| Publication |
2010.
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| Summary/Abstract |
This article provides a discussion of the foundation of Lashkar-i-Taiba (LeT), the development of its modus operandi, and engages in an investigation of LeT's activities in India and Pakistan, including the Kashmir region. Further, LeT's fundraising methods are touched upon and LeT's relationships with regional state and non-state actors such as Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Dawood Ibrahim's D-Company are analysed. This article argues that although LeT has been a vital component of Islamabad's regional strategy in the past, the organisation has grown beyond the control of its former patron and is largely self-sufficient and is able to operate independently of the political process. These developments challenge the long-held notion that irregulars can be sustainably used to achieve limited objectives in an asymmetric conflict and should serve as a clear warning to other state sponsors of terrorism. However, contrary to many analyses, LeT is not likely to sacrifice its independence and come under Al-Qaeda's umbrella. Rather, LeT will continue to evolve into a distinctive terrorist actor in its own right while still receiving aid from fringe elements in Pakistan's security and intelligence apparatus and elsewhere.
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