Sitting on a powder keg
» Chinks in security system » The incidents that took place one after another in different N-plants in India only corroborate the information that was extracted from Headley » Headley who worked as an informer with the US DEA was planted by the CIA in Pakistan » Pak N-tech has already reached the terrorists operating from Iran, Iraq, North Korea and North-East India » Danyal Gilani, the brother of Headley, is working as a PRO and secretary to Pakistani PM Yousuf Raza Gilani who heads the country's nuclear weapon control system » Pakistan feels its N-plants can come under US scanner » Now, the most puzzling question is: where has Pakistan concealed its weapons of mass destruction? » With all precursor chemicals in its kit, Pakistan has devised various systems to make chemical weapons » It is also true that around 400 Pakistani companies are involved in supplying chemical technology to terrorist outfits » An attempt to steal computer spare parts was made at Tarapur plant » Two scientists died when a fire broke out at BARC » On November 24, 2009 poisonous tritium leaked from the Kaiga N-plant Security agencies the world over are keeping an eye on two dreaded terrorists - Abdul Rahim alias Richard Reid and Dawood Gilani alias David Headley. Both Reid and Headley are cooling their heels in high security US jails. Headley's arrest has not only brought to light his role in Mumbai terror attack, it has also raised a few questions: How and why was he arrested? What other facts, besides his role in Mumbai attack, has he revealed? Why was the Indian intelligence agency not allowed to quiz Headley? Is there a fear that these questions will blow the lid off something that the US is trying to conceal? The Indian intelligence agency, Research & Analysis Wing (RAW), is in constant touch with the CIA and the information that it is getting is of great significance. The most vital tip-off provided by Headley is related to the dangers looming large over the Indian nuclear plants and Al Qaeda's strong grip over Pakistan's nuclear and chemical factories. The three recent incidents that took place one after another in different nuclear plants in India only corroborate the information that was extracted by the CIA and FBI from Headley. The Indian intelligence agencies are in fact stunned by the incidents which took place in the high security zones, exposing chinks in the country's security system. The first incident was reported on November 24, 2009 when poisonous tritium leaked from the Kaiga Nuclear Power plant in Karnataka; then an attempt to steal computer spare parts from Tarapur power plant in Mumbai was made on December 7, 2009; and two scientists lost their lives at Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) after a fire broke out on December 29, 2009. This happened despite RAW and Intelligence Bureau's (IB) warning to the security agencies about terror threat to Karnataka and Maharashtra. When the Kaiga incident took place, the then Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) chairman Anil Kakodkar said somebody had deliberately put tritium into the water cooler, causing the leakage. While the director of the plant JP Gupta called it sabotage, the Nuclear Power Corporation and Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) ordered a high-level probe. But no one knows anything about the outcome of the probe. Intelligence officials feel that had the culprits been successful in their attempt to steal computer spare parts from Tarapur plant, it would have caused a big problem. Also, the death of two scientists at BARC, they feel, should be probed seriously. Keeping these incidents in mind, the Indian Army has started working on a new war strategy which is being devised by Lt General AS Lamba, chief of the Military Training Command, Shimla. Headley was arrested from Chicago in October last year for his involvement in Mumbai attack in which 166 persons, including six US citizens, were killed, and for planning an attack on the office of a Danish newspaper that had published a collection of cartoons portraying the Prophet. With the arrest of Headley, the fact – that he was working as an informer with the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and was planted by the CIA to gather information about Al Qaeda and ISI activities and Pakistan's nuclear plants – has come to light. Interestingly, as long as Headley was serving the US purpose, it turned a blind eye to his activities but just as he tried to act against the American interests, he landed up in jail. Similarly, America's refusal to extradite him to India and to allow the Indian agencies to quiz him clearly shows that Headley's association with its intelligence network was not a mere coincidence. Incidentally, Danyal Gilani, the brother of Headley, is working as a public relation officer and secretary to Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani who heads the country's nuclear weapon control system. After this fact came to the light, the British intelligence officials, who were to visit Pakistan to interrogate Mumbai attack accused, were asked to drop their plan. It's also worth mentioning that Tahawwur Hussain Rana, one of the brothers of Headley, who was taken into custody, is an officer (Psychiatrist) in the Pakistani Army. While both Headley and Rana are of Pakistani origin, they have US and Canadian citizenship respectively. Headley owns the Khyber-Pass bar in Chicago while Rana owns a meat shop at Devon Avenue in Chicago. Following the clues extracted from Headley, the Indian intelligence agencies have started gathering fresh information about Headley and his activities. A RAW official, associated with the Pakistan desk, said fresh intelligence reports about Pakistan's atomic plants and arms factories were also forwarded to the Defence Ministry so that it can chalk out a plan to meet the threats arising out of growing terrorist activities in the sub-continent. Pak claims fall flat The militants, particularly the Taliban, have always had the urge to control Pakistan's N-plants. So, the Taliban targeted three nuclear plants in Pakistan in a span of two years: First, they attacked a nuclear missile storage facility in Sargodha on November 1, 2007; second, they attacked an airbase in Kamra on December 10, 2007; and third, they launched a massive attack on an armament complex located at the Wah Cantonment on August 20, 2008 and escaped with a large number of weapons. The US and British intelligence agencies, on getting this information from Shaun Gregory, Head of Pakistan Security Research Unit, passed it on to RAW. The intelligence corroborated the fact that terrorists are getting closer to accomplish their mission - to have control over Pakistan's N-arms. When the US got this information, it rushed its army to shoo away the terrorists, but these incidents belied Pakistan's tall claim that its nuclear plants and weapons are in safe hands.Pakistan has set up most of its nuclear plants in Wah, Fatehganj, Golra Sharif, Kahuta, Sihala, Isakhel, Charma, Tarwana, and Takshshila to keep them at a safe distance from the Indian borders. But as these areas lie in the North West region of the country, they are under constant threat from Afghan, Taliban and Al Qaeda terrorists. Talking about Pakistan's sinister design, a RAW official, requesting anonymity, referred to ISI chief General Hamid Gul's remark: "We are so strong in the area of nuclear missiles that we can destroy anything between Tamil Nadu and Tel Aviv. Actually, after destroying Iraq and Afghanistan, the US will try to end Pakistan, Iran, Syria and Saudi Arabia but it will not be able to stop the Islamic suicide attacks. With Taliban still alive, our jihad will continue." Gul's statement and the clues gathered from Headley expose Pakistan's nefarious design. Pakistan's nuclear know-how has already reached the terrorists operating from Iran, Iraq, North Korea and North-East India, besides Maoists, Al Qaeda and Hamas. Bernard Henry Levy, who unravelled the murder mystery of US journalist Daniel Pearl, said the nuclear technology was smuggled to Iran and North Korea with the help of terrorists. The information provided by Levy was proved right after a North Korean ship Ku Vu-San, carrying vital documents related to nuclear technology, was intercepted near Kandla port recently. The RAW official also revealed that Nepal was being used as a link between North Korean and Chinese officials, and a secret visit by Rim Changoril, third secretary in the North Korean embassy in Kathmandu, to Islambad was the part of a greater conspiracy. The Korean envoy's visit to Pakistan was related to the interception of the ship near Kandla. The most shocking is the fact that Changoril was given a visa to stay in India for three months. Sanctioning of Indian visa to Changoril is being seen as a diplomatic attempt to check the ship-interception incident from becoming an international issue. As a result, North Korea succeeded, to some extent, in its efforts to nip the incident in the bud. Miffed RAW officials have expressed their resentment at granting of visa to Changoril. The murder of Kim, a Korean woman in Pakistan, who exposed the fact that nuclear technology was being exchanged between Pakistan and North Korea, and the recent murder of a North Korean diplomat under mysterious circumstances in China corroborated the Pakistan-China-North Korea nexus in smuggling N-technology. Kim was the wife of a diplomatic personnel Kong Thai Yun who was posted in North Korean embassy in Pakistan. How Pakistan became a nuclear power is known to all and sundry. Although the West played an important role in making Pakistan a nuclear power, it is now afraid of it. Countries like Germany, Canada, Switzerland, Sweden and the USA provided nuclear technology and other necessary technical know-how to Pakistan. Indian military experts say that the US definition - 'an axis of evil' - for Iran and North Korea is incomplete if China and Pakistan are not included in it. The intelligence inputs available with the security agencies point towards the fact that Pakistan, North Korea and some other countries from West Asia are supplying weapons of mass destruction to Al Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden. The arrest of two Pakistani citizens, Raja Abbas and Abdul Malik, from Fort Lauderdale in Miami in the United States while they were purchasing weapons, including stinger missiles worth $ 320 million and parts of aircraft, is indicative of the fact that terrorists have charted out a bigger and more sinister design. Abbas, who was arrested after he contacted a CIA agent Dick Stolz, mistaking him for arms dealer, was an ISI agent having links with terrorist outfits active in the Middle East. Dick told US authorities that Abbas was gathering information about the availability of heavy water D2O required in large scale for manufacturing nuclear weapons. In the aftermath of Mumbai attack and after watching the American attitude towards Afghanistan and Iran, Pakistan feels its nuclear power plants can come under US scanner. Sensing this, ISI has provided some light nuclear weapons and launch vehicles to those who are holed up in inaccessible terrains on the Pakistan-Afghanistan and on the Indo-Indian borders. Despite all efforts, the US could not reach them. Now, the most puzzling question is: where has Pakistan concealed its weapons of mass destruction after the September 11, 2001 incident that led to direct US military action in the Middle East? Indian military intelligence is expecting fresh inputs from RAW in this regard. RAW officials further said the British and US intelligence agencies searched the terrains of Chakalala, Kamra, Masroor, Sargodha, Jaicobabad, Chandar, Kasim, Pasni, Nawabshah, Okara, Rajanpur, Meerpur Khas, Bihari Talhar, Sukur, Kohat, Lahaur, Multan, Mureed, Risalewala, Risalpur and Shere Faisal to look for the hidden arsenal. A wrong approach Abdul Quadeer Khan is not the only scientist who is seeking public support to hand over nuclear weapons to terrorists. In fact, most of the nuclear scientists in Pakistan feel that nuclear weapons should be used in the interest of Islam and Islamic countries. Dr Chaudhary Abdul Majeed and Dr Sultan Bashiruddin Mahmood, both leading nuclear scientists, have formed Ummah-Tamir-E- Nau (UTN). They were arrested with some terrorists for helping Al Qaeda in developing chemical, biological and nuclear weapons. Later, Dr Mahmood and Dr Mazeed resigned from their posts protesting against Pakistan's plan to sign the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). Fundamentalist Islamic leaders and Taliban have total control over the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) of Pakistan which US wants to free from their control. When Pakistan had conducted nuclear test called 'Islamic Bomb' and sent its Hatf missiles into the air, the roads of Islamabad were agog with Allah-O-Akbar and the orthodox Muslim leaders and terror outfits demanded handing over of these weapons to terrorists. While the ISI took the responsibility to create an atmosphere for 'Islamic Bomb' at the international level, Libya, Iran, Saudi Arabia lent financial support to Pakistan's nuclear programme. Later, Pakistan, too, supported Iran and Iraq to becoming a nuclear power. After the US attack on Iraq, the documents - section B-15 of Iraqi intelligence agency and section S-15 of Iraq nuclear directorate, Bagdad - were recovered, containing Pakistan proposal to provide state-of-the-art technology for nuclear weapons. With all precursor chemicals in its kit, Pakistan has devised various systems to make chemical weapons. It has also set up several plants to produce sodium hydroxide (caustic soda), sodium carbonate (soda ash), sulphuric and hydrochloric acid, sodium bicarbonate, liquid chlorine, aluminium sulphate, carbon black, acetone and acetic acid in large scale. Military Intelligence inputs say that there are over 550 registered pharmaceutical companies – 55 per cent of them are multinationals which control 60 of the chemicals market - are producing dangerous chemicals. The question is: what these companies are doing in Pakistan that imports more than one third of medicines from the USA, Britain, Germany, Switzerland, Japan, Holland and France. The Indian Military Intelligence agency has evidence that Pakistan has, with the help of foreign countries, laid its hand on chemical warfare technology and is in control of such weapons that can burst veins, block blood circulation and affect the nervous system. Also, India has enough evidence to prove that the Pakistani Army, despite its denial, used chemical weapons against the Indian Army in Siachen glacier. Actually, Pakistan has always declined to have chemical weapons and discards the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) provisions. Again, the RAW inputs indicate that a UN team searched an arms factory in Wah and destroyed its chemical plant but it could not desist Pakistan has from producing chemical weapons. RAW officials said it was Reid who played an important role in establishing close link between ISI and Headley and helped ISI gather information about chemical weapons. Reid,who was charged with hatching a conspiracy to trigger explosion in a Miami-bound plane from Paris, is kept in the United States Penitentiary Administrative Maximum Facility, a supermax prison, which is located in Florence of Colorado. It is also true that around 400 Pakistani companies are involved in supplying chemical technology to terrorist outfits. When this fact came to light, the intelligence agencies of several countries are suspecting that anthrax, sars and bird-flue like diseases seem to have resulted from 'chemical terrorism.' A few western countries, which advocate for a decisive war against terror, have invested their money in these companies which are also getting financial assistance from the Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI). Earlier, Britain had banned BCCI for its suspicious activities. Over 38 Pakistani companies, dealing in chemicals, have been blacklisted in the international market. Interestingly, some of the companies, supplying sodium carbonate (soda ash), sulphuric and hydrochloric acid, sodium bicarbonate, liquid chlorine, aluminium sulphate, carbon black, acetone and acetic acids, have their franchise offices in India. Secret plan Interestingly, intelligence agencies from different countries are still not sure about the launching location of Ghauri-I and Ghauri-II. Even NIMA GEOnet Placenet Server' and Global Positioning System failed in identifying the exact location from where Ghauri-I and Ghauri-II were test-fired. After a technical investigation it came to light that Malut and Teela Jogian were not the places from where missiles were launched. RAW says that Ghauri-I and Ghauri-II were test-fired from Tula near Jhelam area which is under the control of ISI and some terrorist outfits. Pakistan conducted five nuclear tests from Ras Koh area, keeping it a secret affair and some journalists were taken to the site through different ways and in various groups. Pakistan conducted another nuclear test near Wazir Khan Khosa in Jakobabad district and the intelligence agencies gathered information about the exact location of these two nuclear tests, using 'National Earthquake Information Centre' and 'Prototype International Data Centre'. Most important airbase of Pakistan Air Force is in south Sargodha of Lahore and the Indian Military Intelligence say that Sargodha airbase is crucial as fighter jets like F-16 have been kept ready there for taking off with nuclear warheads. The airbase has the capacity to fire nuclear missiles weighing 300 to 500 kg and has the storage facility of 40-60 missiles, including 30 Chinese-made M-11 missiles. This apart, several missile-launching vehicles have been kept ready in terrains of Kirana near central ammunition depot, Sargodha. While Chinese experts are imparting training to Pakistani soldiers, the Indian Military Intelligence inputs say that Pakistan is deploying M-11 type missiles in Gujarawala, Okara, Multan, Jhang and Dera Nawab Shah. Research lab aiding extremists The Khan Research Laboratory, Kahuta, plays an important role in assisting terrorists. Besides research and production of sophisticated nuclear weapons, this institute produces guided missiles (MK-1 and MK-2), anti-tank guided missile weapon system, anti-tank mine-clearing line charge (Plowfadder-195 AT) and remote control mine exploder. Also, mine-sweeping line charger, multi-barrel rocket launchers, laser threat sensor, laser actuated target, laser aiming device, digital goniometer, vehicle power conditioners for weapon system, switched mode power supply, aid on reactive armour kit are manufactured in the institute. This is the reason why terrorists and ISI like Kahuta. The Indian Military Intelligence further says that China National Nuclear Corporation has supplied 10,000 ring magnets used to make gas centrifuges to Kahuta nuclear plant. Kamra Military centre is being used to spread terror in India. Incidentally, Nepal has become a centre for ISI-aided terrorist activities. Leaders of many political parties and government officials of this country are working on the pay-roll of ISI which is trying to unite Sikh terrorists who have gone into hibernation to work against India. The Pakistani officials are, in fact, also hand in glove with various terrorist groups. After the arrest of an extremist with 20 kg RDX, near Hotel Valley View in Kathmandu, the links of three Pakistani embassy officials - first secretary Mohd Arshad Cheema, counsellor Ezaj Hussain Meenaz and Ahmad Saboor- with ISI and their role in abetting terrorist activities came to light. How terrible it would be! If there were a nuclear war between India and Pakistan, the outcome, as portrayed by the Pentagon, would be beyond anybody's imagination. Over 120 million people would be killed; 50 million would be injured; and an uncountable number of people would die of various diseases including fever and hunger caused by radiation. Talking to By-Line army doctors, Colonel (Dr) ML Panhani and Colonel (Dr) Tejinder S Bhatti said the incidents of missile injury were rising. In 1914, the missile injury cases were only10 per cent but in 1962, during the Indo-China war, its number went up to 30 per cent and at present it was 70 per cent, they said. The military experts feel that a shadow of nuclear war is looming large over Asia. That is why, they are trying to find out a device to deal with the injuries caused by radiation in case of a nuclear war. They think that to provide first aid to 1000 people for five days, 2850 kg bandage and 21,000 kg infusion fluid will be needed. If it happened, during the first eight hours, 10 people would need 60 litres of fluid and 300 litres of oxygen. ISI sinister design » Reid’s relations with ISI » ISI units, apart from Jammu and Kashmir, have their network in some areas of UP » Stolen bacteria were used to cause foot-and-mouth disease that affected a large number of animals » Pakistan secretly obtained tritium purification and storage plant Interpol has also disclosed the fact that ISI's Joint Counter Intelligence and the Joint Intelligence, North, are spreading chemical and biological terrorism throughout the world. These ISI units, apart from Jammu and Kashmir, have their network in some areas of UP, on the Indo-Nepal borders and Maoist-affected districts of Bihar. Also, some terror outfits in North East receive aid from Pakistan, through United Liberation Front of Seven Sisters (ULFOSIS). To find out a solution to the growing threat of chemical and biological terrorism, a delegation of 110 experts from 51 countries, including India, discussed the issue at a meeting at the Interpol headquarters in Lyon, France. But their efforts came to check Pakistan from spreading terrorism came to naught. Although Pakistan has signed Biological Weapons Convention, it is leaving no stone unturned in making such weapons. This was established after a high-level probe carried out by Britain's intelligence agency M-15 with the help of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). After the probe, it came to light that terrorists and ISI were involved in theft of deadly bacteria and Pathogen from Level-4 Bio Warfare Laboratory, a Bio Research Facility, located in Porton Down in Britain. The inquiry also revealed Reid's relations with ISI and his role in the conspiracy in stealing bacteria from the laboratory. Stolen bacteria were used to cause foot-and-mouth disease that affected a large number of animals in Northamber Land, Ireland, Cambria, Whitehorn and some other areas of Britain. Heavy water research reactor that produces plutonium and tritium used for making sophisticated warheads is located at Khushab, one of the most sensitive areas in Pakistan. The USA has exempted Khushab and Kahuta plants of Pakistan from the international atomic energy inspection provisions. RAW officials refer to the confidential CIA documents which corroborate the fact that Khushab plant has been set up by smuggling equipment from different countries. The documents also state that China Nuclear Energy Industry Corporation provided special industrial and high temperature furnace and high tech diagnostic equipment to Pakistan. High temperature furnace is used to heat uranium and plutonium. After this primary-level assistance, Pakistan secretly obtained tritium purification and storage plant and tritium precursor materials. Ironically, despite a ban on nuclear water supply to Pakistan, China has given heavy water to Khushab and Karachi nuclear plants. Nuclear experts declared this plant dangerous for the residential area and despite this, the plant started nuclear production due to pressure from ISI. Khushab plant is the first choice of terrorists as plutonium is used in making light warheads while highly enriched uranium (HEU) is used to manufacture heavy warheads. The Kahuta plant, which was the main source of HEU for Pakistan before starting of the Khusab plant, produces plutonium that can be used to make maximum five bombs annually. Expressing concern over the intelligence inputs, military officials say that despite a deal with the USA that it would not use more than 20 per cent of HEU in making bombs, Pakistan is using 90 per cent of HEU to make U-235 type bombs. Pakistan has always reneged on its promises made to the world regarding its missile plan. It said that the missile would be launched from Kahuta but it launched 1,100-km-range Ghauri-1 from Teela Jogian in Malute area. In fact, Ghauri, which had hit the target near the southwestern city of Quetta, has an operational range of 1,500 km. Later, Pakistan tested Ghauri II missile from Deena area of Teela Jogian in Jhelum region in northeast Pakistan and terrorists like this missile II as it can be fired from mobile launchers. (This Cover Story of Prabhat Ranjan Deen was Published in By-Line National Weekly News Magazine (Hindi & English) - in January 16, 2010 Issue)
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