ELECTION 99
US EDITION
COLUMNISTS
DIARY
SPECIALS
INTERVIEWS
CAPITAL BUZZ
REDIFF POLL
DEAR REDIFF
THE STATES
YEH HAI INDIA!
ELECTIONS
ARCHIVES

Search Rediff

bin Laden may try unholy attack, reports RAW

Tara Shankar Sahay in New Delhi

His Holiness Pope John Paul II's security detail has taken cognisance of a possible attack by Saudi millionaire-terrorist Osama bin Laden during the November 5 to 9 visit, top government sources said Friday.

Senior officials of the ministry of home affairs told rediff.com that "more than Indian fundamentalist organisations like the VHP, RSS or the Shiv Sena, the government had cogent reasons to believe that foreign terrorist outfits aided and abetted by Osama bin Laden could strike at the Pope in order to give a bad name to the Indian government."

They said the government's external intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing had submitted a detailed report which underscored the threat to the Pope from religious terrorists on the Saudi terrorist's payroll.

Significantly, the Pope had been attacked by religious terrorists in the Philippines in early 90s. Subsequent investigations by western intelligence agencies revealed that the suspects behind the attack had links with bin Laden.

"The government is not taking any chances. The Pope is being accorded a security detail which can match the best in the world," said a senior police official entrusted with the task. He indicated that besides the Black Cat commandos of the Special Protection Group, other special forces have also been deployed.

The official said that under no circumstances would "unauthorised" people be allowed to come anywhere near the visiting dignitary.

Given the threat to the Pope, the leading intelligence agencies of the West are believed to have pooled their resources in a bid to help the Vajpayee government overcome the threat perception. "The international community wants the Pope's Indian visit to go off peacefully and the government is determined to discourage mischief-makers who seek to vitiate the peaceful atmosphere," said a senior SPG official.

Police officials maintained that the Delhi Police commandos were also being deployed at venues that the Pope would be visiting. A large number of cops in plainclothes would mingle with the crowd. Objects like vanity bags would not be allowed near the Pope, they added.

All exit and entry points of the national capital have been sealed. Random checks are being conducted to ferret out arms and explosives. Such exercises have been doubled in the last 10 days, ever since intelligence reached the MHA that terrorists from Kashmir are likely to sneak into the city.

According to government officials, certain pockets in Old Delhi, including Chandni Chowk, Ballimaran and the Jama Masjid area, are being monitored by security forces as these are well-known haunts of Kashmiri terrorists. Three hotels in the Nizamuddin area, which had been allegedly harbouring Kashmiri militants, are being 'staked' out. Police officials said two managers were interrogated and their "revelations" have come in handy.

The threat to the Pope has increased following extremist Islamic outfits' declaration of jihad against India. The ministry of external affairs had earlier criticised Pakistan for permitting the radical militant outfit Lashkar-e-Toiba to hold its annual convention in Lahore.

"India had earlier turned down a United States proposal that New Delhi co-operate with Washington in apprehending Osama bin Laden because that would have meant the Americans gaining a foothold in Jammu and Kashmir," a MEA official said.

But he added: "Along with the international community, the Americans are veering around to the view that Pakistan's role in aiding and abetting terrorism in J&K is not something which can be wished away."

Tell us what you think of this report