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Will the US chips be down on NE ultras too? The USA till now seems to be undecided about its nature and intensity of action against terrorism. Will her mission end by targeting bin Laden? Or go beyond and force closure of all terrorist camps and hideouts in Afghanistan and Pakistan? In the event of its comprehensive anti-terrorist campaign, militancy in Jammu & Kashmir may take a nosedive. And along with that extremist outfits too are expected to lose much of their punch and drive. It is true that of the 20 militant groups active in the North-east, the ULFA, the NSCN (IM), the NSCN (K), the NDFB, the UNLF, the PLA and the NLFT are most powerful with wider network at home and abroad. Though all of them, except the NSCN (K), have their bases in Bangladesh, they get material and logistic support from Pakistan-based terrorist outfits. The arrest of NSCN (IM) general secretary Thuingaleng Muivah on January 19, 2000 by Thailand Police at Bangkok after he alighted from a PIA flight from Karachi exposed the link of the dreaded Naga outfit with Pakistan and the ISI. Muivah was charged with entering Thailand with a fake passport. His visit to Karachi raised many eyebrows for it is in this port city that the headquarters of Harkat-ul-Mujahideen is located. Muivah is reported to be in touch with the ISI. It is significant that Muivah went to Karachi with his chief arms procurer Athang Shimrey. Interrogation of Anup Chetia, general secretary of the ULFA, now in a Dhaka jail, by Bangladesh police officials revealed his frequent trips to Pakistan. The fall of four ISI agents — Jameel Waker, Maulana Hafiz, Salim Ahmad and Syed Fasiullah — into police dragnet on the eve of Independence Day in 1999 at Guwahati is still fresh in one's mind. Fasiullah and Jameel Waker were Pakistani Intelligence officers. Maulana Hafiz and Salim Ahmad were top functionaries of the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen. After their arrival at Guwahati, the four had been in touch with the Assam-based Harkat-ul-Mujahideen chief organizer and activists to carry out serial bomb-blasts, create communal tension and cause law-and-order problem. The objective was to disrupt Independence Day. Intelligence agencies have identified one Maulana Fakaruddin from Goalpara district as the second in command of the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen in the region. Following revelations of the ISI men, police, it might be recalled, nabbed 27 Islamic militants from different parts of the State. Of these, 16 had received arms training in the terrorist camps of Pakistan. It is on record that about 200 ULFA cadres, 32 HuM members, 35 Laskar-e-Tayyeba and 30 Harkat-ul-Islam activists, besides some of Al-Badr, received training in Pakistan from Assam. Though the nexus of North-east militants with the ISI and Pakistani terrorist groups came to light in recent years, the tie-up goes back to the days of AZ Phizo-led Naga National Council. Phizo had sent his emissary Mawu Mosievili to Karachi to seek support of the then Paki regime. Laldenga's MNF enjoyed Pakistan patronage. During the last one decade, a number of extremist outfits from the North-east have strengthened their links with Pakistani terrorist gangs. Intelligence wings have so far no evidence to indicate North-east extremist's connection with bin Laden's Al Queeda. Laden's nexus with Jammu & Kashmir militants came to light in August, 1998. But, it a fact that the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen and the Laskar-e-Tayyeba draw their resources and inspiration from Osama bin Laden. America's all out drive against terrorists and terrorist camps will to a great extent downsize, if not eliminate, the menace of militancy in the North-east. It will however, depend upon the will and attitude of President Bush and his policy makers. (Courtesy, The Sentinel, September 20, 2001- www.sentinelassam.com ) Back to Top FrontPage Manipur Profiles Features Potpourri Opinions Editorials Books Photos Links Archives Contact Policy/Disclaimer |
