Hit the LeT

As evidence on Lashkar-e -Toiba8217;s involvement in the London bombing plot emerges from the British investigations, India needs to ratchet up political pressure on London and Washington to get Pakistan to crack down on the organisation. India, where nearly 80 per cent of the current terrorist activities are conducted by the LeT, does not need 8220;evidence8221; about the organisation8217;s brutality. But Britain and the US, despite banning it years ago, have taken a rather relaxed attitude to the LeT, which now calls itself the Jamaat-ud-Dawa. For far too long the international community believed that India was the only target of the LeT.

Underlying this Western complacence were two misconceptions. For the LeT, Kashmir was only an incidental cause. Its ideology was always rooted in Islamic radicalism; and the West and Israel were as much its enemies as was India. The latest information on Lashkar8217;s key role in transferring funds and imparting training to the suspects involved in the London plot reveals the world can no longer differentiate between terrorism originating from Pakistani soil against India led by the LeT and the West masterminded by Al Qaida.

As the link between the two terrorist groups iquest; both organisational and ideological iquest; gets established, the West must begin to correct its second misconception about the Pakistan army. The US and UK are fully aware that the LeT has been the favourite illegitimate child of the Pakistani army. Washington and London are also aware that the LeT is brazen about its activities in Pakistan. The recent reports that Pakistan has placed the LeT chief, Hafeez Mohammad Saeed, under house arrest are unlikely to fool the West. After all, Musharraf had pretended to crack down

on LeT in 2002. London and Washington will not be doing India a favour by demanding that Musharraf destroy the LeT, root and branch. India8217;s political and diplomatic task is to assist them in helping themselves.