cogitoergosum
2010-05-03 15:30:48 UTC
Hang'm, Assassins, Spies and Peacemakers, ASAP: Sid Harth
http://navanavonmilita.wordpress.com/hangm-assassinsspies-and-peacemakers-asap-sid-harth/
Surviving Mumbai attacker convicted of murder
A guilty verdict was expected for the Pakistani who helped carry out
the 2008 attack that killed 166, but the acquittal of two accused
Indian accomplices is a surprise to some.
By Mark Magnier
Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
May 3, 2010 | 5:22 a.m.
Reporting from New Delhi
The lone surviving member of the November 2008 attack in Mumbai that
killed 166 people was convicted Monday on 86 counts, including murder,
conspiracy and waging war against India, while two alleged Indian
accomplices were acquitted.
The guilty verdict against Pakistan national Ajmal Amir Kasab, 22, was
expected. Kasab was seen by several witnesses and recorded on closed-
circuit video attacking the Mumbai railway station with a serene smirk
that prompted Indian media to dub him the "smiling assassin."
The 60-hour attack on India's financial center in late 2008 -- carried
out by 10 attackers trained in Pakistan -- held a nation hostage as
insurgents fanned out, hitting luxury hotels, a hospital and a Jewish
center.
"The judgment is a message to Pakistan that they should not export
terror to India," said P. Chidambaram, India's Home Minister. "If they
do, and the terrorists are apprehended, we will bring them to
justice."
But the acquittal of two accused Indian accomplices, Fahim Ansari and
Sabauddin Ahmed, was greeted with some disbelief, although some said
it proved the fairness of India's justice system.
"I am satisfied but sad that two of the accused, Ansari and
Sabahuddin, have been acquitted," said Ujjwal Nikam, the public
prosecutor. "I will definitely challenge the verdict."
Indian police alleged that the two delivered maps to operatives of
Lashkar-e-Taiba, the anti-India terror group that Kasab and other
attackers reportedly belonged to. But in acquitting them, the court
found the evidence "poor in quantity and quality" and noted that
better maps were available on Google.
Kasab's sentencing is expected within the next few days. The
prosecution is expected to ask for the death sentence.
Eyewitnesses in the heavily guarded courtroom said Kasab, wearing a
white pajama-like kurta, appeared unemotional as Special Court Judge
M.L. Tahiliyani read out his 1,500-page judgment, a process that took
nearly three hours. When the reading was complete, hundreds of
broadcast reporters in front of the courthouse scrambled to out-shout
and out-elbow each other amid a scrum of live camera shots.
Imtiaz Gul, chairman of Islamabad's Center for Research and Security
Studies, said the verdict could stir up resentment in Pakistan among
groups sympathetic to people like Kasab. And the fact that the two
Indians went free belies a Pakistan view that the attack couldn't have
happened without local handlers.
The trial was lightning fast for India, a nation where cases can drag
on for a generation. The last major terror trial, after 13 blasts were
carried out in Mumbai in 1993 against hotels and the stock market
killing 250 people, ran for over 15 years.
Taking no chances, Mumbai police had filed an 11,000-page charge sheet
after interviewing 2,000 witnesses, while the government spent $1
million on a special cell for Kasab and a bomb-resistant walkway to
the secure court.
The heightened security may have protected Kasab from Mumbai police as
much as from insurgents hoping to silence any damaging testimony. Top
Mumbai policeman Rakesh Maria admitted in a television interview that
many in his force were out for blood given their many colleagues
killed in the attack. "We had to protect Kasab from within the
department because there was anger in the department also," he said.
The case has been something of a roller coaster. No lawyer volunteered
to represent Kasab, at which point the court arm-twisted a legal aid
attorney, who was subsequently dismissed for simultaneously
representing attack victims. A second Kasab lawyer was then dismissed
for foot-dragging. And the attorney for one of the alleged Indian
accomplices was gunned down in his office after attacking the police
work as shoddy.
Kasab at one point confessed to all charges, revealed minute details
of the operation and requested the death penalty. Then he retracted
his confession and argued that he was an innocent tourist being
framed.
Assuming Kasab receives the death penalty, appeals and the case
backlog could drag out the process. Human rights watchdog Amnesty
International estimated there were 400 death-sentence prisoners in
India in 2008, a figure the government doesn't reveal.
Kasab, a resident of eastern Pakistan's Faridkot village, was the
third of five children raised by a food-cart seller father and a
homemaker mother. Tight finances ended his education at the fourth
grade. A few years later, he left home after a fight with his family,
working as a laborer and reportedly a petty thief for a few years
before drifting into radicalism.
Given the international spotlight and India's desire to show its
resolve, the sentencing could be put on a fast track, said Majid
Memon, a criminal lawyer. Kasab has already called for a quick death
sentence, Memon added, so his hanging -- India's preferred method --
could take place relatively quickly. "India wants to send a message
with this case to other terrorist who are not caught, but still
operating," Memon added.
Anshul Rana in the New Delhi bureau contributed to this report.
Copyright © 2010, The Los Angeles Times
Related stories
From the L.A. Times
Indian diplomat arrested on charges of spying for Pakistan
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fgw-mumbai-verdict-20100504,0,4119705.story
Indian diplomat arrested on charges of spying for Pakistan
http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/04/27/india.pakistan.spying/index.html?eref=rss_world
Madhuri Gupta was reportedly lured back to India, detained upon
arrival several days ago and found in possession of 7 sensitive
documents. The incident could hurt relations between the wary nuclear
neighbors.
Related
Mumbai still feels insecure a year after attacks
http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-fg-india-mumbai26-2009nov26,0,4777428,full.story
First official meeting between Pakistan, India since Mumbai attack is
strained
http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-fg-india-pakistan26-2010feb26,0,3862137.story
By Mark Magnier, Los Angeles Times
April 27, 2010 | 10:10 a.m.
la-fg-india-spy-20100428
Reporting from New Delhi
An Indian diplomat was arrested by her government on charges of spying
for Pakistan, officials said Tuesday, a development that could hurt
relations between the wary nuclear neighbors and almost certainly
leave New Delhi red-faced.
Madhuri Gupta, 53, a second secretary for the Indian Embassy in the
Pakistani capital of Islamabad, was reportedly lured back to India on
the pretext that her help was needed to prepare for an upcoming
regional meeting in Bhutan.
She was detained as soon as she landed at the airport several days ago
and was found in possession of seven sensitive documents, according to
reports in Indian media.
"We have reason to believe that an official in the Indian High
Commission in Islamabad had been passing information to Pakistani
intelligence agencies," said Vishnu Prakash, spokesperson with the
Ministry of External Affairs. "The official is cooperating with our
investigation and enquiries."
Gupta has worked in the embassy's press and information department for
2 1/2 years as an Urdu translator, Indian media reported, citing
police sources. She had been under suspicion for a few months.
As a second secretary, Gupta probably would not have had much access
to sensitive information, said B. Raman, a security analyst and former
Pakistan desk head with India's Research and Analysis Wing, India's
equivalent of the CIA. But she still could have caused significant
damage if she had planted electronic listening devices, he added.
In the 1970s, he said, India caught and fired a British telephone
operator in its Paris Embassy taping conversations and feeding them to
British intelligence services.
Red flags reportedly went up after Gupta, who is unmarried, started
asking questions outside her area of responsibility and was found with
funds in a Pakistani account, according to the Times Now news network.
She has since confessed to being lured by the money and unhappiness
over not being promoted, the network added.
Analysts said cellphone intercepts also may have played a role along
with suspicions raised by embassy colleagues.
A picture obtained by news networks of Gupta showed a round-faced
woman with glasses and shoulder-length dark hair.
While many questions about the alleged intelligence gathering remain
unanswered, analysts said, the news will almost certainly lead to soul
searching at India's Foreign Ministry and among counter-intelligence
officials responsible for screening embassy staff.
"Any disclosure of intelligence activities involving Indian diplomats
is embarrassing," said Raman, now director of the Institute for
Topical Studies in the Indian city of Chennai.
Some expressed outrage at the news, especially in light of attempts to
revive talks between the longtime enemies.
"Even as Pakistan talks about having prime minister-level talks, they
go ahead with intelligence activities," said Ajit Doval, former head
of the Intelligence Bureau, India's equivalent of the FBI. "It doesn't
send the right signal."
Others said there were no angels in this game. "This is standard
practice worldwide," said Imtiaz Gul, chairman of Islamabad's Center
for Research and Security Studies. "America, Britain, India or
Pakistan, they all do it. It obviously comes to a halt once
discovered."
It's not clear that Gupta will face prosecution, analysts said, given
the high bar required to prove a legal case and reluctance to disclose
secrets in court.
In the 1980s, Pakistani intelligence allegedly recruited a senior
Indian military attache using a "honey trap" involving an attractive
woman in Karachi who reportedly seduced and blackmailed him. When
India found out, it returned him to India and fired him but never
prosecuted him. "It's sometimes very difficult to prove," said Raman.
"You need evidence from people in Pakistan, which is difficult to
get."
Details of Gupta's career track were not immediately available, but
her age and low-level position suggest she is not a career foreign
service officer.
A properly trained Indian civil service official might be less
"susceptible to foreign inducements," Kapil Sibal, India's human
resources minister, said outside parliament. "That they were able to
penetrate the embassy is shocking."
***@latimes.com
Anshul Rana in the Times' New Delhi bureau contributed to this
report.
Copyright © 2010, The Los Angeles Times
Comments (1)
krahim12 at 7:34 AM May 01, 2010
In this melodrama produced by RAW and directed by ISI the theme is no
mystery since the Mumbai Fire. India will use Ways and Means to trap
Pakistan in the most controversial web. In all these years since 09/11
Pakistan has not been able to find Osama bin Laden. I wonder if ISI
would be able to track Ms Gupta in the next thirty days.
http://www.latimes.com/news/la-fg-india-spy-20100428,0,5333451.story?track=rss
Mumbai still feels insecure a year after attacks
Observers say changes in security procedures made after attackers
killed 166 in this Indian city fall far short of providing protection
from terrorists, militants or other dangers.
Bullet holes are marked on a bakery wall across from the Chabad center
that was attacked last November in Mumbai, India, along with a hotel
and other targets. (Prashanth Vishwanathan / Bloomberg News)
Related
Mumbai attacks - November 2008
By Mark Magnier
November 26, 2009
la-fg-india-mumbai26-2009nov26
Reporting from Mumbai, India
In the last year, India has deployed rapid strike law enforcement
officers in four cities and purchased night-scope equipment.
Mumbai police increased the numbers of weapons and vehicles at police
stations and created specially trained early response units.
Dhananjay Srirang, 38, a constable, said he checks the identity cards
of fishermen and boaters in the port, a new procedure, and B. Raman,
director at Chennai's Institute for Topical Studies, said intelligence
links with the U.S. have been strengthened.
The changes, all geared toward increasing the sense of safety, came in
response to the terrorist attacks in Mumbai one year ago today that
left 166 people dead and about 300 injured in a luxury hotel, train
station and other locations in across the city.
But many observers say the changes fall far short of providing
protection from terrorists or other dangers, and some assert that new
safety measures have done nothing to protect Mumbai, a global
financial capital formerly known as Bombay.
"The only reason we haven't been attacked is that the Taliban and Al
Qaeda are too busy looking at Pakistan to look here," said Y.P. Singh,
an analyst and former Indian Police Service member. "Ultimately it's
only because they have their hands full."
Home Minister P. Chidambaram, who has made security a priority, also
said recently that the nation is just as vulnerable as before.
Residents are still haunted by the attacks.
Anita Oriya Rajender, a 40-year-old garbage picker who lives near a
jetty in Mumbai, remembers seeing the attackers when they came ashore.
She had headed down to the jetty that night to brush her teeth before
heading for bed in a gritty neighborhood of hovels and fishing boats.
As she neared the water's edge amid dirty plastic bags lapping gently
in the surf, she noticed an inflatable boat carrying six men. They
swung duffel bags over their shoulders, hugged one another and flashed
a thumbs up sign before heading off in different directions.
"Thirty minutes later I heard blasts and put two and two together,"
she said. "Now a year later, I can't help but thinking if I'd said the
wrong thing to them, I'd be dead."
The 10 attackers killed top Mumbai anti-terrorism cop Hemant Karkare,
two colleagues and four civilians near a hospital; 52 at Mumbai's main
railway station; 11 at a trendy cafe and 35 at the Oberoi hotel.
But their main targets appeared to be the city's five-star Taj Mahal
Palace & Tower hotel and a Jewish travelers' center run by the ultra-
Orthodox Chabad Lubavitch sect, where the hostage dramas played out
for days.
The attackers' use of advanced technology, allegedly linking them in
real time with Pakistan-based handlers, increased their ability to
spread terror.
And the scope of the operation, including its aggressive targeting of
foreign and local civilian targets, put terrorist group Lashkar-e-
Taiba on the international map, ultimately strengthening U.S.-Indian
intelligence sharing and turning Mumbai into a case study for the New
York Police Department, FBI and other security agencies.
"The attack made Lashkar-e-Taiba a household name," said Christine
Fair, assistant professor at Georgetown University. "It was
Thanksgiving weekend, with many at home watching as it went on and
on."
The attacks also raised some embarrassing questions, including how 10
militants could hold a city hostage for nearly three days. The lone
surviving gunman is in custody.
Businessman Bhisham Mansukhani, who was at a wedding at the Taj and
who became a hostage, expressed little respect for how the police
handled themselves.
"When the firing started, the cops just ran around panicked," he said.
"Some fell out of their trucks. They were just horrible."
After the attacks, the Indian government came under sharp criticism.
Several rounds of finger-pointing followed between rivals India and
Pakistan, which was resisting calls to prosecute alleged Lashkar
masterminds, part of a group nurtured by Pakistan's primary spy agency
in the 1990s to battle India. On Wednesday, Pakistan charged seven men
with helping to plan and execute the Mumbai attacks.
Security analysts said the government has not shown an ability to
gather valuable intelligence that might thwart future attacks.
"Ultimately you fight terrorism through intelligence, and ours isn't
very good," Singh said.
Dr. Kuresh Zirabi, whose ophthalmology clinic is directly across from
the Chabad center, said travelers to the U.S. or Australia can see how
lax India's security is in contrast.
"Our system needs repair -- the people, defense and especially the
mind-set," said Zirabi. Red painted circles highlight several dozen
bullet marks in the wall of his clinic.
Zirabi hopes the Jewish center is not rebuilt in the neighborhood, he
said, not because he opposes its activities but because it could
easily become a target again.
But some say the attacks have also underscored the resiliency of
Mumbai, a teeming stew of humanity replete with slums, Bollywood
studios, the super-rich and the deeply impoverished.
"People showed they were not ready to bow down," said Remu Javeri, who
owns two shops in the Taj hotel and an apartment nearby.
Bharat Gaikwad, a railway policeman, points out bullet holes on the
wall and a golden statue of the god Ganesh with flashing lights, only
its edge pierced. "See, the idol braved the terrorists," Gaikwad said.
"Its power deflected the bullets."
Early the day after the attacks, Mumbai's trains were running, and
they have been ever since.
"Bombay can't come to a standstill," said Ashok Mokashi, 50, an
assistant railway sub-inspector, near a commemoration to a slain
railway policeman.
"It's like sunshine or rain, there's no stopping it."
***@latimes.com
Anshul Rana of The Times' New Delhi Bureau contributed to this
report.
Copyright © 2010, The Los Angeles Times
http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-fg-india-mumbai26-2009nov26,0,4777428,full.story
First official meeting between Pakistan, India since Mumbai attack is
strained
The mistrust between the two sides is apparent as the countries'
foreign ministers meet, but both sides call it a beginning.
Related
Mumbai still feels insecure a year after attacks
By Mark Magnier
February 25, 2010 | 11:27 a.m.
la-fg-india-pakistan26-2010feb26
Reporting from New Delhi
They came, they met, they disagreed. The first formal meeting Thursday
between India and Pakistan since the terrorist attack on the Indian
city of Mumbai 15 months ago saw no breakthrough, as expected,
although both sides termed it a first step in building confidence.
"I would not characterize these talks as successful or unsuccessful,"
Pakistani Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir told reporters afterward.
"We must pick up the pieces where this process was interrupted and try
to rebuild trust."
At first blush, however, the two delegations appeared more intent on
talking over each other and repeating entrenched positions than in
moving forward.
Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao said in a separate news
conference that she had urged Pakistan to do a better job of rooting
out and prosecuting terrorists on its soil who are suspected of
plotting attacks on India -- particularly Hafiz Saeed, a militant
leader whom India accused of orchestrating the Mumbai siege, in which
gunmen killed 166 people.
India handed over dossiers on suspects it said Pakistan should pursue,
including Saeed and an Al Qaeda-linked militant named Ilyas Kashmiri,
who had issued threats against India and various Indian fugitives
hiding in Pakistan.
"I stressed the importance of expeditious action by Pakistan on these
issues," Rao told reporters.
Indian and Western analysts have long suspected that Pakistani
intelligence agencies created and supported radical groups as part of
their country's proxy conflict with India over the disputed region of
Kashmir.
Pakistan countered with calls for comprehensive negotiations involving
issues beyond terrorism, with a particular focus on reaching a
political agreement over Kashmir.
Pakistan's Bashir also said his country is the ultimate victim of
terrorism, given some 3,000 attacks suffered over the last 26 months,
and didn't appreciated being lectured. He added that his government
possessed photographic evidence of "Indian involvement in activities
prejudicial to Pakistan's security."
This was an apparent reference to alleged Indian meddling in
Pakistan's restive southwestern Baluchistan province and in
Afghanistan.
India's Rao countered that her country didn't intrude in other
nations' internal affairs.
After the dueling news conferences, the Indian media cited "government
sources" in reporting official displeasure with Bashir's comments,
saying India didn't lecture him, that Rao got her authority from a
democratically elected government while he got his from the Pakistani
army and that the terror attacks Pakistan suffered were of its own
creation. This further underscored the enormous trust gap between the
two sides.
The talks at New Delhi's Hyderabad House lasted nearly four hours,
running overtime. Rao declined to say whether the two nations' prime
ministers might soon meet, adding that the two sides did not discuss a
road map for improved relations.
"We agreed to stay in touch," she said. "We're not talking about road
maps."
***@latimes.com
Anshul Rana in the Times' New Delhi bureau contributed to this report.
Copyright © 2010, The Los Angeles Times
Related stories
From the L.A. Times
India and Pakistan pledge to improve relations
India-Pakistan Water Dispute: Limited Resources Spark Tensions|
huffingtonpost.com
Pakistan and India resume talks|guardian.co.uk
http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-fg-india-pakistan26-2010feb26,0,3862137.story
Indian diplomat suspected of spying for Pakistan
April 28, 2010 10:48 a.m. EDT
Diplomat suspected of spying
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Indian media reports that the Pakistan-based diplomat has been
arrested
Announcement comes as rivals prepare to talk at regional meeting in
Bhutan
Indian Ministry of External Affairs says matter is under investigation
(CNN) -- India suspects one of its diplomats in Pakistan has been
spying for Pakistani intelligence, the Indian Ministry of External
Affairs said Tuesday.
"The matter is currently under investigation. The official is
cooperating with our inquiries," the ministry's official spokesperson
said in a statement.
Indian media are reporting that the diplomat has been arrested. The
Ministry of External Affairs did not respond immediately to a CNN
request for comment.
The announcement came as representatives of the two rivals prepared to
talk on the sidelines of the South Asian Association for Regional
Cooperation meeting in Bhutan.
India and Pakistan have been at odds since they became independent in
1947. They have fought several wars and engaged in a nuclear arms race
that ended with both countries having nuclear bombs.
CNN's Sumnima Udas contributed to this report.
soundoff (25 Comments)
Show: Most liked
CheekyIndian
CheekyIndian "India and Pakistan have been at odds since they became
independent in 1947. They have fought several wars and engaged in a
nuclear arms race that ended with both countries having nuclear
bombs." Is this still news to anybody???? I mean it been going on for
50 yrs......
5 days ago | Like (28) |
l121 when are these two countries going to start using the nukes on
each other all they do is beat on their chest, lets get at it.
5 days ago | Like (3) |
tamade Why is this new? India and Pakistan probably has thousands of
spies in each other's territory...
5 days ago | Like (23) |
Billionaire7 What a shocking story, who would have thought that an
arch-nemesis would spy on its enemy!
5 days ago | Like (15) |
Chandiramani Ridiculous to say what a shocking story, because one spys
on ones enemies and not on ones friends, you understand.
5 days ago | Like (3) |
chocofudge We should just wait and see to see if this is a false alarm
or if there is actually any base to it. Just recently Kenya expelled
members of Dubai's ruling family as "terrorists," though clearly they
were not (resulting in Dubai limiting visas for Kenyans), and kenyan
officials admitted it was a stupid mistake. We'll just have to wait
and see what evidence comes out of this so it is too hasty to come to
conclusions. These two countries are also at odds with each other, so
I wouldn't be surprised if both sides had infiltrators.
5 days ago | Like (9) |
mangogreen she was hindoo phondoo
5 days ago | Like (7) |
Jesterace maybe she found out who is right and who is wrong! just
kidding
5 days ago | Like (4) |
shuk123 ahh.. an Indian... single lady .. alone in pakistan.. god
knows what she has to go through.. no wonder she succumbed
5 days ago | Like (4) |
yppop1 I don't see where they mentioned that this was a lady. That
said, single ladies may not be safe in Pakistan;)
5 days ago | Like (6) |
chaudhari Yes. And she was fluent in Urdu.
5 days ago | Like |
shuk123 @yp.. lol.. there are other news channels which give more
information..
FYI.. the name of this person is "madhuri gupta", single, born in New
Delhi, India.. need more info :)
5 days ago | Like |
mobin786 CNN what are you doing? is this an international level
News ??? this type of junk news I even never read in the 3rd class
evening news paper which distribute freely.
5 days ago | Like (4) |
budgiecanfly of course its news. yes we know that enemies spy on each
other but anytime spies get caught there are possible political
repercussions. and there are people in this world that are interested
to learn about those repercussions. what do you want as news? barbie
has a new dress?
5 days ago | Like (9) |
may be you should be following nancy grace's analysis of the caylee
case, it is NEWS?
5 days ago | Like (1) |
Sidddharth the problem isnt only Pakistan any longer...India needs to
have stronger security policy and framework...it continues to take a
softer approach towards mitigating cross boarder terrorism and
intelligence-leakage. It does not swiftly tackle 'home-grown' terror
support issues either. Indian needs to realize that unless the
internal support for terror (mostly from a certain religious sect) is
completely eradicated India will continue to face dire consequences.
India needs some lessons from Israel. India needs to become a much,
much stronger nation.
5 days ago | Like (1) |
shuk123 @Sidd... dude.. We are a secular country.. although I agree
that most of the people supporting terrorists are of "one religious
sect" .. there need to be some laws which scare people of falling into
these things..
4 days ago | Like |
patelvik84 Madhuri Gupta is Indian MATAHARI, must given Death Penalty.
Indian Embassies & Consulates are having Service & Attitude problems
was known till today, but being Traitor of Country is really shocking.
Many Indian Ambassadors acts like NAWABS and has their own laws to
operate Embassies & Consulates.
5 days ago | Like (1) |
patelvik84 India ” TOLERATED ” Smugglers, Criminals, Gangsters,
Corrupted, Black Marketers in Politics and many we see them today as
our MLA's and MP's. " JAISA RAJA WAISI PRAJA " This reflects the work
for Compromising with Clean Chits and Officials follows their boses.
Besides Indian Consulate in PAK its now time to see how much more
Diplomats Overseas & Govt Officials in India is " INFECTED & BUGED "
by ISI through Dawood's Network. Madhuri show no Remorse on Suicidal
SPY Mission. Indian Authorities must be careful to GRILL other RAW
Officers on her Statements. Because of all this Dirty & Corrupted
people in Politics and Govt Offices, INDIAN SECURITY and ARMY is
paying the price with their lives to save Country. All Old and Out
dated laws must be made strict on Terrorism, Moles and Traitors.
Indian ” MATAHARI ” Madhuri Gupta must be given Death Penalty by
Firing Squad.
4 days ago | Like |
Guest Anything positive out of this? are all here sour? How about a
positive future where espionage is replaced with trust and friendship
for common good.
5 days ago | Like |
CNNLOVER123 Szmata indian diplomat !!!!
5 days ago | Like |
JohnJ786 we dont know that yet she was an spy or not, she is suspected
but she is cooperating with authorities. remember talwar case he was
arrested for being suspected of killing his own daughter and 6 months
later they found out that it was the servant who killed that kid, so
do not jump on conclusions. But if its true its sad that a hindu girl
with high education betrayed india.
5 days ago |
sid81 i dont care if she is a hindu or muslim or christian. she is a
traitor and needs to be dealt with the strictest punishment. she is a
bi$#h
5 days ago | Like (1) |
JohnJ786 its all over the news, she is/was IFS grade B officer,
undersecretary, female, hindu religion, originaly from New Dehli.
5 days ago |
ahh.. an Indian... single lady .. alone in pakistan.. god knows what
she has to go through.. no wonder she succumbed
5 days ago | Like (4) |
yppop1 I don't see where they mentioned that this was a lady. That
said, single ladies may not be safe in Pakistan;)
5 days ago | Like (6) |
Yes. And she was fluent in Urdu.
5 days ago |
shuk123 @yp.. lol.. there are other news channels which give more
information..
FYI.. the name of this person is "madhuri gupta", single, born in New
Delhi, India.. need more info :)
5 days ago |
mobin786 CNN what are you doing? is this an international level
News ??? this type of junk news I even never read in the 3rd class
evening news paper which distribute freely.
5 days ago | Like (4) |
budgiecanfly of course its news. yes we know that enemies spy on each
other but anytime spies get caught there are possible political
repercussions. and there are people in this world that are interested
to learn about those repercussions. what do you want as news? barbie
has a new dress?
5 days ago | Like (9) |
may be you should be following nancy grace's analysis of the caylee
case, it is NEWS?
5 days ago | Like (1) |
Sidddharth the problem isnt only Pakistan any longer...India needs to
have stronger security policy and framework...it continues to take a
softer approach towards mitigating cross boarder terrorism and
intelligence-leakage. It does not swiftly tackle 'home-grown' terror
support issues either. Indian needs to realize that unless the
internal support for terror (mostly from a certain religious sect) is
completely eradicated India will continue to face dire consequences.
India needs some lessons from Israel. India needs to become a much,
much stronger nation.
5 days ago | Like (1) |
shuk123 @Sidd... dude.. We are a secular country.. although I agree
that most of the people supporting terrorists are of "one religious
sect" .. there need to be some laws which scare people of falling into
these things..
4 days ago |
patelvik84 Madhuri Gupta is Indian MATAHARI, must given Death Penalty.
Indian Embassies & Consulates are having Service & Attitude problems
was known till today, but being Traitor of Country is really shocking.
Many Indian Ambassadors acts like NAWABS and has their own laws to
operate Embassies & Consulates.
5 days ago | Like (1) |
patelvik84 India ” TOLERATED ” Smugglers, Criminals, Gangsters,
Corrupted, Black Marketers in Politics and many we see them today as
our MLA's and MP's. " JAISA RAJA WAISI PRAJA " This reflects the work
for Compromising with Clean Chits and Officials follows their boses.
Besides Indian Consulate in PAK its now time to see how much more
Diplomats Overseas & Govt Officials in India is " INFECTED & BUGED "
by ISI through Dawood's Network. Madhuri show no Remorse on Suicidal
SPY Mission. Indian Authorities must be careful to GRILL other RAW
Officers on her Statements. Because of all this Dirty & Corrupted
people in Politics and Govt Offices, INDIAN SECURITY and ARMY is
paying the price with their lives to save Country. All Old and Out
dated laws must be made strict on Terrorism, Moles and Traitors.
Indian ” MATAHARI ” Madhuri Gupta must be given Death Penalty by
Firing Squad.
4 days ago |
Guest Anything positive out of this? are all here sour? How about a
positive future where espionage is replaced with trust and friendship
for common good.
5 days ago |
CNNLOVER123 Szmata indian diplomat !!!!
5 days ago |
JohnJ786 we dont know that yet she was an spy or not, she is suspected
but she is cooperating with authorities. remember talwar case he was
arrested for being suspected of killing his own daughter and 6 months
later they found out that it was the servant who killed that kid, so
do not jump on conclusions. But if its true its sad that a hindu girl
with high education betrayed india.
5 days ago
sid81 i dont care if she is a hindu or muslim or christian. she is a
traitor and needs to be dealt with the strictest punishment. she is a
bi$#h
5 days ago | Like (1) |
JohnJ786 its all over the news, she is/was IFS grade B officer,
undersecretary, female, hindu religion, originaly from New Dehli.
5 days ago
http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/04/27/india.pakistan.spying/index.html?eref=rss_world
Finally, a Thaw in Thimphu
Kashmir Watch, May 2
BY UBAID MUSHTAQ
The subcontinent is once again abuzz in anticipation of a fresh round
of talks between India and Pakistan. At the end of the 16th SAARC
summit a 37-point joint declaration has been issued emphasizing the
importance of greater cooperation in the region to solve the common
problems facing the member states. But, perhaps the most important
development to emerge is the call for resumption of stalled dialogue
process between estranged bedfellows India and Pakistan.
After remaining reluctant for over a year, the prime ministers of
India and Pakistan meet on the sidelines of the 16th SAARC Summit in
Thimpu, Bhutan. Both prime ministers agreed to resume the stalled
peace process without any preconditions that was broken off by Delhi
following the Mumbai terror attacks. They also agreed that they will
not permit agents and elements in their countries to act against the
interests of both. The two PMs, taking a realistic view of the
situation, also acknowledged the trust deficit between India and
Pakistan and asked their foreign ministers “to bridge the gap and
build confidence to take the process forward”. Although no joint
statement has been issued and no date for future dialogue has been
set, but it is certain that the impasse has been broken.
Since the last joint communiqu� made by Indian Prime Minister and his
Pakistani counterpart Yousaf Raza Gilani on the sidelines of the Non
Aligned Movement’s Summit in Sharm el-Sheikh (Egypt) in, July 2009,
there was no significant development between two countries after
then. Except, a secretary level bilateral talks in February this year
which did not lead to any meaningful results on any issue nor could
agreed on a roadmap for the resumption of the Composite Dialogue.
However, it now appeared as if India had left behind the bogey of
terrorism and staged a fresh start with Pakistan. The united neighbors
cannot linger without dialogue. The alternative of cold and hot wars
between the two countries is only dialogue and with the nuclear
dimension added in both countries, the hot wars have become
unthinkable!
But, while on one side the talks are welcomed on every-front. On the
other many political figures, commentator’s, critics and media outlets
in both India and Pakistan displayed unease calling this as a short-
term bonhomie written by Uncle -Sam. Many political commentators and
analysts across South Asia have smelled U.S. pressure behind the fresh
relations that was displayed at SAARC summit notwithstanding the
otherwise bitter atmosphere due to Mumbai attacks. It is now much
debated that the U.S. wants to spare Pakistan army’s attention on
other issues particularly on America’s so called “War on terror”. Many
believe that US has a great potential for encouraging talks towards
success but, it often ends up confusing the environment for all
parties involved.
But for more than anything else, it’s the Kashmir issue which remains
unaddressed. Jammu and Kashmir has been the bone of contention between
the two nations for long now and has been relegated to backchannel
diplomacy. While, Pakistan continues to consider Kashmir as the core
dispute between the two countries. On the other India continues to
focus on terrorism as the core issue. Since 26/11 Mumbai attacks the
India’s position on Kashmir issue has hardened and it finds the best
possible opportunity to advance its agenda on Kashmir and draw maximum
benefit from the changed international opinion in favour of fighting
terrorism. India’s handling of the Mumbai terrorist attack also shows
that it is more interested in pursuing its broader domestic and
foreign policy agendas than focusing directly on elimination of
terrorism. India sees itself now as a big power and no longer as a
defender of the weak and the underdeveloped world. India’s aggressive
presence in the backyard of Pakistan for the sake of America’s war has
also decreased the Pakistan’s interest in America’s war on terror.
This ultimately has made direct influence over Kashmir issue and on
Pakistan itself. Since 26/11, terrorism has emerged as the most
sensitive issue in India’s relations with other countries it has all
along pointed fingers to Pakistan as the hub of global terrorism to
divert attention from Kashmir issue. It has also found the best
possible opportunity to advance its agenda on Kashmir issue throughout
the world and mingled the war on terrorism and Kashmir on the same
front.
On the other perspective Pakistan’s rationale for covert war in
Kashmir to bleed India into a state of abject weakness. After which it
would presumably quit Kashmir also fails to meet up any conclusion.
And after actively taking part in Americas “war on terror” Pakistan
finds itself caught in internal conflicts as is witnessed these days
and is on brink. The home grown radicals and dealing with other issues
within the country has consequently affected the Pakistan’s role in
the Kashmir issue.
The failure over 63 years to resolve the Kashmir dispute has
contributed immensely to persisting tensions and hostility between two
neighbours. The future of South Asia mainly depends on the two nuclear
Power nations India and Pakistan. There is an immediate need that our
political leaders in both countries should rise to the occasion and
give a practical demonstration of their will to resolve all political
disputes. The quickly changing approaches in this region and
particularly in India and Pakistan demand an immediate need for
resolution of Kashmir issue. And to find a long-term solution that is
in accordance with the wishes of the Kashmiri people.
Author is pursuing BBA, at IUST Awantipora & a regular blogger on
Political & economic issues in the subcontinent. Blog: www.ubaidmushtaq.blogspot.com
Posted on 02 May 2010 by Webmaster
http://www.kashmirwatch.com/showarticles.php?subaction=showfull&id=1272832021&archive=&start_from=&ucat=3&var0news=value0news
...and I am Sid Harth
http://navanavonmilita.wordpress.com/hangm-assassinsspies-and-peacemakers-asap-sid-harth/
Surviving Mumbai attacker convicted of murder
A guilty verdict was expected for the Pakistani who helped carry out
the 2008 attack that killed 166, but the acquittal of two accused
Indian accomplices is a surprise to some.
By Mark Magnier
Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
May 3, 2010 | 5:22 a.m.
Reporting from New Delhi
The lone surviving member of the November 2008 attack in Mumbai that
killed 166 people was convicted Monday on 86 counts, including murder,
conspiracy and waging war against India, while two alleged Indian
accomplices were acquitted.
The guilty verdict against Pakistan national Ajmal Amir Kasab, 22, was
expected. Kasab was seen by several witnesses and recorded on closed-
circuit video attacking the Mumbai railway station with a serene smirk
that prompted Indian media to dub him the "smiling assassin."
The 60-hour attack on India's financial center in late 2008 -- carried
out by 10 attackers trained in Pakistan -- held a nation hostage as
insurgents fanned out, hitting luxury hotels, a hospital and a Jewish
center.
"The judgment is a message to Pakistan that they should not export
terror to India," said P. Chidambaram, India's Home Minister. "If they
do, and the terrorists are apprehended, we will bring them to
justice."
But the acquittal of two accused Indian accomplices, Fahim Ansari and
Sabauddin Ahmed, was greeted with some disbelief, although some said
it proved the fairness of India's justice system.
"I am satisfied but sad that two of the accused, Ansari and
Sabahuddin, have been acquitted," said Ujjwal Nikam, the public
prosecutor. "I will definitely challenge the verdict."
Indian police alleged that the two delivered maps to operatives of
Lashkar-e-Taiba, the anti-India terror group that Kasab and other
attackers reportedly belonged to. But in acquitting them, the court
found the evidence "poor in quantity and quality" and noted that
better maps were available on Google.
Kasab's sentencing is expected within the next few days. The
prosecution is expected to ask for the death sentence.
Eyewitnesses in the heavily guarded courtroom said Kasab, wearing a
white pajama-like kurta, appeared unemotional as Special Court Judge
M.L. Tahiliyani read out his 1,500-page judgment, a process that took
nearly three hours. When the reading was complete, hundreds of
broadcast reporters in front of the courthouse scrambled to out-shout
and out-elbow each other amid a scrum of live camera shots.
Imtiaz Gul, chairman of Islamabad's Center for Research and Security
Studies, said the verdict could stir up resentment in Pakistan among
groups sympathetic to people like Kasab. And the fact that the two
Indians went free belies a Pakistan view that the attack couldn't have
happened without local handlers.
The trial was lightning fast for India, a nation where cases can drag
on for a generation. The last major terror trial, after 13 blasts were
carried out in Mumbai in 1993 against hotels and the stock market
killing 250 people, ran for over 15 years.
Taking no chances, Mumbai police had filed an 11,000-page charge sheet
after interviewing 2,000 witnesses, while the government spent $1
million on a special cell for Kasab and a bomb-resistant walkway to
the secure court.
The heightened security may have protected Kasab from Mumbai police as
much as from insurgents hoping to silence any damaging testimony. Top
Mumbai policeman Rakesh Maria admitted in a television interview that
many in his force were out for blood given their many colleagues
killed in the attack. "We had to protect Kasab from within the
department because there was anger in the department also," he said.
The case has been something of a roller coaster. No lawyer volunteered
to represent Kasab, at which point the court arm-twisted a legal aid
attorney, who was subsequently dismissed for simultaneously
representing attack victims. A second Kasab lawyer was then dismissed
for foot-dragging. And the attorney for one of the alleged Indian
accomplices was gunned down in his office after attacking the police
work as shoddy.
Kasab at one point confessed to all charges, revealed minute details
of the operation and requested the death penalty. Then he retracted
his confession and argued that he was an innocent tourist being
framed.
Assuming Kasab receives the death penalty, appeals and the case
backlog could drag out the process. Human rights watchdog Amnesty
International estimated there were 400 death-sentence prisoners in
India in 2008, a figure the government doesn't reveal.
Kasab, a resident of eastern Pakistan's Faridkot village, was the
third of five children raised by a food-cart seller father and a
homemaker mother. Tight finances ended his education at the fourth
grade. A few years later, he left home after a fight with his family,
working as a laborer and reportedly a petty thief for a few years
before drifting into radicalism.
Given the international spotlight and India's desire to show its
resolve, the sentencing could be put on a fast track, said Majid
Memon, a criminal lawyer. Kasab has already called for a quick death
sentence, Memon added, so his hanging -- India's preferred method --
could take place relatively quickly. "India wants to send a message
with this case to other terrorist who are not caught, but still
operating," Memon added.
Anshul Rana in the New Delhi bureau contributed to this report.
Copyright © 2010, The Los Angeles Times
Related stories
From the L.A. Times
Indian diplomat arrested on charges of spying for Pakistan
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fgw-mumbai-verdict-20100504,0,4119705.story
Indian diplomat arrested on charges of spying for Pakistan
http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/04/27/india.pakistan.spying/index.html?eref=rss_world
Madhuri Gupta was reportedly lured back to India, detained upon
arrival several days ago and found in possession of 7 sensitive
documents. The incident could hurt relations between the wary nuclear
neighbors.
Related
Mumbai still feels insecure a year after attacks
http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-fg-india-mumbai26-2009nov26,0,4777428,full.story
First official meeting between Pakistan, India since Mumbai attack is
strained
http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-fg-india-pakistan26-2010feb26,0,3862137.story
By Mark Magnier, Los Angeles Times
April 27, 2010 | 10:10 a.m.
la-fg-india-spy-20100428
Reporting from New Delhi
An Indian diplomat was arrested by her government on charges of spying
for Pakistan, officials said Tuesday, a development that could hurt
relations between the wary nuclear neighbors and almost certainly
leave New Delhi red-faced.
Madhuri Gupta, 53, a second secretary for the Indian Embassy in the
Pakistani capital of Islamabad, was reportedly lured back to India on
the pretext that her help was needed to prepare for an upcoming
regional meeting in Bhutan.
She was detained as soon as she landed at the airport several days ago
and was found in possession of seven sensitive documents, according to
reports in Indian media.
"We have reason to believe that an official in the Indian High
Commission in Islamabad had been passing information to Pakistani
intelligence agencies," said Vishnu Prakash, spokesperson with the
Ministry of External Affairs. "The official is cooperating with our
investigation and enquiries."
Gupta has worked in the embassy's press and information department for
2 1/2 years as an Urdu translator, Indian media reported, citing
police sources. She had been under suspicion for a few months.
As a second secretary, Gupta probably would not have had much access
to sensitive information, said B. Raman, a security analyst and former
Pakistan desk head with India's Research and Analysis Wing, India's
equivalent of the CIA. But she still could have caused significant
damage if she had planted electronic listening devices, he added.
In the 1970s, he said, India caught and fired a British telephone
operator in its Paris Embassy taping conversations and feeding them to
British intelligence services.
Red flags reportedly went up after Gupta, who is unmarried, started
asking questions outside her area of responsibility and was found with
funds in a Pakistani account, according to the Times Now news network.
She has since confessed to being lured by the money and unhappiness
over not being promoted, the network added.
Analysts said cellphone intercepts also may have played a role along
with suspicions raised by embassy colleagues.
A picture obtained by news networks of Gupta showed a round-faced
woman with glasses and shoulder-length dark hair.
While many questions about the alleged intelligence gathering remain
unanswered, analysts said, the news will almost certainly lead to soul
searching at India's Foreign Ministry and among counter-intelligence
officials responsible for screening embassy staff.
"Any disclosure of intelligence activities involving Indian diplomats
is embarrassing," said Raman, now director of the Institute for
Topical Studies in the Indian city of Chennai.
Some expressed outrage at the news, especially in light of attempts to
revive talks between the longtime enemies.
"Even as Pakistan talks about having prime minister-level talks, they
go ahead with intelligence activities," said Ajit Doval, former head
of the Intelligence Bureau, India's equivalent of the FBI. "It doesn't
send the right signal."
Others said there were no angels in this game. "This is standard
practice worldwide," said Imtiaz Gul, chairman of Islamabad's Center
for Research and Security Studies. "America, Britain, India or
Pakistan, they all do it. It obviously comes to a halt once
discovered."
It's not clear that Gupta will face prosecution, analysts said, given
the high bar required to prove a legal case and reluctance to disclose
secrets in court.
In the 1980s, Pakistani intelligence allegedly recruited a senior
Indian military attache using a "honey trap" involving an attractive
woman in Karachi who reportedly seduced and blackmailed him. When
India found out, it returned him to India and fired him but never
prosecuted him. "It's sometimes very difficult to prove," said Raman.
"You need evidence from people in Pakistan, which is difficult to
get."
Details of Gupta's career track were not immediately available, but
her age and low-level position suggest she is not a career foreign
service officer.
A properly trained Indian civil service official might be less
"susceptible to foreign inducements," Kapil Sibal, India's human
resources minister, said outside parliament. "That they were able to
penetrate the embassy is shocking."
***@latimes.com
Anshul Rana in the Times' New Delhi bureau contributed to this
report.
Copyright © 2010, The Los Angeles Times
Comments (1)
krahim12 at 7:34 AM May 01, 2010
In this melodrama produced by RAW and directed by ISI the theme is no
mystery since the Mumbai Fire. India will use Ways and Means to trap
Pakistan in the most controversial web. In all these years since 09/11
Pakistan has not been able to find Osama bin Laden. I wonder if ISI
would be able to track Ms Gupta in the next thirty days.
http://www.latimes.com/news/la-fg-india-spy-20100428,0,5333451.story?track=rss
Mumbai still feels insecure a year after attacks
Observers say changes in security procedures made after attackers
killed 166 in this Indian city fall far short of providing protection
from terrorists, militants or other dangers.
Bullet holes are marked on a bakery wall across from the Chabad center
that was attacked last November in Mumbai, India, along with a hotel
and other targets. (Prashanth Vishwanathan / Bloomberg News)
Related
Mumbai attacks - November 2008
By Mark Magnier
November 26, 2009
la-fg-india-mumbai26-2009nov26
Reporting from Mumbai, India
In the last year, India has deployed rapid strike law enforcement
officers in four cities and purchased night-scope equipment.
Mumbai police increased the numbers of weapons and vehicles at police
stations and created specially trained early response units.
Dhananjay Srirang, 38, a constable, said he checks the identity cards
of fishermen and boaters in the port, a new procedure, and B. Raman,
director at Chennai's Institute for Topical Studies, said intelligence
links with the U.S. have been strengthened.
The changes, all geared toward increasing the sense of safety, came in
response to the terrorist attacks in Mumbai one year ago today that
left 166 people dead and about 300 injured in a luxury hotel, train
station and other locations in across the city.
But many observers say the changes fall far short of providing
protection from terrorists or other dangers, and some assert that new
safety measures have done nothing to protect Mumbai, a global
financial capital formerly known as Bombay.
"The only reason we haven't been attacked is that the Taliban and Al
Qaeda are too busy looking at Pakistan to look here," said Y.P. Singh,
an analyst and former Indian Police Service member. "Ultimately it's
only because they have their hands full."
Home Minister P. Chidambaram, who has made security a priority, also
said recently that the nation is just as vulnerable as before.
Residents are still haunted by the attacks.
Anita Oriya Rajender, a 40-year-old garbage picker who lives near a
jetty in Mumbai, remembers seeing the attackers when they came ashore.
She had headed down to the jetty that night to brush her teeth before
heading for bed in a gritty neighborhood of hovels and fishing boats.
As she neared the water's edge amid dirty plastic bags lapping gently
in the surf, she noticed an inflatable boat carrying six men. They
swung duffel bags over their shoulders, hugged one another and flashed
a thumbs up sign before heading off in different directions.
"Thirty minutes later I heard blasts and put two and two together,"
she said. "Now a year later, I can't help but thinking if I'd said the
wrong thing to them, I'd be dead."
The 10 attackers killed top Mumbai anti-terrorism cop Hemant Karkare,
two colleagues and four civilians near a hospital; 52 at Mumbai's main
railway station; 11 at a trendy cafe and 35 at the Oberoi hotel.
But their main targets appeared to be the city's five-star Taj Mahal
Palace & Tower hotel and a Jewish travelers' center run by the ultra-
Orthodox Chabad Lubavitch sect, where the hostage dramas played out
for days.
The attackers' use of advanced technology, allegedly linking them in
real time with Pakistan-based handlers, increased their ability to
spread terror.
And the scope of the operation, including its aggressive targeting of
foreign and local civilian targets, put terrorist group Lashkar-e-
Taiba on the international map, ultimately strengthening U.S.-Indian
intelligence sharing and turning Mumbai into a case study for the New
York Police Department, FBI and other security agencies.
"The attack made Lashkar-e-Taiba a household name," said Christine
Fair, assistant professor at Georgetown University. "It was
Thanksgiving weekend, with many at home watching as it went on and
on."
The attacks also raised some embarrassing questions, including how 10
militants could hold a city hostage for nearly three days. The lone
surviving gunman is in custody.
Businessman Bhisham Mansukhani, who was at a wedding at the Taj and
who became a hostage, expressed little respect for how the police
handled themselves.
"When the firing started, the cops just ran around panicked," he said.
"Some fell out of their trucks. They were just horrible."
After the attacks, the Indian government came under sharp criticism.
Several rounds of finger-pointing followed between rivals India and
Pakistan, which was resisting calls to prosecute alleged Lashkar
masterminds, part of a group nurtured by Pakistan's primary spy agency
in the 1990s to battle India. On Wednesday, Pakistan charged seven men
with helping to plan and execute the Mumbai attacks.
Security analysts said the government has not shown an ability to
gather valuable intelligence that might thwart future attacks.
"Ultimately you fight terrorism through intelligence, and ours isn't
very good," Singh said.
Dr. Kuresh Zirabi, whose ophthalmology clinic is directly across from
the Chabad center, said travelers to the U.S. or Australia can see how
lax India's security is in contrast.
"Our system needs repair -- the people, defense and especially the
mind-set," said Zirabi. Red painted circles highlight several dozen
bullet marks in the wall of his clinic.
Zirabi hopes the Jewish center is not rebuilt in the neighborhood, he
said, not because he opposes its activities but because it could
easily become a target again.
But some say the attacks have also underscored the resiliency of
Mumbai, a teeming stew of humanity replete with slums, Bollywood
studios, the super-rich and the deeply impoverished.
"People showed they were not ready to bow down," said Remu Javeri, who
owns two shops in the Taj hotel and an apartment nearby.
Bharat Gaikwad, a railway policeman, points out bullet holes on the
wall and a golden statue of the god Ganesh with flashing lights, only
its edge pierced. "See, the idol braved the terrorists," Gaikwad said.
"Its power deflected the bullets."
Early the day after the attacks, Mumbai's trains were running, and
they have been ever since.
"Bombay can't come to a standstill," said Ashok Mokashi, 50, an
assistant railway sub-inspector, near a commemoration to a slain
railway policeman.
"It's like sunshine or rain, there's no stopping it."
***@latimes.com
Anshul Rana of The Times' New Delhi Bureau contributed to this
report.
Copyright © 2010, The Los Angeles Times
http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-fg-india-mumbai26-2009nov26,0,4777428,full.story
First official meeting between Pakistan, India since Mumbai attack is
strained
The mistrust between the two sides is apparent as the countries'
foreign ministers meet, but both sides call it a beginning.
Related
Mumbai still feels insecure a year after attacks
By Mark Magnier
February 25, 2010 | 11:27 a.m.
la-fg-india-pakistan26-2010feb26
Reporting from New Delhi
They came, they met, they disagreed. The first formal meeting Thursday
between India and Pakistan since the terrorist attack on the Indian
city of Mumbai 15 months ago saw no breakthrough, as expected,
although both sides termed it a first step in building confidence.
"I would not characterize these talks as successful or unsuccessful,"
Pakistani Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir told reporters afterward.
"We must pick up the pieces where this process was interrupted and try
to rebuild trust."
At first blush, however, the two delegations appeared more intent on
talking over each other and repeating entrenched positions than in
moving forward.
Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao said in a separate news
conference that she had urged Pakistan to do a better job of rooting
out and prosecuting terrorists on its soil who are suspected of
plotting attacks on India -- particularly Hafiz Saeed, a militant
leader whom India accused of orchestrating the Mumbai siege, in which
gunmen killed 166 people.
India handed over dossiers on suspects it said Pakistan should pursue,
including Saeed and an Al Qaeda-linked militant named Ilyas Kashmiri,
who had issued threats against India and various Indian fugitives
hiding in Pakistan.
"I stressed the importance of expeditious action by Pakistan on these
issues," Rao told reporters.
Indian and Western analysts have long suspected that Pakistani
intelligence agencies created and supported radical groups as part of
their country's proxy conflict with India over the disputed region of
Kashmir.
Pakistan countered with calls for comprehensive negotiations involving
issues beyond terrorism, with a particular focus on reaching a
political agreement over Kashmir.
Pakistan's Bashir also said his country is the ultimate victim of
terrorism, given some 3,000 attacks suffered over the last 26 months,
and didn't appreciated being lectured. He added that his government
possessed photographic evidence of "Indian involvement in activities
prejudicial to Pakistan's security."
This was an apparent reference to alleged Indian meddling in
Pakistan's restive southwestern Baluchistan province and in
Afghanistan.
India's Rao countered that her country didn't intrude in other
nations' internal affairs.
After the dueling news conferences, the Indian media cited "government
sources" in reporting official displeasure with Bashir's comments,
saying India didn't lecture him, that Rao got her authority from a
democratically elected government while he got his from the Pakistani
army and that the terror attacks Pakistan suffered were of its own
creation. This further underscored the enormous trust gap between the
two sides.
The talks at New Delhi's Hyderabad House lasted nearly four hours,
running overtime. Rao declined to say whether the two nations' prime
ministers might soon meet, adding that the two sides did not discuss a
road map for improved relations.
"We agreed to stay in touch," she said. "We're not talking about road
maps."
***@latimes.com
Anshul Rana in the Times' New Delhi bureau contributed to this report.
Copyright © 2010, The Los Angeles Times
Related stories
From the L.A. Times
India and Pakistan pledge to improve relations
India-Pakistan Water Dispute: Limited Resources Spark Tensions|
huffingtonpost.com
Pakistan and India resume talks|guardian.co.uk
http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-fg-india-pakistan26-2010feb26,0,3862137.story
Indian diplomat suspected of spying for Pakistan
April 28, 2010 10:48 a.m. EDT
Diplomat suspected of spying
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Indian media reports that the Pakistan-based diplomat has been
arrested
Announcement comes as rivals prepare to talk at regional meeting in
Bhutan
Indian Ministry of External Affairs says matter is under investigation
(CNN) -- India suspects one of its diplomats in Pakistan has been
spying for Pakistani intelligence, the Indian Ministry of External
Affairs said Tuesday.
"The matter is currently under investigation. The official is
cooperating with our inquiries," the ministry's official spokesperson
said in a statement.
Indian media are reporting that the diplomat has been arrested. The
Ministry of External Affairs did not respond immediately to a CNN
request for comment.
The announcement came as representatives of the two rivals prepared to
talk on the sidelines of the South Asian Association for Regional
Cooperation meeting in Bhutan.
India and Pakistan have been at odds since they became independent in
1947. They have fought several wars and engaged in a nuclear arms race
that ended with both countries having nuclear bombs.
CNN's Sumnima Udas contributed to this report.
soundoff (25 Comments)
Show: Most liked
CheekyIndian
CheekyIndian "India and Pakistan have been at odds since they became
independent in 1947. They have fought several wars and engaged in a
nuclear arms race that ended with both countries having nuclear
bombs." Is this still news to anybody???? I mean it been going on for
50 yrs......
5 days ago | Like (28) |
l121 when are these two countries going to start using the nukes on
each other all they do is beat on their chest, lets get at it.
5 days ago | Like (3) |
tamade Why is this new? India and Pakistan probably has thousands of
spies in each other's territory...
5 days ago | Like (23) |
Billionaire7 What a shocking story, who would have thought that an
arch-nemesis would spy on its enemy!
5 days ago | Like (15) |
Chandiramani Ridiculous to say what a shocking story, because one spys
on ones enemies and not on ones friends, you understand.
5 days ago | Like (3) |
chocofudge We should just wait and see to see if this is a false alarm
or if there is actually any base to it. Just recently Kenya expelled
members of Dubai's ruling family as "terrorists," though clearly they
were not (resulting in Dubai limiting visas for Kenyans), and kenyan
officials admitted it was a stupid mistake. We'll just have to wait
and see what evidence comes out of this so it is too hasty to come to
conclusions. These two countries are also at odds with each other, so
I wouldn't be surprised if both sides had infiltrators.
5 days ago | Like (9) |
mangogreen she was hindoo phondoo
5 days ago | Like (7) |
Jesterace maybe she found out who is right and who is wrong! just
kidding
5 days ago | Like (4) |
shuk123 ahh.. an Indian... single lady .. alone in pakistan.. god
knows what she has to go through.. no wonder she succumbed
5 days ago | Like (4) |
yppop1 I don't see where they mentioned that this was a lady. That
said, single ladies may not be safe in Pakistan;)
5 days ago | Like (6) |
chaudhari Yes. And she was fluent in Urdu.
5 days ago | Like |
shuk123 @yp.. lol.. there are other news channels which give more
information..
FYI.. the name of this person is "madhuri gupta", single, born in New
Delhi, India.. need more info :)
5 days ago | Like |
mobin786 CNN what are you doing? is this an international level
News ??? this type of junk news I even never read in the 3rd class
evening news paper which distribute freely.
5 days ago | Like (4) |
budgiecanfly of course its news. yes we know that enemies spy on each
other but anytime spies get caught there are possible political
repercussions. and there are people in this world that are interested
to learn about those repercussions. what do you want as news? barbie
has a new dress?
5 days ago | Like (9) |
may be you should be following nancy grace's analysis of the caylee
case, it is NEWS?
5 days ago | Like (1) |
Sidddharth the problem isnt only Pakistan any longer...India needs to
have stronger security policy and framework...it continues to take a
softer approach towards mitigating cross boarder terrorism and
intelligence-leakage. It does not swiftly tackle 'home-grown' terror
support issues either. Indian needs to realize that unless the
internal support for terror (mostly from a certain religious sect) is
completely eradicated India will continue to face dire consequences.
India needs some lessons from Israel. India needs to become a much,
much stronger nation.
5 days ago | Like (1) |
shuk123 @Sidd... dude.. We are a secular country.. although I agree
that most of the people supporting terrorists are of "one religious
sect" .. there need to be some laws which scare people of falling into
these things..
4 days ago | Like |
patelvik84 Madhuri Gupta is Indian MATAHARI, must given Death Penalty.
Indian Embassies & Consulates are having Service & Attitude problems
was known till today, but being Traitor of Country is really shocking.
Many Indian Ambassadors acts like NAWABS and has their own laws to
operate Embassies & Consulates.
5 days ago | Like (1) |
patelvik84 India ” TOLERATED ” Smugglers, Criminals, Gangsters,
Corrupted, Black Marketers in Politics and many we see them today as
our MLA's and MP's. " JAISA RAJA WAISI PRAJA " This reflects the work
for Compromising with Clean Chits and Officials follows their boses.
Besides Indian Consulate in PAK its now time to see how much more
Diplomats Overseas & Govt Officials in India is " INFECTED & BUGED "
by ISI through Dawood's Network. Madhuri show no Remorse on Suicidal
SPY Mission. Indian Authorities must be careful to GRILL other RAW
Officers on her Statements. Because of all this Dirty & Corrupted
people in Politics and Govt Offices, INDIAN SECURITY and ARMY is
paying the price with their lives to save Country. All Old and Out
dated laws must be made strict on Terrorism, Moles and Traitors.
Indian ” MATAHARI ” Madhuri Gupta must be given Death Penalty by
Firing Squad.
4 days ago | Like |
Guest Anything positive out of this? are all here sour? How about a
positive future where espionage is replaced with trust and friendship
for common good.
5 days ago | Like |
CNNLOVER123 Szmata indian diplomat !!!!
5 days ago | Like |
JohnJ786 we dont know that yet she was an spy or not, she is suspected
but she is cooperating with authorities. remember talwar case he was
arrested for being suspected of killing his own daughter and 6 months
later they found out that it was the servant who killed that kid, so
do not jump on conclusions. But if its true its sad that a hindu girl
with high education betrayed india.
5 days ago |
sid81 i dont care if she is a hindu or muslim or christian. she is a
traitor and needs to be dealt with the strictest punishment. she is a
bi$#h
5 days ago | Like (1) |
JohnJ786 its all over the news, she is/was IFS grade B officer,
undersecretary, female, hindu religion, originaly from New Dehli.
5 days ago |
ahh.. an Indian... single lady .. alone in pakistan.. god knows what
she has to go through.. no wonder she succumbed
5 days ago | Like (4) |
yppop1 I don't see where they mentioned that this was a lady. That
said, single ladies may not be safe in Pakistan;)
5 days ago | Like (6) |
Yes. And she was fluent in Urdu.
5 days ago |
shuk123 @yp.. lol.. there are other news channels which give more
information..
FYI.. the name of this person is "madhuri gupta", single, born in New
Delhi, India.. need more info :)
5 days ago |
mobin786 CNN what are you doing? is this an international level
News ??? this type of junk news I even never read in the 3rd class
evening news paper which distribute freely.
5 days ago | Like (4) |
budgiecanfly of course its news. yes we know that enemies spy on each
other but anytime spies get caught there are possible political
repercussions. and there are people in this world that are interested
to learn about those repercussions. what do you want as news? barbie
has a new dress?
5 days ago | Like (9) |
may be you should be following nancy grace's analysis of the caylee
case, it is NEWS?
5 days ago | Like (1) |
Sidddharth the problem isnt only Pakistan any longer...India needs to
have stronger security policy and framework...it continues to take a
softer approach towards mitigating cross boarder terrorism and
intelligence-leakage. It does not swiftly tackle 'home-grown' terror
support issues either. Indian needs to realize that unless the
internal support for terror (mostly from a certain religious sect) is
completely eradicated India will continue to face dire consequences.
India needs some lessons from Israel. India needs to become a much,
much stronger nation.
5 days ago | Like (1) |
shuk123 @Sidd... dude.. We are a secular country.. although I agree
that most of the people supporting terrorists are of "one religious
sect" .. there need to be some laws which scare people of falling into
these things..
4 days ago |
patelvik84 Madhuri Gupta is Indian MATAHARI, must given Death Penalty.
Indian Embassies & Consulates are having Service & Attitude problems
was known till today, but being Traitor of Country is really shocking.
Many Indian Ambassadors acts like NAWABS and has their own laws to
operate Embassies & Consulates.
5 days ago | Like (1) |
patelvik84 India ” TOLERATED ” Smugglers, Criminals, Gangsters,
Corrupted, Black Marketers in Politics and many we see them today as
our MLA's and MP's. " JAISA RAJA WAISI PRAJA " This reflects the work
for Compromising with Clean Chits and Officials follows their boses.
Besides Indian Consulate in PAK its now time to see how much more
Diplomats Overseas & Govt Officials in India is " INFECTED & BUGED "
by ISI through Dawood's Network. Madhuri show no Remorse on Suicidal
SPY Mission. Indian Authorities must be careful to GRILL other RAW
Officers on her Statements. Because of all this Dirty & Corrupted
people in Politics and Govt Offices, INDIAN SECURITY and ARMY is
paying the price with their lives to save Country. All Old and Out
dated laws must be made strict on Terrorism, Moles and Traitors.
Indian ” MATAHARI ” Madhuri Gupta must be given Death Penalty by
Firing Squad.
4 days ago |
Guest Anything positive out of this? are all here sour? How about a
positive future where espionage is replaced with trust and friendship
for common good.
5 days ago |
CNNLOVER123 Szmata indian diplomat !!!!
5 days ago |
JohnJ786 we dont know that yet she was an spy or not, she is suspected
but she is cooperating with authorities. remember talwar case he was
arrested for being suspected of killing his own daughter and 6 months
later they found out that it was the servant who killed that kid, so
do not jump on conclusions. But if its true its sad that a hindu girl
with high education betrayed india.
5 days ago
sid81 i dont care if she is a hindu or muslim or christian. she is a
traitor and needs to be dealt with the strictest punishment. she is a
bi$#h
5 days ago | Like (1) |
JohnJ786 its all over the news, she is/was IFS grade B officer,
undersecretary, female, hindu religion, originaly from New Dehli.
5 days ago
http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/04/27/india.pakistan.spying/index.html?eref=rss_world
Finally, a Thaw in Thimphu
Kashmir Watch, May 2
BY UBAID MUSHTAQ
The subcontinent is once again abuzz in anticipation of a fresh round
of talks between India and Pakistan. At the end of the 16th SAARC
summit a 37-point joint declaration has been issued emphasizing the
importance of greater cooperation in the region to solve the common
problems facing the member states. But, perhaps the most important
development to emerge is the call for resumption of stalled dialogue
process between estranged bedfellows India and Pakistan.
After remaining reluctant for over a year, the prime ministers of
India and Pakistan meet on the sidelines of the 16th SAARC Summit in
Thimpu, Bhutan. Both prime ministers agreed to resume the stalled
peace process without any preconditions that was broken off by Delhi
following the Mumbai terror attacks. They also agreed that they will
not permit agents and elements in their countries to act against the
interests of both. The two PMs, taking a realistic view of the
situation, also acknowledged the trust deficit between India and
Pakistan and asked their foreign ministers “to bridge the gap and
build confidence to take the process forward”. Although no joint
statement has been issued and no date for future dialogue has been
set, but it is certain that the impasse has been broken.
Since the last joint communiqu� made by Indian Prime Minister and his
Pakistani counterpart Yousaf Raza Gilani on the sidelines of the Non
Aligned Movement’s Summit in Sharm el-Sheikh (Egypt) in, July 2009,
there was no significant development between two countries after
then. Except, a secretary level bilateral talks in February this year
which did not lead to any meaningful results on any issue nor could
agreed on a roadmap for the resumption of the Composite Dialogue.
However, it now appeared as if India had left behind the bogey of
terrorism and staged a fresh start with Pakistan. The united neighbors
cannot linger without dialogue. The alternative of cold and hot wars
between the two countries is only dialogue and with the nuclear
dimension added in both countries, the hot wars have become
unthinkable!
But, while on one side the talks are welcomed on every-front. On the
other many political figures, commentator’s, critics and media outlets
in both India and Pakistan displayed unease calling this as a short-
term bonhomie written by Uncle -Sam. Many political commentators and
analysts across South Asia have smelled U.S. pressure behind the fresh
relations that was displayed at SAARC summit notwithstanding the
otherwise bitter atmosphere due to Mumbai attacks. It is now much
debated that the U.S. wants to spare Pakistan army’s attention on
other issues particularly on America’s so called “War on terror”. Many
believe that US has a great potential for encouraging talks towards
success but, it often ends up confusing the environment for all
parties involved.
But for more than anything else, it’s the Kashmir issue which remains
unaddressed. Jammu and Kashmir has been the bone of contention between
the two nations for long now and has been relegated to backchannel
diplomacy. While, Pakistan continues to consider Kashmir as the core
dispute between the two countries. On the other India continues to
focus on terrorism as the core issue. Since 26/11 Mumbai attacks the
India’s position on Kashmir issue has hardened and it finds the best
possible opportunity to advance its agenda on Kashmir and draw maximum
benefit from the changed international opinion in favour of fighting
terrorism. India’s handling of the Mumbai terrorist attack also shows
that it is more interested in pursuing its broader domestic and
foreign policy agendas than focusing directly on elimination of
terrorism. India sees itself now as a big power and no longer as a
defender of the weak and the underdeveloped world. India’s aggressive
presence in the backyard of Pakistan for the sake of America’s war has
also decreased the Pakistan’s interest in America’s war on terror.
This ultimately has made direct influence over Kashmir issue and on
Pakistan itself. Since 26/11, terrorism has emerged as the most
sensitive issue in India’s relations with other countries it has all
along pointed fingers to Pakistan as the hub of global terrorism to
divert attention from Kashmir issue. It has also found the best
possible opportunity to advance its agenda on Kashmir issue throughout
the world and mingled the war on terrorism and Kashmir on the same
front.
On the other perspective Pakistan’s rationale for covert war in
Kashmir to bleed India into a state of abject weakness. After which it
would presumably quit Kashmir also fails to meet up any conclusion.
And after actively taking part in Americas “war on terror” Pakistan
finds itself caught in internal conflicts as is witnessed these days
and is on brink. The home grown radicals and dealing with other issues
within the country has consequently affected the Pakistan’s role in
the Kashmir issue.
The failure over 63 years to resolve the Kashmir dispute has
contributed immensely to persisting tensions and hostility between two
neighbours. The future of South Asia mainly depends on the two nuclear
Power nations India and Pakistan. There is an immediate need that our
political leaders in both countries should rise to the occasion and
give a practical demonstration of their will to resolve all political
disputes. The quickly changing approaches in this region and
particularly in India and Pakistan demand an immediate need for
resolution of Kashmir issue. And to find a long-term solution that is
in accordance with the wishes of the Kashmiri people.
Author is pursuing BBA, at IUST Awantipora & a regular blogger on
Political & economic issues in the subcontinent. Blog: www.ubaidmushtaq.blogspot.com
Posted on 02 May 2010 by Webmaster
http://www.kashmirwatch.com/showarticles.php?subaction=showfull&id=1272832021&archive=&start_from=&ucat=3&var0news=value0news
...and I am Sid Harth