Terrorism Watch

Inset: Author Tarek Fateh 'There's no greater place to live as a human being than the subcontinent' June 12, 2008 T he Atelier Club in downtown Toronto was packed to capacity recently for the launch of Pakistan-born Tarek Fateh 's book Chasing a Mirage: The Tragic Illusion of an Islamic State . Fateh's book argues that Muslims have been force-fed lies about their history for over a millennium -- not by Islam's enemies, but by its imams. 'Islam came to free humanity from the clutches of the clergy. Instead, the religion of peace has become a prisoner of war, held captive by the very priesthood it came to eliminate,' Fateh, founder of the Muslim Canadian Congress, writes in his book. In an exclusive interview Rediff India Abroad Senior Editor Ajit Jain , the prolific author, broadcaster and columnist pointed out that in India "Muslims, who are 12 per cent of that country's population, thrive," while "next door in Pak

Dr Anil A Athale From : Rediff.com June 11, 2008After the Jaipur terror attacks on May 13, we saw the routine that happens after every attack. There were VIP visits, compensation announced to the victims, politicians spoke of 'zero tolerance', television channels held the usual debates, the police announced imminent breakthroughs. Soon everything is forgotten, till the next terror attack. At which time, I am sure the same sequence will be repeated. I have been a student of insurgency and terrorism for 24 years. At social gatherings when asked what I do for a living, my answer invariably provokes a flurry of questions, much to the annoyance of my better half (who glares and hints that I should stop holding forth on my pet topic and not 'spoil' the party). Here is my attempt to answer some of those frequently asked questions. Why are attacks by Islamic groups called Islamist terrorism? Other terror groups like the LTTE (Tamil Tigers) or the IRA (Irish Republican Army) ha

Courtesy: Khabarein.com NEW DELHI, May 22 (KUNA) -- India Thursday expresssed concern over the possession of Chinese origin arms by the insurgent groups in India's Northeast and stated that such weapons were entering into the country through Myanmar and Bangladesh. Chinese made weapons were increasingly being seized from insurgent groups in India's Northeast and such arms have also reached the illegal arms market in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, a source in the Indian Defence Ministry told KUNA here Thursday. "Most of these arms are entering India through the Myanmar and Bangladesh route" it is clear from the design that they are of Chinese origin," the source said. "We are concerned over growing Chinese influence in the region. The cost of the Chinese made weapons in the black market in the Northeast region is within the affordable range and this is a cause of concern," the source pointed out. "While the trend had been growing over the last c

The eight-state area plans multiple projects to increase its trade with Southeast Asia. By Shankhadeep Choudhury, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer May 29, 2008 NEW DELHI -- India's remote northeast region has been both blessed and cursed by its geography. The region is rich in natural resources but is landlocked and surrounded by China, Myanmar, Bangladesh and Bhutan, leaving it impoverished.The eight-state region may finally get a chance to start living up to its economic potential with several projects to enhance connections with Southeast Asia and to increase outlets for such commodities as organic foods, orchids, tea, coal and oil. Map Now, the only way to move major quantities of goods between northeast India and Southeast Asia is through Bangladesh.But authorities in Myanmar and India are nearing final approval of a $100-million river project giving northeast India direct access to the Indian Ocean through Myanmar, said Abhijit Barooah, chairman of the northeastern chapter of

Manjeet Kripalani, BusinessWeek (from rediff.com) On the night of Apr 24, a group of 300 men and women, armed with bows and arrows and sickles and led by gun-wielding commanders, emerged swiftly and silently from the dense forest in India's Chhattisgarh state. The guerrillas descended on an iron ore processing plant owned by Essar Steel [ Get Quote ], one of India's biggest companies. There the attackers torched the heavy machinery on the site, plus 53 buses and trucks. Press reports say they also left a note: Stop shipping local resources out of the state - or else. The assault on the Essar facility was the work of Naxalites - Maoist insurgents who seek the violent overthrow of the state and who despise India's landowning and business classes. The Naxalites have been slowly but steadily spreading through the countryside for decades. Townships vs. naxalism: Which India will win? Podcast: India's scary insurgency Few outside India have heard of these rebels, named after

EAR TO THE GROUND Sreelatha Menon / New Delhi May 18, 2008, 2:24 IST A Planning Commission report points at lack of empowerment of local communities as the main reason for the fast spread of the Naxal movement. The UPA government will be known for many achievements, notably the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, the Right to Information Act, and if all goes well, the Women's Reservation Act as well. But the finest may yet come if the recommendations of an expert group of the Planning Commission on development challenges in extremist-affected areas are translated into action. The report is honest and harsh about the mistakes governments have made over the last 60 years that have led to Naxalism thriving in so many districts of the country. It asks governments to undo the damage and do everything, including talking to Naxalites, "to rectify a historic wrong.'' The report says lack of empowerment of panchayats is one of the key causes for lack of development in rura