US embassy cable - 97ISLAMABAD5640

S E C R E T ISLAMABAD 005640 
 
 
DEPT FOR S/CT 
DEPT ALSO FOR SA/RA 
 
E.O. 12958:  DECL: (1.6X1) 
TAGS:  KPRP, PINR, PTER, PK 
SUBJ:  JAMMU AND KASHMIR ISLAMIC FRONT (C-NA7-00565) 
 
REF:  STATE 106548 
 
CLASSIFIED BY ACTING POLCOUNS MIKE ANDERSON.  REASON:  1.5 (C). 
 
1.  (S)  EMBASSY IS WORKING ON GATHERING MORE INFORMATION ON THE 
JAMMU AND KASHMIR ISLAMIC FRONT (JKIF) IN RESPONSE TO REFTEL, BUT 
OFFERS THE FOLLOWING INITIAL READOUT TO ASSIST ANALYSTS.  ACCORDING 
TO MUSHTAQ WANI -- ALL PARTIES HURRIYAT CONFERENCE MEMBER AND 
KASHMIRI MILITANT LEADER -- THE JKIF WAS FORMED WHEN THE PRO- 
PAKISTAN IKHEWAN-UL-MUSLIMEEN GROUP SPLIT APART IN 1995.  WANI SAID 
THAT THE GROUP IS SMALL -- "LESS THAN 100 MEMBERS" -- BUT THAT IT 
IS QUITE ACTIVE IN INDIA.  TWO OF ITS MORE PROMINENT MEMBERS 
RECENTLY WERE ARRESTED IN NEPAL AND INDIA FOR POSSESSION OF THE 
EXPLOSIVE RDX, WANI SAID.  ASKED IF THE WORD "ISLAMIC" IN JKIF 
MEANT THE GROUP WAS ESPECIALLY RELIGIOUS, WANI REPLIED NO.  WANI 
SAID MOST OF THE MEMBERS WERE "UNEDUCATED MEN" WHO CAME FROM 
KASHMIR. 
 
2.  (S)  THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION WAS GLEANED FROM A 1996 REPORT 
HANDED TO POLOFF BY FIRST SECRETARY ROWAN LAXON (PROTECT) AT THE UK 
HIGH COMMISSION IN ISLAMABAD.  ANALYSTS MAY ALREADY HAVE THIS 
PARTICULAR REPORT, BUT WE OFFER IT HERE FOR WHAT IT IS WORTH: 
BEGIN TEXT: 
 
" ACCORDING TO A J&K GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN, HILAL AHMED BEG, 
COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE J&K ISLAMIC FRONT, WAS KILLED IN AN 
ENCOUNTER WITH J&K POLICE IN THE OUTSKIRTS OF SRINAGAR AROUND 
MIDNIGHT ON 16/17 JULY 1996.  BEG IS REPORTED TO HAVE BEEN INVOLVED 
IN A NUMBER OF SERIOUS TERRORIST ACTS COMMITTED AT THE START OF THE 
MILITANCY IN KASHMIR, INCLUDING THE MURDER OF THE VICE CHANCELLOR 
OF KASHMIR UNIVERSITY.  HIS DEATH FOLLOWS THAT OF SAJJAD KENU, THE 
FOUNDER OF THE JKIF, AND COULD LEAD TO THE DEMISE OF THE 
ORGANIZATION AS A SERIOUS FORCE IN THE MILITANCY."  END TEXT. 
 
3.  (S)  IN REPLY TO REFTEL REQUEST (PARA. L) FOR INFORMATION ON AN 
HUA POSTER AT ISLAMIC INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY, EMBASSY CONTACTS 
WERE UNABLE TO LOCATE A COPY OF THE POSTER, NOR DID THEY SEE ANY 
OTHER ANTI-US PROPAGANDA ON DISPLAY ON CAMPUS.  WE WILL CONTINUE TO 
KEEP OUR EYES OPEN FOR ANY SUCH LITERATURE.  WE ALSO EXPECT TO 
RECEIVE MORE INFORMATION ON THE JKIF -- INCLUDING PHONE NUMBERS -- 
WITHIN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS.  WE WILL PROVIDE THEM AS SOON AS WE GET 
THEM.  REGARDS FROM I-BAD. 
 
 
SIMONS