Are these attacks aimed at Indian polls?

Islam,Terrorism and Jihad

29 Jul 2008, NewAgeIslam.Com

Are these attacks aimed at Indian polls?

By Indrani Bagchi,TNN 29 July 2008, In June, US Republican candidate John McCain's adviser, Charlie Black, invited a lot of comment when he said that a terrorist attack before the November US presidential elections could help the Republican party. With the string of terror attacks spattering blood all over India, particularly in BJP-ruled states, a similar question is raising its head: are Islamist jihadis making themselves a part of the election discourse in India, just as they have attempted in other parts of the world? After 9/11, Al Qaeda terror attacks in countries have shown to influence elections, not always the way the terrorists would like it to be. On March 11, 2004, Madrid's urban rapid transit system was rocked by bomb attacks just three days before their elections. It cost Jose Maria Aznar, one of Bush's staunch allies the elections, because the people voted in the Socialists. Spain became one of the first to abandon Bush and withdraw its troops from Iraq, when the newly elected Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero decided to overturn Aznar's decision, as a direct result of the Madrid bomb attacks. But Spain was a unique case, when a terror-hit government bowed to terrorist threat and bolted. In 2004, months before the US presidential elections, the fear of a terror attack on US soil to influence the elections was paramount. The New York Times also reported on the possibility that Al Qaeda would try to "influence the outcome of the election" by striking US oil refineries. "The Federal Bureau of Investigation has warned the Texas oil industry of potential attacks by Al Qaeda on pipelines and refineries near the time of the November presidential election," NYT reported. "In the wake of what happened in Madrid, we have to be concerned about the possibility of terrorists attempting to influence elections in the US by committing a terrorist act," FBI director Robert Mueller was quoted as saying. It is generally believed that an Osama bin Laden video before the US presidential elections in 2004 put the national security question on top of the agenda, helping George Bush romp home. Two years later, in April 2006, Italy, which was facing elections under Silvio Berlusconi was threatened by terror attacks and even a video by Al Qaeda No.2, Ayman al Zawahiri. The then Italian vice president of the European Commission, Franco Frattini, warned that "Al-Qaeda is ready to strike...and Italy is at risk because of its solid alliance with the US." On March 5, Ayman al-Zawahiri threatened Italy openly. "We renew our warning to Rome and Berlusconi: If Italy won't withdraw its troops from Iraq, it will dig its own grave there," al-Zawahiri threatened. This despite the fact that Berlusconi had already said Italy would withdraw troops from Iraq. Berlusconi lost to Romano Prodi. In 2007, in the run-up to the French presidential elections, French intelligence were abuzz with threats from Osama bin Laden and letters on websites close to Al Qaeda, alleged letters from Laden asking Salafi jihadi groups to attack France and a large number of Islamic extremists were arrested in the country — all indicated that a pre-election attack was likely. The terror attacks in India over the last few months have been in BJP-ruled states: Rajasthan, Karnataka and Gujarat. Increased terrorist activity in J&K could also be linked to the coming elections there. With state elections coming up in some of these states in November as well as general elections a little later, if not around the same time, it is possible that terror attacks could be used to influence a future government's policy or even India's foreign policy. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Are_these_attacks_aimed_at_Indian_polls/articleshow/3299696.cms