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April 16, 2008
New Delhi Torch Threat
The Hindustan Times, citing Indian intelligence information, is warning of plans for an attack by Uyghurs on the Olympic torch relay tomorrow in New Delhi:
A SPECIFIC input from the Intelligence Bureau on attempts to disrupt the Olympic Torch Relay to be held in Delhi on April 17 has sent security agencies into high alert mode. The input has stated five Chinese nationals from Xinjiang region of China are in Delhi and pose a threat to the relay.
What makes the input important is that it has pinpointed information about the five men - their names, where they are staying in Delhi and the mobile numbers of a friend of theirs. The IB has even provided their photographs.
According to the input, a copy of which is with the Hindustan Times, the five "Uyghurs" from Xinjiang province - Mohammad Abdullah, Abdul Khalid, Umar Aziz, Yousaf Sattar and Abdullah Daoud - had entered India from Nepal. The five are also suspected to be involved in the East Turkestan movement.
Wow... they've even got names. Of course, India is also home to the Dalai Lama's government-in-exile, so the possibilities for a disruption tomorrow are really endless. Maybe we'll finally get to see evidence of that Tibetan-Uyghur conspiracy we've been hearing so much about?
That's not to mention today's journey through Islamabad where security is, umm, less than guaranteed.
Intelligence Bureau warns of Chinese militant attack
15 April 2008
Hindustan Times
by Tushar Srivastava
NEW DELHI, India, April 15 -- A SPECIFIC input from the Intelligence Bureau on attempts to disrupt the Olympic Torch Relay to be held in Delhi on April 17 has sent security agencies into high alert mode. The input has stated five Chinese nationals from Xinjiang region of China are in Delhi and pose a threat to the relay.
What makes the input important is that it has pinpointed information about the five men - their names, where they are staying in Delhi and the mobile numbers of a friend of theirs. The IB has even provided their photographs.
According to the input, a copy of which is with the Hindustan Times, the five "Uyghurs" from Xinjiang province - Mohammad Abdullah, Abdul Khalid, Umar Aziz, Yousaf Sattar and Abdullah Daoud - had entered India from Nepal. The five are also suspected to be involved in the East Turkestan movement.
The East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) is a militant Uyghur group that has been advocating the creation of an independent Islamic state of East Turkestan in the Xinjiang region.
"Daoud was recently in Kathmandu. The five are staying in Nizamuddin and a friend of theirs, Mohammed Tariq, is residing in New Seelampur," the input states. It also provides Tariq's mobile numbers and his address. "Tariq runs a business of fancy lights imported from China," it says.
"In view of the forthcoming Olympic Torch Relay, immediate action needs to be taken to apprehend the five and to examine the validity of their travel documents and other activities," the input reads.
The United Nations, US and China, among other countries, consider the ETIM a terrorist organisation. In a 2005 report, the US State Department reportedly said the group was linked to Al-Qaeda and the international jihaddist movement. Its members have been accused of several car bomb attacks in Xinjiang in the 1990s as well as the death of a Chinese diplomat in Kyrgyzstan in 2002.
The Hindustan Times is provided through HT Syndication, New Delhi.
posted April 16, 2008 at 09:48 AM unofficial Xinjiang time | HaoHao This!
Comments
This is really quite bizarre. Check the Uyghur Amercan Association site for a rtecent Indian journaleesteek peece on Xinjiang, my beautiful Xinjiang. So date d and irrelevamt But here we have ETIM members names etc as if thy belong to alocal football club - of no consequence- ay yayaya.... wil tahy6e be handed over to the Chinese conmsulate for therr tewrroroist affiliations? So very Indian...any commentas... James
Posted by: James at April 16, 2008 05:11 PM
@James: Why do you always write your name after your comments? As you can see, your name appears below your comments anyway. And what's with the Bugs Bunny spelling?
Posted by: michael at April 16, 2008 06:16 PM
Sorry bout the spelling. Um I sign becoz some may be confused due to the name appearing below? Is that a big problem?
Posted by: Jmaes at April 17, 2008 07:58 AM
Could be interesting tomorrow. What will be the reaction if something serious happens?
Posted by: China-Matt at April 17, 2008 04:38 PM
Anyone catch this ridiculousness about the Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoning the CNN Beijing Bureau Chief to appologize for Jack Cafferty's silver tongue?
http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/04/17/Cafferty.goonthugs/index.html
In other things, an interesting article of a slandered student at Duke:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/17/us/17student.html?_r=1&hp=&oref=slogin&pagewanted=all
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/17/us/17student.html?_r=1&hp=&oref=slogin&pagewanted=all
Posted by: Lucas at April 17, 2008 06:42 PM
I'm waiting to see if the blue Chinese touch "thugs" will join in when the runner, security and millions of spectator Indians break out into dance? Or have I watched one too many Bollywood flick?
Posted by: Jimba at April 18, 2008 11:59 PM
@jimba. Thats funny
Posted by: James at April 19, 2008 10:18 AM