of violence from the domestic soil of Pakistan to India."

Headley describes meeting once with a "Colonel Kamran" from the military intelligence service and having a series of meetings with a "Major Iqbal" and a "Major Sameer Ali". A fellow conspirator was handled by a Colonel Shah, he claims. Headley also alleges that he was given $25,000 by his ISI handler to finance one of eight surveillance missions in India.

However, Headley describes the ISI director general, Lt General Shuja Pasha, visiting a key senior militant from LeT in prison after the attacks in a bid "to understand" the operation, implying that, as many western security agencies suspect, the top ranks of the agency were unaware of at least the scale of the planned strike.

The Pakistani government has repeatedly denied any involvement of any security official in the Mumbai attacks. Last night, an ISI spokesman told the Guardian the accusations of the agency's involvement in the Mumbai attacks were "baseless".

LeT was banned in Pakistan in 2002. Jamat-ud Dawa, the social welfare wing of LeT, has been blacklisted in the wake of the Mumbai attacks although it continues to function.

The revelations could prove embarrassing to the US government as well as to the Pakistanis. Reports in American newspapers over the weekend claimed that Headley's wife had tried to alert American authorities to her husband's activities but had been ignored.