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FBI chief waiting for facts
By Vinay Kumar
NEW DELHI, JAN. 22. The visiting Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director, Robert S. Muller, today said he would ``wait and see'' the facts before describing this morning's attack on the American Center in Kolkata as a ``terrorist strike.''
``The identities of those involved and the motivation behind the attack are being looked into. We will have to wait and see the full facts. It is a tragedy and an assault on the police officers. It is difficult to say anything beyond that in the absence of full facts,'' Mr. Muller told a group of select newspersons at a briefing here.
Asked if he would describe the attack as a ``terrorist strike'' against an American establishment, Mr. Muller said it would be ``premature'' to say anything as investigations were still being conducted by the Kolkata police.
About four hours after the attack, the Superintendent of Police (CID), Kolkata, Rajiv Kumar, received a telephone call from Farhan Malik alias Aftab from Dubai, who owned responsibility for the attack and threatened that similar attacks would be carried out by his group, the Harkat-ul-Jehad-e-Islami, in Delhi and Gujarat.
The Harkat-ul-Jehad is stated to be a Pakistan-based terrorist outfit. The Kolkata police official, who had earlier interrogated Farhan Malik, was able to identify his voice with certainty, it was officially stated here. India has also contacted the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in connection with the shooting incident.
Well-placed Government sources here said the attack might not be related to Kashmir. However, it exposed the global networking of international terrorism. The timing was also curious as it took place when the FBI chief, along with a team of U.S. counter-terrorism experts, was visiting India.
Investigations are being carried out in the backdrop of the Partha Pritim Roy Barman abduction case in Kolkata in July last year. The city's shoe magnate was kidnapped by the Farhan Malik gang and the leading businessman was released after a ransom of Rs. 3.75 crores was paid through a hawala operator in Dubai. Sources indicated that a local angle relating to the Kolkata police in today's shooting incident cannot be ruled out.
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