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US warns of attacks in Delhi, Mumbai

      New Delhi: The US Embassy in Delhi today warned American citizens in India and those coming into India to maintain a low profile, and be especially alert and attentive to their surroundings between August 11 and August 16. In a travel and security advisory issued this morning, the embassy said that it had learnt that foreign terrorists, possibly including members of the Al-Qaida, could "carry out a series of bombing attacks in or around New Delhi and Mumbai (Bombay) in the days leading up to India's Independence Day on August 15, 2006." It further went on to say that the terrorists could target major airports, key Central Government offices, hotels and markets.

    It announced that the embassy in New Delhi and the U.S. Consulates in Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata would be closed on August 15. It also said that the embassy in New Delhi and the Consulate in Chennai would remain closed on August 16 for Janmashtami, the birthday of Lord Krishna It urged all Americans travelling abroad to regularly monitor the US.State Department's Internet web site at http://travel.state.gov where the current Worldwide Caution Public Announcement, Travel Warnings and other Public Announcements could be found. "Up to date information on security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the United States, or, for callers outside the United States and Canada, a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays). Americans are also encouraged to read the Consular Information Sheet for India, available on the Embassy's website at http://newdelhi.usembassy.gov, and also at http://travel.state.gov," the advisory said.

Two LeT men held in Delhi (Go To Top)

      New Delhi: Delhi Police said on Friday that it has arrested two militants belonging to the Pakistan-based banned outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba. The police said that Abrar Ahmed and Abu Anaz were arrested from Delhi Main Railway Station on Thursday night when they arrived from Jammu and Kashmir. Karnal Singh, Joint Commissioner of Police, Special Cells, said that Ahmed belongs to Uttar Pradesh's Bahraich town while Anaz hails from Islamabad. "They underwent training at Lashkar's camp at Rajouri in Poonch district. Both of them are being interrogated. Abu Anaj is an important catch and his interrogation can lead us to activities and various modules of Lashkar," Singh told reporters. Two kg of RDX and five detonators were also recovered from their possession, Singh added. Lashkar has been blamed for several deadly attacks in the Kashmir Valley and elsewhere across the country in the past, including serial bomb blasts in Delhi last year and last month's Mumbai train bombings.

Adequate security made: Duggal (Go To Top)

       New Delhi: Union Home Secretary VK Duggal today said that the union home ministry had seen the US Embassy's security advisory about the possible attacks by al Qaeda at various places in India. The advisory came a day after an attempt to blow as many as ten passengers flights in mid-air was foiled in the UK. He assured that in the aftermath of the US advisory, all possible security arrangements had been made for the safety of both the countrymen and foreign nationals. "The US' security advisory is a normal exercise in such circumstances. We also issue such security and travel advisories to our nationals living in foreign countries whenever there is a security threat there," said Duggal. Earlier in the day, the US Embassy in New Delhi had warned that foreign militants, possibly belonging to al-Qaeda, may be planning to carry out bombings in New Delhi and Mumbai in the coming days. In an e-mail sent to American citizens living in India, the Embassy said that the attacks were believed to be planned for either before or on India's Independence Day on Aug. 15. The warning came a day after the UK police said that they had arrested 24 people and foiled a major plot to attack airplanes in mid-air. A US embassy officials said that the US citizens in India had been urged to keep a low profile, be alert and attentive to their surroundings.

Work together against terrorism: US  (Go To Top)
by Ajay Sharma

       New Delhi: The United States said on Friday that it is working with India to curb the scourge of terrorism, so as to keep citizens of both countries safe. In an exclusive interview, David Kennedy, the spokesman of the embassy in New Delhi, said: "We already have an excellent cooperation with the Government of India on defeating terrorism as high priority for both our countries and, we want to do a really good job in getting the terrorists and keeping our citizens safe". Kennedy was speaking to ANI after the US Embassy released a travel advisory cautioning American citizens in New Delhi and Mumbai against probable terror strikes between August 11-August 16. He said that he could not be more specific, other than to say that the possible targets could be airport facilities, Government offices and crowded places like market places. "In our message, we highlighted the fact that perhaps this information that we received of possible attack, will be targetting public places, and the people are urged to exercise caution over the next few days, and to keep their eyes open in public places," said Kennedy. "We have a system of where we alert American citizens in India of information that we think appropriate for them to know, and we do it on occasional basis," he added.

How Heathrow suspects turned radical (Go To Top)

      London: Following yesterday's foiled terror attempt at London's Heathrow airport, investigating officers have learnt that at least one of the suspects had turned radical following a two-month trip to Pakistan, and also come back with substantial funds, enough to purchase plum real estate. Officials said 26-year Shazad Khuramali, who was arrested from High Wycombe, had gone to Pakistan and come back with a lot of money, enough to buy a 300,000 pound bungalow all in cash. "The family turned up two years ago and bought a house here. Their son disappeared to Pakistan for a couple of months and came back with enough money to buy the bungalow opposite. The family paid cash, around 300,000 pounds. They rented out the bungalow to asylum seekers. At one point there were 15 people living there," The Sun quoted a neighbour as saying. A friend of his said Shazad changed after his visit to Pakistan, switching mosques and becoming much more devout. "He went to Pakistan two years ago and came back a changed man. Everyone noticed changes in him," he said.

      Officers said most of those arrested included Britons of Muslim faith and the majority of them had some links to Pakistan. Either they were born to Pakistani immigrants who had settled in England or had been radicalised into fundamentalism after a trip down to their ancestral country. According to the Daily Mail, Amjad and Asad Sarwar, two of the several youth who were arrested by authorities in the crackdown in the aftermath of the foiled terror attempt on airlines at Heathrow airport, had turned religious in recent years. The two were even very popular in their school, Sir William Ramsey School at Buckinghamshire till they reached their teens. "But they suddenly changed a few years ago. They became very religious, began to grow long beards and stopped socialising," said a neighbour. Phil Redfern, who was at school with the two, said the brothers even began to shun mainstream mosques and instead frequented a smaller mosque behind a nearby Islamic bookshop.

      At Hepplewhite Don Stewart-Whyte, 19, converted to Islam and began growing a beard. A neighbour said he was a 'mummy's boy' who converted to Islam six months ago and married an Arab girl in recent weeks. According to The Independent, Whyte changed his name to Abdul Wahid after adopting Islam. "The majority of his friends are Muslims and that's how he got interested in the religion. Some say he was rebellious when he was a teenager but he wasn't that bad," said the neighbour. It was somewhat similar with British born Folkestone Road dweller, Oliver Savant, 25, who changed his name to Ibrahim after becoming a devout Muslim some eight years ago. His neighbour, retired fireman Paul Kleinman, said of him: "I've known him since the day he was born. He was a very polite young man. Oliver started putting on Muslim robes and growing his beard long a few years back". "He's a nice lad, but you now have to be quite careful what you say to him as he is very religious. He wears the full Muslim robes and is a quiet chap. His dad is as British as British can be. He has turned his back on his native culture and even supports England at cricket. Oliver is the only one who is a little different," Kleinman added. British officials said their Pakistani counterparts had helped them to a great extent with investigations into the foiled terror attack, the biggest involving airlines since 9/11. Officials said although it was not clear what type of links the attackers had to Pakistan, they were looking into various angles and find out whether the plot was devised in Pakistan with an active contribution from home grown Pakistani militant groups like the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT). According to The Times, though Pakistan has been quick to refute suggestions that the house arrest order of former LeT chief had anything to do with the bombing plans, the timing of the arrest was significant.

MI5 fears new terror plots  (Go To Top)

       London: British security service MI5 has said that it feared new terror cells might launch 'revenge attacks' after the UK agencies foiled a terror attempt to blow as many as ten passenger flights taking off from airports in the UK yesterday. It said that it was working round the clock on thwarting "many dozens of other terrorist plots". "It's possible that new terror groups may now try to put other plans into action because the 'spectacular' had been foiled. If this plot succeeded it would have been bigger than 9/11 in terms of body count. This is very, very significant", The Mirror quoted a MI5 source as saying last night. According to the paper, the terror plot, which was foiled yesterday, was huge and involved multiple attacks, with the airline suicide bombings being only the first phase. The decision to act on the threat perception was reportedly made at midnight when surveillance heard references that an attack was imminent. Surveillance teams saw or heard plotters referring to an attack taking place and police decided to move in.

Blair holidays while Britain battles terror (Go To Top)

      London: British Prime Minister Tony Blair was warned apparently two days before the foiled terror attempt yesterday that the UK faced a terror threat, but he still flew away on holiday, if reports are to be believed. According to The Mirror, Eliza Manningham-Buller, Director General MI5, briefed Blair and Home Secretary John Reid on Monday, giving them details of the scale of the threat and possible death toll from an attack. On Tuesday, Blair flew off to join his family at Sir Cliff Richard's villa in Barbados. Much later, in the early hours yesterday, the British public was warned of the attacks and authorities issued the terror warnings. Blair was however, kept fully informed and briefed President Bush on Wednesday night about the raids and security lockdown at airports. Downing Street said the Prime Minister was "troubled" and "unable to relax" as he spent the first days of the holiday with his phone clamped to his ear. However, back home, the situation was somewhat different. With two thirds of the Cabinet away on holiday, it was left to Home Secretary John Reid and Transport Secretary Douglas Alexander to deal with the situation. While Labour MPs have demanded the recall of Parliament and the return of Blair from holiday, other MPs are disturbed why others were not informed of this threat earlier. "If Mr Blair can know about the scale of this threat on Monday, why can't everybody else?" the paper quoted an MP as saying. "Thousands of families who have flown on holiday over the last three days had a right to know about this," he added.

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