US Designates Indian Mujahideen As “Terrorist Organization”

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US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton designated on Thursday the Indian Mujahideen as a terrorist organization which has “significant links” to Pakistan.

Clinton designated the Indian Mujahideen (IM) as a Foreign Terrorist Organization describing it as “an India-based terrorist group with significant links to Pakistan. IM is responsible for dozens of bomb attacks throughout India since 2005, and has caused the deaths of hundreds of innocent civilians”.

“IM maintains close ties to other U.S.- designated terrorist entities including Pakistan-based Lashkar e-Tayyiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JEM) and Harakat ul-Jihad-i-Islami (HUJI). IM’s stated goal is to carry out terrorist actions against non-Muslims in furtherance of its ultimate objective – an Islamic Caliphate across South Asia”, noted the State Department in a statement.

The State Department added that “IM’s primary method of attack is multiple coordinated bombings in crowded areas against economic and civilian targets to maximize terror and casualties.

In 2010, IM carried out the bombing of a popular German bakery in Pune, India frequented by tourists, killing 17 and injuring over 60 people.

In 2008, an IM attack in Delhi killed 30 people”. State Department’s Coordinator for Counterterrorism Ambassador Daniel Benjamin said that “these designations highlight the threat posed by IM not only to Western interests, but to India, a close U.S. partner.

The Indian populace has borne the brunt of IM’s wanton violence and today’s actions illustrate our solidarity with the Indian Government”.

“These designations play a critical role in our fight against terrorism and are an effective means of curtailing support for terrorist activities and pressuring groups to abandon terrorism”, he added.

The State Department further affirmed that the consequences of these designations include “a prohibition against knowingly providing material support or resources to, or engaging in other transactions with, the Indian Mujahideen, and the freezing of all property and interests in property of the organization that are in the United States, or come within the United States, or the control of U.S. persons”.

KUNA

KUNA is the Kuwait News Agency

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