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FM AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI
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INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE
RUCNISL/ISLAMIC COLLECTIVE
RUEHCG/AMCONSUL CHENNAI 2004
RUEHCI/AMCONSUL KOLKATA 1327
RUEHBI/AMCONSUL MUMBAI 1100
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
RUEIDN/DNI WASHINGTON DC
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RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 005158 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR SCA, DS/DSS/ITA, AND S/CT/ALLAN 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/29/2017 
TAGS: PTER AESC PGOV CASC PREL KISL IN
SUBJECT: TERRORISTS USE U.P. NODES TO SWIFTLY REACT TO 
JAISH ARRESTS 
 
REF: A. NEW DEHLI 5071 
     ¶B. NEW DELHI 5047 
 
NEW DELHI 00005158  001.3 OF 002 
 
 
Classified By: Political Counselor Ted Osius for Reasons 1.4 (B and D) 
 
¶1.  (C) Summary:  The November 23 terrorist bombings in 
Varanasi, Lucknow and Faizabad in response to the arrests of 
three alleged Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) members seeking to 
kidnap Rahul Gandhi killed at least thirteen people and 
injured many more (Ref A).  Politicians quickly scrambled to 
blame each other.  Uttar Pradesh (UP) Chief Minister Mayawati 
blamed the center and the Intelligence Bureau (IB), the IB 
blamed the central government, and UP opposition leader 
Mulayam Singh Yadav blamed Mayawati.  Inconclusive evidence 
points to two separate terrorist groups, perhaps working in 
concert.  UP media outlets received three warning emails, one 
shortly before the blasts and two in the days following.  If 
the two are indeed linked, the quick reaction time shows that 
UP-based terrorists have developed a worrisome ability to 
strike seemingly at will.  On a positive note, the GOI 
requested USG law enforcement assistance in the case.   End 
Summary 
 
Events of November 23 
--------------------- 
 
¶2.  (U) Approximately five minutes before the attacks, local 
media outlets in UP received an email warning them.  Police 
believe that the email was sent from a cyber cafe in Delhi, 
according to press reports.  The message claims that a group 
calling itself Mujahideen India carried out the bombings.  It 
further states the blasts were in response to the poor 
treatment received by three arrested terrorists from lawyers 
in Lucknow who refused to defend the men.  The police claim 
the arrested men were part of JeM and were planning to kidnap 
Rahul Gandhi (Ref B). 
 
¶3.  (U) Varanasi: The first blast occurred at 1:05pm very 
close to the Varanasi courthouse.  Within five minutes, two 
more bombs exploded, creating chaos around the courthouse in 
an area in which local lawyers have their traditional 
makeshift outdoor offices.  Nine people died and fifty-six 
were injured. 
 
¶4.  (U) Lucknow: A single blast went off at 1:32pm just 
outside the entrance to the city courthouse.  There were no 
casualties or injuries.  A senior police officer in Lucknow 
described the blast as "minor."  An additional, more powerful 
bomb was reportedly found attached to a bicycle outside the 
courthouse.  However, its timer failed to detonate and police 
disarmed the device. 
 
¶5.  (U) Faizabad: Within minutes of the Varanasi and Lucknow 
blasts, two bombs exploded near the Faizabad courthouse.  The 
bombings killed four people and injured twenty-four. 
 
The Blame Game Ensues 
--------------------- 
 
¶6.  (U) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati quickly blamed 
the central government in an attempt to absolve state law 
enforcement, saying "It is unfortunate that the state 
government had no prior knowledge nor was it alerted by the 
central intelligence agencies, which are responsible for 
giving prior information about terrorist incidents." 
 
¶7.  (U) Not missing a beat, UP opposition leader Yadav placed 
the blame squarely on his political rival, claiming "It is a 
total failure of the state government and speaks volumes of 
Mayawati government's inability to provide security to the 
people."  Touring the blast site, Yadav told reporters, "I 
fail to understand how Mayawati was trying to pass the buck 
to the center when her own government's lapses were clearly 
visible." 
 
¶8.  (U) For their part, IB officials tried to cover 
themselves by saying that the central government had not 
implemented security measures recommended after the Kargil 
 
NEW DELHI 00005158  002.3 OF 002 
 
 
War. 
 
Investigation Yields Little 
--------------------------- 
 
¶9.  (U) In the days following the blasts media outlets 
received two more emails claiming further attacks.  The 
emails contained threats against Mumbai railway stations and 
the Pakistani cricket team, currently in Kolkata.  Police are 
working to verify their assumption that all three emails were 
from the same group. 
 
¶10.  (U) Thus far, however, police have very few clues.  All 
the bombs were placed on either bicycles or motorbikes near 
the courthouses.  Police have confirmed the use of ammonium 
nitrate in all the explosives except for the defused Lucknow 
bomb.  That bomb contained C-4 RDX, which has led to 
speculation that Bangladesh based Harkat-ul-Jihadi-Islamia 
(HuJI) could be involved.  In June of this year, police claim 
to have arrested two HuJI terrorists with seven kilos of C-4 
RDX and various other bomb components.  HuJI is suspected in 
blasts this summer in Hyderabad. 
 
Unanswered Questions and Rumors Swirl 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶11.  (C) Comment:  As in many such incidents in India where 
any one of dozens of groups may have a plausible motive, the 
law enforcement apparatus has made little progress.  Hard 
facts remain elusive.  C-4 RDX suggests HuJI, but the choice 
of sites and victims (civil vs. religious) leaves many 
analysts doubtful of a religious angle.  Alternatively, JeM 
involvement appears plausible, but the targeting of Varanasi 
and Faizabad in addition to Lucknow is peculiar.  However, if 
police claims of JeM involvement in the kidnapping plot prove 
accurate, then a clear link would be established.  In the 
media, police and state intelligence sources have theorized 
that JeM could have sought the help of HuJI as the groups 
have close ties.  Regardless of which group planted the bombs 
- HuJI, JeM or a homegrown terror network - if the attack was 
in response to the November 16 Rahul kidnapping plot arrests, 
the speed of retaliation is deeply troubling.  It indicates a 
capable terror network is in place in UP. 
 
¶12.  (C) Interestingly, Indian law enforcement has not 
handled the investigation in its usual manner.  Normally, 
police quickly round up the usual suspects and engage in a 
public relations game to demonstrate that they had "cracked" 
the case.  With this investigation, however, law enforcement 
has taken a more measured approach, even taking the rare step 
of requesting USG help.  New Delhi RSO and LEGATT consider 
this a positive development.  USG help centers on technical 
assistance in tracking the three emails.  End Comment 
MULFORD