ISI CULTIVATES NEW FRIENDS

By M RAMA RAO
NEW DELHI (Syndicate Features): The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) have found a new patron saint in Pakistan's ISI, who is willing to go that extra mile to offer state patronage and safe passage to the Tigers, in return for sharing its expertise in precision bombings, and 'human' bombs. It is a 'made for each other' enterprise of mutual admiration besides necessity, long time LTTE watchers and counter terrorism experts say.
The ISI cover is crucial to the Tigers at the present juncture as theUnited States, UK and Britain and a host of countries have banned themand have thus chocked their arms and money supply routes.
On its part, the ISI views the LTTE as the 'asali cheese' (real thing) of terrorism. When compared to the Tamil Tigers, outfits like Al Badr, LeT, JeI, and JMB, notwithstanding their Islamic credentials, are 'small fry' as they have not graduated to the precision in target killing the LTTE has perfected.
This is one reason, according to counter terrorism experts, the ISI wants to utilise the LTTE 'services' for training front line foot soldiers. Most terror groups handled by ISI thus far have expertise in suicide bombing. But these fidayeen attackers are no match to Black Tigers, as the suicide squads of LTTE are known. ISI protégés only know how to carry out a RDX or bomb blast in a crowded place or a moving train. They are not experts in covering their tracts and as Malegaon, Varanasi and Sarojini Nagar blasts have shown, the trail leads the investigators to the training camps in Pakistan and often even to the ISI door-step.
In a sense, the ISI and LTTE are made for each other, says a counterterrorism expert, who has been keenly following their nexus over a long period. The ISI badly needs the LTTE expertise to widen its theatre of influence and to cover its tracts, according to him. Another expert, who had a long stint in the north east and retired as the chief of a paramilitary force, opined the LTTE fits in well with the ISI strategy of using non-Islamic outfits to execute its game plan of bleeding India and creating anarchy and communal flare up across the country.
Then how does this square up with the reality that the LTTE had made an attack on the life of Col (retd) Bashir Wali Mohammed, the then Pakistan high commissioner in Colombo on August 14, 2006.
The attack on Bashir was not to kill him but to warn him as he was seen as double crossing the Tigers, a senior Tamil source said.
Bashir was the point’s man for LTTE those days. He had befriended theTigers since June 2004 and implemented the plan conceived in Islamabadby the Joint Counter Intelligence Bureau- the holding Jehadi company of ISI.
But as is usual for Pakistan and most ISI officers, Bashir and his colleagues started playing a double game of courting both the LTTE and the Sri Lankan government. Like LTTE, Colombo was desperate for arms, and ammunition. It was shopping for $70 million worth of arms besides pilots who can carry out precision bombing. Some $25 million was earmarked to meet the Sri Lanka force demands.
Once the Tigers became aware of Pakistan's aggressive designs, LTTEactivated its sleeper cells in Colombo and 'put the fear of God in the ISI', as a Chennai based expert remarks with a chuckle. The Bashir Ali attack brought the ISI for the first time face to face with the ferocity of Tigers and made them to revisit their plans for Sri Lanka, the expert said. By targetting Bashir Ali but not killing him, the Tigers have sent a clear message: 'don't foul with us'.

One question that has been bothering experts is who is exploiting whoin this 'made for each other' combine – LTTE and ISI. Opinion is divided. But majority is view is that Tigers are looking at the immediate and have not come to comprehend the long term plans of their new 'benefactor'.
Politicians have a tendency not to look beyond their nose and all said and done Prabhakaran (LTTE supremo) is a politician. He needs urgently replenishments for the patrol boats and other motorised craft besides a few high calibre guns lost in the latest flare up. More over he has to deflect international (read US and EU) attention from his arms shopping and safe transportation. Pakistan fits the bill for the Tigers' immediate goals. But then every game has a price and LTTE has to subserve the ISI interests though outside the Lankan theatre.
This school of analysts opine that the LTTE may not hesitate toquickly snap the ties with the ISI if its self interests are under threat. Once the Tigers conclude that their association with ISI undermines the 'Eelam goal' and that are brought under the direct line of fire in the global war on terrorism, they will go their own way, say these analysts. There few takers for the line though.
LTTE watchers don't subscribe to the view that the Tigers have lost their punch and that they are missing their targets four out of five. Reference is to the near miss of the attack on Sri Lanka defence secretary, who is the brother of President Rajapakse, shortly after the president 'triumphantly' returned from a visit to Delhi.

"In our view, the Tigers did not want to kill President's brother or the army chief, which they could have done easily security or no security. They (Tigers) wanted to put their 'prey; on notice of their deadly mission and message is 'don't take us lightly'.

On their part, the ISI plan is using LTTE to train Indian insurgents groups like, ULFA, and other NE insurgents in LTTE camps or in the camps set up in Bangaldesh, India-Nepal border and Bhutan's foothills. This way ISI can do away with its own jehadi training infrastructure in POK, NWFP and the Sindh.Already the first batch of 15 ULFA cadres has started learning the Tigers' craft from three LTTE instructors specially flown to Pakistan. Tigers' presence is also reported from Lakhipathar camp of ULFA. Tamil Tigers are reportedly running at least two camps for Nepali Maoists and Indian Naxalites somewhere near Narkatiaganj and Ghorasahan on Bihar- Nepal border. ULFA was spotted in these camps which were first noticed in July last year.Undoubtedly, the ISI-LTTE nexus introduces a new element in Sri Lanka’s ethnic conflict. And by extension in India – Lanka relations.