The US has announced a USD 10 million bounty on Pakistan-based Jamaat-ud-Dawa(JUD) chief Hafiz Saeed, a decision welcomed by India, which today hoped that this would prod Islamabad into taking action against the mastermind of 26/11 Mumbai terror attack.
Late last night, the US Government announced an award of up to USD 10 million for information leading to arrest and conviction of Saeed and up to USD two million for his deputy Adbul Rahman Makki under the ‘Rewards for Justice programme’, for information on the two terrorists, the Ministry of External Affairs said.
"India welcomes the notification under the Rewards for Justice Programme. It reflects the commitment of India and the United States to bring the perpetrators of the Mumbai terrorist attack to justice and continuing efforts to combat terrorism.
"It also sends a strong signal to Lashkar-e-Taiba as also its members and patrons that the international community remains united in combating terrorism," External Affairs Minister S M Krishna told reporters here.
Asserting that there was enough material to detain and interrogate Saeed and that Pakistan was not "doing its duty", Home Minister P Chidambaram said US decision should prod Pakistan in taking action against him. "Pakistan can’t go through with this farce of a trial," he said.
The US maintains both LeT and JUD as foreign terrorist organisations and has also individually designated Saeed and Makki for terrorist activities under its law.
Sixty-one-year-old Saeed has become one of only four terrorist leaders for whom the US has offered a bounty of USD 10 million, joining the likes of Afghan Taliban chief Mullah Omar. The only person with a higher bounty on his head than these four terrorist leaders is Al-Qaeda chief Ayman al- Zawahiri, for whom the US has put a reward of USD 25 million.
Chidambaram said the US decision will also help India in sharing information on Saeed and JuD with the American authorities.
Saeed, the brain behind the terror attack on Mumbai that left 166 dead, is "safely tucked away" somewhere in Pakistan, Krishna said, adding that US which keeps a tab on all these terrorists around the world, would have kept a tab on Saeed.
"I have always been insisting that he was the brain behind the terror attack on Mumbai. These terrorists and conspirators cannot be spared and they will have to be brought to justice and that is what we have been demanding from Pakistan," the External Affairs Minister said.
Krishna said in recent years, India and the US have deepened mutual understanding on the nature of terrorism challenges emanating from India’s neighbourhood.
India and the US agree that all terrorist organisations, including LeT, should be defeated and have called for elimination of terrorist safe havens and infrastructure inside Pakistan and Afghanistan, a statement by the MEA said.
It also said that yesterday, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Wendy Sherman conveyed to Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai Washington’s intention to take additional steps to deal with terrorists like Saeed and Makki to which Mathai expressed New Delhi’s sincere appreciation.
The two countries have strengthened their counter- terrorism cooperation through the Joint Working Group on Counter-terrorism, Counter-terrorism Cooperation Initiative, the Homeland Security Dialogue and regular exchanges between intelligence and law enforcement agencies, MEA said.
Saeed has became one of only four terrorist leaders for whom the US has offered a bounty of USD 10 million, joining the likes of Afghan Taliban chief Mullah Omar.
The only person with a higher bounty on his head than these four terrorist leaders is Al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri, for whom the US has offered a reward of USD 25 million under its Rewards for Justice programme.
Besides 61-year-old Saeed, the other terrorist leaders who carry a bounty of USD 10 million on their head are Al-Qaeda in Iraq leader Abu Du’a, one-eyed Mullah Omar and Yasin al-Suri alias Ezedin Abdel Aziz Khalil, a senior Al-Qaeda facilitator based in Iran.
The listing for Saeed on the Rewards for Justice website describes him as a former professor of Arabic and Engineering who was a founding member of "Jamaat-ud-Dawa, a radical Deobandi Islamist organisation dedicated to installing Islamist rule over parts of India and Pakistan, and its military branch, Lashkar-e-Taiba".
"Saeed is suspected of masterminding numerous terrorist attacks, including the 2008 Mumbai attacks, which resulted in the deaths of 166 people, including six American citizens," the listing further states.
The website noted that India has issued an Interpol Red Corner Notice against Saeed for his role in the Mumbai attacks. Besides, the US Department of the Treasury has designated Saeed as a "Specially Designated National under Executive Order 13224".
The Order provides a means to disrupt the financial support network for terrorists and terrorist groups by authorising the US government to designate and block the assets of foreign individuals and entities that commit, or pose a significant risk of committing, acts of terrorism.
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