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| Why shouldn't RAW be too blamed for intelligence "slip-up" at Abbottabad where Osama stayed for 5 long yrs? | | |
BHARAT BHUSHAN
JAMMU, May 13: Why only the infamous ISI; why shouldn't Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) be too blamed for the intelligence "slip-up" at Abbottabad in Pakistan where al-Qaeda head Osama bin
Laden was eliminated in the May 2 "dead-of-the-night" US operation?It is astonishing that the world's most wanted terrorist stayed there for five long years and RAW did not have even the slightest
inkling about it.
That the agency did not have any intelligence input about the Abbottabad compound also gets strength from the fact that it had not found any mention in the UPA statements on 'terror and Pakistan' prior to the Osama killing.It definitely speaks of the agency's "weak" network of contacts across the borders.From purely national perspective, India's external intelligence agency ought to have at least "some" inputs about Osama's Abbottabad mansion for the reason that it is less than 100 km from the Line of Control (LoC) dividing India and Pakistan.
How ridiculous it sounds; an agency, which claims to have pinpoint information about terror camps and terrorist launching pads even in the Pak hinterland, did not know about the al-Qaeda chief's presence at Abbottabad.
This serious intelligence slip-up must also have come as an embarrasment for the RAW bosses at a time when countrymen expected them having developed a wide and effective intelligence network in the enemy country which was directly involved in terror activities in India.
A senior J&K-based RAW officer admitted on the condition of anonymity, in line with the agency's policy, that it was a serious lapse."This is the right time when we should try to find out where we have failed in the intelligence gathering about Osama," he added.It is also ironical to find some Indian forces' heads making almost "irrelevant" and practically "unworkable" statements after Osama killing and at the same time shying away from pointing any finger
towards their own intelligence failure.
The militancy in J&K, which has now spread its tentacles in other Indian states as well, is over two decade old now. And, 20 years is a long time to understand the enemy strategy and devise "workable" ways to effectively and efficiently deal with the menace of militancy.
Moulana Azhar Masood was released from the "high-security" Kot-Bhalwal jail here in exchange for the AI passengers held hostage at Kandhar. Dawood Ibrahim too found a refuge in Pakistan after the serial Mumbai blasts. Over these years, RAW has not been able to sneak into the camps of these most-wanted militants to bring them to justice. Had it been so, the results could have been there for the countrymen to see.
While RAW could not suggest a fool-proof solution to smash terror camps on the Pak soil, the ISI was able to successfully keep militancy alive in J&K for more than 20 years now.And, after the Abbottabad incident, it seemed that this was the right time for the RAW bosses to do self-introspection and set their own house right to make it more effective in the areas where anti-India sentiment had been thriving.
But the fact that Osama lived at Abbottabad underlines India's concern that terrorists of different outfits find sanctuary in Pakistan.His death also showed that his popularity graph in the Muslim world had fallen over the years. In a way, he died an "unceremonious" death as, as expected, violent protests and reverberating AK shots
by those, who overtly and covertly supported al-Qaeda activities, remained conspicuous by their absence.
It could also be mainly because of the US fear. If so, anti-US al-Qaeda attacks could not be ruled out in near future.
The Osama killing on its soil has undoubtedly caused Pakistan a national embarrasment. The country and its agencies are being blamed of being in cahoots with terrorism.The world finds it hard to believe that Pak and its ISI did not know about Osama staying at Abbottabad. Reasons: i) Any military conducts sweeps of its areas and would know its own backyard. ii) The Osama mansion was unusually fortified by 18-ft wall which made it look different from other houses in the area. iii) Food and other household items were daily carried inside the mansion for several people who were never seen by neighbours.All these things make the world believe that Pak establishment must have been protecting Osama, or he might have been trapped by US with the covert Pak help.
These questions perhaps would always remain unanswered. The US would not like to make public such details as these could lead to the snapping of its ties with Pakistan.On the other hand, Islamabad would make every possible effort to distance itself from Osama and terrorism and, at the same time, continue directing terror against India.
The militants have a well laid out strategy and plan to destabilize India at a place and time of their choice. They work on one target for a long time and then strike with accuracy. This is what happened at Birhan bridge in Udhampur where security agencies were caught napping on the May 2 morning when an agriculture officer and
his PoK accomplice caused a car bomb blast, resulting in the death of a poor milk seller and injuries to five other innocent persons.
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