Pune blast clouds trust ahead of peace talks
14 Feb 2010, 0011 hrs IST, ET Bureau
NEW DELHI: In what may
cast fresh doubts on Pakistans commitment on reining in terror outfits operating from its soil, suspected jehadis have
struck once again, carrying out a bomb blast in the Koregaon Park locality of Pune.
The blast site was a German bakery in an area that houses not only the Osho ashram but also the local Jewish prayer centre, the Chabad House. With several foreigners known to frequent the bakery, they may have well been the intended target.
Incidentally, Koregaon Park is one of the spots that was receed by American terror suspect, David Coleman Headley, in 2009 for a future terror attack. Headley had stayed in a hotel opposite the Osho ashram, frequented by foreign tourists, and had even visited the ashram.
However, the real target that Headley seemed to have surveyed, the NIA suspects, was the Chabad House, as part of his recee of Jewish prayer centres across Delhi, Pushkar, Goa, Mumbai and Pune.
Headley had chosen to stay at hotels close to the Chabad Houses at each or these cities to facilitate his detailed survey of the nooks and crannies of the Israeli centres. The LeT had tasked Headley with purpose of carrying out simultaneous attacks on Israeli targets across the country.
Incidentally, the bomb blast at Pune once again bore an LeT trademark. As in the case of several 2008 blasts, it came on a Saturday evening and was designed to achieve maximum casualty.
The attack on Pune is certain to come in the way of governments plan to re-engage with Pakistan. Although no knee-jerk reaction is expected, the Pune incident has added to the governments vulnerability. The Opposition has been saying that Pakistan does not deserve Indias generosity of moving beyond 26/11 to reopen bilateral talks. The government should now be prepared to face the Oppositions I told you so statements.
Pune blast clouds trust ahead of peace talks- Dateline India-The Sunday ET-Features-The Economic Times