Just posted at MEMRI (subscription required, shared with permission): late last year, an Indian jihadist was arrested for his involvement in planning an attack on schoolchildren attending the American School in Mumbai.
The jihadist’s Facebook page was being monitored, and he was caught recruiting a willing U.S.- based jihadist to undertake a similar attack here.
From MEMRI:
An Indian Muslim youth arrested in connection with a terror plot to attack a school in Mumbai, India’s financial capital, was in contact with a U.S.-based jihadi, according to Hindi-language daily Dainik Bhaskar.
Anis Ansari, who was arrested in October 2014 in connection with the terror plot to target the American School situated in the Bandra-Kurla area of Mumbai, was in contact with U.S.-based jihadi youth Umar Ilhaji through Facebook chat.
Ansari, using his identity as “Logan,” was teaching Umar Ilhaji how to carry out an attack in the U.S. As per the media report, Umar Ilhaji (aka Al-Haji) was using his real name for the Facebook chat.
The following are translated excerpts from the chat between the two youths; they may have taken place over a period of time:
Logan (Anis): “Where do you live?”
Ilhaji: “Lebanon, but I live in Darul Harb [Land of War]”
Logan: “Saudi Arabia?”
Ilhaji: “Unfortunately, I live in America, but I didn’t come here out of willingness.”
Logan: “Do you know how lucky you are?”
Ilhaji: “You are joking. How could I be lucky when neither I want to live here nor the people here want so? I want you to reconsider whatever you said.”
Logan: “The mujahideen across the world dream of launching an attack in America on their own. From Yemen to Somalia and Afghanistan, the mujahideen want to do this… They want that the enemy be killed in their home. Have you not heard of attacks carried out on one’s own? Whereas we are very far and cannot do much.”
Ilhaji: “Include me in your team. I too want to become part of this action (jihadi attack) because you think that for this action I am in the right place; that is, America.”
*****
Logan: “You can do a lot on your own; you do not even require help from someone. If you want, by spending 100 dollars you can have the earth under Obama’s feet sink. For this, only courage is needed. You would have heard of a vehicle bomb, IED [improvised explosive device], or pressure-cooker bomb.”
Ilhaji: “Yes, why not. How can a mujahid with hot blood be unaware of these?”
Logan: “Then why is the delay? For targets, you have lots of options near you. I’d bet on this.”
Ilhaji: “Can you help me in this?”
Logan: “How can I help you in this? I am very far from America.”
Ilhaji: “Where are you after all?”
Logan: “Hind; that is, India.”
Ilhaji: “Ok. But our Indian brothers are fighting a war in Kashmir.”
Logan: “This war is about to expand across the entire Indian Subcontinent.”
Ilhaji: “I like your advice. You are a born leader and motivator. I will continue to take advice [from you] in my action, as I will need someone to help me.”
Logan: “You can ask me for advice any time.”
*****
Ilhaji: “I will ask you to reconsider the target (attack on the American School in Mumbai). You need to be cautious. And yes, why do you want to attack the American School only? There are innocent children there, what is their fault?”
Logan: “[I want to target] the American School because there in addition to France and Italy, children from ten allies of America study there. We should hit that part of the enemy which causes the most pain. I mean: the citizen. The deaths of soldiers do not cause pain because this is their line of work.”
Ilhaji: “I agree with you, but in India where would you find such targets?”
Logan: “In Mumbai itself… One can find many targets here.”
Ilhaji: “Your plan and advice are really fabulous.”
Logan: “It will be fabulous only when one puts them into practice. Our one small effort can help the Islamic State (ISIS) a lot. The day America realizes this – that the war in the Middle East has now reached its soil – then the same day will be decisive victory for the Islamic State and mujahideen of the world.”
Ilhaji: “But you should reconsider about attacking the American School.”
Logan: “Aside from that, I do not have any other school in my list because this is indeed a special school. Here all the children are VIPs who are connected to the governments and administrations of America and Europe. Here the teachers and staff are high-profile. However, this work is very difficult because for 24/7 Indian security forces maintain vigilance.”
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