Pakistan Group Involved in Mumbai Blast

Two months into the Mumbai bombings investigation, the Anti-Terrorist Squad has confirmed that the commander of the Pakistan-based terror group Lashker-e-taiba (LET), Azam Cheema, was the main architect last.

The LET was instrumental in smuggling in the RDX from Bangladesh. They roped in the members of the local banned organization SIMI to carry out the blast in seven places en route to the Western suburban railway stations of Mumbai.

The arrest of key players like Faizal Shaikh, Rahil Shaikh and Zaibuddin Ansari - all former members of SIMI - led to unraveling LET's involvement in the blast, which killed close to 200 people and left 750 injured. One member is believed to have been killed in a blast. His body awaits further investigation.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, at a recent meeting in Havana during the Non-Aligned Movement summit, displayed a newfound amiability and comradeship and decided to resume stalled peace talks. The Mumbai bombings had led to a suspension of talks.

At the Havana meeting, Manmohan had given a clean chit to Gen. Musharraf by admitting that the terror group, operating across the border, was beyond the control of the Pakistani government, which took many political commentators by surprise. He further added that Pakistan was a victim of terror itself. This indicated a major shit in India's foreign policy toward Pakistan.

In the past, whenever a bombing took place, the Indian government had always accused Pakistan of not doing enough to curb cross-border terrorism.

In fact, when reporting news of the LET's involvement, major Indian news agencies and television channels emphasized the role of the Pakistan intelligence service in aiding terror groups against India.

Reacting to the criticism, Gen. Musharraf, now on a visit to the United States, declared that he had offered the Indian government his intelligence agency's assistance in the investigation into the Mumbai bombings, but had been turned down.

Significantly, after news of the Pakistani terror group's role in the Mumbai bombings was reported, the Indian government refused to drag in the name of Gen. Musharraf.

During Musharraf's current visit to the U.S., President George W. Bush made a startling statement that he would not hesitate to send his troops to Pakistan in his attempt to nab Osama bin Laden.

This implies that Bush is acknowledging both the presence of al-Qaida in Pakistan and Musharraf's failure in nabbing bin Laden.

In this context, it seems the Indian government was too soft in dealing with President Musharraf in Havana.