Author: Shashi Shekhar
Publication: The Pioneer
Date: March 8, 2010
URL: http://www.dailypioneer.com/240502/Outsourcing-jihad.html
It is clear that David Coleman Headley and
his associate Tahawwur Rana represent a new breed of jihadi freelancers willing
to offer their services to multiple sponsors of Islamist terror, while Lashkar-e-Tayyeba
is playing the role of a 'global jihad facilitator'
Terror struck India once again on February
26, this time in Kabul with the targeting of Indian citizens and Indian interests.
The Kabul attack came as India not just resumed talks with Pakistan but also
looked to Saudi Arabia to exert pressure on it to act on terror. While the
jury is out on the likely effectiveness of this diplomatic option, the Jamaat-ud-Dawa'h's
Hafiz Saeed made no bones of the patronage his group receives from Saudi Arabia.
Hafiz Saeed openly exhorted jihad in fresh speeches made days before the resumption
of talks with Pakistan apart from giving a lengthy interview to a Pakistan-based
media outlet. The ease with which Hafiz Saeed and his outfit continue to operate
in Pakistan is yet another pointer to an emerging narrative of state-sponsored
terror in Pakistan that goes far beyond the contours of the 'Karachi Project'.
In an upcoming book titled Storming the World
Stage: The Story of Lashkar-e-Taiba, Mr Stephen Tankel, who is a visiting
scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, describes how the
Lashkar-e-Tayyeba has evolved since 2001 and more specifically 2006. Speaking
at a seminar organised by the New America Foundation recently, Mr Tankel outlined
the magnitude of the threat posed by Lashkar. He reiterated that the Lashkar's
primary focus continues to be India while describing an evolution of in its
strategy of blending attacks to simultaneously target Indian and Western interests.
But the more significant insight from Mr Tankel comes from what he describes
as the Lashkar's ideal suitability for playing the role of a 'global jihadist
facilitator'.
If one were to draw a Silicon Valley analogy,
Mr Tankel's picture of the Lashkar is that of 'jihadi venture capitalist and
incubator'. With its robust finances, he says, the Lashkar is able to sponsor
attacks either by the group itself or by nodes within its network in collaboration
with other groups. What makes the Lashkar unique is its ability to go beyond
the financing by providing additional logistical support to facilitate attacks.
One way the Lashkar is able to provide such logistical support is by offering
its training facilities to other groups, exploiting the relatively less stringent
scrutiny its training camps receive.
According to Mr Tankel, support from Lashkar
to other groups is evident from Jalozai Refugee Camp in Peshawar where allegedly
training was provided to Al Qaeda suicide bombers headed for Afghanistan.
Mr Tankel also draws attention to two other attacks in Afghanistan in 2008
directed against a United States combat outpost in Wanat and the Indian Embassy
in Kabul where Lashkar is said to have collaborated with other groups. Mr
Tankel's narrative of Lashkar's collaboration with other groups takes a curious
turn when he talks of jihadi freelancing.
As observed by this columnist in the past
on the 'Karachi Project' as well as from the body of evidence made public
in the Chicago conspiracy case it is clear that David Headley and his associated
Tahawwur Rana represented a new breed of jihadi free agents willing to offer
their services to multiple sponsors of jihadi terror. According to Mr Tankel,
the freelancing started at the mid-level and lower levels around 2006 with
logistical and manpower support to anti-establishment groups within Pakistan
like the TTP. Mr Tankel says this support has been in the areas of movement
of people and material, safe houses, surveillance, false identities amongst
other things.
Mr Tankel also highlights how the Lashkar
continues expand its operations in the NWFP/FATA regions of Pakistan despite
the official ban. According to him, the Jamaat-ud-Dawa'h operates a large
number of mosques and Madaris in NWFP. Specific interest to India ought to
be Liasion and Recruitment offices in Lower Dir and Swat districts, as well
as a base camp near Darra Adam Khel.
Mr Tankel also throws light on the trust deficit
between the TTP, Al Qaeda and the Lashkar on account of its proximity to the
ISI with specific instances of inter-jihadi rivalry. But he feels these fault
lines were getting reconciled starting 2006 with the advent of freelancing
and collaboration as has been evident from the Chicago conspiracy case which
saw freelancers like David Headley collaborating simultaneously with the Lashkar
and with the Ilyas Kashmiri lead 313 Brigade.
Still much remains unknown of the freelancing
terror syndicate that the Lashkar-ISI complex has evolved into.
Mr Tankel sheds no light on how high up the
freelancing and collaboration runs nor does he shed light on the degree to
which the ISI and serving or retired Pakistani military officers are complicit.
Neither does he shed light on who controls the "robust finances"
of this terror syndicate and how they are managed. Lastly, we continue to
remain in the dark on the command and control structure of this Lashkar-ISI
Terror Syndicate beyond the jihadi demagogues and Islamist charity front outfits.
While Mr Tankel's primary focus was on the
threat to the West from Lashkar's connections and collaboration, it is clear
from his analysis that the direct and primary threat from Lashkar is to India.
The jihadi freelancing and opportunistic collaboration described him makes
it clear that India is no longer dealing with monolithic jihadi outfits with
firm loyalties to either the state or to a cause. It would be myopic of India
to narrowly focus its energies on a diplomatic process punctuated by periodic
exchange of dossiers. What we now have in Pakistan instead, is a terror syndicate
of freelancing state and non-state actors with commercial interests in the
business of jihad. These interests go far beyond the AfPak theatre and will
likely outlast American presence in this theatre. Its time our strategic calculus
factored this chilling reality.
- The writer, an expert on security affairs,
tracks terrorism in South Asia.
