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PAK : MANMOHAN'S REMARKS UNCALLED FOR

Karachi, August 17

Pakistan today said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's remarks about terror groups planning fresh attacks on India from Pakistani soil were uncalled for as the two countries were progressing towards better relations. 

"I think (Singh's) statement was uncalled for and it would have been better if he had not made such a statement because Pakistan and India are moving towards better relations, especially after the meetings (between the Indian premier and President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani)," Minister of State for Information Sumsam Ali Bukhari said.

"As Pakistanis, we would not want any problems to occur anywhere. We are ourselves victims of terrorism," Bukhari told reporters in this southern port city in response to a question about Singh's remarks.Pakistan wants to work with the world in tackling terrorism and militancy, he said.

"Whether it is our neighbours or distant countries, we want peace in the whole world. Islam is a religion of peace and gives a message of peace," he added. Earlier in the day, Singh said terror groups in Pakistan wereplanning fresh attacks in India. 

Addressing a conference on internal security in New Delhi, Singh said, "there is credible information of ongoing plans of terrorist groups in Pakistan to carry out fresh attacks." — PTI

KAYANI : OUR FIGHT IS AGAINST TERROR

Army chief General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani has said the current battle being waged by the army is against extremism and terrorism.

“It is not a fight based on religion, ethnicity, sub-nationalism or provincialism”, Kayani said while addressing the 2nd annual ‘Azadi Parade’ at Pakistan Military Academy, Kakul.

The army chief said extremists and terrorists could not be allowed to impose “their narrow and distorted version of Islam through force”. “Let me emphasise that no extremist or terrorist can impose his distorted version of Islam through violent means. We, in Pakistan, are committed to defending our country against all external and internal threats,” he said.

Kayani said terrorists were those who had blinded themselves with self-righteousness and were not amenable to reason and logic.

“When this small minority resorts to coercion ... they turn into terrorists,” he said.

kUTCH COAST : 9 INTRUDERS NABBED

Ahmedabad, August 17
On a day when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh spoke of terror groups in Pakistan plotting fresh attacks in India, the Border Security Force said it foiled an infiltration bid today by arresting nine Pakistani nationals who had alighted from a boat in the coastal Sir Creek area in Kutch district.

"We had information some people from across the border were trying to infiltrate into Indian territory. So we conducted a special operation and apprehended nine men," a BSF spokesperson told PTI. "All of them are middle-aged and arrived in a boat that has been seized," he added.

Last year the terrorists who attacked Mumbai, had hijacked an Indian fishing boat from near the marshy Sir Creek area, which is prone to crossborder intrusions, before reaching close to the city in that boat.

“The men who were apprehended today looked like fishermen but, following interrogation, it was found they were not fishermen”, the BSF spokesperson said. Arun Kumar Sinha, IG (Gujarat Frontier), said preliminary investigations showed six of the arrested men were engaged in fishing activities while three were not. — PTI

OMAR SEEKS PARTIAL WITHDRAWAL OF AFSPA

Aug. 17: Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah on Monday pressed for a partial withdrawal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act in the state even as he cautioned the Centre against the withdrawal of the CRPF deployed on counter-insurgency operations in sensitive districts, stating that the move will leave a vacuum that could be exploited by insurgents.

Seeking an "immediate replacement" for paramilitary forces in the state, Mr Abdullah said, "The ministry of home affairs has ordered the withdrawal of five CRPF battalions from the state. Four IRP battalions from Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab and Uttarakhand, which were meant to replace the CRPF battalions, have not reported as yet except for one battalion."

The CRPF was withdrawn from J&K for anti-naxal operations in other parts of the country.

Mr Omar Abdullah appealed to the Centre and political parties to take a "pragmatic view" of lifting AFSPA from districts where terrorist activities are "minimal". He was speaking at the chief ministers’ meeting on internal security, The Centre had recently said it would re-work the act to remove draconian provisions.

"Now that there is a distinct change in the security environment in the state, there is a good case for reviewing the continuation of the AFSPA, particularly in those areas of the state which are at the moment not unduly affected by insurgent or terrorist activities," he said.

GOVT KEEN ON ARMED FORCES ACQUISITIONS

Aug. 17: The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) of the ministry of defence met on Monday and is believed to have discussed several acquisitions for the armed forces such as the proposed acquisition of six more submarines for the Indian Navy as well as air defence missiles and guns for the Army. Air defence capabilities have become a priority now, with intelligence inputs in the past seven months suggesting that terrorists may try to stage a surprise aerial attack. Following this, civil aviation and Indian Air Force authorities had earlier formulated a joint strategy to ensure comprehensive air defence security besides beefing up security at airports and monitoring small unused airstrips across the country.

No details on the meeting were given by the MoD but sources said that acquisition of six (second-line) submarines that will be indigenously-produced was discussed at the DAC. India is already manufacturing six French Scorpene submarines at the Mazagaon docks. A request for proposal (RFP) could be issued soon for the six more submarines.

EASTERN NEIGHBOURS THREAT TO ASSAM'S SECURITY

Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Monday said that Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar were posing serious threat to the State’s internal security as the Indian separatists had been using the neighbouring countries as sanctuary and place for hatching anti-India conspiracy.

He was especially perturbed by the growing influences of the fundamentalist and jehadi forces in Bangladesh, which had been working in tandem with ULFA, NDFB and other northeast militant groups holed up there.

“Bangladesh has emerged as a hub of fundamentalist elements facilitating cross-border terrorism,” Gogoi said at the conference of Chief Ministers on internal security held at New Delhi. He lamented that despite assurances, the Government of Bangladesh had not taken any visible action against the Indian terrorist groups as they could move freely in Bangladesh.

“The Government in Bangladesh has not taken action as per our expectation regarding both the extradition of wanted terrorists and destruction of camps on its soil,” he pointed out. “Assam continued to be not only the hunting grounds for fundamentalist elements from Bangladesh, but it also became veritable gateway for groups such as the Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (HuJI) to the rest of the country to carry out terror attacks.”

He claimed that there was an unholy nexus between ULFA, NDFB and these fundamentalist elements, mentored by a foreign Intelligence agency, which added a new dimension to the internal security scenario of the state. “These groups have reportedly developed operational understanding for launching bigger scale of violence in the state in the coming days,” the Chief Minister said.

Myanmar, too, is a cause for growing concern for the northeastern states of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram, as they share a long porous international boundary with the neighbouring Asian country. Almost all the major northeast militant groups use its soil as safe haven and cross-border terror activities, including smuggling of drugs and arms. In fact, he said there had been instances when arms consignments entered the region from Cox Bazar of Bangladesh through Mizoram-Myanmar and Manipur-Myanmar borders.

Gogoi suggested a slew of measures to curb trans-boundary terror activities and smuggling of arms and other contraband such as, fencing of international borders, adequate deployment of border force as well as diplomatic pressures.


 TAMILNADU SEEKS INCREASED PRESENCE OF NAVY AND COAST GUARD


NEW DELHI: Deputy Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Monday urged the Centre to increase the presence of Coast Guard and Navy along the Tamil Nadu coast to safeguard the eastern coastal sector.
He sought the creation of a common database on terrorism and other matters related to internal security at the Centre with facility for access by the States and deputation of police personnel for training in institutions abroad to fill the void in intelligence collection and sharing by exposing them to the best practices.
Mr. Stalin, participating in the Chief Ministers’ conference on internal security here, suggested strict immigration control measures such as photographing and finger printing of all foreigners on arrival and Web-based passport information system be made accessible to the State intelligence wings.
The entire cost of purchase of weaponry and equipment required for anti-terrorism and anti-sabotage operation might be met by the Centre, he said, adding that the process of funding mega city modernisation should be expedited by the Centre.
Mr. Stalin wanted the Centre to meet the manpower cost towards maintaining Quick Reaction Teams (QRT) in districts and cities for internal security management and provide funds for training such manpower.
Tamil Nadu was not in favour of creating a separate intelligence cadre due to problems of career mobility, sectional recruitment and cadre management.
The issue of attrition rate vis-À-vis gaining specialisation was being dealt within the proposal of restructuring of State intelligence by modifying the selection process and providing incentives to stay on.
On terrorist threats, he said the State was considering a proposal to involve the local bodies in access control and surveillance by enacting suitable rules and regulations.
Regarding coastal security, he said an agreed scale of manpower for manning boats and coastal police stations might be worked out by the Centre and the States with funds from the Centre. Advance budgetary provision might be made to meet the cost of fuel and hiring of boats, instead of reimbursement.
Similarly, repairing facilities of the Coast Guard and the Navy could be extended to the State police’s coastal security group.
Mr. Stalin called on AICC president and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi here.


F-18 TRIALS START


BANGALORE: Boeing's F-18 has come in ahead of Lockheed Martin's F-16 for the IAF's test trials in the city. The F-18's flights began at HAL
Airport on Monday, with both Indian and American pilots trying their hand.

IAF is conducting trials for 126 fighter aircraft it plans to buy next year. The F-18 has come with flight test engineers to coordinate with their Indian counterparts. Pilots from the Aircraft Systems Testing Establishment have been trained to conduct flights.

The tests involve sorties for a particular duration and are undertaken twice __ in the morning and at noon. It will look at the behaviour of the aircraft in normal weather conditions of Bangalore, thrust, engine power and flexibility of manouvres.

The F-18 is the Super Hornet version, favourite of the US Navy. F/A-18E is a one-seater, while F/A-18F is a two-seater. Manufactured by Boeing IDS, the Super Hornets are designed to fly both air-to-air missions (combat) and air-to-ground (attack) missions.



INFILTRATION WARNING FROM KASHMIR

Srinagar, Aug. 17: Top intelligence officials in Jammu and Kashmir today said a large number of militants were waiting to sneak in across the border even as warnings of a “disturbing” surge echoed far away from the troubled Valley.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh told chief ministers at a meeting in the national capital that the levels of infiltration that had “come down very substantially” had seen a “surge this year”.

“The infiltrators are more battle-hardened, better equipped and in possession of sophisticated” communication systems, he said at the chief ministers’ conference on internal security in Delhi.

In Kashmir, top intelligence sources said hundreds of militants had gathered at 42 training camps across the Line of Control and were waiting to cross over.

“We fear escalation of violence during Ramazan, which is just days away,” said an official.

The United Jihad Council (UJC), an umbrella body of 13 militant outfits based in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, has already ruled out a unilateral cease-fire in Jammu and Kashmir during the Muslim holy month.

“If the Government of India takes a positive step in this direction, the UJC will sit and think over it,” UJC chairman and Hizb-ul Mujahideen supreme commander Syed Salahuddin told a local news agency on Saturday.

The infiltration alerts, from Delhi and Kashmir, have come at a time the LoC has seen a spurt in militant activity. Sources said there had been at least 13 infiltration bids in the Kashmir valley alone that left dozens of militants and several jawans dead.

The Border Security Force on Saturday foiled a major attempt when a group of militants tried to cross a river flowing close to the international border in Jammu’s Samba sector.

Defence spokesman Lt Colonel J.S. Brar said the security forces had strengthened the counter-infiltration mechanism on the LoC that had suffered damage during the winter because of snowfall.

“That is why most of the militants are being gunned down near the LoC and they do not succeed in crossing into the hinterland,” he said.

But sources said many militants had already entered the Valley.

“Around 195 militants have managed to infiltrate into the Valley in the past seven months against the 84 in the corresponding period last year. Some of them have been killed or arrested but most are active,” an official said.

He said 370 militants were active in Kashmir and that more than 40 per cent of them were foreigners. “This is in addition to 70 unlisted militants (unidentified but accounted for),” he added.

Although militant violence has come down substantially over the years, officials said a year of unrest that began with the Amarnath land row had helped the rebels, who were now back in a position to carry out attacks with ease.

“Our counter-insurgency grid has been disturbed as our focus has been to quell street protests. In the process, the militants have regrouped and consolidated their position,” an official said.

 COPS FIGHT WINDMILLS, NAXALS HOLD RALLY

Midnapore, Aug. 17: The People’s Committee Against Police Atrocities today foxed security forces, defied prohibitory orders and held a rally 3km from a village where the cops had turned out in large numbers to foil its gathering.

While the police were busy dismantling the dais at Gohomidanga and bringing down microphones, about a thousand people led by Chhatradhar Mahato assembled at Mongladanga.

About 400 jawans drawn from central and state forces moved into Gohomidanga this morning and took control of an 8km stretch of the metalled road connecting the area with Lalgarh town by noon. The power supply to the dais built for the rally was snapped.

Aware that the police would try to prevent its much-publicised meeting, the Maoist-backed committee had thought up a fallback.

After the outfit cocked a snook at them, the police tried to crow over their success in foiling the meeting at Gohomidanga.

In Calcutta, inspector-general (law and order) Surajit Kar Purkayastha said: “They had wanted to hold a meeting in front of the police outpost at Gohomidanga. We prevented them from doing so. They only managed to hold an impromptu secret meeting some distance away.”

The “secret” meeting, however, took place in the presence of about 1,000 men and women carrying sticks, axes, bows and arrows and other traditional tribal weapons and an army of media personnel. The committee rigged up loudspeakers run on battery and Mahato and several others spoke at length.

While Mahato was addressing the meeting, another thousand committee supporters kept the police “engaged” by advancing on Gohomidanga.

The police chased them with batons for up to half a kilometre, burst tear-gas shells and fired twice in the air till they were satisfied that Gohomidanga was secured.

According to senior committee leaders, their strategy was to give the police the impression that they were bent on holding the rally at Gohomidanga.

This afternoon, when the police were waging a quixotic fight to foil the meeting, Mahato ensured that a few processions headed towards the planned site and wrongfooted the police.

“It was a replication of the Maoist strategy of dodging the police and carrying on with their activities even after the security forces had completed their area domination in Lalgarh,” a committee leader said.

Mahato, who is wanted by the police, said the administration would not be able to prevent the committee from holding public meetings despite clamping Section 144 across Lalgarh.

His suggestion was that the popular anger against the security forces camping in schools would work in the committee’s favour. “The forces are torturing the villagers, and innocent people are being arrested and beaten up. Classes have stopped in schools. So no one can forcibly stop our movement,” he said.

Although the IG claimed “success”, several senior officers conceded that the fact that Mahato held a televised public meeting with loudspeakers a few kilometres from an area of heavy police deployment highlighted yet again the forces’ abysmal intelligence network.

“Just as the police are not getting any intimation on Maoist movement in Lalgarh, they were completely in the dark about Mahato’s meeting,” an officer said.

Maoist leader Bikash tonight threatened “more extensive” attacks on the police and CPM leaders


 NITISH DEMANDS INDO-NEPAL BORDER ROADS

PATNA: Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday demanded that border roads be constructed along 726 km porus Bihar-Nepal
border.

Speaking at the conference of chief ministers on internal security called by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi on Monday, Nitish cautioned about the political turmoil and other recent activities in Nepal and the problems of illegal infiltration, smuggling of narcotics, fake currency, human trafficking, criminal and other related activities.

The CM underlined need for a security audit along the borders with Nepal. He said that on the line of Indo-Bangladesh and Indo-Pak borders, Indo-Nepal border should also be managed properly. "Since, it becomes an international issue, the Central government should address it seriously," he said.

"This border should also be properly fenced and an all-weather border road should also be constructed. Instead of Shashtra Seema Bal (SSB), it should be handed over to the BSF," Nitish said.

He further said that there is a strong case for increasing the number of border outposts, strengthening and fortifying them, integrated check posts at the border and for joint survey of the international boundary by teams from both countries.

The CM said that the ratio between police personnel and the state's population is quite below the national average. He said that the vacancies have to be filled, some important posts have to be created, number of police stations has to be increased and police personnel are to be trained and equipped with arms. He also sought financial support for this.

Nitish said that Bihar is in the process of recruiting 13,000 police personnel this year. According to him, the state has already recruited 7,500 ex-Army personnel to fight extremism, which had been appreciated by former defence minister Pranab Mukherjee who instructed other states to follow Bihar.

He also demanded setting up of a National Security Guard (NSG) unit at Patna. He said the Central government has initiated similar units in Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai, but has forgotten about a distant place like Patna where it will be difficult for NSG soldiers to reach in time.

With regards to Naxalite situation in Bihar, Nitish said that it is largely under control at the moment and the extremist elements are being dealt with on regular basis both by technical and human intelligence led operations. He also mentioned that a surrender and rehabilitation policy is in place in Bihar and the government has undertaken various operational strategies, including `Apki Sarkar, Apke Dwar', to tackle the menace of extremism. This innovative scheme is being implemented in 63 panchayats of seven extremist-affected districts, he added.