NSG Chief names Al-Qaeda behind Mumbai terror; clarifies later

New Delhi, Feb 11 (PTI) Did Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda
terror network have a hand in the unprecedented Mumbai terror
attacks?

It appears so if National Security Guards (NSG) Director
General J K Dutt's assessment is a pointer.

"The Mumbai terror attack was an audacious attempt by
the Taliban, al-Qaeda and LeT combine to shape policies of
three sovereign nations that include the oldest and the
largest democracy," Dutt said in his inaugural speech at an
international seminar being organised by National Bomb Data
centre.

"There is growing concern over the convergence of the
objectives of terrorist organisations such as al-Qaeda and
LeT. The Mumbai terror attack of November 26 last year
represents this convergence of interests," Dutt said.

But Dutt's remarks which was aired on television is
reported to have not gone well with the Indian Home Ministry
officials on the ground it could be seen as sensationalising
the attack by bringing in Al-Qaeda's name.

Immediately, the NSG machinery swung into action for
an apparent damage control. The Director General of the force
himself is reported to have called the television reporters
present at the seminar being held at Manesar, near here, to
"issue a clarification" saying his comments were in the
context of global scenario of terrorism.

The comments from Dutt, who will be demitting office
this month end, came a day after a video recording showed a
top Al-Qaeda commander warning India of more Mumbai-style
terror attacks if it tried to attack Pakistan.

Dutt, who led the commando operation during Mumbai
attacks, said: "With the resurgence of the Taliban the region
astride the Durand line -- the international border between
Pakistan and Afghanistan -- appears to be spiralling out of
control as the writ of the law in the region is at best
tenuous.

"The LeT has morphed from a Kashmir centric terror
group to a transnational terror group that aspires to fight
Jihad across the globe."