Abu Jundal Arrest: Islamic Saudi learns, will India take a call?
Source: News Bharati Date: 7/2/2012 2:56:42 PM
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Abu Jundal’s arrest is definitely a major breakthrough as far as the investigations in the 26/11 Mumbai terror case were concerned. Home Minister P. Chidambaram has termed Abu Jundal as a "key operative" who will help in joining missing pieces in the 26/11 conspiracy.
In addition, on Thursday, Saudi Arabia has officially communicated Indian authorities about the detention of Fasih Mohammed, allegedly involved in the Chinnaswamy stadium blast in Bangalore and the Jama Masjid shootout. Sources in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said Saudi Arabia has officially confirmed detention of the 28-year-old engineer from Bihar, who may be deported soon.
However, most interesting thing is why staunch Islamic Saudi Arabia is helping India to grab the key handlers of the recent terrorist attacks on India. Saudi Arabia (SA), an absolute monarchy. Interestingly, according to the Basic Law of Saudi Arabia adopted by royal decree in 1992, the king must comply with Sharia (that is, Islamic law) and the Quran. The Quran and the Sunnah (the traditions of Muhammad) are declared the country's constitution.
Then how the Islamic nation is acting against its own earlier position regarding the so-called Islamic causes is an interesting matter. The answer is simple. Similar to India, Saudi Arabia is also most concerned about the terrorism and the Nation considers Terrorism as greatest security threat for the region.
Last year in May, Prince Ahmad Bin Abdul Aziz, Deputy Minister of Interior has termed terrorism as ‘the greatest threat facing the Kingdom and the Gulf region”. He said terrorism is a temporary phenomenon and ‘prayed to Allah Almighty’ that it would be eradicated.
Prince Ahmad had condemned the terror attacks describing it as unjustifiable. Notably he said the perpetrators are insane and are being misled to cause security problems across the world. He stressed that whatever happens in SA, affects other Arab countries. And that’s why, the Kingdom had proposed the creation of an international center to combat terrorism, which could be stationed in Riyadh or elsewhere.
Asked about the impact on the region of the killing of Osama Bin Laden, he said he hoped that with his death evil would have been defeated. Prince Ahmad emphasized that Bin Laden had not held Saudi citizenship for years. Prince commented that Bin Laden was evil to himself and to all Arab and Muslim countries.
In January 2012, King Abdulla approved new measures on combating money laundering and terrorism financing. It was expected that the new rules would enhance and protect trust and prevent operations of terrorism financing.
In the aftermath of 9/11, Saudi leaders were shocked to learn that 15 of the hijackers were from Saudi Arabia. It was a question for them that where from the hijackers came in Saudi Arabia? Many terrorist acts followed 9/11 in the Kingdom, including the terrorist attacks in Riyadh in May 2003. But the majority of planned terrorist attacks were foiled thanks to the proactive measure taken by the Ministry of Interior. The study titled “Suspects’ Families and their Relationship with Terrorism and Extremism in Saudi Society” showed that the most wanted terrorists on the list of the Ministry of Interior were only 19 in the aftermath of 9/11.
In the meantime, US embassy cables on 10 August 2009 disclosed that the Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists raise funds in Saudi Arabia and US officials oppose an attempt by Hafiz Saeed to escape UN sanctions. US officials describe how the LeT fundraises in Saudi and the Gulf though charitable donations and front companies.
The Cables say that, “The Community lacks sufficient intelligence to determine if or how the November Mumbai attacks have affected donations to JUD (Jammat Ud Dawa). Some donors may be dissuaded from supporting JUD if they become aware that their funds may be used for additional terrorist attacks, whereas other donors may support LT's attacks. As public and government scrutiny increases in the wake of the attacks and subsequent designation of JUD as an alias of LT by the UN, we assess that JUD will rely more on covert fundraising efforts.”
Such revelations raised concern in Saudi leaders, which led them to take stringent steps against the Pakistan based Islamic terrorist organizations like LeT even if the Pakistan is Geo-strategically important for the SA.
B. Raman, Former head of the counter-terrorism division of India's external intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) says that what the arrest and transfer of Ansari indicates is a change in the Saudi attitude to the Lashkar-e-Tayiba and not to Pakistan as a state.
Raman, in his most recent blog post says, “Till the 26/11 terrorist strikes in Mumbai, the Saudi attitude to the LeT was relaxed and co-operative somewhat to the detriment of India. The capability for spectacular acts of mass casualty terrorism demonstrated by the LeT in Mumbai and subsequent reports in the US of the LeT emerging as a collaborator and clone of Al Qaeda have caused concerns in Saudi Arabia over the dangers of the LET acting as the Trojan Horse of Al Qaeda at a time when the Saudi authorities have succeeded in crushing Al Qaeda in their territory.”
The welcome Saudi co-operation with India also reflects their concerns over the radicalisation of the Indian and Pakistani communities working and living in Saudi Arabia by the LeT. The Saudi counter-terrorism co-operation with India indicates their concern over the LET presence in their territory, but this would not have any significant impact on their State-to-State relations with Pakistan, which is the third largest Sunni country of the world.
This is the lesson that Indian government should learn from Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia has clearly considered Religion and Terrorism as very different matters. Moreover, that is why it has started responding positively for the anti terrorism mechanism in its country and region. Governments of both India and Pakistan have always kept themselves in a state of denial.
Even after Bin Laden’s death, Pakistan has always been in denial that the Islamic extremism is using its soil. On India’s part, the Indian government in which, the Congress has an upper hand has always tried to disregard the fact that Islamic extremism is the real threat to India and South Asia.
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