‘Indian Muslims not to be swayed'

The Govt is not hassled over an alleged Al-Qaeda video warning attacks on India, reports Amit Baruah.

The government is not hassled over an alleged Al-Qaeda video threatening attacks on India. The contents of the video were reported by a wire agency early on Monday morning, and were carried in some of the later editions of Hindustan Times.

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Minister of State for External Affairs E Ahamed told HT, “Indian Muslims will not be swayed by Al-Qaeda propaganda.”

AFP reported Al-Qaeda had accused India of “killing more than 100,000 Muslims in Kashmir with US blessing”. Though the English video featuring the wanted American Al-Qaeda terrorist Adam Gadahn made no reference to India, an unnamed Arabic narrator had said “the targeting of Tel Aviv, Moscow and Delhi” was their “legitimate right”.

In a recent TV interview, National Security Adviser MK Narayanan had said India was mindful of Al-Qaeda. “We are all the time on the lookout for Al-Qaeda’s movements here. We know that on a couple of occasions they have done a recce and gone back,” he had said.

The latest, 1 hour, 17-minute video contains a computerised recreation of a March 2006 suicide attack in Karachi that killed US diplomat David Foy, and statements from a man who claimed to be the bomber.

“We shall continue to target you (the US and its allies), at home and abroad, just as you target us, at home and abroad, and these spy dens and military command and control centre from which you plotted your aggression against Afghanistan and Iraq,” said Adam Gadahn, also known as Azzan Al-Amriki.

Former R&AW chief CD Sahay said the latest Al-Qaeda threat could not be ignored. “We should take this seriously, without being alarmist,” he said.