The Islamic State, the Indian Sub-Continent & its Neighbourhood

[ramana]

I would keep an eye on all in India who supported Paris attacks implicitly for they are IS sympathizers.

[SSridhar]

Zabul had a Sun temple in the sixth century which was reportedly pulled down in the first Arab invasion of Afghanistan by 652 AD per wiki.

Not only Zabul, that whole area was like that before being ravaged.

I posted about Zabul because Zabul & Nangarhar are becoming IS strongholds.

[SSridhar]

Mumbai youth’s interrogation shows IS creating a militarised state - The Hindu

A detailed reading of the interrogation reports of Areeb Majeed, the Mumbai youth who spent five months in the Islamic State territories last year, shows the IS is not only training hardcore terrorists but also building a highly militarised modern state.

Majeed went to Iraq in May 2014, along with three other friends, and returned to India on November 27, 2014.

The interrogation details show the IS is building up a caliphate where every one seems to be receiving basic arms training, but then is deployed to different departments of the government, based on their qualifications. Only those who are good enough to fight are sent to the military arm.

At the Hudood Centre in Raqqa, the IS capital now, people from various countries had lined up to join the IS, according to Majeed.

[SSridhar]

Islamic State trainees are put through their paces - Josy Joseph, The Hindu

On June 14, 2014, Areeb Majeed, the Mumbai youth who spent five months in the Islamic State territories last year, and others from various countries were taken from the Hudood Centre in Raqqa City, the IS capital now, to a place called Sharaee Moazkar, where about 300 people were present in the small camp.

The trainees used to get up at 3 a.m. and after prayers underwent three hours of physical exercises, then practised swimming, and attended lectures. In the afternoon, they attended further religious lectures. The inductees were given training in handling weapons like AK-47. The camp lasted 15 days. In the second stage, they were given military training called Tadrib Azkari, during which the trainees were taught further arms handling and survival tactics. They were taught to handle AK-47, machine guns and RPGs and to assemble a landmine from local fertilizers.

Majeed also told his interrogators about another 15-day training during which they were taught formation tactics and close combat. They were also taught how to use Russian-made PK machine guns as snipers, and how to measure the distance to a target by firing bullets.

After the three rounds of training, the ameer decides whether a candidate can be deployed for fighting or for other functions of the state. From the available information, the first three rounds of training seem to be compulsory and basic for all the residents of IS territory or at least all new entrants to the caliphate. Each of them was allowed to retain an AK-47 for personal safety.

After the basic training, Majeed and two other friends, all of them engineers, were kept together with other engineers, while doctors and other professionals were segregated into different groups.

While Saheem, one of the four Mumbai youths, was sent to do guard duties in a different city, Majeed stayed back to work in a project to provide free WiFi to the entire Raqqa city. Fahad, a mechanical engineer and one of the Mumbai youths, was sent to Tabqa city to work in a garage. Aman, the fourth member of the group, was sent to Raqqa to work in the electrical department.

Majeed also told his interrogators that two days after Ramzan he was sent to Iraq and then to Mosul. While he was travelling to Mosul, he was injured when Apache helicopters carried out an aerial attack on the convoy. When he recovered, he was asked to do civil engineering work at the Mosul dam. While he was at the dam, the Kurdish army attacked the dam and Majeed was again injured, a bullet piercing his right armpit and emerging out through upper side of the right chest. He was unconscious for two hours, and the IS local people thought he was dead and informed his friends who in turn told his family that he was dead. That is how the false news of his death spread.

Once he recovered, Majeed worked on a mortar-firing section in Zammar. He yet again came under fire from the Kurdish army and sustained a bullet injury on his upper bicep of the right arm. Later, he was asked to work with the ministry of defence and development. He was involved in the construction of an underground air strike prevention site, according to the interrogation.

Soon enough, Majeed seemed to have grown disappointed with the IS and contacted his family in Mumbai, and returned.

The interrogation details paint the emergence of a highly militarised state, where everyone seems to have basic military training. It also shows the IS is operating more like a modern nation state than a medieval unruly entity, which may have been much closer to the bloody ideology they believe in.

[SSridhar]

Iran to cut jihadi threat at borders - AFP

A top Iranian army commander said Monday that his troops would take "decisive" action if Islamic State group militants come within 40 kilometres of its borders with Iraq and Afghanistan. {Why not Pakistan?}

Iran, the major Shiite power in the Middle East, is heavily involved in conflicts in Syria and Iraq against the jihadists, primarily Sunni Muslims who denounce Shiites as apostates who must be killed.

“The Iraqi foreign ministry warned us but the Islamic Republic of Iran’s army states that it has no fear of such threats and a red line has been drawn in Iraq 40 kilometres from the border,” the commander said. “Before the enemy reaches borders, its actions will be neutralised.”

[SSridhar]

India alert to ISIS threat, says Rajnath Singh, a day after Home ministry warns of terror attacks - ToI

India is alert to the threat posed by the Islamic State (ISIS), Home Minister Rajnath Singh said on Tuesday,a day after his ministry warned of a possible attack in the country by the terror group whose gunmen killed nearly 130 people in Paris last Friday.

"ISIS is not a threat for any particular country, but for the entire world. India is alert about ISIS," Rajnath told reporters in New Delhi.

The Indian security establishment suggests that around 20-odd Indians are currently fighting for ISIS in Iraq-Syria. They include two youths from Kalyan in the outskirts of Mumbai, an Australia-based Kashmiri, a man from Telangana, one from Karnataka, one Oman-based Indian and a Singapore-based Indian.

"Though the ISIS has not been able to establish any significant presence in India, its success in radicalizing some youth, attracting certain sections of the local population or the Indian diaspora to physically participate in its activities or the possibility of piggy-backing on terrorist groups operating in India have opened up the possibility of ISIS-sponsored terrorist action on Indian territory," an advisory issued by the home ministry on Monday said.

"Available inputs about ISIS activities should be immediately reviewed to identify plans, targets areas vulnerable to attack by ISIS and appropriate action is taken to neutralise potential threat if any," the advisory said. The government has also decided to review security at the embassies and other offices belonging to the governments of France, US, UK, Germany, Russia, Australia, Turkey and Israel.

The home ministry said that the recent multiple terror attacks in Paris clearly indicate the intention of the outfit to expand the area of terror targets beyond the Iraq and Syria. "It is necessary that the security establishment is kept on high alert to prevent any untoward incident," the advisory sent on Monday said.

[shiv]

I would keep an eye on all in India who supported Paris attacks implicitly for they are IS sympathizers.

IMO this needs to be more nuanced. Congress use the same logic about Modi - anyone who supports Modi is a murderer of Muslims.

[ramana]

Does India have a law that makes it a crime for a citizen to fight in another country?

US has such a law to prevent mercenary activity.

This IS guy obviously has gone to Syria and did participate in fighting and provided combat support to ISIS.


Gagan, Can we Google and identify those locations for the three staging camps near Raqqa?

[Shanu]

Guys, look what I found.

IS seems to have found a use for Indian Jihadis.. not in Iraq but in Af-Pak.

http://www.oneindia.com/india/isis-woul ... 29160.html

Target 300 by the end of 2016 is the message that the ISIS had for its Indian recruitment agency, Ansar-ul-Tawhid.

AuT is a splinter group from the erstwhile ISI sponsored Indian Mujahideen.

The birth of the AuT took place following the split in the Indian Mujahideen. The IM which was the deadliest home grown terror group had begun falling apart after a series of arrests were carried out which included that of its chief Yasin Bhatkal. Leading the voice of dissent was Sultan Armar, the youth from Bhatkal in Karnataka. Joining him was his brother Shafi Armar and together they pledged their support to the ISIS. The chief of the ISIS, Abu Bakr al-Bhagdadi was responsive and realizing that India could be a potential target in the future, he declared Sultan Armar as the emir of the AuT.

Now coming back to the recruitment target.

The recruitments have been slow and the AuT has managed to target just a handful of people. The official count with the Ministry for Home Affairs is around 23. While one could attribute this low rate of recruitments to the excellent job done by the Intelligence Bureau, the officials however point out that the job is only half done. For now there is no real requirement of Indians in the ISIS and hence they are taking the recruitments slow. It makes not much sense for the ISIS to have several Indians in their fold as of now to fight in Iraq and Syria. Language and logistic barriers is what is coming in the way of the recruitments from India. However there is a long term strategy that the ISIS and its Indian wing the AuT have in mind. They propose to recruit at least 300 Indians by the end of 2016 and this would indicate that the ISIS is fully ready for Afghanistan. For the ISIS it makes more sense having Indians fighting in Afghanistan when compared to an Iraq or a Syria.

A little more on our new Emir - Armar Saab

The 39 year old Armar a resident of Bhatkal trained at a seminary in Lucknow. He had in fact recently issued a call to the Indian Muslims to join the global jihad. He speaks about the plight of the Indian Muslims and tells them the importance of joining either the ISIS or the Tehrik-e-Taliban.

So the bottomline is IS and TTP are merging and they are about to increase their recruitment in India. Looks like the future of Af-Pak will be in Indian hands , either IS takes it or we do.

Jokes apart, the Paris attack has generated enough publicity in India and can be used as recruitment tool. Our IB guys have their hands full for the next few days.

[ramana]

Is this what MSA went to Pak to negotiate? Return of Ind Muj?

[SSridhar]

Shanu, good find.

Two things. Sultan Armar seems dead though there is an NIA warrant still outstanding as death needs to be confirmed, perhaps. Second, I am not convinced that Sultan Armar was appointed Emir while Riyaz Bhatkal is still around in Af-Pak region somewhere(Yasin of course is in Indian custody).

From my post of January, 04, 2015

The ISI and the LeT have been facing pressure due to their inability to mount large-scale attacks in India. This led to two top IM (Indian Mujahideen) operatives, Riyaz Bhatkal and Muhammad Ahmad Siddibapa, aka Yasin Bhatkal, to leave the ISI patronage. There appears to have been a serious attempt to get them within the folds of the AQIS. There were news reports about Riyaz Bhatkal meeting a senior AQ leader in Afghanistan. However, recent reports seem to indicate that the IM has moved to the IS. Ansar-ul-Tawhid Fi Bilad Al Hind (AuT), suspected to be the new outfit of the Bhatkals and based in Af-Pak region, released a statement on its twitter handle in English, Hindi and Urdu vowing to avenge the death of two Indian Mujahideen (IM) terrorists at Batala House in September 2008. The AUT is showing allegiance to the IS. The upsurge in the recruitment of Indian youth to the IS is seen as efforts by the AUT and IM. Thus, the PA/ISI is facing competition in what it used to consider as its backyard, India. Its ability to control the jihadi terror tanzeems is getting frayed all over

[SSridhar]

Jihadi outfit Ansar-ut Tawhid fi Bilad al-Hind starts online propaganda for ISIS in Bengali - Bharti Jain, ToI

Ansar-ut Tawhid fi Bilad al-Hind (AuT), an India-specific jihadi outfit that pledged allegiance to Islamic State (ISIS) in September 2014, has started online propaganda for ISIS in Bengali, after posting ISIS messages in the past with Urdu, Hindi, Tamil, Gujarat and English subtitles. Indian intelligence agencies say this has expanded the geographical reach of ISIS propaganda, leading to radicalization of some Indian youth.

AuT propagates acts of violence against the Indian government and encourages Indian Muslims to participate in jihad within the country, along with encouraging other jihadis to attack Indian government interests and economic centres.

Another key cause of concern for the Indian agencies, as they review the ISIS threat here in the wake of Paris attacks and India's backing to France's retaliatory air-strikes on ISIS territory, is the Wilayat Khorasan (WK), an ISIS affiliate operating out of Af-Pak region. WK, according to intelligence sources, is at present a threat in Nangarhar province of Eastern Afghanistan and may target Indian interests there.

Incidentally, Afghanistan is the only country in South Asia where ISIS activity goes beyond recruitment.

While ISIS and its leaders had mentioned India along with other "Muslim areas" of the world during their inaugural announcements, there has been no mention or focus on India in the threats that regularly surface online. Agencies, however, warn that this does not make India immune to threats from ISIS or its ideology of violent extremism.

[member_29247]

Recruit ----> World Over ----> Travel to Turkey -----> Travel to KSA --------> Travel AfPak ----Train in Pak

Consolidate ----> Training in Syria ISIS -----> Deploy -------> Battle Harden --------> Specialize --------> Export to EU


this is the flow diagram I think

[SSridhar]

Spinster, on existing information, I do not think that training is being given in Pakistan for IS-terrorists.

As the report from the investigation of the Bombay terrorist Majeed says (posted earlier here), IS has extensive training facilities in Raqqa.

[member_29247]

Ok makes sense, then Paki instructors on second meant or deputation? To the sites in Syria, like in Kunduz ISI airlift?

[SSridhar]

[member_19686]

ISIS in Afghanistan (full film) | FRONTLINE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwHtK1KKyP4

[SSridhar]

^ That Youtube video is now removed. Wonder why?

[member_19686]

^ That Youtube video is now removed. Wonder why?

It's possible that its been made unavailable in certain countries.

I saw it on some other site but that was taken down for copyright and Frontline uploaded it here but seems to have blocked it in some countries (PBS being public sometimes blocks documentaries to those outside USA).

[Shanu]

Two things. Sultan Armar seems dead though there is an NIA warrant still outstanding as death needs to be confirmed, perhaps. Second, I am not convinced that Sultan Armar was appointed Emir while Riyaz Bhatkal is still around in Af-Pak region somewhere(Yasin of course is in Indian custody).

If you read the article in the link I shared, it says that Riyaz Bhatkal is still the leader of Indian Mujahideen (IM). But the new breed of jihadists consider his policies too ISI pasand. They like the IS world view of global domination better and hence the group AuT is gaining traction. So Riyaz and Sultan are now two different leads of two different organizations.

Regarding Sultan Armar's death, as you mentioned Indian intelligence still considers him alive and there is a reason. There are inputs that the latest call for recruitment has been made in his name, although it may be just a case of hiding the true identity of the current leader. We may have to wait a bit longer to find out the truth. But one thing was pretty clear from that article, IS and ISI fight has caused a split in IM.

[SSridhar]

150 Indians under lens for following IS propaganda - Bharti Jain, ToI

Nearly 150 Indians are on the radar of intelligence agencies for actively following Islamic State propaganda and engaging on social media with pro-IS elements, according to government sources.

A majority of those under surveillance are from the southern states, sources said.

Though agencies are not planning any action or crackdown on the youth who may be showing a more-than-keen interest in pro-IS websites or social media posts, the tracking is meant to pre-empt the possibility of their becoming indoctrinated enough to join the IS. As and when those under surveillance show signs to radicalization, an intervention may be made to alert their families and facilitate their counseling, if need be.

Online tracking of pro-IS websites, Twitter handles and Facebook accounts is a key part of India's counter-IS strategy. Agencies, with the help of experts from the National Technical Research Organization (NTRO), track online traffic related to IS across the country, and constantly flag any unusual trend or activity.

TOI had on September 1 reported the results of a national survey conducted by an intelligence agency on online and social media traffic related to IS. According to the findings, Jammu and Kashmir accounted for the highest traffic, followed by Assam, UP, Maharashtra and West Bengal. The cities/towns that showed most interest in IS online were Srinagar, Guwahati, Chinchwad (Maharashtra), Howrah, Mumbai and Unnao. According to the survey, the age profile of those following IS propaganda the most was between 16 and 30 years.

Sources in the security establishment told TOI that 23 Indians, including about a dozen from the diaspora, had joined the IS and travelled to Iraq-Syria for 'jihad'. These include four youth from Kalyan, one of whom Areeb Majeed returned to India and is now in custody here, a Kashmiri based in Australia, a Singapore-based Indian, an Oman-based man and one person each from Karnataka and Telangana and a journalist from Kerala.

Of the six Indian recruits believed to have got killed in IS territory are three Indian Mujahideen cadre including Bada Sajid and Sultan Ajmer Shah who joined the outfit from Pakistan, two from Maharashtra and one from Telangana.

As many as 30 Indians, including a woman based in Delhi, have been prevented from joining the IS. Besides, around 8-10 Kerala-origin men and an alleged woman recruiter, Afsha Jabeen, were recently deported by the UAE after they were found to be in touch with active IS members.

A senior government officer said there was threat of an Indian IS recruit indulging in a "lone wolf'' attack here upon return from Iraq-Syria. "Unlike other countries that strip their citizens who join and fight for IS of their passports, we have no such plan. We'd rather let them return and intercept them here," said the officer.

In an advisory sent on Monday, the home ministry had warned of the possibility of an IS-sponsored terrorist action on Indian soil. "Though the IS has not been able to establish any significant presence in India, its success in radicalizing some youth, attracting certain sections of the local population or the Indian diaspora to physically participate in its activities or the possibility of piggy-backing on terrorist groups operating in India have opened up the possibility of IS-sponsored terrorist action on Indian territory," said the advisory issued to all the states and Union Territories.

[SSridhar]

What I am posting below is not directly related to the objectives of this thread.

However, Bernard Haykel, one of the acknowledged analysts of Islamist terrorism, pinpoints a reason for the Paris attack and that could be a reason why such attacks at other places should be expected. The spate of statements, and an advisory etc from GoI in the last couple of days is based on a similar understanding perhaps. I am posting the entire article.

Paris confirms IS's weakness - Bernard Haykel, The Hindu

It should come as no surprise that radical Islamists associated with the Islamic State have engaged in terrorist attacks in Paris. The Islamic State, or ISIS, has always called on Muslims to engage in violent, lone wolf, attacks in the West, if they are unable to “emigrate” to its territory in Syria and Iraq. The priority in ISIS’s ideology is for Muslims to travel to build the caliphate, where they can lead a virtuous life in ISIS-land.

Indeed, this is framed as a religious obligation along with the formal recognition of, and swearing allegiance to, Ibrahim bin Awwad al-Badri (aka Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi) as the supreme leader (caliph) of the imperial and global Islamic State or caliphate.

Understanding the Paris attack

What makes the Paris attack different, however, is its complexity and coordination — it is not a lone wolf attack. Rather, it appears to have been organised and directed by the Islamic State, and, as such, resembles an al-Qaeda-style overseas operation that ISIS leaders have explicitly condemned in the past. For ISIS’s ideologues, organised violence has invariably been focussed on the enemy that is near, principally Shias and agents of “apostate” Arab governments (e.g., Iraq or Saudi Arabia). Major and coordinated attacks in distant lands are to be avoided because these can result in a massive retaliation and the loss of the territorial base that was acquired by the caliphate. ISIS leaders have often criticised al-Qaeda for the 9/11 attacks because this led to the crushing of the movement in Afghanistan and the defeat of its host, the Taliban regime. Furthermore, attacking the distant infidel is not a priority given the closer and more dangerous enemies at hand such as the Shias.

So what explains the Paris attacks, which represent a departure from ISIS’s tactics and perhaps even strategy? In a word, defeat. ISIS has been dealt a string of recent defeats with the loss of territory, the death of many of its top commanders and numerous fighters as well as the drying up of its recruitment networks. ISIS has lost territory in both Syria and Iraq, most recently the towns of Sinjar to the Kurds and Baiji in October to the Iraqi government and irregular forces. The road connecting ISIS’s two most important urban centres, Mosul and Raqqa, is no longer under ISIS control. In Syria, ISIS not only lost Kobani, but also Tal Abyad and looks about to lose all its territory along the Turkish-Syrian border. After ISIS’s suicide attack in Ankara in October, Turkey effectively stopped the pipeline that was feeding the movement with recruits through its territory. At the same time, the Russian air force became involved in the Syrian war on the side of the Bashar al-Assad regime and ISIS has been targeted.

The need for ‘success’

Furthermore, the allied air campaign, including the French air force’s from October, has been devastating. But the most decisive military factor has been the coordination of air power with local ground forces, such as the Kurds. ISIS’s response to its defeats has been desperate; namely, to engage in an endless number of suicide attacks as the only means to make up for its losses. ISIS’s predecessor, al-Qaeda in Iraq, followed the same pattern of increasing its suicide attacks as it lost territory, especially from 2007 onward. Farther away from Syria and Iraq, ISIS’s situation has also worsened militarily: its top commander in Libya was recently killed, and Boko Haram, its affiliate in Nigeria, is suffering defeat too. Even in Yemen, ISIS appears to have been eclipsed by other Sunni forces, including al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.

This combination of factors helps explain why ISIS feels the need to engage in attacks in places like Paris and to break with its previous policy of focussing on the local. ISIS is looking increasingly like a lost cause and it needs to place itself back at the centre of global events, to prove its relevance, and resilience, as well as to attract new recruits. Its propaganda machine requires it to have “success” stories. It should therefore come as no surprise that the social media sphere exploded with tens of thousands of postings during and after the Paris attacks, jubilating about the “conquest of Paris” and the “killing of infidel pigs”. ISIS’s daily radio news bulletin (Al Bayan Radio) is quite revealing in this regard. It consists of recounting an endless list of victories, on all fronts, with details of enemy losses, but none for ISIS. It is very much like listening to the old Nazi or Soviet radio propaganda — onward and forward but no retreat or defeat. ISIS not only lacks the confidence to inform about the truth, but as a self-proclaimed divinely ordained state it can only enjoy victory and never suffer defeat. Here lies its Achilles heel because with defeat it loses its appeal and its claims ring hollow.

The campaign by the Western allies, including at times an uncomfortable coordination with Russia, to contain and degrade ISIS is working. And the Paris attacks — of which we should now expect more to take place as the Islamic State’s desperation increases — are unfortunately a sign of this success. But this success, and the ultimate military victory against ISIS, is fraught with difficulty because ISIS represents more than an organisation.

As expression and symptom

ISIS is an expression and symptom of the political disenfranchisement and humiliation that many Sunnis, in particular Sunni Arabs, feel in today’s world. Such feelings arise from a complex set of factors. Among these, certainly, is Western intervention, such as the U.S. invasion of Iraq and its devastating effects on Iraqi society. But perhaps more important has been the decades long brutalisation of, and the provision of a poor education for, Arab populations by their own governments, who also have not delivered on promises of economic development. In addition, though more difficult to describe and apprehend, is a civilisational sense by the Arabs (and Muslims) of having been bypassed by history and left behind while other peoples advance and enjoy the fruits of progress. Addressing such grievances and structural problems cannot be done militarily. The answer must involve finding political solutions for the Syrian and Iraqi conflicts, and engaging in cultural and educational efforts to defeat ISIS’s ideology that sanctifies violence as the only means for Sunni empowerment and glory. This is not something Western governments are equipped to do or capable of accomplishing. It is an effort that must emerge from within the Arab and Muslim communities. Thankfully, there are increasingly important voices, even in places like Saudi Arabia, that are courageously speaking up against the ideology of jihadism and its cul-de-sac promises. {Really? Which are these voices?} Until such persons prevail, and this won’t happen anytime soon, we must remain vigilant and expect the persistence in our lives of this violent feature of global politics.

(Bernard Haykel is Professor of Near Eastern Studies and Director, The Institute for Transregional Studies, Princeton University, U.S.)

[member_19686]

Afghanistan Islamic State ISIL ISIS DAESH & Taliban

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJ2H5z0rFLc

Al Jazeera broadcast of much of the same footage plus some extra stuff compared to the Frontline doc.

[SSridhar]

How a minor Indian girl escaped Syrian battlefield - Josy Joseph, The Hindu

Buried in a slim file of the security establishment is the story of a 17-year-old Indian girl who had a miraculous escape from the possible clutches of the Islamic State in late 2014, after she undertook an arduous trip to the Syrian battlefield. She now lives in relative anonymity in a south Indian city.

According to an official statement of the girl recorded by Indian agencies, she escaped after several days of captivity in Turkey. But officials familiar with the case say there is strong indication, including electronic evidence, that she escaped from Syria. The girl had been living in Doha, Qatar, since she was two years old, with her parents, a sister and two brothers. Her father is a software engineer in the Gulf country.

The girl was detained by Indian agencies in the early hours of December 20, 2014, when she alighted from the Qatar Airways flight QR500 at the Hyderabad airport with her mother. Based on intelligence inputs, she was taken to a detention centre at the airport and questioned by a team of intelligence and State police officials.

According to details obtained from her, the girl came in contact with a 29-year-old Yemeni woman, Amani Abdul, through a Malayali acquaintance just after she completed schooling in Doha in May 2014. Abdul was a nurse at Hamad Hospital in Doha and was pursuing her masters in nursing.

The girl started giving English tuitions to Abdul, who stayed on the outskirts of Doha, in Umm Salal. According to the police records, Abdul gave the girl several expensive gifts such as cell phones and laptop, and also went around Doha with her, and the two developed a strong friendship. The girl taught Abdul English, while the Yemeni nurse tutored her in Islamic fanaticism. Abdul would often tell the minor girl about the Syrian crisis and atrocities against Muslims around the world. There were also regular WhatsApp messages on similar themes.

According to the statements given by her, the girl was brainwashed by Abdul to travel to Syria to help refugees, not to really join the Islamic State. It is a claim that Indian agencies are not convinced of.

More information

Indian officials insist that the 17-year-old Indian girl, who had a miraculous escape from the possible clutches of the Islamic State, had been to Syria, though she denies it.

The girl is said to have landed in Istanbul on October 24, 2014 with the 29-year-old Yemeni woman, Amani Abdul, who had befriended her in Doha.

From Istanbul, they took a flight to another city, where they were received by two Turkish women. They drove for another seven hours or so to a new place, according to what the girl told her interrogators in Hyderabad.

Captive for 20 days

The girl claimed that she was kept captive in a house in the town for at least 20 days. The girl insisted that she did not go to Syria. However, mobile details of her mother revealed that the daughter was probably in Syria, because in messages stored in her mother’s mobile there was repeated reference to Sham (Syria).

According to the girl, in the first week of December, she escaped from captivity in the middle of the night and took refuge with some Turkish families. The next day, she reached the local airport, from where she contacted her parents who probably alerted the Turkish authorities.

According to officials, the Turkish authorities alerted the Indian embassy in Ankara after the girl was brought to a detention centre in Istanbul. The embassy put her on a flight to Doha, but on reaching the airport she was denied entry to Qatar because she had been blacklisted by the authorities.

The girl waited out at the airport for her mother to join her, and both took the flight out to Hyderabad, where they arrived on the early morning of December 20.

[anjan]

Does India have a law that makes it a crime for a citizen to fight in another country?

US has such a law to prevent mercenary activity.

No. http://travel.state.gov/content/travel/ ... rvice.html

The current laws are set forth in Section 958-960 of Title 18 of the United States Code. In Wiborg v. U.S. , 163 U.S. 632 (1896), the Supreme Court endorsed a lower court ruling that it was not a crime under U.S. law for an individual to go abroad for the purpose of enlisting in a foreign army; however, when someone has been recruited or hired in the United States, a violation may have occurred.

Americans have been enlisting and fighting in foreign armies since forever. The only objection is to fighting against the US itself. That would be treason in India also.

[SSridhar]

Techie left note for wife before heading to join IS - Josy Joseph, The Hindu

Muhammed Abdul Ahad had planned everything to the last detail. The last, most minute detail, in fact. His wife was instructed to open a particular document on his laptop only after November 30, 2014, that too only if there was no communication from him.

It was an instructive manual for her on how to respond to his disappearance, how to spend the rest of her life, and how to get their daughter married.

Over the past several months, Indian agencies have intercepted, arrested or questioned several dozen people that they suspect were on their way to the Syrian battlefield to join the Islamic State (IS). Each of them has given differing reasons and religious motivations for their plans. But some like the U.S.-educated computer professional, Ahad, continue to mystify investigators, though he has officially been given a clean chit. With the detailed instructions on his laptop, $3,000 and a gold biscuit, Ahad took his wife, five children and two of his acquaintances from the local mosque on a trip to Turkey on December 23, 2014. The ultimate destination it would seem was the Syrian battlefield.

The group spent 10 days in Istanbul, Ankara and Gaziantep, before they were intercepted by the Turkish authorities at the Syrian border. According to statements recorded by Ahad with Indian agencies, after the group was deported to India on January 30, 2015, he was planning to open an NGO in Syria to help victims of the conflict.

However, the detailed instructions for his wife, and his inability to give clear answers about where he was headed in Syria, have raised doubts about his ultimate plans. “It seemed as if he had a contact from Syria who was to pick him up at the border. But the contact did not turn up,” one official said.

Ahad warned wife not to contact police - Josy Joseph, The Hindu

[Muhammed Abdul Ahad, a U.S.-educated computer professional from Bangalore, was intercepted by Turkish authorities last year on the Syrian border and deported earlier this year.

In instructions on his laptop for his wife in case of his disappearance, Ahad had detailed every aspect of the family’s expense, how to save money, important numbers and reliable people, how to get the daughter married, and who to turn to for further financial assistance.

The most important part of his note, which raised doubts about his intentions, was the instruction : “Never contact any police and other law enforcement to try to locate me; never contact any Attorney/Lawyer to release me from jail if I am there, or do anything on this matter. Only if I instruct to do something over phone, then do it, don’t do anything on your own.”

Total secrecy

He barred his wife from contacting any of their relatives to complain about his disappearance and to locate him. “If you want to consult with someone, on my matter, you are allowed to do so to console yourself; in that case, consult only a person of good Iman and Taqwa ,” he told her. In between preparing the long memo for his wife, Ahad also had his household items packed and individually labelled, with rates at which they could be sold.

“Remember above are current monthly expenses; they will reduce at least by 20 per cent if I am not with you,” the note said. Ahad suggested that if his mobile connection was cancelled, it would save the family Rs 500-600 a month, and listed instructions on how to log in to the Vodafone website for the cancellation. Downgrading the Internet connection to an affordable level could bring down the monthly bill further, he wrote.

He suggested shifting to a cheaper house, how to save electricity by switching off fans and lights, terminating the maid’s service and so on.

After getting their daughter married with money received on selling a gold biscuit and borrowings, his wife should look at starting a business from home, he says.

Incidentally, after Praveen Swami had left The Hindu, they seem to have found a Josy Joseph doing that job now of interfacing with the Home Ministry/intel agencies

[SSridhar]

IS Terror Funding Mechanism

Link - Economic Times

[SSridhar]

The need to revisit Lal Masjid - Op Ed, DT
Excerpt

What is more disturbing is that recently the Jamia Hafsa school of Lal Masjid invited Chief of Islamic State (IS) Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Showing the connections the Lal Masjid brigade has with IS operatives, it is a dangerous precedent the government is setting by not taking any action against this institution over its terrorist affiliations.

[SSridhar]

Zero tolerance for Daish in Pakistan: ISPR - DT

Pakistan has a zero tolerance for Daish – Islamic State - and the terrorist group has no acceptance in the country, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lieutenant General Asim Bajwa said on Thursday, saying a global response is needed to deal with the global threat posed by the terrorist group also known as ISIL.

Briefing journalists about the visit of Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif to Washington, the ISPR director general said that the army chief held discussions with USs’ top civilian and military leadership on issues ranging from defence and military cooperation to issues of regional security and stability, including the long-running Kashmir dispute with India.

On the question of Daish, Lieutenant General Bajwa said that as also mentioned by the army chief, Daish was a global threat and needed a global response to be defeated. “There is a zero tolerance for Daish in Pakistan. Not even a shadow of Daish will be allowed in Pakistan,” the ISPR director general said, adding that the Pakistani society has totally rejected it and there was no acceptance of the terror group in Pakistan. {Then, who is this lal Masjid 'burqa cleric'? A non-Pakistani actor?} He said that action is expected against any visibility of Daish in Pakistan.

Lieutenant General Bajwa said that the whole world has recognised that Daish was a threat but it was centered in the Middle East and has elements in Afghanistan. He said that Daish tried to raise its voice in Pakistan at a time when there was already a crackdown underway against terrorists and space for militants was squeezing. “People were already fed up with terrorism and there was no acceptance for it in the society and they will be defeated in coming days,” he said.

[SSridhar]

Turkey deports 2 Tamil Nadu men for trying to contact ISIS - A. Selvaraj, ToI

Two young men from Tamil Nadu are under surveillance of Indian intelligence agencies after they were deported from Turkey while attempting to get in touch with ISIS in Syria a fortnight ago.

Intelligence sources told TOI that one of them, a 23-year-old BCom graduate, hails from Royapettah in Chennai, while the other is a 22-year-old school dropout from Karur. Officials, who repeatedly interviewed the men after their return, did not give away much on how the men got attracted to the terrorist group.

"They spent long hours on the internet to find out how to get to Syria to join ISIS," an official said.

Someone guided them online, and they took a flight from Bangalore to Dubai in August, and from there to Turkey where they were picked up for suspicious movements a fortnight ago.

The men had told their families that they were going to Bangalore in search of a job. Ten days ago, they were sent back on a flight to Bangalore since that was the Indian city from where they boarded their first international flight.

As soon as they landed in Bangalore, central and state intelligence officials interviewed them at an undisclosed place.

The Chennai man told police that he was inspired to join ISIS as he believed "they were going to rule the world".

Sources said the men remained adamant till the police brought their families. "On seeing their families, the men broke down," said an TN intelligence officer. "We let them go with their families, but they will remain under our close surveillance."

The man from Karur was staying with his uncle in Chennai where he worked at a store. He befriended the BCom graduate, who was helping out his father at his textiles shop in Royapettah, during Friday prayers at a mosque in Purasawalkam.

"The two used to discuss about joblessness in India. The Chennai guy told him about job prospects in Syria, where ISIS was ruling the roost. He wanted to join IS and take the other man along," said a source.

On the advise of an unknown person he had been in touch online, the Chennai man applied for a tourist visa to Dubai, Turkey and Malaysia, since going directly to Turkey or Syria would generate suspicion.

"The idea was to sneak into Syria from Turkey," said the source. They left for Bangalore in August and flew to Dubai. After staying there some time as tourists, they went to Turkey. After a few days they moved towards the Syria border."

Staying at a small lodge, they made inquiries about crossing over to Syria. One of the lodge staffs tipped off the Turkey officials about the youths.

The Turkish officials picked them up. They told the investigation officers that they were about to fly to Malaysia, but the officers there found inconsistencies in their statements.

"The Turkish officers had enough reasons to believe that the youths were trying to get in touch with ISIS in Syria. Hence they deported them to India," said an officer. "They have also sent us a detailed preliminary inquiry report."

Police said they were not slapping any case on the two men. "They have been counselled and watched," the officer said.

[SSridhar]

A tale of two friends: One makes it to Syria, the other cools his heels in jail - Josy Joseph, The Hindu

The two grew up at Parangipettai in Cuddalore district, and attended the local government higher secondary school before joining New College, Chennai, for graduation.

Several years later in Singapore, the friends met again, to engage in a passionate discussion on the alleged grievances of Muslims. One of them is now in an Indian jail, while the other is somewhere in Syria, probably fighting for the Islamic State.

The story of the Singapore passport-holder Haja Fakkrudeen, who is now believed to be in Syria, and his friend Gul Mohamed Maracachi Maraicar, who is in jail, is demonstrative of the way the IS ideology has seeped across the world, through social media and as a response to local grievances.

Maraicar was deported from Singapore on February 27, 2014 on the charges of radicalising Fakkrudeen.

According to officials, Maraicar spent five years in Saudi Arabia before shifting to Singapore in 2007 to work with Exxon Mobile, IBM and other companies, and also to reunite with his childhood friend Fakkrudeen.

Maraicar was already drawn to extremist religious views from early college days, according to those who have questioned him. By the time he was in Singapore, he had also grown disenchanted with democracy and opposed the local elections.

He was also an active member of the Parangipettai Muslim Organization in Singapore, and was greatly impressed by The Islamic Way of Life written by Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi, the founder of Jamaat-e-Islami, according to these officials.

Fascinated by speeches

Maraicar was fascinated by the speeches of Australian radical preacher Feiz Mohammad, and the U.S.-Yemeni preacher Anwar al-Awlaki, who was killed in 2011 by U.S. unmanned drones.

According to Singapore authorities, Maraicair once removed Singapore’s national flag hoisted on a mosque to mark the national day in 2012. The police took him into custody; but he was let off later with a warning.

Maraicar admitted to his role in radicalising Fakkrudeen, for which he was deported by Singapore authorities to India. Maraicar convinced Fakkrudeen that it was their duty to help Muslims who were suffering, such as the ones in Syria.

With the assistance of an IS sympathiser in Syria, who instructed him to bring along $1,500 for living expenses, Fakkrudeen finalised his life in the caliphate of IS. He was advised to come with his family so that it would be easy to cross over into Syria. On November 18, 2013, Maraicar saw off Fakkrudeen and his family at the Singapore airport.

However, in 12 days, the family returned to Dubai. According to details provided by Maraicar, Fakkrudeen and his family were put up with some fighters from Chechnya and were not allowed into the core areas of IS control. With no schools for their three children and bad living conditions, the family retreated as quickly as they went.

According to details available with Indian agencies, Fakkrudeen was originally planning to travel to Syria with two other persons from Chennai for his second trip to join the IS. Investigators have identified the other two. While one of them was refused Turkish visa, the other didn’t have a passport, leaving Fakkrudeen to travel alone. He travelled to Turkey on January 22, 2014, through Abu Dhabi with his wife and three children.

According to all available information, he is probably located somewhere on the Syria-Turkey border now.

According to investigators, the flight tickets for the family were arranged by a youth from Kanyakumari district who worked in a travel agency in Chennai. Initially they booked tickets from Chennai to Turkey through Abu Dhabi with return tickets. Later, the return tickets were cancelled. The youth also received confirmation of the Fakkrudeen family reaching Syria safely, one official said.

According to official records, during the period between December 2013 and January 2014, when Fakkrudeen was in Tamil Nadu, between his Syria trips, he tried to radicalise some students of his alma mater New College, Chennai, and some others.

Investigators have also identified several people from Tamil Nadu who were sympathetic to the IS and were part of Fakkrudeen’s network. Among them is a person running a Quran memorisation school in Cuddalore, a professor in Chennai, and some former students of New College {New College, a Muslim-run college, has this reputation}.

According to one official, there was a credible input to show that a small group had organised itself in Tamil Nadu willing to go to Syria. This group had planned three months of physical training prior to the trip. Among the compensation offered was Rs. 20,000 a month to the family of the jihadis, and Rs. 20 lakh in case they died. It is not clear who was offering the money, one official said.

[SSridhar]

Paris & Mali Attacks Expose Qaida-ISIS Rivalry - ToI

Something we have seen the Indian Subcontinent too, haven't we?

[partha]

Zero tolerance for Daish in Pakistan: ISPR - DT

This could be to serve multiple purposes:

1) PR points considering western public opinion is so much against ISIS.
2) Cover for attacks in India in the name of ISIS. "Why will Pakistan support ISIS attack in India when army chief has clearly said zero tolerance for ISIS. We are also victims of ISIS onlee"
3) ISIS threat could be one of the reasons for army could cite to take over Isloo.

[SSridhar]

The world goes to war with ISIS: UN in rare unanimous vote calls on world to unite against terror group

[deejay]

The world goes to war with ISIS: UN in rare unanimous vote calls on world to unite against terror group

So will join take active part in the Ops against ISIS?

[vishvak]

We should, if not direct engagement then support role, if not direct bombing then part of the crew on Russian long range bombers. I wonder if Russians are using more than sufficient part of Russian bombs - dumb bombs for example if we can afford nothing else - and if so, can Indians buy Russian bombs the way Americans do when running out of ammo.

[Shanu]

The world goes to war with ISIS: UN in rare unanimous vote calls on world to unite against terror group

Oh how we missed such melodrama.. since our Bollywood doesn't make them so well anymore.

Please let me know when a major World power (other than Russia of course) goes on record to say - all Islamic violence is condemnable and takes steps to punish the perpetrators. One thing that most of us forget that USA/EU are hand in glove with the GCC and Turkey (their oh so trusted NATO partner). And they are the ones who keeps this beast alive by not stopping the financing. Yes, now the beast has taken a swipe at one of the leading lights of Western Civilization, so it needs to be shown its place - just like OBL.

They just want to say - don't attack us, there is always an India or a China for you to wage your Jihad. Without going after the violent ideology, this war will never be over - no matter how many UN resolutions come up. Yesterday, there was Al Qaeda, today IS and tomorrow something else. And some of us here are falling for this propaganda.

So I ask, what did the French do when 26/11 happened? Did it stop selling arms to the Jihadi entity? So why is this our fight?
What is the guarantee that they will not backstab us.. use us as cannon fodder while they sit sipping champagne and enjoying the show?

Added later: Just look at the Chinese reaction so far - condemn but no action. I believe that should be our reaction too. This is not our war. Indian money and Indian lives have better uses. Of course, if India citizens are targeted, that is a different ball game.

[Shanu]

Coming back to regular news..

IS is coming for a game of cricket in Pakistan. And like the great teams, has started playing mind games (read - sledging) with the opposition captain (read Pak army).

http://www.hindustantimes.com/india/isl ... MBNcI.html

The global terror outfit, Islamic State, has dubbed the Pakistani Army as “apostate” and mocked the al-Qaeda’s support to militancy in Kashmir which it said was controlled by the military establishment in the neighbouring country.

The home team captain is keeping silence but has let the Vice Captain to reply.

Pakistan-based militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba issued a statement on Saturday denouncing the Islamic State as “a product of anti-Islamic Western countries” and said it had no role and space in Jammu and Kashmir.

And lets hear from the experts about the significance of the coming series.

Ajai Sahni, an expert on terrorism, said the IS statement was significant.
“IS is trying to expose both the al-Qaeda and the Pakistani Army. It is sending a message to its potential recruits in the subcontinent that only (the) IS follows the true path of jihad, the others are mere opportunists. So it is also a move to garner more members and support,” Sahni said.

and a bit of historical context on this new cricketing rivalry.

In January, IS spokesperson Abu Mohammad al-Adnani had announced the setting up of the Khorasan province under the leadership of a former Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) leader.

[SSridhar]

IS has no role in J&K, says Lashkar spokesperson - Peerzada Ashiq, The Hindu

Militant outfits Lashkar-e-Taiba and Tehreek-ul-Mujhadeen on Saturday distanced themselves from the Islamic State, saying “they see no scope for the IS and al-Qaeda in Jammu and Kashmir”.

“Kashmiri people don’t want aid and support from an external group. They are capable enough to fight against the Indian aggression themselves,” LeT spokesperson Abdullah Ghaznavi told a local news agency. He described the IS as “production of anti-Islamic Western countries”.

“To link our struggle with the IS is mere propaganda unleashed by India,” said the LeT spokesman. General Officer Commanding, 16 Corps, Lt. General R.R Nimbhorkar on Thursday expressed apprehensions that “the IS joining hands with the LeT to launch attacks in India can be a possibility as the motive of the terrorists is to spread their propaganda”.

[SSridhar]

I may not return immediately: IS recruit - Peerzada Ashiq, The Hindu

As militancy and violent protests rocked the streets of the Kashmir Valley, two brothers in Srinagar’s upscale Jawahar Nagar locality watched Hollywood blockbusters ‘Terminator,’ ‘Predator’ and ‘Lord of the Rings.’ Now, with one brother “joining” the Islamic State (IS), their conversation, just six days before the Paris attack, concluded on a hesitant promise: “I may not return immediately. Maybe, one day, I will Inshaallah (God willing).”

Hailing from a successful business family, car-aficionado Kamil Wada’s elder brother, Adil Wada (28), with a masters in Business Management from a college in Queensland, Australia, became the first to join the IS in Syria from Kashmir in 2013.

However, younger brother Kamil, who received a call from Adil from an unknown number just last week, remembers him as a middle class youth with aspirations. Inclined towards religion since child, Adil worked in a call centre in Mumbai immediately after passing his Class XII exams to make it big in the life.

“He (Adil) always wanted a secure job. He would say he would travel business class in flights rather than economy class one day,” recalls Kamil, who is in a denial mode that his brother has joined the IS ranks.

Kamil said Adil still prefers to wear Western outfits and comes across as “calm with no signs of desperation whatsoever” when he contacts his family on the Skype once in a while.

“Though he has grown serious in his conversations and keeps advising on praying five times a day and returning to the Quran,” said Kamil.

He said there was nothing that makes the family believe that Adil is an IS recruit, as the security agencies informed them in 2014.

“He (Adil) says he is working with an NGO and functions from Turkey and did help people in Syria with medical aid,” recollected Kamil from a conversation the family had with him after he was declared an IS recruit.

However, the family admits that he does not keep a permanent cell phone and uses Internet cafes from different locations to reach the family on the Skype. Besides, he did mention travelling to Ar Raqqa, IS’s capital situated in Syria, to the family.

“He (Adil) seems to be changing places. Mostly, he says he is in Turkey. Once I saw kids playing on his lap, whom he introduced his friend’s. He loves kids and makes it a point to wish on festivals like Eid,” said Kamil.

There are pointers to Adil working with the International Aid for the Syrian People, which is a non-combatant group functioning in Syria but with sympathies for the IS.

The family said “introvert, shy and religious” Adil moved more towards Islam in Australia between 2009 and 2012. “Once he returned from Australia, he was sporting a flowing beard as per Islamic teachings,” said Kamil.

Security agencies believe that Adil was radicalised during his association with the Australian Street Dawah, which promotes Islam in Australia.

Once when Adil’s mother and father broke down and made an emotional appeal to him to return, Adil retorted: “People here (Syria) need help. You have a son to take care of [you]. They have none here. I work like a doctor and provide medical care.”

The family claims Adil, a voracious online reader of news and views, went to Malaysia too but the security agencies believe that he travelled to Jordan and Turkey before entering Syria in June 2013.

What gives the family a sinking feeling is the fact he never talks about returning to Kashmir and defends what is happening in Syria and Iraq. “The Western media is lying about what is happening in this region. No one is zaalim (barbarian) there,” he told the family once.

Another enigma that the family grapples with: “He could have joined the militant groups in Kashmir. He never did that. He never showed interest. In fact, in Kashmir, he always wanted a secure job.” The enigma is true of the security agencies too in Kashmir, which remain on the edge with the IS flags coming up frequently during street protests.

As General Officer Commanding (GoC), 16 Corps, Gen. R. R. Nimbhorkar on Thursday ruled out “signs of presence of IS in Jammu and Kashmir”, the police too have no pointers to believe that the group is able to make any recruitment from the conflict-ridden Valley after Adil.