On Azam Cheema’s Trail – Part 3

We have some more news on Azam Cheema, it seems if this story by Vicky Nanjappa on Rediff is something to go by (link courtsey Offstumped readers).

Though Cheema’s stamp can be found in virtually every Lashkar attack on India soil, IB intercepts suggest that diabetes put him out of full-fledged operations four months before the Mumbai attacks.

Cheema is said to have handed over the reins to Abu Qama, who the terrorists are said to have spoken when the siege was on in Mumbai’s hotels.

The story when examined by itself corroborates the earlier story in the Hindustan Times on Azam Cheema’s diabetes.

But the story has problem when it brings Abu Al-Qama into the picture and it does so by referring to confessions made by Sabahuddin Sheikh and Fahim Ansari of the the Feb 2008 Lashkar arrests – CRPF Rampur attacks fame.

Sources said Cheema was kept in the loop when the conspiracy was being planned. Based on statements by arrested terrorists Sabahuddin Ahmed and Fahim Ansari and other inputs, the IB says Cheema was in the loop at least till the time Lashkar operatives surveyed likely Mumbai targets.

Why is the Al-Qama angle a problem ?

Well consider the timeline pf 4 months before 26/11.

First September 26th 2008 story in the Indian Express which has the Delhi Police (read Union Home Ministry) and Kashmir police sparring over whether Al-Qama was dead or alive.

Delhi Police claims that Lashkar-e-Toiba’s PoK-based commander “Abu al-Qama is the man who directs the Indian Mujahideen” in Terror plots across the country but the Jammu and Kashmir Police say al-Qama died six months ago.

According to J&K Police, al-Qama was killed in Gujranwala in April this year, a month after he left the Lashkar.

Sources said the Lashkar commander, who had been its India chief, had not been keeping well and was relieved of his charge some time in March. Sources said al-Qama joined his family business, running a cloth shop in Gujranwala. In April, an unidentified gunman, the sources said, shot him in his shop

Next this Sept 30th story in the Indian Express, which has the Delhi Police (read Union Home Ministry) insisting two things – Abu Al Qama is the man behind all serial attacks and that he is alive.

“He is the one who planned the serial blasts in the UP courts, Ahmedabad, Jaipur and Delhi,” said Singh, adding they received intercepts confirming this.

According to the Delhi Police, al-Qama directed Amir Raza Khan to carry out the blasts and SIMI provided logistical support to the Indian Mujahideen at his behest.

Now what gives the Delhi Police confidence that their version of the truth on Al Qama was correct.

But if the Delhi Police is to be believed, the blasts were funded by the Laskhar, apart from others, and the al-Qama is part of the whole conspiracy and has been in regular touch with counterparts in India. “Al-Qama uses satellite phones and also comes to India and interacts with all his commanders over an India phone number. He asked SIMI to provide logistical help to the Indian Mujahideen. All this is being done at the behest of Pakistan’s ISI,” the Special Cell chief says

In fact Al-Qama’s Satellite phones are a common theme for some time now including the latest Mumbai Attacks dossier which claims the satellite phone number (+88 216) 44 44 7049 belonged to Abu Al Qama.

That was not the only satellite phone number attributed to Abu Al Qama, in this story that appeared on December 19th 2008 in the DNA, two other satellite phone numbers are mentioned

Security agencies stumbled upon the two numbers — 8821651135541 and 8821621330743

Mumbai police have determined two mobile phone numbers Yusuf Muzammil, alleged to be a top Lashkar-e-Tayiba man, used to be in touch with some of the terrorists who attacked Mumbai on November 26

There is a problem however with these two numbers. A simple google search on them reveals that as far back as July 26th 2005 these satellite phone numbers were traced along with a third belonging to Abu Al Qama.

Security forces have recovered two satellite phones from the three militants who were killed on Saturday in an encounter at Mendhar in Poonch which has traced out the link of the LET militants operating in Poonch area of J-K with their counterparts across the border in planning the Ayodhya attack.

In the satellite phones, which were recovered from the three militants, the telephone numbers of the LeT top commanders Mohammad Muzamil, Zakir-ur-Rehman and Abu Al Quma have been found. Col General Staff Media, Nagrota Corps, said that in the sattelite phones which were recovered, the telephone number of Zakir-u-Rehman was fed as 8821651135541 while that of Mohammad Muzamil was 8821621330743 and of Abu Al Quma’s was8821689832768.

Given that these Satellite phone numbers have been public knowledge for 3 years it is highly questionable why any intercepts on these numbers should be deemed credible ?

Which brings us to the common source behind the Azam Cheema indispoistion, Abu Al Qama taking over and the satellite phone numbers being linked to 26./11.

In all these three stories the common links are the confessions of Sabahuddin Sheikh and Fahim Ansari. So how reliable are the confessions from these individuals in establishing the credibility of these satellite phones and in these bits of information on who is running operations – Azam Cheema OR Abu Al Qama or Yusuf Muzammil ?

It was not without reason Offstumped had raised questions back in February of 2008 when the arrests of Sabahuddin Sheikh and Fahim Ansari were announced after the attack on CRPF Rampur a month earlier. Since then many stories have appeared quoting the confessions from these two individuals explaining every attack in the past from IISC to Mumbai 7/11.

The puzzling thing however is if these two individuals were in the know of just about everything from how is it that the Indian Mujahideen wave of attacks which started before their arrest in November 2007 were not explained by their confessions ?

How is it also that the warning on the CRPF Rampur attack which appeared in the first Indian Mujahideen e-mail was also not explained by their confessions ?

How is it that if the same individuals mentored and trained these individuals and the Indian Mujahideen and they were aware of Azam Cheema of running a separate group, there was no hint of the series of blasts from Jaipur to New Delhi ?

Offstumped ends this post on an inconclusive note wondering if these two individuals have been on an disinformation spree or if a deliberate attempt is being made to downplay Azam Cheema’s role and if so by who and why ?

Hopefully we will learn more in the days to come.

Filed under: Connecting the Dots, Lok Sabha Polls 2008-2009, War on Mumbai, War on Terror, betrayal of aam admi