Anti-Terror Ops — Five Eyes Push Back Against India

Inside Track: Five Eyes Intelligence Want A Less Aggressive India

Earlier this week, an Australian state-funded media platform came out with allegations against Indian intel agencies.

ABC's Allegation: Indian spies were expelled from Australia for attempting to steal defence, airport security, and trade secrets, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation said.

• The Australian government, on the other hand, played good cop.

• "I don't propose to get into those stories," Treasurer Jim Chalmers told the ABC.

• "We have got a good relationship with India... It's an important economic relationship. It's become closer in recent years as a consequence of efforts on both sides."

• Even in the US, the Biden administration has underplayed the Washington Post's allegations.

So, what's the story behind the good cop - bad cop? Shishir Gupta, with sources inside the government, offers a few potential scenarios.

• "Five Eyes intelligence has decided to take on Indian intelligence for getting too big for its boots."

• "...are leaking source intelligence to leftist media and their own funded broadcaster to rein in the Modi government."

• Attempt to derail succession and post-retirement plans of NSA Ajit Doval and RAW Chief Samant Goel, respectively.

• Five Eyes intel and their media surrogates must reconcile to a more assertive India that does not want terrorists from their soil attacking India.

Unknown Gunmen And Their Hits

At-least 17 anti-India terrorists have been killed by 'unknown gunmen'. These mysterious assassinations have sparked widespread speculation.

57 declared terrorists. The Indian government has declared list of 57 terrorists wanted under the UAPA act.

• 47 of these 57 were based in Pakistan - including Dawood Ibrahim, his associates, and other jihadi organisations.

• Only three of these 47 Pakistan-based terrorists have been killed in the last few years.

• They are Jaish-e-Mohammed Commander Shahid Latif, Hizbul ultra Bashir Ahmed Peer, and Khalistani Commander Force leader Paramjit Singh, aka Panjwar.

14 others have also been eliminated. The list includes those involved with the Indian Airlines IC184 hijacking.

• Founder of Jaish-e-Mohammed Masood Azhar's close associate, Dawood Malik, among those killed.

• Six of the total 16 killed were Khalistani terrorists.

• The killer of Sarabjit Singh, an Indian farmer wrongly convicted of terror in Pakistan, was also shot dead a fortnight ago by 'unknown gunmen.'

• Sarabjit's murderer had been a close associate of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror outfit founder Hafiz Saeed.

Thought of the day: Could the push back by Five Eyes intel agencies be somehow related to this growing list of anti-Indian terrorists finding themselves being attacked by unknown gunmen?

• You never know.

- Amar Govindarajan