Ulfa close to Islamic ultras

NEW DELHI  Assam Government may not be in a great hurry to resume dialogue with outlawed ULFA, but a reputed US intelligence thinktank has reported that with the militant outfit increasingly hobnobbing with Islamic militant groups, Government of India cannot afford to ignore ULFA much longer.Though ULFA's militant activity is confined to India's restive North-east, the group's financial enterprise and strong links with Islamist militant groups have made it a threat that New Delhi will not be able to ignore much longer, Stratfor said in its latest analytical report titled India ULFA abandons peace talks.Though India has largely turned a blind eye to militant groups operating in its far-flung North-east, the growing Islamisation of the region, the deteriorating security situation in Bangladesh and these insurgents' recent reach into the heart of India's financial hub provide more than enough reason for New Delhi to start paying closer attention to its North Eastern border, the report said.

The report significantly linked ULFA with the recent Hyderabad blast.The two prime suspects in that bombing belonged to Bangladesh-based Islamist militant group Harkat-ul-Jihad e-Islami, which is known to have a working relationship with ULFA and other North Eastern insurgent groups, and with Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence agency,the report stated.ULFA regularly dances around the idea of peace talks and knows full well that New Delhi is not serious about rewarding its militant campaign with political concessions.

At the same time, ULFA prefers keeping up the militant front to maintain its financial network and its beneficial relationship with Pakistan's intelligence agency that helps keep India's hands tied. Thus, talk of negotiations does not really hold much weight,Startfor opined. The report analysed that with Indian Government facing 'loads of political pressure' over its civilian nuclear deal with the US and the entry of corporate retail firms into the country, ULFA in all likelihood saw this as an opportune time to pressure New Delhi into coming to the negotiating table.The Indian Government is reluctant to continue talks, especially as the chief mediator for ULFA, Dr Mamoni Raisom Goswami, is in hospital after suffering a cerebral stroke, the report stated.New Delhi would have to pay more attention to the ULFA as it has begun to outsource operations like suicide attacks from Islamic groups, Stratfor opined.

Stratfor has been closely monitoring the growing nexus between India's North Eastern insurgent outfits and militant Islamist groups that regularly traverse India's extremely porous border with Bangladesh.This is an area where ideology, religion and ethnicity hold little or no regard, as each militant group works with another to promote its cause. ULFA, in particular, has shown a growing propensity to work with Islamist militant groups in the area, and has even begun to outsource operations, including suicide attacks, the report stated.