1/19/2009 11:41:39 AM
A cornered terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) is waving the peace flag
In what is being viewed as a tactical ploy, a cornered terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) is waving the peace flag, as reports suggested that LeT spokesperson Abdullah Ghaznavis has offered to end 'jihad' in Kashmir.
This statement from the LeT spokesperson comes as a remarkable departure from the traditional position of the group, who plotted the November 26 Mumbai terror attacks, and has always projected fighting a global 'jihad' as its central concern.
These reported remarks came as a surprise since Qari Abdul Wahid, who is now claimed to head the Lashkar's operations in the embattled Jammu and Kashmir, had wrote in December 1999 that the LeT would uphold the flag of freedom and Islam through 'jihad' not only in Kashmir but in the whole world.
Lashkar leaders including Chief Haiz Saeed in December 2008 have since then reiterated this position, given these recent speeches. It is unclear if Ghaznavis spoke with the authorisation of the organisations top leadership.
However, there have been signs that the banned Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) -- the LeTs parent political-religious organisation, has been seeking to distance itself from its armed wing in an effort to evade sanctions imposed by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) last month.
In an interview given on January 9, 2009 JuD spokesperson Abdullah Muntazir had said that the two LeT commanders believed to be the masterminds behind the 26/11 attacks -- Zaki-ur-Rehman and Zarar Shah, were not connected with his organisation.
Lakhvis relationship with Saeed is believed to have been strained ever since 2004 over bitter disputes over the use of funds. However, Pakistan spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate stepped in to heal their fissures.
Now, intelligence sources have said that, the LeT appears to be seeking to avoid international pressure by creating a firewall between its military and charitable operations - a ruse used to effect in 2002, after President Pervez Musharrafs military government proscribed the Lashkar.
Media reports last week had suggested that Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, the chief operational commander of LeT was furious at the JuD leadership's decision to publicly disown him in his hour of trial instead of trying to bail him out.
Quoting circles close to the Pakistani authorities involved in grilling Lakhvi to ascertain the LeT's involvement in the Mumbai attacks, The News said the commander is "extremely hurt" after a JuD spokesman distanced him and another LeT leader Zarar Shah from the organisation.
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A cornered terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) is waving the peace flag
In what is being viewed as a tactical ploy, a cornered terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) is waving the peace flag, as reports suggested that LeT spokesperson Abdullah Ghaznavis has offered to end 'jihad' in Kashmir.
This statement from the LeT spokesperson comes as a remarkable departure from the traditional position of the group, who plotted the November 26 Mumbai terror attacks, and has always projected fighting a global 'jihad' as its central concern.
These reported remarks came as a surprise since Qari Abdul Wahid, who is now claimed to head the Lashkar's operations in the embattled Jammu and Kashmir, had wrote in December 1999 that the LeT would uphold the flag of freedom and Islam through 'jihad' not only in Kashmir but in the whole world.
Lashkar leaders including Chief Haiz Saeed in December 2008 have since then reiterated this position, given these recent speeches. It is unclear if Ghaznavis spoke with the authorisation of the organisations top leadership.
However, there have been signs that the banned Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) -- the LeTs parent political-religious organisation, has been seeking to distance itself from its armed wing in an effort to evade sanctions imposed by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) last month.
In an interview given on January 9, 2009 JuD spokesperson Abdullah Muntazir had said that the two LeT commanders believed to be the masterminds behind the 26/11 attacks -- Zaki-ur-Rehman and Zarar Shah, were not connected with his organisation.
Lakhvis relationship with Saeed is believed to have been strained ever since 2004 over bitter disputes over the use of funds. However, Pakistan spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate stepped in to heal their fissures.
Now, intelligence sources have said that, the LeT appears to be seeking to avoid international pressure by creating a firewall between its military and charitable operations - a ruse used to effect in 2002, after President Pervez Musharrafs military government proscribed the Lashkar.
Media reports last week had suggested that Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, the chief operational commander of LeT was furious at the JuD leadership's decision to publicly disown him in his hour of trial instead of trying to bail him out.
Quoting circles close to the Pakistani authorities involved in grilling Lakhvi to ascertain the LeT's involvement in the Mumbai attacks, The News said the commander is "extremely hurt" after a JuD spokesman distanced him and another LeT leader Zarar Shah from the organisation.
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