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June 8, 2007 
Al-Qaeda Declares War on India?

Srinagar
A video CD sent to the offices of a local news agency Friday, apparently on behalf of the Al-Qaeda terror group, declared holy war on India and named half-a-dozen local leaders on a hit-list.

The VCD showed a lone masked man, who called himself Abu Abdul Rehman Al Ansari and claimed to be the chief of Al-Qaeda in India.

"Al-Qaeda today declares 'jihad' against India and Jammu and Kashmir shall be the gateway for this jihad," the speaker said.

Police said they are still examining the video, sent to the local Current News Service, but they have previously denied the existence of Al-Qaeda in Jammu and Kashmir.

"It is too early to comment on it. We are examining the CD," a senior police officer told IANS.

In July 2006, after a series of terror blasts in Mumbai, a statement issued to the media had claimed Al-Qaeda presence in Kashmir, but the police had then dismissed any such presence, which continues to be their position.

In New Delhi, the Home Ministry said it was investigating the VCD.

"We view such activities and threats as a desperate effort by terrorists and anti-national elements to try and create problems in the country and scare among the people," a statement said.

"There is no need for any panic."

In VCD, the speaker railed against "so-called Hurriyat leaders and pro-India politicians in Kashmir," naming them as Hurriyat leaders Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq and Prof. Abdul Gani Bhat; former chief ministers Farooq Abdullah and Mufti Muhamamd Sayeed and current Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad.

He also said the Muzaffarabad-based United Jihad Council and its chief Syed Salauddin were supporting and protecting Hurriyat leaders in Jammu and Kashmir.

The VCD showed photographs of all of them as the speaker called out their names.

IANS | June 8, 2007  

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