Goa on SIMI, Qaida hitlists

Goa on SIMI, Qaida hitlists
Preetu Nair | TNN

Panaji: Al Qaida and SIMI terrorists have been planning to target American, British and Israeli tourists in Goa, intelligence and police sources say.
While arrested SIMI leader Safdar Nagori—who is alleged to be behind the Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Delhi blasts—revealed during narco-analysis their plan to strike Goa, a Qaida module busted in the US provided provided information about the tourist hotspot being in terror crosshairs.
Sources added both these reports have been submitted to the Goa police. When contacted, DGP B S Brar said, “As of today, Goa is not a target. However, interrogation reports of various terrorists arrested by the police have revealed that they had Goa as a target and we are not taking any chances. All these groups were based outside Goa.”
During narco-analysis, Nagori said, “Nasir (a SIMI activist arrested by the Karnataka police in January 2008) had spoken to Adnan (arrested by the Karnataka police from Indore in March) and others about his target and he had targeted the Americans, Britishers and Israelis as his present target at Goa…”
Nagori was arrested by the Madhya Pradesh police from Indore and the narcoanalysis was done at Central Forensic Science Laboratory, Bangalore, in April this year. Three others were also subjected to the test. The report was submitted in June.
Nagori revealed that they had organized a training camp at Karnataka’s Castle Rock—80 km from Goa’s capital Panaji—to ready for the operation. “Nasir had attended the Castle Rock training camp and had also visited Hubli,” he said. ‘No immediate threat to state’
Panaji: Intelligence sources revealed that the al Qaida had plans to attack Goa in 2007 itself. A laptop recovered from an al Qaida module busted in the US contained information about a proposed strike around “Baja (Baga) beach”, sources said. This information was passed on to Indian authorities by US agencies.
Although there is no immediate threat it does not reduce the vulnerability, top police officials said. In fact, IGP Kishan Kumar has been continuously saying that Goa needs to comes out of the “nothing will ever happen here” mindset.
The police have already beefed up its intelligence gathering and are insisting on CCTVs and proper lighting at popular beaches. The police have also instructed all night clubs to down shutters by 12 midnight. Two companies of Central industrial security force have been stationed at tourist spots and two more will arrive during the IFFI in November.
October 12, 2008,The Times of India, Goa edition