Jihadi world angry with India, says al-Qaeda expert

MUMBAI ATTACK: Experts say the Arab world feels India is moving closer to Israel, thus the attack on Nariman House.

ibnlive.com is on mobile now. Read news, watch videos
be a Citizen Journalist. Log on to m.ibnlive.com NOW!

Related Stories

• Mumbai simmers with anger | Politicians feel the heat

• Nariman, Oberoi cleared, firing on at Taj Hotel

• Terrorists cornered in Oberoi, Nariman House

Top Headlines

Top Videos

Most Popular

• Will protect business, employees: Satyam 

• Satyam assures clients, says 'business as usual' 

• PM says terrorists can't destabilise India 

• Sanjay Dutt to fight Lok Sabha polls from Lucknow 

• IOC warns of petrol, LPG shortage as strike continues 

• Jharkhand CM Shibu Soren loses Tamar by-poll 

• Mumbai-like attack could happen in US: Bush aide 

• Angry teacher inserts pin in Class 2 girl's eye 

• Newspaper editor held for criticising RSS 

• Pak NSA's rift with govt | Sacked NSA reiterates stand 

• Sacked Pak NSA reiterates Kasab's a Pakistani 

• Indian offensive pays off, Kasab is a Pakistani 

• Army, J-K Police probe deaf and dumb man's killing 

• How Satyam shocker hits investors, employees 

• BJP avoids Advani vs Shekhawat battle before polls 

• Watch: Dhakka Do, an ode in memory of 26/11 victims 

• Control Z, save India's IT from corporate monsters 

• Watch: Bollywood celebs' fashion faux pa 

• Konkona on The President... and Luck By Chance 

• Kites is not about erotism: Anurag Basu 

• Control Z, save India's IT from corporate monsters 

• Where is Ramalinga Raju? | Satyam faces lawsuit in US 

• Sacked Pak NSA reiterates Kasab's a Pakistani 

• Satyam assures clients, says 'business as usual' 

• Satyam faces lawsuit in New York court 

• India says all options open to dismantle terror groups 

• Mumbai-like attack could happen in US: Bush aide 

• Jharkhand CM Shibu Soren loses Tamar by-poll 

• IOC warns of petrol, LPG shortage as strike continues 

• Pak singer left out of Hindi movie post 26/11 

Photogallery

Find us on Facebook | Join IBNLive community

Stay ahead with G-Talk Buddy | Click now!

Abdel Bari Atwan, The Editor-in-Chief of Arabic newspaper Alquds Alarabi, is an expert on al-Qaeda. He became one of the very few Western journalists to interview Osama bin Laden, when he met the elusive figure in Tora Bora caves in Afghanistan in 1996. He went on to write The Secret History of al-Qaeda, an authoritative account of the terror organisation and its methods.

Abdel Bari Atwan talks to Shishir Prasad and Charles Assisi on the ramifications of the Mumbai terror attacks.

Question: What is the significance of the attack on Mumbai in light of what is happening in the Middle East, Pakistan and Afghanistan?

Answer: The most significant reading is that Islamic radical groups are gaining momentum. The US war against terror has failed in its objective. Now that al-Qaeda has returned home [al-Qaeda began in Afghanistan] after seven years in Iraq, they are sharing all their knowledge gathered in Iraq with other Islamic radical groups like Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar. Al-Qaeda is freely operating inside the tribal belt on the edges of Pakistan.

Question: Why do you think a Jewish organisation was targeted in the Mumbai attacks?

Answer: There has always been a criticism of radical Islamic organisations that in most of their attacks they end up killing Muslims only rather than Jewish people (as most of their operations are in the Middle East). The Islamic radical groups are also accused of not being able to attack Israel. They tried to do so in Mombasa [in 2002] but failed to shoot down the plane. I think they were trying to set the record straight.

Question: But why choose an Indian city to attack Israel?

Answer: For a mix of reasons. Many in the Arab world, especially states like Saudi Arabia and UAE think India has switched its allegiance away from the Arab world. There was a time India was firmly behind the idea of Palestine as a free country. Today India is seen as moving closer to Israel in business ties as well as importing weapons from Israel.

But apart from the Israel angle, there has been anger in the Jihadi world over India’s support to the Karzai government in Afghanistan.

Question: What is the reaction that you get to hear in Jihadi world as well as official Arab world position on India?

Answer: I think the official position of Arab states towards India has not changed. They still view it as a friend but the radical groups don’t like the shift in India’s stance. Most Arab states are very scared of the emergence of Iran as a regional superpower. Iran’s nuclear programme may give them nuclear weapon capability soon and that really worries Saudi Arabia and UAE. And radical groups in these places don’t like that India has had close relationship with Iran.

Question: After this attack on Mumbai, what do you think of the position of Pakistan?

Answer: Pakistan is a semi-failed state. And radical groups thrive on such states. Taliban has almost 80,000 people under its Army now. And they would love to see Pakistan descend into anarchy. India should think about this before it considers a confrontation with Pakistan.

Shishir Prasad is deputy editor and Charles Assisi is executive editor at the new business magazine to be launched by Network18 in alliance with Forbes.