 | | Our 2003 Dawood issue | Last week witnessed a tragic reminder of how our world has been changed by the merchants of terror. It was the fifth anniversary of 9/11, the attacks on America which claimed 3,000 lives. It was also when a special court began delivering its verdict on the accused in the serial blasts in Mumbai in March, 1993 which killed 257 people. Both have something in common besides targeting financial centres: the masterminds are not only known but are yet to be brought to justice. Osama Bin Laden remains elusive as ever in the tribal region along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. Dawood Ibrahim, the man behind the Mumbai blasts, remains free despite numerous sightings. Both have another dubious connection: Pakistan. It also throws up another troubling question: why has India failed to get Dawood back to stand trial for his heinous crimes? Interpol has issued a Red Corner notice which means every entry point in the world is on alert. The UN branded him as wanted for association with Al Qaeda. The US has identified Dawood as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist. The Pakistan press has provided evidence that Dawood has acquired property in Karachi. Pakistan's stock reply to India's demand for his deportation is that Dawood does not live in Pakistan. The reasons for the serial denials are obvious: Dawood is a perfect foil for Pakistan. He provides them his crime network in India to assist in terror attacks in India and gives them plausible deniability and claim that terrorism is locally inspired. In return, he gets ISI protection, false passports and immunity from deportation. For India, getting Dawood is a matter of putting pressure at an international level particularly in Washington and confronting Pakistan with the issue of giving him a safe haven. Also, the Government needs to attack his criminal network in India and dry up his sources of revenue. He is estimated to control a business of over Rs 7,000 crore in India. The pressure has succeeded to some extent as the US has declared Dawood a Global Terrorist. It has forced Dawood deeper underground. Pushing the issue to the logical conclusion depends on America's complex relationship with General Musharraf and how much India can make Dawood an embarrassment for Pakistan. Our cover story examines the evidence about Dawood's whereabouts, how he evades arrest, and the efforts made by India to get Dawood and his co-criminals. We also have a report from Karachi looking at what the Pakistan government has to say. We focus on what exactly is the evidence against Dawood, Tiger Memon, Sanjay Dutt, and others. We have featured Dawood on the cover twice before. This time, it is in the context of the serial blasts and the sobering reminder that India's most wanted criminal remains a free man. Index
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