Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT)

[carl]

Omar:

The inability of the DCenians to see what the rest of the world can see is a wonderment. I guess that is what an education at the best schools gives you, an impenetrable supercilious arrogance.

[Ray]

It is given Hafiz the scare of his life.

Poor Joe!

India maybe wimpish, but Osama and what the US did does scare this heroes in their own territory!

When one is running scared, one tries to head off with the irrelevant.

Remember the Icon and Guru of Islamic fundamentalist - Osama - and what the US did to him.

And what is most important is that they could get their man defying the complete Pakistani infrastructure, defence, ISI and otherwise!

It sure will give one who has been declared a target by the US, many, many sleepless nights and visits to the toilet!

The big white sahib seems to be making friends with many browns and yellows around the Indian sub continent and SE Asia!

Latest report indicates 2500 of these sahibs landing in Darwin!

[omarali50]

I dont see him scared at all. In fact, the blessed state department has just clarified that the reward is for "information linking him to attacks", not on his head. So it seems the US is basically saying, we dont have any proof and the pesky Indians keep asking us to do something, so here is a reward for anyone who can find some proof...good hunting.
If I was not American, I would be rolling on the floor laughing my ass off...

[carl]

Remember the Icon and Guru of Islamic fundamentalist - Osama - and what the US did to him.

And what is most important is that they could get their man defying the complete Pakistani infrastructure, defence, ISI and otherwise!

I think that was an inside job. They knew we were coming because we told them and they decided to take the heat. Either they had to or we gave them something. No proof beyond the reports that the police set up perimeters before the hit but that is what I will forever think.

[Ray]

I think that was an inside job. They knew we were coming because we told them and they decided to take the heat. Either they had to or we gave them something. No proof beyond the reports that the police set up perimeters before the hit but that is what I will forever think.

If it is an inside job, then Pakistanis are as good as the Afghans - sold to the highest bidder!

Pakistanis claim to be wedded to their nation and their cause.

Therefore, would they sell themselves and their 'guest'?

[omarali50]

Now on our blog: http://www.brownpundits.com/the-hafiz-saeed-farce/

[omarali50]

Prodded by adverse comments from friends, I have tried to explain my reasoning for why i referred to this "bounty" as a farce (not because the US is non-serious but because the messaging is so bad): http://www.brownpundits.com/the-hafiz-saeed-farce/

[davidbfpo]

An in depth CTC research paper 'The Fighters of Lashkar‐e‐Taiba: Recruitment,
Training, Deployment and Death', published yesterday; hat tip to Circling the Lion for a reminder.

The Executive Summary opens with:

This paper is a study of over 900 biographies of the deceased militants of Lashkar‐e‐Taiba (LeT), a Pakistani militant group that has waged a campaign of asymmetric warfare against Indian security forces and civilians in the contested region of Kashmir for over two decades, as well as other parts of India more recently. (Later it explains)Specific emphasis is placed on providing insights into the following four research questions:
1) What is the general background of LeT’s localfighters?
2) How and from where are these fighters recruited?
3) What level of training do these fighters have and where were they trained?
4) Where exactly do LeT’s fighters die?

There is a lot of data to absorb in the sixty pages.

From the conclusion:

This research contributes to the evolving body of literature that suggests that poverty, limited education and time spent at a madrassa are poor predictors for determining either support for terrorism or participation in terrorism in Pakistan.

Which appeared on this SWC thread:http://council.smallwarsjournal.com/...ad.php?t=16304

Link:http://www.ctc.usma.edu/wp-content/u...-LeT_Final.pdf

For other comments on the research see: and http://www.propublica.org/article/te...-and-brightest

What strikes me is that based on 917 LeT combatants killed between 1989-2008, based on their published biographies, and the speculation that LeT has trained far more, from the low tens of thousands to two hundred thousand, that is a remarkably low loss rate. Which once again, IIRC as Stephen Tankel concluded in his book, LeT is not about fighting, but the political struggle within Pakistan - leaving aside its long suspected role as a resource for Pakistan's not so covert conflict with India and maybe others.

See a parallel thread on militants giving up:http://council.smallwarsjournal.com/...ad.php?t=15691