Paranormal Walk and Talk

the terror house

Terrorism: Southeast Asian Phenomena

 

Introduction

          Terrorism is a highly controversial, issue in contemporary international affairs.  It is considered as a threat to global peace, security, and development especially in the aftermath of 9/11.  The Sep.11 2001 attacks on the United States brought the attention of the entire world community towards the global phenomenon, Terrorism, and made Osama Bin Laden’s Al Qaeda network the focal point of world attention.  The Jihadist movement, however, is much larger than Bin Laden and his
Al Qaeda network.  Jihadist groups flourish throughout the world, plotting violence and fueling civil unrest whenever the opportunity presents itself.  Civil conflicts in Palestine, Chechnya, Kashmir, Kosova, Bosnia, the Philippines, and elsewhere have all been infiltrated by Jihadist group of one form or another. Western countries, especially the USA, perceived Southeast Asia is emerging as the most important centre for Islamic terrorism outside of the Arab East.  The existence of international terrorist group and their supporters in Southeast Asia is identified as a threat to both regional stability and to the attainment of central U.S. policy goals (CRS Report, 2008).

          London based International Institute for Strategic Studies, one of Britain’s leading think-tanks, has warned that Al Qaeda retains the ability to “plan and co-ordinate large scale attacks in the Western world” as shown by the discovery of terror plots in Europe and elsewhere.  They said, further, Al Qaeda was expanding its influence with several regional Jihadist groups signing up to its “global objective” (The Hindu, Sep. 14, 2007.P.15.).  It is significant to note that, the British based  terrorism specialist Rohan Gunaranta estimated in early 2002 that about one fifth of Al Qaeda’s organizational strength was in Asia overall.  In south east asia, Al Qaeda’s activities appear to have been concentrated in Malaysia, Singapore, Pakistan, and Indonesia (Dr.Frank Frost, 2007).

          The greatest threat facing the US today is terrorism by Muslim Jihadists.  The Jihadists are a self- appointed collection of religious fanatics who have launched a holy war, a Jihad, against the USA and everything America.  They have also declared War on Israel, Europe and anyone else who opposes their vision of a world governed by Islamic law.  They believed that the USA is the major obstacles to their control of the Islamic world.  It is they who have declared war on the US and its allies, and it is they who have become the focal point of America’s War on Terror (Monte Palmer, 2004.P.1.).

          Since Sep. 2001, the United States has increased focus on radical Islamist and terrorist groups in Southeast Asia, particularly those in the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore.  America perceived that, Southeast Asia is a base for past, present and possibly future terrorist operation.  Al Qaeda penetrated the region by establishing local cells, training Southeast Asians in its camps in Afghanistan, and by financing and co-operating with indigenous radical Islamist groups.  Indonesia and southern Philippines have been particularly vulnerable to penetration by anti-American Islamic terrorist groups (CRS Report for Congress, 2007).  Al Qaeda, with the help of local cells or local Islamist groups carried out number of terrorist struck, for instance, the Oct. 12, 2002 bombing in Bali, Indonesia, that killed 200 people and number of terrorists attack in India, for example Hyderabad and Varanasi plots.

Jihad in India

          Before attack against Indian Parliament, in 2001, terrorist’s attacks was confined only with very few states, especially Jammu and Kashmir.  But aftermath of Parliament Attack, almost all the states, including southern states, becomes more prone to terrorist’s attacks.  Attack on the ISRO scientist conference in Banglore, the Varanasi blast in 2006, serial blasts in Mumbai, that left 200 dead and 700 injured, and  the recent terrorist strikes in Taj Hotel and other parts of Mumbai, in all these incidents the role of foreign terrorist outfits, radical Islamist groups operating in Southeast region, was strongly suspected and evidences also recovered.

          Pakistan’s support to Terrorists organizations, especially the Lashkar –e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammad and Jamaat-ud-Daawa, was an established fact by the media and through various reports. The Jamaat-ud-Daawa, a renamed version of the LeT, operates freely in Pakistan under the guise of a charity organization.  Its headquarters is situated at near by Lahore.  Though, the group claimed that it has no connection with LeT, and it was now involved only in “social service”.  But after the earthquake in Pakistan, April 2006, the US state department put this “NGO” on its specially designated Global terrorist list.  The same as LeT and that it also had links with the Al-Qaeda.

          Praveen Swami in his article quoted that at least more than hundred Jammu and Kashmir men have come back from Jihad training camps in Pakistan and thousand more are waiting to come back to Jammu and Kashmir.  While interrogating with the people, who have come back to Jammu and Kashmir, they says “most of our leaders were from the Jamaat-e-Islami and their main interest was in killing leaders of the National Conference and Congress.  They do not want freedom; they wanted power and wealth”.

          Since the Kashmir earthquake of October 2005 at least 138 Jammu and Kashmir residents have returned from across the Line of Control.  Most had left to train at camps run by Islamist terror groups; other were among the estimated 35,000 refugees who fled the state, fearing war and ethnic cleansing, when the jihad broke out in 1989 (Pravin Swami, The Hindu,  June 25, 2007.11).

          Earlier in the month of July 2007, the CBI secured the conviction of several members of an Islamist cell led by Maulana Sufiyan Patangia -  a Tablighi Jamaat preacher who used to run in the Walliullah seminary in old city Ahmedabad’s Kalupur area.  Patangia is thought to have recruited cadre for the LeT and Jaish-e-Mohammad after the 2002 communal pogrom in Gujarat.  According to the CBI, the preacher played a key role in organizing the assassination of one-time Gujarat Home Minister Haren Pandya (Praveen Sami, The Hindu, July 8, 2007).

          Investigations into the 2006 serial bombings in Mumbai and 2008 terrorists strike, showed that the ISI planned and executed serial blast through terrorist organizations LeT and Jaish-e-Mohammed, which in turn used the banned Student Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and their own modules, Police Commissioner of Mumbai, D.N.Roy told the media (The Hindu, October 1, 2006.p.1).

          The Red Mosque operation, aiming to eliminate the terrorist inside the Mosque, was another recent example for how Pakistan allowed its territory to use the Terrorist group into to its training ground.  It is significant to note that, Rafiq Ullah, a 14 year old youth from Pakistan, who was sent to carry out a suicide attack on the Governor, in Afghanistan, was detained by the Police in Kabul.  Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai strongly criticized some ‘Madarassas’ in Pakistan for teaching violent extremism.

          Another instance of Pakistan’s extremist organization involvement was, on Oct. 27, 2006 Bangalore police have arrested two Pakistani militants in Mysore, and they were planning to attack the Vidhan Soudhan in Bangalore and the Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL) in Mysore.  They were belongs to a terrorists network called Al-Badr.  Both the terrorists were frequently in touch with their Pakistani counterparts through e-mail (The Hindu, Oct. 20, 2006.1.).  In Hyderabad blasts 2007, Pakistan’s terrorists operation was once again proved.   Andhra Pradesh police have traced and received some vital evidence of the involvement of Harkat Ul-Jihad-e-Islami cell, is know to operate out of Karachi (The Hindu, Oct.14, 2007; October 20, 2007).

Pakistan Phenomenon

          If Egypt nourished the Arab jihadists and Iran their Shia’s counterparts, it was Pakistan that nourished jihadism in India, Afghanistan, Central Asia, and the Far East.  The key element in this process was Pakistan’s vast network of religious schools (Monte Palmer, 2004.92.).  According to Jane’s Inter Web Terrorist and Insurgency Groups lists no less than six Pakistani groups linked to Jihadist violence.  Jihadist violence has been most closely associated with the Deobandi and Ahli Hadith groups, both of which have seen their influence expand since the mid-1970s.  The Deobandhi has been favoured by the Pakistani government, the Ahli Hadith by Saudi Arabia.

          The Pakistani jihadists received a boost in the early 1980s when they were enlisted in America’s jihad against the Soviets in Afghanistan.  In retrospect, this was a mistake.  The jihadists emerged from Afghanistan well trained, well armed, and well connected with other jihadist groups in the region.  Two Pakistani groups, in particular, have been noted for their militancy; the Harkat ul-Mujahideen (HuM) and LeT.  The HuM  is linked to radical elements in the Deobandi school long favoured by the Pakistani government and is a mainstay of jihadist violence in Kashmir and other parts of India.  The LeT funds its roots in the Saudi-sponsored Ahli Hadith school of thought and was recently implicated in the downing of an Indian airliner and the bombing of the Indian Parliament.  Neither has been in the forefront of anti-American violence, but both have been linked to bin Laden and are mainstay of the US List of Designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations.

          Pakistani jihadists have also played a key role in the spread of jihadism to East Asia.  As B.Raman, the former head of the counterterrorism division of India’s External Intelligence Agency writes:

          Evidence available to date indicates that while the terrorists from         Malaysia and possibly Singapore were trained in the headquarters of the   Jaish-e-Mohammad (JEM) in the Binori Madrasa complex in Karachi,         those from Indonesia were trained in the Muridke complex of the LeT,           near Lahore.  The HuM traditionally trained recruits from the southern          Philippines and Myanmar, in addition to those from Bangladesh.  Before October 7, 2001, the training camps of the HuM and HUJI were located         in eastern Afghanistan (Monte Palmer, 2004.94-95.).

          India, as might be expected, keeps close tabs on Pakistani jihadists.  Not only are the jihadists spearheading the violence in Kashmir, but their bombing of the Indian Parliament brought the war to the very heart of India.

          Pakistan’s connection, yet another, with respect to terror plots in Europe especially in London were also proved.  For instance, after July 7, 2005 London blast, less than a week, London police have identified four alleged suicide bombers, or which three of the Pakistani origin, born and brought up in Britain and sons of respectable and hardworking immigrant families from Pakistan Settled in Leeds, West Yorkshine.  It is important to note that all the three had reportedly visited Pakistan and attended “Madrassas” where, it is suspected, that they were “brainwashed” (Frontline, August 12, 2005.47).  It was an established truth that, Pakistan and Afghanistan have been the recruiting ground for holy wars waged in so many parts of the globe since the late 1980s. 

          The report which published in the Times of India, has also revealed that, the British agency has traced the origins of 7/7 back to a terrorist training camp in northern Pakistan, which was visited by the ringleader of the London suicide bombers as far back as the summer of 2003 (Times of India, January 23, 2006. 16). Though, Pakistan President, Pervez Musharraf, in the wake of 9/11, 13/12, announced his commitment to tackling on the fundamentalists but the ground reality has not changed drastically except few “reformed” Madrassas.

          After the Parliament House attack, in India on December 13, 2001, the leaders and Hundreds of followers of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and the             Jaish-e- Mohammad were arrested, their offices in different parts of Pakistan were raided and shut down, and their assets were frozen. The Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) was ordered to withdraw its support to Pakistani based militant outfits operating in Kashmir.  However, within months they had to be set free as authorities did not file any substantial charges against them.

          Pakistan’s prestigious English monthly Herald ran cover story days before the London carnage on the revival of terrorist camps in the country.  It quoted an unidentified top manager of the training camp in Mansehra, saying that all the major organizations, including the Hizbul Mujahideen, Al-Bardr Mujahideen and the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen, had begun regrouping in April and renovating training facilities that were deserted in 2004.  The magazine said that atleast 13 major camps in the Mansehra region were revived during the first week of May.  These are located in the areas of Pano, Dheri, Jallo, Sufaida, Oghi, Khewari, Jabba, Batrasi, Naradoga, Akherilla, Hisari, Boil, Tanglaee and Achherian (Frontline, August 12, 2005.48-49). Recently Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh called Pakistan as the “epicenter of terrorism”.

Jihadists in Bangladesh

          The situation in Bangladesh has been largely ignored by a world media constrained by south bites, but largely parallels that of Pakistan.  The Jamaat, an Islamic party, is well represented in the Bangladeshi Parliament and its youth organization is active in global organizations such as the International Islamic Federation of Student Organizations and the World Assembly of Muslim Youth.  These are not Jihadist organizations, but they do provide a venue for communications and recruitment among Muslim students.  Further, Jammat student group dominates the approximately 10,000 Deobandi schools in Bangladesh and maintains close ties with radical groups in Pakistan, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Middle East.  Faziui Rahman, the leader of the Jihadist movement in Bangladesh, a coalition of Bangaladeshi jihadist groups, signed bin Laden,s declaration of war against America.  The government of Bangladesh denounces terror but has been less than stringent in controlling a jihadist movement that enjoys a broad base of popular support (Monte Palmer, 2003.p.96).

Major Radical groups

          Beginning in the early-to-mid 1990s the Al Qaeda terrorist network made significant inroads into the Southeast Asia region.  The primary task was, to setup local cells, predominantly headed by Arab members of Al Qaeda that served as regional offices supporting the network’s global operations. These cells have exploited the region’s generally loose border controls to hold meetings in Southeast Asia to plan attacks against Western targets, host operatives transiting through Southeast Asia, and provide safe haven for other operatives fleeing U.S. intelligence services. Al Qaeda’s Manila cell, which was founded in the early 1990s by a brother-in-law of Osama bin Laden, was particularly active in the early-mid-1990s. In the late 1990s, the locus of Al Qaeda’s Southeast Asia activity appears to have moved to Malaysia, Singapore, and — most recently — Indonesia. In 1999 and 2000, Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok were the sites for important strategy meetings among some of the September 11 plotters (CRS Report for Congress, 2007). 

          The Asian financial crisis since 1997 has also put pressure on regional governments and spending on crucial areas such as education has been restricted.  This has increased the attention religious schools.  Furthermore, well funded Islamic radical movements have been able to offer financial support both to adherents and their families (for example in the event of death in combat).  Funds were not flow from local Islamist organization but also from Islamist organization from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and United Kingdom.

          This free flow of foreign fund was also used for carrying out proseletysatation activism, and recruiting operations and strengthening of terror cells.  Some $1,000 in cash was received for execution of sep. 29 terror bombing in Male.  Similarly, funds were also received from other Islamic countries to carryout various terrorists struck in India.

          While analyzing the working of terrorist groups, they are active in at least four countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Pakistan.  Several groups have been accused of having links with Al Qaeda and several have links with other movements in the region.  The most important Islamist group is Jemaah Islamiah (JI) was founded in the mid-1990s, has had an extensive capacity to organize a large and possibly still largely unknown network of ‘sleeper cells’, has the grand aim of establishing an independent Islamic state encompassing Indonesia, Malaysia and southern islands of the Philippines. Intelligence officials (notably from Singapore) have investigated the group since it came to wide attention in January 2002. JI has also been implicated in a number of bombings including those in Manila in December 2000.  Singapore has alleged that JI received some funding from Al Qaeda over three years.

   Laskar Jihad (LJ) another Islamist group, was established as the paramilitary wing of Forum Komunikasi Ahlus Sunnah wal Jammah (Communications Forum of the Followers of the Sunnah), established in Jogjakarta in early 1998. The LJ was formed on 30 January 2000 in response to religious violence in Maluku. The LJ arranged for military training to be given to volunteers at a camp in Bogor, near Jakarta. The LJ sent several thousand fighters to Maluku in the months after April 2000.

          Islam Defenders Front, is another Indonesian radical Islamic group. The FPI was formed in August 1998 and now claims branches in 22 provinces. Based in Jakarta, the FPI is led by Habib Muhammad Riziek Syihab, a religious teacher who was educated in Saudi Arabia. Like Habib, many of the top FPI leaders have Arab blood. The FPI’s stated goal is the full implementation of Islamic Sharia law, although it supports Indonesia’s present constitution and avoids calling for an Islamic state.

          The Moro Islamic Liberation Front has disclaimed connections with Al-Qaeda but hundreds of its members are reported to have trained with Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan. MILF split from the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) which had led a struggle for autonomy for Muslim areas of the southern Philippines from 1972.(Dr.Frank Frost, 2007, Analysis and Policy, Ann Rann Andrew Chin, Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Group).

Why Southeast Asia?

          As has been discussed earlier Southeast Asia, in the recent past the land was successfully converted in to laboratory for Jihadists experiments.  Radical Islamists are dreaming of carving out a new pan-Islamic state in the region, according to Professor Xinsheng Wang.  The terrorists, he said, hope to some of the Southeast Asian countries in their project to redraw the map. 

          Why Southeast Asia? being used by the radical Islamist groups for their operation.  The level and character of the threat posed by terrorist groups in Southeast Asia is difficult to estimate precisely.  But one point has emerged very clearly that the region has become important arena for international Terrorism, notably the Al Qaeda.  The International Institute of Strategic Studies has argued that while Al Qaeda has been damaged by coalition operations since September 11 in Afghanistan and elsewhere, the organisation may well retain two thirds of its core leadership and the great majority of the approximately 20,000 activists who were trained in its Afghan camps after 1996 (Dr.Frank Frost, 2007).

          It is significant to note that most of the terrorists arrested in connections with various terrorists’ attacks, in Europe or other regions, were essentially Asians.  For instance, in London serial blasts 2005 the alleged suicide bombers, as identified by the UK police, was Asians, three from Pakistan and one from India.  Prof Xinsheng Wang has identified six reasons for increasing Islamists role in the Southeast Asian region:

          First, political-religious violence is already well established in several Southeast Asia countries, mainly Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand, "including armed activities against the governments." This violence "has its roots in Islamic groups. There was a separatist Islamist movement already active in the 1980s, in southern Thailand, southern Philippines, and in Indonesia. Radical Islamists have as their intention to separate from the country to which they belong." The Jemaah Islamiya has ties with Al Qaeda, Wang said, and a number of its leaders have undergone training in Pakistan and Afghanistan. "The Afghan experience was also central to the Moro group in the Philippines."

          Second, the economic crisis of 1997 and subsequent reductions in social spending produced further support for radical Islamic groups. Cuts in spending on education in the region raised the profile of private schools run by Islamic radicals. "The Islamic groups give some benefits to families, especially with their religious schools."

          Third are favorable geographic factors. "The borders are porous, immigration controls are weak. Malaysia only recently required visas for visitors from Muslim countries. It is easy for foreigners to marry a Philippine citizen and change identity.

          Fourth is "widespread corruption of the governments," which permits terrorist groups to buy off local officials.

          Fifth are the long-standing economic and trade links between Southeast Asia and the Middle East. "These are often not monitored by governments, which has facilitated the transfer of materiel to Southeast Asian groups. Criminal activity is widespread in the region and can assist a radical group."

          Sixth is the extensive funding of mosques and Madrasas in the region by Saudi Arabia, institutions that promote the Saudis' anti-Western and puritanical Wahabi sect of Islam. "Combined with increased media reach of satellite TV and the Internet, this makes Southeast Asian Muslims more like their brethren in the Middle East. They come to have the same outlook on world affairs"( UCLA International Institute, 2004). 

Conclusion

          What do the Islamic Extremist Groups Want?.  An important agenda before them is, to build Islamic states in Southeast Asia, to create Muslim states, to include Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Pakistan and Thailand. Further, Develop Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD), Destroy Israel, Intimidate Europe, Assault the American people, and Blackmail the U.S government into isolation, and finally to create a Dar-ul-Islam or the Land of Islam for Islamists with a global vision. As has been discussed earlier, disfunctioning of political system, growing economic crisis, weak border security and extensive free flow of funds from Saudi Arabia and other Muslim countries which has made the Southeast Asian region a laboratory of Jihad.  

          The problem, at present, is not Islam, but a perverted interpretation of Islam practiced by a minority misguided zealots.  Pakistan, the long ally of the United States, possesses 5,000 to 10,000 plus religious schools or Madrasas, up from less than 150 just five years ago, all are funded by religious charities, many from Saudi Arabian groups intended to expanding the reach of radical version of Islam.  It is significant to note that, the London serial blast suicide bombers had reportedly visited Pakistan and attended “Madrassas” where, it was suspected, that they were “brainwashed”.  As far as Bangladesh nearly 10,000 Madrasas are functioning at present.  In India at present it is 30,000.

          Asian Muslims, especially Muslims of Pakistan, Bangladesh and Indian, were viewed with some sort of suspicion, not only by the fellow citizens but  the government also.  The recent developments in Britain are the best example, where Visa norms and immigration policies were tightened.  Further, the government decision to issue citizen cards, for security reasons, initially the government is planning to cover the Asians, especially Indians, is another example in this regard.

          Since Sep.11, 2001 the United States has declared “War against  Terrorism”, initially they attacked Afghanistan, then Iraq and next might be Iran or Libya, but the journey does not stopped, it seems.  But the present effort, war against Islamic fundamentalist or jihadists, has proved unsuccessful.  The greatest danger at present is not Al Qaeda, LeT, HuM and JI, but “highly politicized form of Islam”.  The main root cause of terrorism is not poverty or US foreign policy, but a compelling political ideology.  Terrorists were not driven by poverty or unemployment, but by radical Islamic ideology (Dr.P.Sakthivel, Tackling Terrorism An Alternative Strategy, articlesbase.com, June, 2008.)

          Modernising the Madarasas or altering Islamic education, by introducing western and secular education, would be the best solution to the current menace of terrorism, that almost all the Southeast Asian nations are facing the problem at present.  Weakening radical version of Islamic ideology by demonstrating the strength of democracy is more durable solution.  It is worthwhile to mention here the democratic movement in this region is very weak.  For that, the West and other countries will have to work at building inclusive societies that are to be free from radical Islamic ideology.

References:

1.                  Monte Palmer and Princess Palmer, At the Heart of Terror, USA,  Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, INC.2004.

2.                  Walter Laquer, No End to War, New York, Continuum,2003.

3.                  CSR Report for Congress Terrorism in South East Asia, Sep. 11, 2007.

4.                  Frank Frost, Terrorism in Southeast Asia, (c) Commonwealth of Australia.

5.                  UCLA International Institute, Asean and Terrorism in Southeast Asia, 5-20-2004.

 

About the Author

Reader in Political Science
Annamalai University
Annamalai Nagar - 608 002
Tamil Nadu
India