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India-Pakistan
Delhi stunned: UK & China stall move to blacklist Masood Azhar
2009-05-31
New Delhi: Barely seven months after the Mumbai attacks, Indian efforts in the United Nations to place sanctions on Jaish-e-Mohammad founder Maulana Masood Azhar have received a major setback. In a surprise move, the United Kingdom has joined hands with China to block the Indian request to proscribe both Azhar and Azam Cheema, the Lashkar-e-Toiba operative accused in the Mumbai train blasts, under the UN's "Al Qaeda and Taliban Sanctions" resolution (1267).
Please don't hurt us.
India had wanted these two along with Abdul Rehman Makki, another LeT ideologue, to be included in the list just like the Jamaat-ud-Dawa and its head Hafiz Mohammed Saeed were added along with other LeT operatives after the Mumbai attacks. The banning under UN resolution 1267 means freezing of assets, travel ban and embargo on arms.

What has stunned India is the UK's position because the Jaish as an outfit is already banned by the UN and so it is only logical for Azhar to be put on that list. It's learnt that London has asked for "fresh evidence" and "more details" while placing the request on a procedural hold. China has taken a similar position.
See? We're on your side. Please, please don't hurt us.
China, it may be recalled, had also placed a similar hold on the banning of Jamaat-ud-Dawa and its head Hafiz Saeed along with Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi last year even after the US placed the outfit and the individuals under its sanctions list. Beijing's argument was that it could not be conclusively proven that JuD was a front organisation of the Lashkar that had already been banned. But under immense US pressure after the Mumbai attacks, China removed the hold which led to banning of the outfit.

As a result of that action, Pakistan was forced to take action against Saeed, who was detained and the JuD offices were sealed. A case is now underway in Pakistan where Saeed is challenging his detention while the Pakistan government is saying that it is only following a UN decision.

India had hoped similar action would be possible against Azhar, who was released after the Kandhar hijack and has since then been in Pakistan. Subsequently, he was also named as the man behind the 2002 attack on Parliament. He is also one case where the usual tussle for "evidence" with Pakistan may not become such an issue because he was released under duress through an act of terror.

Pakistan, however, has denied his presence in its territory even though security agencies here have detailed information about the new house he has built in Bahawalpur, an account written by a visiting Pakistani gave a detailed account of how the Jaish set-up had grown in the city. Several Jaish terrorists nabbed in India, including those plotting the abduction of Rahul Gandhi, have given information about Azhar's activities in Pakistan.

Azam Cheema, on the other hand, was in charge of India operations in the LeT and those held for the Mumbai train blasts had been trained by him. Cheema has a farmhouse, according to sources, outside Bahawalpur and even runs a training facility there. However, he is also employed as a teacher of Islamic studies in the Zaranwala Degree College.

Of late, Cheema has been keeping a low profile while Yousuf alia Muzammil had emerged as the in-charge of operations in India. On both these cases, India was confident of securing a ban.

India had also moved a third request in the UN against Abdul Rehman Makki, a noted ideologue of the LeT who was handling JuD's relations abroad and is now effectively heading the outfit after the crackdown. Makki figured in the interrogation of many LeT trained terrorists, including some of Indian origin. He has a profile of a motivator with effective oratory skills. The fate of this request is still not clear, said sources.
Posted by:john frum

#7  China gets the ISI to round up the Uigars in the terrorist training camps.
The UK gets the ISI to help with terror plots aimed at Britain.
Posted by: john frum   2009-05-31 14:46  

#6  For China kissing up to Pakiwakiland... Isn't doing so another case of "Losing Face"?

It's not "kissing up". It's playing 'Maifa Don'.
Posted by: Pappy   2009-05-31 14:13  

#5  John,
For China kissing up to Pakiwakiland... Isn't doing so another case of "Losing Face"?
Posted by: 3dc   2009-05-31 14:00  

#4  It gets them into Pakistan's good books.
Posted by: john frum   2009-05-31 13:20  

#3  This is a real head-scratcher to me. UK has significant potential terrorist problems. China has significant potential terrorist problems (although they will actually deal with the internal problem whereas most others will not). How does taking this position help either one?
Posted by: remoteman   2009-05-31 13:10  

#2  dont' count on UKistan for anyhting...and you thought that Islamism can't incrementally take over the West.
Posted by: hammerhead   2009-05-31 10:44  

#1  A case is now underway in Pakistan where Saeed is challenging his detention while the Pakistan government is saying that it is only following a UN decision.

Coming soon to a US courthouse near you!
Posted by: gromky   2009-05-31 09:05  

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