O 221329Z DEC 08
FM AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4829
INFO AMCONSUL CHENNAI 
AMCONSUL HYDERABAD 
AMCONSUL KOLKATA 
AMCONSUL MUMBAI 
NCTC WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS NEW DELHI 003217 
 
 
FOR S/CT: RHONDA SHORE AND NCTC 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PTER ASEC IN
SUBJECT: INDIA: 2008 COUNTRY REPORTS ON TERRORISM 
 
REF: STATE 120019 
 
 
¶1. (U)  Below is New Delhi's submission for the 2008 Country 
Report on Terrorism for India. 
 
¶2. (U)  Begin Text: 
 
India continued to rank among the world,s most 
terror-afflicted countries in 2008.  In a pivotal moment that 
is now called "26/11", terrorists struck at a variety of 
locations in Mumbai from November 26-28, killing at least 183 
(including 22 foreigners) and injuring over 300 more.  This 
attack was the most recent in a long list of lethal terrorist 
incidents this year.  Among the major events: 
 
     On May 13, Jaipur experienced serial bomb blasts at 
crowded market areas and at Hindu temples.  At least 60 
people were killed, and more than 150 injured. 
 
     On June 29 Maoist insurgents attacked and killed 33 
security forces in Malkangiri district in the eastern state 
of Orissa. 
 
     While not on Indian soil, Indian interests were 
attacked in Afghanistan when terrorists drove a vehicle-borne 
IED into the outer perimeter of the Indian Embassy in Kabul 
on July 7.  Two Indian diplomats died and a number of Afghan 
citizens were wounded. 
 
     Serial bombs were set off in Bangalore on July 25 in 
both business and industrial areas.  At least one individual 
died, while 8 were injured. 
 
     On July 26, in Gujarat,s capital, Ahmedabad, 21 
devices exploded killing 54 and injuring at least 156.  These 
explosions took place in market areas, on buses and other 
vehicles and at the hospital to which the wounded from the 
first serial bomb blast were being treated. 
 
     Terrorists detonated serial bombs in New Delhi on 
September 13 in a variety of market places and other crowded 
public areas.  These attacks killed at least 20 individuals 
and wounded more than 80. 
 
     On October 30, insurgents detonated a series of nine 
bomb blasts throughout the northeastern state of Assam 
killing approximately 110 people. 
 
None of the perpetrators of these attacks has yet been 
prosecuted.  The Indian government assesses that 
Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) or other South Asian Islamic extremist 
groups such as the Jaish-e-Mohammad and 
Harakat-ul-Jihad-i-Islami (Bangladesh) were behind most of 
these events.  The Government of India believes that these 
attacks are aimed at creating a break-down in India-Pakistan 
relations, fostering Hindu-Muslim violence within$India, and 
harming India's economic centers to try to retard India's 
economic resurgence. 
 
Eastern India (including the Northeastern region) has a long 
history of Maoist (left-wing extremist) and insurgent 
terrorist activity that has challenged state writ and 
control, governance structures, and the ruling political 
class.  In 2008 there were 50 terrorist attacks in Eastern 
India that killed approximately 500 individuals.  No American 
citizens were targeted or victims of terrorism in any of 
these incidents. 
 
Insurgent groups, often fighting for recognition, political 
and economic rights, or independence are active in the 
Northeast.  Failure to properly accommodate the competing 
interests of diverse ethnic groups, low levels of 
development, and success of previous insurgent movements in 
creating new Indian states are cited as explanatory factors 
for the appeal of insurgent movements.  In 1990 the 
Government of India banned one of the most active insurgent 
groups, the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA), and in 
the 2004 Country Report on Terrorism the United States listed 
it as an "Other Selected Terrorist Organization".  ULFA is 
alleged to have been involved in several terrorist attacks in 
2008, including the bicycle bomb blast on September 18 in 
Chirang district (20 injured) and the October 30 serial 
blasts. 
 
The Communist Party of India (Maoist), commonly referred to 
as Maoist/Naxalites, espouses violent revolutionary struggle 
to achieve inclusive economic growth and a more democratic 
state -- although analysts debate the extent of their 
ideological as opposed to monetary motivations.  Maoists are 
active in the states of Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, 
Karnataka, Orissa, Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal -- the 
so-called "Red Corridor".  Companies, Indian and foreign, 
operating in Maoist strongholds are sometimes targets for 
extortion. 
 
Although there is no evidence that the Liberation Tigers of 
Tamil Eelam (LTTE) intend to conduct attacks in India, there 
are indications that the LTTE has smuggling operations to 
move supplies from Tamil Nadu to Sri Lanka.  In addition, it 
is possible that LTTE operatives fleeing from the Sri Lankan 
Army's northern offensive may be retreating into Tamil Nadu. 
 
The terrorist attacks in Mumbai carried out on November 26-28 
were the first time that terrorists deliberately attacked 
places where foreigners and wealthy Indians were likely to 
be.  In a series of well-planned, coordinated attacks, 
terrorists entered Mumbai from the sea and attacked people in 
two western hotels, a Jewish center, the main train station, 
and locations en route to those destinations.  They also 
planted bombs in two taxis that later exploded in different 
locations in the city.  While accounts differ, it is believed 
that ten terrorists killed at least 183 people, including 14 
members of the police and security forces, and injured over 
300 people.  One terrorist was arrested and nine were killed. 
 The terrorists appeared to have been well-trained and able 
to use sophisticated technology, such as GPS trackers.  Local 
and state police proved to be poorly trained and equipped, 
and lacked central control to coordinate an effective 
response. 
 
State governments have expressed interest in augmenting their 
security forces, either creating or buttressing state-level 
assets, or hosting central level units to address the 
increased terrorist threat. 
 
Chhattisgarh's government has invested in counter-insurgency 
training for police and paramilitary forces at its Jungle 
Warfare Training Center.  Nevertheless, there is no clear 
unified command structure between state and federal forces in 
counter-insurgency efforts, hampering their effectiveness. 
 
In response to the Mumbai attacks, the Indian government has 
proposed a new agency, the National Investigative Agency, to 
create a national-level capability to investigate and 
potentially prosecute such acts.  It is too early to assess 
the impact that this new agency will have on India's 
overburdened and uncoordinated counterterrorism structures. 
The press continues to highlight a series of crucial gaps in 
intelligence sharing and implementation of effective 
counterterrorism measures which remain at the heart of the 
Mumbai debacle.  It is also too early to comment on whether 
the addition of this new investigative authority will assist 
in bringing specific cases to justice in the slow and 
laborious Indian court system. 
 
Also in response to the Mumbai attacks, the GOI amended some 
existing laws to strengthen the hands of security and law 
enforcement agencies in fighting terrorism.  Two themes have 
framed the public debate on the new legislation: states' 
rights vs. federal power; and civil liberties vs. stronger 
law enforcement powers. 
 
Illicit funding sources that may have been exploited to 
finance the operations are being closely investigated.  It 
seems highly likely that funding sources may have included 
credit cards, hawala (an informal money transfer system), 
charities, and wealthy donors.  All of these sources and 
their potential for fraud and funding of terrorist and 
criminal activities are receiving greater scrutiny in India 
than in past years in the wake of the terrorist attacks in 
Mumbai.  The two groups suspected of perpetrating the Mumbai 
attacks ) Jamaat-ud-Dawa and Lashkar-e-Toiba ) have used 
the vast network of mosques, madrassas, and fundraising 
offices throughout Pakistan to raise money and recruit 
members for violence and terrorist activity.  In addition to 
the Mumbai attacks, the rise in terrorist attacks and their 
coordinated nature throughout India in 2008 suggest they were 
financially organized. 
 
The Indian government has ceased consultations with Pakistan 
under their joint counterterrorism mechanism, stating that 
such talks with Pakistan are on hold until Islamabad 
demonstrates a lasting commitment to closing known terrorist 
training camps that exist on Pakistani soil or territory 
controlled by Pakistan, investigating fully charges that 
specific LeT members are culpable for the Mumbai attacks, and 
extraditing those who have committed terrorist attacks 
against India. 
 
Indian officials, particularly in West Bengal and Assam, are 
concerned about the porous India-Bangladesh border of which 
only 2500 of the 3000 km land border has been fenced (total 
land and water border is 4100 km). 
 
India's inability to protect its porous maritime border has 
been under media scrutiny since it came to light that the 
perpetrators of the 11/26 Mumbai attacks arrived by sea.  In 
Tamil Nadu, coast guard and police officials, as well as 
security analysts, all acknowledge that the government is 
unable to sufficiently monitor the thousands of small 
commercial fishing vessels that ply the waters between India 
and Sri Lanka. 
 
The Indian government has implemented an advance passenger 
information system by which it receives inbound passenger 
information from air carriers operating in India.  The 
system, however, is not compatible with or able to share data 
with the American and EU equivalent systems.  In addition, 
the GOI and air carriers have shown an increased interest in 
receiving fraudulent document training from the U.S. as well 
as similar training provided by other countries. 
 
¶3. (U)  Embassy POC is Martha Mashav: MashavMC@state.gov 
 
 
MULFORD