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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 005228 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER KISL MCAP PINR SOCI IN
SUBJECT: DELHI DIARY, DECEMBER 3-7 
 
REF: A. DELHI 5208 
     ¶B. DELHI 5158 
     ¶C. KOLKATA 372 
     ¶D. 2006 NEW DELHI 08344 
 
¶1.  (U) Below is a compilation of political highlights from 
Embassy New Delhi for December 3-7, 2007 that did not feature 
in our other reporting, including: 
 
-- Delhi Police on Terror Alert 
-- Babri Masjid: Continues to Cast Shadow 
-- India Conducts New Missile Defense Tests. 
-- Minor Demonstration Against Pakistani High Commission 
 
Delhi Police on Terror Alert 
------ 
 
¶2.  (SBU) All major newspapers ran front page articles 
December 4 on the Delhi Police going into high alert 
following an Intelligence Bureau (IB) advisory warning of a 
possible terrorist attack in Delhi during the next two weeks. 
The likely terrorist outfits mentioned in the news reports 
are Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad and 
Harkat-ul-Jihad-e-Islam, all of which have been linked to 
previous terrorist attacks within India. A spokesman for 
Delhi Police acknowledged that the police have stepped up 
security measures at courts, crowded public places and high 
value targets. He noted that the police had deployed dog 
squads, bomb disposal units and quick reaction teams at 
strategic locations and are keeping a close eye on the 
capital city,s borders with neighboring states. Security has 
also been reinforced at police and paramilitary targets and 
temple compounds. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) The latest terrorist warning comes about one week 
after a series of bomb blasts at courthouses in three Uttar 
Pradesh (UP) cities (Ref B). Minutes before the first UP 
court bombing on November 23, media outlets received an email 
warning about the UP attacks.  That email also carried a 
threat of attacks against Delhi police. The latest IB warning 
apparently is broader, covering all likely terrorist targets 
instead of only courthouses and police and paramilitary 
compounds.  The Delhi Police are also nervous because 
December 6 is the anniversary of the Babri Masjid 
destruction.  RSO New Delhi notes that while the Delhi police 
are telling the public not to panic they are taking this 
threat seriously.  Embassy convened an EAC meeting on 
December 5 and reported more fully on the security aspects of 
this issue (Ref A). 
 
Babri Masjid Continues to Cast Shadow 
------ 
 
¶4.  (U) Although some of the emotion has dimmed, the 15-year 
old Babri Masjid destruction remains provocative and 
continues to find its way into political debate in India.  On 
the event,s December 6 anniversary, there were noisy scenes 
in both houses of parliament as members demanded punishment 
for perpetrators of the Babri Masjid demolition.  The Left 
parties were joined by the Samajwadi Party and the Telegu 
Desam Party in leading the protests in parliament.  Bharatiya 
Janata Party members tried to deflect the attack by 
countering with its catigating the CPM over its actions in 
Nandigram (Ref C).  Both houses adjourned for the day due to 
the uproar on the floor. 
 
¶5.  (U) Half a dozen groups organized protests and took out 
demonstration at Jantar Mantar, the designated central Delhi 
location for political protests.  Delhi Police quickly 
quelled a few physical clashes that broke out between small 
numbers of Shiv Sena activists and some Muslim organizations. 
 A television station aired a story about the discovery of 
five crude bombs at a courthouse in Rae Bareli, Uttar 
Pradesh, as police continued to tighten security at sensitive 
locations in the state. 
 
India Conducts New Missile Defense Tests. 
------ 
 
¶6.  (U) The GOI has claimed success in two tests of a new 
missile defense weapon system it conducted on December 2 and 
 
NEW DELHI 00005228  002 OF 002 
 
 
6 in the Bay of Bengal. Both tests involved a mock "enemy 
missile," a modified, indigenously designed Prithvi missile, 
launched over the Bay of Bengal, and an interceptor missile, 
launched within minutes in an attempt to intercept the target 
missile. India,s missile defense (MD) system is led by Dr. 
Saraswat of the Defense Research and Development Organization 
(DRDO), who told reporters that the December 6 missile test 
successfully destroyed the target missile. The interceptor 
missile did not physically meet the target missile but used a 
proximity fuse to destroy both missiles when it reached 
within a few hundred meters of the target missile,s 
trajectory. DRDO reportedly conducted these latest tests to 
validate an "endo-atmospheric" MD system, designed to knock 
out enemy missiles while they are within 30km of the earth,s 
surface. In November 2006 DRDO tested an "exo-atmospheric" MD 
system,  launching an interceptor missile that reportedly 
destroyed a target missile at a higher altitude, 
approximately 50km above the earth,s surface (Ref D). DRDO 
used modified Prithvi missiles for both interceptor and 
target vehicles in the 2006 tests and for the target vehicle 
in the latest tests, but reportedly deployed a new missile 
design for the latest interceptor vehicle, described in the 
media as a single-stage, solid propellant missile. 
 
¶7.  (U) COMMENT: India has demonstrated its continuing keen 
interest in developing a functioning MD system capable of 
defending itself from possible Pakistan or Chinese hostile 
missile attacks. Yet Pakistan is pushing forward with 
deployment of a ground hugging cruise missile which can reach 
India within minutes, against which India,s current MD 
system is entirely inadequate. Indian contacts tell us they 
are interested in continuing low-level exchanges on MD 
concepts, and would welcome any technology anyone would be 
willing to give away, but operationally these tests show that 
India is interested in developing its own indigenous 
capabilities. 
 
Minor Demonstration Against Pakistani High Commission 
------ 
 
¶8.  (SBU) An obscure Indian leftist political organization 
held a small march and demonstration in New Delhi,s 
diplomatic enclave on December 4 to protest President 
Musharraf,s administration and US engagement with Pakistan. 
Delhi police informed RSO that approximately 30-40 people 
identifying themselves as the 
"Bangladesh-Bharat(India)-Pakistan People,s Forum" (BBPPF) 
marched to the Pakistani High Commission at 11:00am to 
deliver a prepared political memo. After going to the 
Pakistani High Commission, the demonstrators wished to submit 
a copy of the memo to the U.S. Embassy but police admitted 
only two persons to submit it in person, which was received 
by RSO and a copy given to POL section.  The memo accuses 
President Musharraf of subverting democracy and oppressing 
the Pakistani people and accuses the USG of being the puppet 
master of Pakistani politics.  The address and telephone 
number on the pamphlet is that of Mr. Debabrata Biswas, 
leftist Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament, West Bengal. The 
BBPPF has been in existence for approximately two years, and 
has enjoyed the public support of Mulayam Singh Yadav and his 
Samajwadi Party.  There was no violence, traffic disturbance 
or other problems reported in relation to the demonstration. 
MULFORD