B.RAMAN
( Written at the request of “The Times of India”---http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/opinion/edit-page/Turning-a-conflict-zone/articleshow/11903038.cms )
One has to take seriously the Israeli suspicion that Iran and the Hizbollah terrorist organization supported by it probably had a hand in the terrorist attack with a magnetized improvised explosive device (IED) on an Israeli diplomatic vehicle at New Delhi on February 13. However, it is going to be difficult to establish the veracity of the Israeli suspicion unless the terrorist responsible for the attack or any of his accomplices is arrested and interrogated.There is so far no smoking gun pointing in any definitive direction.
The Israeli suspicion is strengthened by the fact that there was a similar attempt---but unsuccessful--- in Tibilisi in Georgia the same day and other attempts in Bangkok the next day. It is not yet clear whether Israeli nationals were the targets in the Bangkok attacks. Presuming they were,the series of attempted attacks on Israeli targets in three different cities indicate a State-sponsored orchestration of the planning and execution.
Iran has been having a war of nerves with Israel over its nuclear programme and has been the suspected target of Israeli covert action for over a year now to disrupt its nuclear programme.It has the required motive and covert capability to make Israel pay a price for its actions directed against Iran.It would look upon terrorist attacks directed against Israeli nationals and interests as justified acts of reprisal to protect its nuclear programme. As a result,the world is likely to see a covert war with no holds barred between the two countries.
While Israel has been able to wage its covert warfare against Iran in Iranian territory, the effectiveness of Israeli security agencies in their territory will come in way of Iran confining its reprisal attacks to Israeli territory. It will, therefore, try to extend its attacks on Israeli targets to other countries with an Israeli presence. Countries with a weak preventive security set-up will be its battlefields of choice for hitting back at Israel.
If it is established that Iran was behind the New Delhi attack, it would indicate that India has been chosen as a suitable territory for the Iranian reprisal attacks even at the risk of such attacks having an adverse impact on Iran’s hitherto friendly relations with India. In the eventuality of the Iranian hand being proved, a question of serious concern to the Indian counter-terrorism agencies would be whether it would remain a sporadic attack with no follow-up attempts or whether more attacks are likely.
The February 13 attack was well-planned and well-executed.This would have been possible only with painstaking collection of information regarding the movements and activities of Israeli diplomats and a capability for undetected clandestine activity in Indian territory for the procurement of explosive material and the fabrication of the IED.
The fact that all such preparatory activities went unnoticed and undetected by the Indian agencies would indicate that Iran probably already has a strong intelligence presence in the Indian territory in the form of intelligence officers working under cover and sleeper cells in the Indian Shia community as well as in the large number of Iranians studying in India. Detecting and neutralizing the Iranian network in India is going to be a difficult task. Till now, the focus of our agencies has been on detecting and neutralizing the pro-Pakistan networks, which operated mainly through sympathisers in the Sunni community.
The Iranian networks, if they are found to be already operating in Indian territory, would most probably consist of Shias----Indians as well as Iranians.The Indian Shia community has till now been peace-loving and has kept away from jihadi terrorism of Pakistani inspiration. Even if Iran looks upon its recruitment of persons from the Indian Shia community as directed against Israel and not India, the involvement of some Shias in acts of terrorism sponsored by Iran against Israel could sow the seeds of a possible radicalisation of sections of the Shia community.Moreover, the involvement of the Shias recruited by Iran either directly or through the Hizbollah in acts of terrorism against Israel could make expertise in matters such as fabrication of IEDs available in the Shia community.This could add to the problems already faced by our agencies due to the availability of such expertise in the Sunni community.
If Iran continues to use India as a clandestine base for its anti-Israel covert actions, the difficulties faced by our counter-terrorism agencies will acquire a new dimension.There is practically no Pakistani student community in India.Pakistan and its Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), therefore, have to depend on sympathetic members of the Indian Muslim community and Pakistanis clandestinely infiltrated into India for their acts of terrorism.
Iran will enjoy an advantage over Pakistan due to the presence of a large number of Iranian students in different cities of India.Recuitment from their ranks would enable Iran to operate with ease from Indian territory.
If the Iranian hand is finally established, the Indian intelligence has to pay greater attention and devote greater resources for the coverage of the activities of the Iranian intelligence and its links with the Hizbollah and the Iranian student community in India.
We should make it clear to Iran that its use of Indian territory for terrorism against Israel could affect bilateral relations. Suspicion and distrust do not contaminate our relations.If Iran uses Indian territory for terrorism against Israel, such a contamination could be an unfortunate outcome.
( The writer is Additional Secretary (retd), Cabinet Secretariat, Govt. of India, New Delhi, and, presently, Director, Institute For Topical Studies, Chennai, and Associate of the Chennai Centre For China Studies. E-Mail: seventyone2@gmail.com . Twitter @SORBONNE75 )
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6 comments:
How Iranians did it is not that important. what was there motive behind it? link can be esteblished once the motive is clear. if they ve done it, then it seems just to send right signals, more than actual assasination. probably to show there reach or to show they r open for confrontation. what message they want to convey?
In a way I agree with Ambi. I don't care who did it. It could have been the Iranians (or their sympathizers) who wanted to show their global reach (India Thailand and Georgia), or it could have been a false flag operation by Israel and US to turn the tide of public opinion in these countries against helping Iran.
What I really care about is:
HOW THE HELL DID RAW NOT KNOW ABOUT THIS???? WHY ARE WORLD EVENTS HAPPENING AROUND US WHICH WE GET TO KNOW OF THEM ONLY THROUGH NEWSPAPERS AFTER THEY HAVE HAPPENED??
Its like India no longer possesses any intelligence department. Even Chidambaram must be relying more on newspaper reports than on his own intelligence department's daily briefings! When Raman Sir retired, did the entire department retire along with him??
I sometimes wonder why our intelligence agencies are unable to crack the source of such terrorist attacks.For instance, despite all claims, made from time to time, the perpetrators of the blast at Pune's German Bakery, have not been identified and a chargesheet filed against the perpetrators. Earlier, the Maharastra police intelligence was blamed for not cracking the case;subsequently central agencies were also in te picture.The matter however remains unsolved despite all the lapse of time.
There appear to be some big chunks in the armour of our intelligence community.It is high time those are stitched up.
Most of it seemes lot of sense unless Iran is so naive in direct involvement. Having said that all these speculation arises more doubts on our Intelligence capability, Assuming Mr Raman theory of possible Sleepers then we should hv had input from Mossads who keep tab on the Iranian Covert recruitment (Mossad had warned Bangkok) amd no warmimg to India which needs to be seriously looked at. India sitting in fence why not stage it afterall everyone is expandable when it comes to spy games
Sir, with all due respects, you display a bias towards Israel and against Iran -- my observation is not just based on this article, but also on your regular writings in Outlook about the Middle East.
Your article begins with the statement that Israel's accusation should be taken seriously, you then say that this can be done only if the assailant is caught. Fair enough. But from then on, your entire article is based upon the fact that Iran is the guilty party. From intelligence officers working undercover and sleeper cells, to support they receive from Indian Shias, to support from Pakistan, your list is fairly long, and all built upon the 'if Iran is guilty' premise. Of course, you’ve used the word ‘if’ but for an article that is going to be read by many and opinions formed one can only say it is poor journalism.
While nothing can be said for sure about who was responsible for the Delhi incident, this much can be said safely: an attack by Iran on Indian soil at this time can only be harmful to Iran, why would they do it? Could it be the work of a renegade group from Iran that is out to ratchet up tensions between India and Iran? Could it be the work of the Israeli’s themselves for reasons well known? No one has got answers. We do not know. Is it not then the responsibility of senior figures like you to educate readers not to arrive at half-baked conclusions?
DOnt we see a Pattern with US getting into conflict zone time in again and again. Iran even if it is on the verge of making bomb (assumption)whereas Israeli are accused of having close to 400 warheads and not a member in NPT. US makes a mess, then in the guise of rebuilding gets the Infrastructure business and exhaust the available resoruces.
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