Intelligence & National Security Discussion

Anantz · Post by **Anantz** » 01 Apr 2009 16:51

Yup almost all the Tibetans and Bangladeshis have Ration Cards and every other benefit available to all Indians! The percentage of Bangladeshis is alarming in North Bengal, especially in areas such as Islampur, Chopra, Mekhligunj, and the rest of Jalpaiguri Division. The Tibetans on the other hand gel in well with the Hill people of Darjeeling and Sikkim. Net result, you have loads of Bangladeshis in the plains of Bengal and Tibetans in the Hills which upset the native population and overburden the already highly burdened civil infrastructure in the state! This is the main reason why there is so much unrest in these part of India. Politically encouraged illegal immigration has lead to irreversible demographics in the region, leading to grave security implications in the North Bengal and North East Region.

AmitR · Post by **AmitR** » 01 Apr 2009 17:13

Anantz wrote:Yup almost all the Tibetans and Bangladeshis have Ration Cards and every other benefit available to all Indians! The percentage of Bangladeshis is alarming in North Bengal, especially in areas such as Islampur, Chopra, Mekhligunj, and the rest of Jalpaiguri Division. The Tibetans on the other hand gel in well with the Hill people of Darjeeling and Sikkim. Net result, you have loads of Bangladeshis in the plains of Bengal and Tibetans in the Hills which upset the native population and overburden the already highly burdened civil infrastructure in the state! This is the main reason why there is so much unrest in these part of India. Politically encouraged illegal immigration has lead to irreversible demographics in the region, leading to grave security implications in the North Bengal and North East Region.

I agree to that. I have had close interaction with Tibetans during school and college, they typically keep to themselves and avoid any politics or controversy. Many of them also tend to go to western countries and settle there due to large following of Dalai Lama. Bangladeshis seem to be a different beast altogether.

Lalmohan · Post by **Lalmohan** » 01 Apr 2009 17:39

was reading a book on the history of bengal, it seems that the muslim peasants have always moved when faced with an agricultural production barrier. initially, they increased crop yield by increasing the number of harvests and the intensity of cultivation, but when unable to grow more (due to whatever pressure), they sought more land. when they ran out of forests to clear (a process which created large scale muslim conversion in the first place) they moved east and north to less densely populated areas. in the past this pressure was largely based on taxation, a process which also encouraged large families in order to work the land more intensely. however now the population and its growth rate itself is the impetus for 'colonising' more land.

to the highly densely packed bangladeshis, relatively sparesely populated assam and the rest of the NE must appear to be a natural lebensraum move. and on top of that there is the zeal of spreading islam. the 'natural growth' of the bangladeshi population and the climate change impact on the brahmaputra-ganges delta will be huge pressure sources for the forcing of these peoples into Indian territory.

sum · Post by **sum** » 01 Apr 2009 19:27

I agree to that. I have had close interaction with Tibetans during school and college, they typically keep to themselves and avoid any politics or controversy. Many of them also tend to go to western countries and settle there due to large following of Dalai Lama. Bangladeshis seem to be a different beast altogether.

OT but agree with Amit...

There is a huuge Tibetan community in Byllakuppe (near coorg, Karnataka) but they live in utmost harmony and have adapted pretty amazingly. Their Kannada is to be heard to be believed!!!

shyamd · Post by **shyamd** » 01 Apr 2009 19:30

IOL: It was Indian intel which suggested that the Dalai Lama's staff have their computers checked by the Citizen Lab of Toronto University’s Munk Center for International Studies. They then discovered the Ghostnet issue.

Kati · Post by **Kati** » 01 Apr 2009 20:07

In Darjeeling and surrounding hill areas there is no state govt authority for the last two years ever since Subhash gheising and his Hill Council has been routed by the Gorkha Jana Mukti Morcha led by Bimal Gurung. Apparently, these illegal tibetan monasteries has taken full advantage of this lax administrative environment and quickly biult the building structures.
It is believed that Morcha is getting moral and material support from one external (read western) force via Nepal, but looks like Chinkos are taking full advantage of this situation.

AmitR · Post by **AmitR** » 01 Apr 2009 21:43

Kati wrote:In Darjeeling and surrounding hill areas there is no state govt authority for the last two years ever since Subhash gheising and his Hill Council has been routed by the Gorkha Jana Mukti Morcha led by Bimal Gurung. Apparently, these illegal tibetan monasteries has taken full advantage of this lax administrative environment and quickly biult the building structures.
It is believed that Morcha is getting moral and material support from one external (read western) force via Nepal, but looks like Chinkos are taking full advantage of this situation.

Just as I was guessed these monastries may be actually supported by some western covert organisation while we blame the Chinese. Tibetans have a huge support base in west and I would not surprised that an American listening post is not established right in the Indo china border. I may be jumping the gun but slowly through all this disparate source of information a picture seems to be emerging.

sum · Post by **sum** » 02 Apr 2009 09:24

X-post:

sum wrote:

Mumbai terror architect crafts infiltration surge
Praveen Swami
Satellite phones used at Lashkar headquarters found in J&K

SRINAGAR: Ever since the massacre in Mumbai in November 2008, intelligence services across the world have searched, without success, for one of its architects: a Lashkar-e-Taiba commander known only by the twin aliases Muzammil and Yusuf.

Now, highly-placed police and intelligence sources have told The Hindu, the man who had hands-on responsibility for the tactical training of the terrorists as well as pre-assault reconnaissance, has resurfaced in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-administered Kashmir. And he has been commanding a surge in infiltration that has sparked off some of the most intense fighting seen along the Line of Control in years.

Muzammil, the sources said, had crafted a new infiltration strategy — involving pushing unusually large groups across dangerous but thinly-defended snow-covered high-altitude passes — at meetings held in the first week of March with representatives of the Hizb ul-Mujahideen, al-Badr, the Harkat ul-Mujahideen and the Jaish-e-Mohammad.

Since then, there have been at least three major infiltration attempts in Gurez, Kupwara and Handwara — one of which resulted in the death of 18 terrorists and eight members of the Indian Army’s crack 1 Paracommando Regiment.{What happened to the other two?}

A veteran of the Lashkar’s jihad in Jammu and Kashmir, Muzammil was given hands-on charge of the organisation’s pan-India operations around 2001. He specialised in using the Lashkar’s Jammu and Kashmir-based fidayeen assets to execute operations outside the State, starting with the September 2002 attack on the Akshardham Temple in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.

Last year, Western media reported Muzammil’s arrest in a Pakistan Army raid on the Lashkar’s Shawai Nullah base northwest of Muzaffarabad. His name did not, however, figure among several Lashkar suspects Pakistani authorities later admitted to have arrested.

Electronic evidence harvested by India’s communications intelligence services has underlined fears that the Lashkar’s military infrastructure has again been unleashed. Last month, Research and Analysis Wing analysts determined that at least half a dozen Thuraya satellite phone sets that had been active northwest of Muzaffarabad — which is the general area of the Lashkar’s Shawai Nullah base — were being used by Lashkar field units operating deep inside Jammu and Kashmir.{Our agencies really seem to have all sat phones under watch!!! Good work}

One satellite phone often used by Muzammil, with the number +88 (216) 55526551, has been used by a Lashkar unit operating near the Amarnath cave-shrine in southern Kashmir. Muzammil is suspected to have used a phone with all but the last digit in common, +88 (216) 55526550, which was among four Thuraya sets to which the Mumbai fidayeen relayed messages from the high seas. Both phones, experts say, were possibly purchased at the same time, as part of a set meant for use by high-ranking Lashkar operatives.

A phone known to have been used by Muzammil’s office assistant, identified in the interrogation of arrested terror suspects as ‘Talha’, has also become active in southern Kashmir.

Lashkar units in Jammu and Kashmir have also resumed communication with a hub across the LoC. Thus, weeks of silence that began days after the Mumbai attacks has ended. The Lashkar’s state-of-the art communications facility is located at Kel, not far from the headquarters of Pakistan’s 32 Infantry Brigade.{Errr, what stops us from sabotaging this place?}

The strategy of winter-time infiltration of the LoC, employing jihadists specially trained and equipped for the mission, is believed to have been crafted by none other than Muzammil alias Yusuf, based on a careful examination of India’s defences along the crucial frontline.
Again, we seem to believe only in defensive tactics....We know where all the jewels of LeT are and just keep waiting for them to attack us(and lose highly trained men of our own) instead of conducting offensive ops against them in their own land.

Anantz · Post by **Anantz** » 02 Apr 2009 13:08

Kati wrote:In Darjeeling and surrounding hill areas there is no state govt authority for the last two years ever since Subhash gheising and his Hill Council has been routed by the Gorkha Jana Mukti Morcha led by Bimal Gurung. Apparently, these illegal tibetan monasteries has taken full advantage of this lax administrative environment and quickly biult the building structures.
It is believed that Morcha is getting moral and material support from one external (read western) force via Nepal, but looks like Chinkos are taking full advantage of this situation.

What utter nonsense! It is true that some of the government offices are not functioning because of the populist movement for separate state, but that does not mean that the police is not there. Please first understand what state government authority means! The state police and district administration is there and carrying out most of its duties, albeit it has been asked to show restraint vis-a-vis the movement for statehood. In almost all cases, the district administration is very much there and police is very much active. This is not Kashmir or North East where government authority would not exist.

And please stop unnecessarily spreading false propaganda about external power giving material support to Morcha. This is not an insurgency! It is a populist movement for separate state led by a political party registered with the Election Commission of India. Don't try to malign it by spewing anti-national tag. Just because the people there are of mongoloid origin does not mean they are anti-nationals!

And again please understand Darjeeling does not have a border with China! Sikkim and China share a border, Darjeeling shares a border with Sikkim. If there has to be a listening post it has to be in Sikkim not Darjeeling! Only observation of military movement can be done from Darjeeling!

k prasad · Post by **k prasad** » 02 Apr 2009 13:48

Only observation of military movement can be done from Darjeeling!

And that seems to be the info that our Northern Neighbour seems to need the most, esp if they'd like to cut off NE. Makes sense

kittoo · Post by **kittoo** » 02 Apr 2009 14:29

AmitR wrote:
Anantz wrote:Yup almost all the Tibetans and Bangladeshis have Ration Cards and every other benefit available to all Indians! The percentage of Bangladeshis is alarming in North Bengal, especially in areas such as Islampur, Chopra, Mekhligunj, and the rest of Jalpaiguri Division. The Tibetans on the other hand gel in well with the Hill people of Darjeeling and Sikkim. Net result, you have loads of Bangladeshis in the plains of Bengal and Tibetans in the Hills which upset the native population and overburden the already highly burdened civil infrastructure in the state! This is the main reason why there is so much unrest in these part of India. Politically encouraged illegal immigration has lead to irreversible demographics in the region, leading to grave security implications in the North Bengal and North East Region.
I agree to that. I have had close interaction with Tibetans during school and college, they typically keep to themselves and avoid any politics or controversy. Many of them also tend to go to western countries and settle there due to large following of Dalai Lama. Bangladeshis seem to be a different beast altogether.

Wasnt there a case in Supreme Court about deporting them back? What happened to it?
And if there isnt a case, what would be the way to file one?

Sriman · Post by **Sriman** » 03 Apr 2009 07:50

Anyone catch the NPR feature on ghostnet? I tuned in midway through and missed quite a bit of it. If anyone managed to listen in fully please pitch in.They were interviewing someone from SecDev (who did the investigation). The researcher said they traced the command servers of the botnet and found that they were unsecured. They were able to monitor the servers and found the zombies which were reporting to the command servers. He said the main mail server(s) used by all Indian embassies was compromised. He said that pretty much left all embassies compromised. A detailed list is given in the report prepared by SecDev (page 43):

http://www.scribd.com/doc/13731776/Trac ... ge-Network

The document explains the entire investigation. One of the documents they caught being uploaded to the command servers was a document on Dalai Lama's negotiating position with PRC. I have no clue to what extent our data has been compromised and in what way our infected machines were snooped on. But this is a very very serious breach. This has to be investigated internally and heads must roll if things were handled cavalierly.

sum · Post by **sum** » 03 Apr 2009 09:03

There is no doubt GoI is pushing a lot under the carpet regarding penetration of its networks (script kiddies notwithstanding)...

sum · Post by **sum** » 04 Apr 2009 13:30

shady informant causes panic in airports

Dhaka gossip sparked nationwide panic

Praveen Swami

Airport muddle illustrates post-Mumbai malaise in security management

NEW DELHI: Eight weeks ago, an official at India’s High Commission met an informant who had a fantastic story to tell.

Lashkar-e-Taiba commanders, the informant claimed, were planning an election-time attack in India intended to mirror in both tactics and scale the September 11, 2001, strikes on New York and Washington, DC. Six pilots — and, for some opaque reason, 30 young women — had been set into India to execute the plot, the informant said.

Not surprisingly, Assistant Defence Adviser Ajay Patney found the story less than credible.

In a note to his superiors, which recorded the substance of the conversation, Commander Patney made clear the informant’s reliability had not been established. He added that there was no evidence to bear out the story.

But on Wednesday, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security circulated a warning to airlines carrying the informant’s bizarre story — but without the crucial caveats. Less than two days after the BCAS warning was issued, embarrassed bureaucrats at the Union Ministry of Home Affairs withdrew it. By that time, though, airline staff and passengers had been panicked by overblown television accounts of the supposedly-imminent terror threat.
Crying wolf

The transformation of an unverified scrap of information provided by a dubious source into a full-scale airline terror alert points to an emerging malaise in India’s security system.

In the wake of the November 26, 2008, attacks on Mumbai, more and more information is being harvested from multiple agencies. But the huge flow of intelligence is making it increasingly difficult to sift the wheat from the chaff. Moreover, bureaucrats fear the consequences of having failed to respond to even the most remote signs of trouble. As such, alerts are being issued even when there is little or no hard intelligence to justify them.

Commander Patney’s note is a case in point. From the Indian mission in Dhaka, the informant’s story made its way to the Defence Intelligence Agency in New Delhi. Last month, the DIA brought the warning to the Multi Agency Centre — a once-moribund Intelligence Bureau-managed clearing house which has been energised ever since P. Chidambaram’s appointment as Union Home Minister.

Major centre

Despite its apparently bizarre character, the Intelligence Bureau and the Research and Analysis Wing studied the story with some care. Dhaka had, after all, been a major centre for Lashkar operations. Faisal Haroun, the Lashkar’s resident agent in Bangladesh, had worked on plans to stage attacks on India using ocean routes through the Maldives back in 2006 — plans which possibly laid the foundations for the Mumbai assault. His successor, Mubashir Shahid, was also known to have been involved in several bombings across India.

Given that information is often corrupted as it passes through the shadowy world of informers, a phenomenon all those who have played Chinese Whispers at a children’s party know, the Dhaka informant’s report was checked to see if it contained the smallest kernel of truth. Finally, though, both RAW and the IB concluded there was no major new Lashkar plot involving pilots — or, for that matter, young women.

But bureaucrats at the Union Home Ministry didn’t want to take a chance, and passed on the story to the BCAS regardless.

For its part, the BCAS had no in-house intelligence expertise to assess if the story was credible. Its bureaucrats, in turn, protected their flanks by asking airports and airlines to rigorously enforce security measures — a meaningless instruction, since standard operating procedures are observed whether or not there is specific intelligence.
Dubious intelligence

Intelligence sources told The Hindu that alerts based on dubious intelligence had been issued several times in recent weeks. “Part of the problem,” a senior official in the Ministry of Home Affairs told The Hindu,“is that agencies with no intelligence expertise, like the Railway Protection Force, often end up passing on gossip to MAC. In itself, this is fine — but the further problem is that no one wants to take the risk of dismissing a threat, even if it’s totally improbable.”

“In the end,” the officer said, “no one will pay attention even to a credible warning of an imminent threat. Every child knows what happens when you cry wolf.”

One of the skillls of good intelligence gathering is the ability to sort out the true signal from the noise it is embedded in...

Good to know that the MAC is working in full flow...

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 04 Apr 2009 13:41

More perfidy from Pak expected.When it happens (not if),will Pranabji still parrot his great "diplomatic victory?".

India: Intelligence official says militants preparing to carry out fresh attacks

New Delhi, 3 April (AKI/Asian Age) - An official from the United States Central Intelligence Agency said that militants belonging to the banned Kashmiri separatist group Lashkar-e-Toiba and Hizbul Mujahideen groups have been asked to carry out suicide attacks or use improvised explosive devices in India.

The latest intelligence inputs with the CIA confirm that militants have been instructed to strictly follow "limited use" of weaponry formula and to avoid confrontation with Indian forces.

"Lashkar and HM operatives working in India have been asked to start carrying out fresh fidayeen attacks or IED blasts in the country," said an unnamed high-ranking official of the CIA said, in an interview with Indian daily The Asian Age.

"Militants have been specifically instructed to use vehicles for carrying out suicide attacks like the Marriott hotel blast in Pakistan on 20 September 2008. In the Marriott hotel blast, a truck loaded with explosives was used for the suicide attack".

"Besides, intelligence inputs confirm that militants have been asked to cause IED blasts, if fidayeen attacks are not possible. Their basic motive is to cause maximum damage by avoiding confrontation with the Indian security forces. Alert has been sounded to all the state police in this regard. Besides, the Central security forces have been asked to increase their vigil," the official said.

There are also reports that militants may use "pressure" IEDs to avoid their own casualties. Handlers of LeT and HM, operating from Pakistan, have even started providing training in handling of IEDs to the new recruits, said the official.

"It’s a matter of serious concern that even after frequent militant attacks in different areas of Pakistan, Islamabad is not taking action against terror camps operating from Pakistan," he added.

India accused Pakistan-based militants from the LeT of carrying out the November 2008 Mumbai attacks on luxury hotels and other tourist targets, which killed around 170 people.

Pakistan has admitted they were partly planned on its soil, but LeT has denied involvement in the assault.

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 04 Apr 2009 15:09

Crossposted in the "Elections" thread,as one of the key issues in the polls is the IT analysis by a galaxy of expperts on the post 26/11 response by the UPA govt.The damning verdict,"Total Failure".A chilling 5 page report.

http://forums.bharat-rakshak.com/postin ... f=1&t=4444

As part of its ‘War on Terror’campaign, India Today forms a Board of Experts on Security and Terror to keep the issue on top of the public agenda. Highlights of its first meeting.

India Today Board of Experts on Security & Terror

The members

Kiran Bedi: Former DG, Bureau of Police Research

Brahma Chellaney: Prof., Strategic Studies, Centre for Policy Studies

Maj-Gen. V.K. Datta: Former CO, 51 Special Action Group, NSG

Ajit Kumar Doval: Former director, Intelligence Bureau

Ved Marwah: Former DG, NSG

Dr Amitabh Mattoo*: Professor, International Politics,JNU

Lt-Gen. Satish Nambiar: Former deputy chief of the army staff

G. Parthasarathy: Former high commissioner to Pakistan

Admiral Arun Prakash*: Former chief of the naval staff

Ajai Sahni: Executive director, Centre for Conflict Studies

*Could not attend

shyamm · Post by **shyamm** » 04 Apr 2009 17:51

sum wrote:
I agree to that. I have had close interaction with Tibetans during school and college, they typically keep to themselves and avoid any politics or controversy. Many of them also tend to go to western countries and settle there due to large following of Dalai Lama. Bangladeshis seem to be a different beast altogether.
OT but agree with Amit...

There is a huuge Tibetan community in Byllakuppe (near coorg, Karnataka) but they live in utmost harmony and have adapted pretty amazingly. Their Kannada is to be heard to be believed!!!

This pic was taken within the Bylakuppe Monastery in Kushalnagar, near Madikeri. Is this a radio/communications tower?
[URL=http://img5.imageshack.us/my.php?i ... .jpg[/img]
[/url]

AmitR · Post by **AmitR** » 04 Apr 2009 19:02

shyamm wrote:
I agree to that. I have had close interaction with Tibetans during school and college, they typically keep to themselves and avoid any politics or controversy. Many of them also tend to go to western countries and settle there due to large following of Dalai Lama. Bangladeshis seem to be a different beast altogether.
OT but agree with Amit...

There is a huuge Tibetan community in Byllakuppe (near coorg, Karnataka) but they live in utmost harmony and have adapted pretty amazingly. Their Kannada is to be heard to be believed!!!

This pic was taken within the Bylakuppe Monastery in Kushalnagar, near Madikeri. Is this a radio/communications tower?
[URL=http://img5.imageshack.us/my.php?i ... .jpg[/img]
[/url]

Now now, what do we have here. I am no expert on wireless communication or architecture but that does not look like a very good design for a building especially considering lightning strikes. I have been to Coorg and it is at a higher elevation than the rest of the area so why do we need those huge metal towers and for what purpose. Surely these are not built to just hoist the Tibetan flags. Neither does this conform to the standard Pagoda structures that I have seen all my little life. What are the Tibetans trying to listen to if this is indeed a listening post. Or do we have Chinese moles acting like Tibetans in that area.

AmitR · Post by **AmitR** » 04 Apr 2009 19:09

Philip wrote:More perfidy from Pak expected.When it happens (not if),will Pranabji still parrot his great "diplomatic victory?".
India: Intelligence official says militants preparing to carry out fresh attacks
New Delhi, 3 April (AKI/Asian Age) - An official from the United States Central Intelligence Agency said that militants belonging to the banned Kashmiri separatist group Lashkar-e-Toiba and Hizbul Mujahideen groups have been asked to carry out suicide attacks or use improvised explosive devices in India.

The latest intelligence inputs with the CIA confirm that militants have been instructed to strictly follow "limited use" of weaponry formula and to avoid confrontation with Indian forces.
....
Pakistan has admitted they were partly planned on its soil, but LeT has denied involvement in the assault.

No no Philip ji, Pranab babu will say "Be habe owll the options opaen". Options were open, are open, will be open but neither he nor anyone else knows what the options are or do we even have any left. There is just one option and we all know what it is "take the fight back to the enemy".

Ananth · Post by **Ananth** » 06 Apr 2009 23:25

http://www.asianage.com/presentation/le ... -hire.aspx
To beat Pak spy game, let’s check who we hire

Anil Bhat

April.1 : Zaffarullah Khan, a jawan recruited in the Territorial Army three years ago and deputed to Rashtriya Rifles, disappeared from Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) with two AK rifles, one Insas and seven magazines, it was reported on March 8. Defence PRO, Jammu, stated, "Police say the deserter may have joined Lashkar-e-Tayyaba. His brother is allegedly training with Hizbul Mujahideen in Pakistan".

A parallel that can be drawn with this case is of Lance Naik Mohammed Javed Khan who was posted at the Army’s 4 Corps headquarters in Tezpur, Assam. He was considered a hardworking sort who often worked late at night. But later he and his father, Mohammed Hanif Khan, a retired IAF sergeant, were arrested in July 2005 for "leaking" classified documents to officials of the Pakistan high commission in New Delhi.

While these two specific cases involve the family members of Muslim defence personnel, there are many such reports of non-Muslim armed forces personnel. In fact, ever since Pakistan came into existence its major irritant has been the patriotic Indian Muslim. Its Army has been most unhappy about Muslims serving in the Indian defence forces. Decorated Muslim personnel like Brigadier M. Usman, MVC, 1948, Havildar Abdul Hamid, PVC, 1965, who fought with valour in the three conventional wars, have always irked Pakistan’s military. But for the Muslims hailing from the Line of Control (LoC) belt and serving in Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry (JAK LI), and other units of the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force, life is not easy as they are under constant threat of Inter-Services Intelligence-sponsored Pakistani terrorists operating in the area. In 1995, a non-commissioned officer (NCO) of JAK LI survived 18 bullet injuries while fighting terrorists in J&K.

The ISI’s footprints have been detected in and around key defence establishments, airbases and field formations across the country — from J&K and Northeast to Delhi, Jodhpur, Bengaluru, Kolkata and Mumbai. An ISI spy ring operating around naval installations was smashed in 2007. General Hamid Gul, a former chief of the ISI, is reported to have said that the ISI’s strategy to infiltrate the Indian armed forces is "as old as Pakistan" itself. While the ISI has been trying hard to penetrate India’s security forces and diplomatic missions for many years, the Union home ministry has neutralised 99 espionage modules of the ISI in India, between 2001 and 2005, and after 26/11 it has been in overdrive.

The ISI works on the principle of creating, exploiting and widening loopholes. It has many modes of espionage, sabotage and other disruptive activities, including circulation of fake Indian currency notes, subversion of Indian Muslims from liberal to fundamentalist and creating communal situations all over India. In the Northeast and West Bengal it has made use of countries like Nepal, Bangladesh and Burma as well as outfits like the United Liberation Front of Assam (Ulfa), Students Islamic Movement of India (Simi) for assistance to outsource. It also resorts to outsourcing between countries as in the case of Pakistan working for China’s interests against India. What Lance Naik Javed Khan leaked were operational details about the 4 Corps, including deployment and exercises along the Line of Actual Control with China.

One of ISI’s ambitious plan is to infiltrate Indian defence forces. Bangladeshi and Nepali youth with fake education and residential certificates are motivated and inducted into the armed forces. The other mode is to plant or recruit people who are used by security forces as informers, load carriers, guides or contractors. An example of how a trained and motivated person was able to cause grave damage to a unit is this incident of December 2002 in Assam. One Mohammad Ali succeeded in making himself useful to a newly-arrived battalion of Assam Regiment as an informer. First he spread the rumour of the presence of Ulfa in a Muslim majority village Adhiapara in Kamrup district. Assam Regiment personnel are all from the Northeast and speak Assamese. Their company commander, Major Rah Thabah, hailing from Meghalaya, also spoke Assamese fluently. Ali’s game plan was to try to extort money from a school teacher of that village, and so he told the Assam Regiment battalion that there was a group of Ulfa militants in the school teacher’s house. When Major Thabah’s detachment operating in civil clothes came there, villagers mistaking them to be Ulfa militants attacked them. Major Thabah and two soldiers were killed and a junior commissioned officer (JCO) was seriously injured.

The only consolation is that no matter how active Pakistan’s military or ISI has been in snooping and acquiring vital operational information, the professional performance of Pakistan’s armed forces in three wars was undoubtedly poor, to say the least. The proxy war fought with subverted, motivated and outsourced jihadis met with attrition in Punjab and J&K. While it has succeeded in terror attacks against soft targets all over India, the irony is that it too has become a target of the attackers it trained.

What emerges from all the above incidents is the oft-repeated recommendation of far greater and meaningful coordination between the defence services, the police and intelligence agencies at all levels. Investigation of antecedents of recruits to all armed services must be more thorough. In the interest of national security in a terrorist environment, inter-organisation rivalries, bureaucratic red tape and political expediency will have to be overcome. Police and administrative reforms and acquisition of hi-tech surveillance and weapon systems will have to be expedited.

Anil Bhat, a retired Army officer, is a defence and security analyst based in New Delhi

Gaurav_S · Post by **Gaurav_S** » 09 Apr 2009 05:31

Email providers will need to have servers in India

The change is going to make a huge difference for the investigating agencies dealing with cyber crime, including data theft. Local mail IDs are a big problem across the globe, wherein the investigating agencies struggle to get personal details of account holders due to jurisdictional issues. As the servers of these accounts are generally overseas, mostly in the US, every country has to go through the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty and send letters rogatory (LRs) to get the details. The process of sending LRs takes more than six months.

“For a long time, we have been asking for this, and I think there will be an automatic change once the gazette notification for IT Act amendment comes into effect. Parliament has passed the Bill, and internet domains will be bound by Indian law if they have to carry out their business here,’’ says IGP, CoD, H C Kishore Chandra.

The question is, will global email providers agree to the idea of hosting servers in India to service their Indian client base?

“We don’t know how they are going to do it, but the government has decided to do it. Every domain company has their branch office here, and they are bound to pass on the information immediately, whenever investigation agency needs it,’’ Krishnamurthy says.

From number of users point of view this idea will anyway be good for this yahoo and google mail service providers. Hopefully this helps in getting intel when required rather then begging and going through all the complications of laws.

Sudip · Post by **Sudip** » 09 Apr 2009 10:42

very good design for a building especially considering lightning strikes. I have been to Coorg and it is at a higher elevation than the rest of the area so why do we need those huge metal towers and for what purpose. Surely these are not built to just hoist the Tibetan flags. Neither does this conform to the standard Pagoda structures that I have seen all my little life. What are the Tibetans trying to listen to if this is indeed a listening post. Or do we have Chinese moles acting like Tibetans in that area.

This could be mobile phone tower under construction or something (given the explosion in the number of mobile users in india). One might just need to make sure if the routine permissions have been obtained before constructing it.

VinodTK · Post by **VinodTK** » 10 Apr 2009 06:08

For a secure India, Pak must not be too stable

AmitR · Post by **AmitR** » 10 Apr 2009 06:57

New conditions incorporated into Pakistan aid bill

This is great news for India as far as it's own security is concerned.
US Pak relations is in doldrums now and this is the best time for India to make inroads into Afghanistan and surround Pakistan.

WASHINGTON: Pakistan will have to undertake not to support any person or group involved in activities meant to hurt India and to allow US investigators access to individuals suspected of engaging in nuclear proliferation if it wants to qualify for a threefold increase in US economic assistance.

The clause requiring such a pledge is incorporated in a bill moved in the US House of Representatives on April 2, seeking to provide $1.5 billion of annual assistance to Pakistan for a period of five years.

Clause (J) of the bill, called the Pakistan Enduring Assistance and Cooperation Enhancement or the PEACE Act of 2009, requires Pakistan ‘not to support any person or group that conducts violence, sabotage, or other activities meant to instil fear or terror in India.’

This means that Pakistan will have to ban all Kashmir groups involved in armed struggle in the valley against India.

Clause (K) of the bill binds Pakistan to ensure access of US investigators to ‘individuals suspected of engaging in worldwide proliferation of nuclear materials, and restrict such individuals from travel or any other activity that could result in further proliferation.’

If adopted, the act would enable US investigators to seek direct access to Dr A. Q. Khan and other members of his group accused of providing nuclear technology to Iran, Libya and North Korea.

The Indian lobby on Capitol Hill played a key role in including the two clauses into the bill and had formed a special task force for this purpose.

http://tinyurl.com/cenn3e

Prabu · Post by **Prabu** » 11 Apr 2009 16:10

VinodTK wrote:For a secure India, Pak must not be too stable

This is an excellent article. GOI should re build covert action capabilities lost by our ex PM I.K.GUJRAL, on a war footing basis. Offence is the Best self defence as often told by L.K.Advani ! We should give paki's enough trouble inside so that they dont have time to focus on our border and inside India. I suspect some signs of this happening already. If it is so,then we are on the right track !

Prabu · Post by **Prabu** » 11 Apr 2009 16:17

[quote=New conditions incorporated into Pakistan aid bill

http://tinyurl.com/cenn3e[/quote]

If this happens and implemented by spirit and sincerity, then it is no doubt that it is a great news. But the question is how much uncle really want to play the game ?

tripathi · Post by **tripathi** » 11 Apr 2009 17:50

^ and d u really expected them to be implemented by pak after all the 62 yrs of exp with it.how many treaties they have honored with india till now?

AmitR · Post by **AmitR** » 11 Apr 2009 22:46

tripathi wrote:^ and d u really expected them to be implemented by pak after all the 62 yrs of exp with it.how many treaties they have honored with india till now?

Tripathi sir, please read the post before making comments. There is no treaty here. US is pushing their will down the throat of Pakis. Once this law is passed, Pakis will have a tough time playing their double game. If you have kept yourself abreast of happenings in the Af-Pak front you would know that US Pak relations have hit a low after Pakis have started to flex their muscles against US. They have flatly refused to accept any conditional aid from US. Now it doesn't take a lot of intelligence to understand what US will do if Pakis will try to be too upright about this thing. Another coup and a puppet dictator. US is no pushover like India, they follow their policies strictly on the basis of their own interest and there is a strong sense of consistency in their foreign policy.

AmitR · Post by **AmitR** » 11 Apr 2009 22:51

arunabh wrote:
very good design for a building especially considering lightning strikes. I have been to Coorg and it is at a higher elevation than the rest of the area so why do we need those huge metal towers and for what purpose. Surely these are not built to just hoist the Tibetan flags. Neither does this conform to the standard Pagoda structures that I have seen all my little life. What are the Tibetans trying to listen to if this is indeed a listening post. Or do we have Chinese moles acting like Tibetans in that area.
This could be mobile phone tower under construction or something (given the explosion in the number of mobile users in india). One might just need to make sure if the routine permissions have been obtained before constructing it.

That does not look like a very convincing cell tower to me. Anyways Tibetans are pretty flush with funds so why would they need to do this type of work. More than what meets the eyes.

AmitR · Post by **AmitR** » 11 Apr 2009 23:05

Now after USA it is China that is complaining about the militants.

After the United States, now China has also warned Pakistan that East Turkestan Islamic Movement (Etim), a separatist militant group from Xinjiang province, was plotting and planning attacks to coincide with the 60th anniversary celebrations of the communist revolution, from inside Pakistan’s tribal areas, it is revealed.
Mushahid Hussain Syed, former chairman of the Senate foreign affairs committee while talking to TheNation on phone said in two separate meetings over recent months, senior Chinese officials had called on President Asif Ali Zardari to take action against the said group. Chinese officials revealed details of the meetings to Mushahid Hussain during his visit to Kazakhstan.
Mushahid said, “They told me that the Etim has its military headquarters in Fata and is planning to attack China on the 60th anniversary celebration of the communist revolution in October”.
He said Meng Jianzhu, China’s Minister for Public Security, flew from Beijing to Shanghai to discuss the threat with Present Zardari during his visit to China in late February. “President Zardari was not there to meet with the Chinese leadership”, said Mr Hussain. “The minister met with him for 90 minutes to discuss this issue”.
More recently, Beijing dispatched a special envoy to Islamabad in March to discuss the alleged threat posed by the Etim, Hussain added.
The Etim and Chinese militants have long maintained a low-profile presence in Pakistan’s tribal areas.
Both Washington and Beijing have listed Etim as a terrorist group and suspect it of having links with Al-Qaeda.
The Pakistani army had killed Hasan Mahsoum, the group’s leader and founder, in Pakistan in 2003.

VinodTK · Post by **VinodTK** » 12 Apr 2009 03:50

From Deccan Chronicle:
Russia: N-threat from Pak

From NDTV:
Pak principle nuclear threat: Russia

Ankit Desai · Post by **Ankit Desai** » 12 Apr 2009 07:44

Delhi journalist's RAW experience

Vinod Mehta, Editor-in-chief of the magazine, says:

"This is a assault on the freedom of the press. They want to scare Saikat from exposing them more.

Intelligence agencies, keeping a watch on journalists, tapping into their phones, hacking into email accounts
-- all in the name of national security -- is common. But to get caught like this, shows how incompetent they are at their job.

Ankit

sum · Post by **sum** » 12 Apr 2009 09:34

Intelligence agencies, keeping a watch on journalists, tapping into their phones, hacking into email accounts
-- all in the name of national security -- is common. But to get caught like this, shows how incompetent they are at their job.

Must be the second instance a intel guy has been caught in his job (as i can recall), first time being the DNI Naval Lt who was caught while breaking into a private Arms dealers office during the Scorpene hungama.

shyamd · Post by **shyamd** » 12 Apr 2009 16:19

Well, this is the 2nd instance for me. Their following techniques are apsoloutly shite, if someone is being followed, an ordinary journo should not be able to tell the difference at all. They need to sort out their techniques big time (it shows nothing has changed in the last 10 years), I bet one of them was just hanging around smoking outside the apartment and it was the same guy every day.

Dilbu · Post by **Dilbu** » 12 Apr 2009 17:12

I thought RAW did not handle such cases inside the country. Isnt it IB's territory?

sum · Post by **sum** » 12 Apr 2009 18:07

Since Saikat was tearing into RAW, i guess RAW took it upon itself to give him a little jhatka...

If a journo can mark out his watchers, wonder how easily Paki/Chini guys spot their tails!!!!!

Surya · Post by **Surya** » 12 Apr 2009 18:10

Oh please - Saikat of all people

That man is a living turdball - who has caused the ruin of multiple careers due to his selfishness

What better way to get attention to himself.

KiranM · Post by **KiranM** » 12 Apr 2009 18:14

^^^ IMHO, its much ado about nothing. Even if it happens to be RAW personnel, do you think just to tail a journo they will assign top Counter Intel folks?
I feel it was more to intimidate the journo, for which the 'tail' had to be visible. Only that it got more 'visible' than desired. They must have thought that journo would beat a tactical retreat. Instead he went on the offensive. Classic counter ambush.

Rahul M · Post by **Rahul M** » 12 Apr 2009 18:22

I for one won't be surprised if the journo simply gave info to the police about some known intel face who had nothing to do with him out of sheer spite.

like his editor he has no morals and would stick at nothing for 5 min of fame.

Ardeshir · Post by **Ardeshir** » 12 Apr 2009 18:23

Exactly. Why would you assign your top guys to tail a schmuck of a DDM such as Saikat? It would have better suited someone from Punjab Pulis or Haryana Pulis. Useless moron trying to gain attention towards himself IMO.

And what did Datta do when he called the cops? Tell them that there were three RAW agents tailing him, and he wanted them arrested? One has to call bullshit on this story.