Know your Enemies

There are good chance that you and I might get bombed off when doing an overnight train journey, a bus journey or even in a shopping mall. Yes, I am talking about the ever persistent threat of a terror attack.

If it’s some consolation, the whole world is now under the threat of terrorism. So, the fact that when we hear about terrorism, we have an unknown face of a masked man or a psychopath like Kasab is not enough. Let’s know our enemies. At least, I would like to know who the guy is who is going to harm me. Always hated surprises anyway.

Here goes:-

Al Qaida: - The original bad guys. Believe it or not, they are not much of a threat to India. Their focus is on the war with the west. Of course that doesn’t make them less dangerous for us.

Pakistani Taliban: - The aim of the Pakistani Taliban is apparently to overthrow the democracy in Pakistan and replace it with an Islamic republic like the one in Afghanistan. I know, it’s scary. Again they have other things of importance now. So India is not their immediate priority.

Jaish-e-Mohamed :-

India specific organization. Their aim – separate Kashmir from India

A relatively not so well know outfit

The leaders are of course from the Kathmandu hijack. Yes, we had them and then we let them out to wreak havoc.

Responsible for the attack on our parliament in 2001.

This is interesting: - The leader Maulana Masood Azhar was born in England and studied for a year in London School of Economics for a year

Lashkar-e-Toiba(Army of the Good) :-

Well known to all of us

Stated aim according to Wikipedia is to introduce an islamic state in South Asia and liberate the Indians in India.

They are supported by the Pakistan Army which makes them very potent against India.

Attacks against India

1. 2003 : 24 Kashmiri pundits gunned down on the night of March 23, 2003.
2. 2005: During Diwali, Lashkar-e-Taiba bombed crowded festive Delhi markets killing 60 civilians and maiming 527.
3. 2006: Lashkar-e-Taiba was involved in serial blasts in Varanasi in the state of Uttar Pradesh. 37 people died and 89 were seriously injured.
4. 34 Hindus were killed in Kashmir on April 30, 2006.
5. 2006 : he investigation launched by Indian forces and US officials have pointed to the involvement of Lashkar-e-Taiba in Mumbai serial blasts on 11 July 2006. The Mumbai serial blasts on 11 July claimed 211 lives and maimed about 407 people and seriously injured another 768.^[
6. 2008 : Mumbai

Indian Mujahideen :-

This is sad. These are our own people. The people whom we need to fear the most

Shadow amalgam of the SIMI and Lashkar-e-Toiba according to Wikipedia

Though IM recruits tend to be lower- and middle-class Muslims that are disaffected by Hindu nationalism, as well as those offended by Western values and polytheism, IM also claims leaders and cadres from professional backgrounds, especially from the IT sector. – From National Bureau of Asian Research

SIMI/IM has long-standing ties to global Islamist organizations, including Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Harkat-ul-Jihad-Islami (HUJI), and mafia as well as Pakistani intelligence agencies and other criminal and militant organizations beyond India. – From National Bureau of Asian Research

Major known attacks

2007 : UP Serial Blasts

2008 : Jaipur Bombings

2008 : Bangalore Serial Blasts

26 July 2008 : Ahmedabad Serial Blasts

13 Sep 2008 : Delhi Serial Blasts

2010 : Pune

What can we do about all this ? Other than being responsible citizens, I have no idea. Maybe participating more as active citizens and raising our voice against injustice anywhere. But for ordinary people like me that is just impossible and unthinkable.

In the film 'Wednesday', There is a dialogue like this 'We are Mumbiakars .. sometimes we get stuck in rain and sometimes in bombs'

Yes 'We are Indians .. Sometimes we do get stuck in bombs and gun fires ' Imagine if all these attacks happened in U.S or any other countries.

** Software Engineer Dude .. Most of the data here is copy paste from wikipedia .. :-) :-)