Bin Laden wanted to exploit Indian threat to take over Pakistan, documents reveal

US intelligence agencies have declassified 42-page booklet 'Jihad in Pakistan' allegedly written by ex-al Qaeda chief

The late al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden wanted militants to wage a 'holy war' in Pakistan, destabilise its military and take control of the region, a new booklet has revealed.

The alleged 42-page booklet “Jihad in Pakistan” was declassified by US intelligence agencies on March 1.

According to the booklet, Bin Laden predicted India was planning to carryout a decisive attack on Pakistan [after the 2008 Mumbai attacks], suggesting his followers to seize the opportunity.

The former global terror kingpin said dividing the nuclear-armed nation into five to six regions was a larger part of the United States’ plan and Indian forces would independently or with assistance from the US carryout the attack.



While he pointed out India was purchasing 134 fighter aircraft, which “will be largest military deal in the history of the world,” he claimed New Delhi’s participation in joint naval exercises in the Arabian sea with America, Australia, Japan and other countries and its military training with Britain in Siachen were indicative of the plan.

Other steps India had taken included nuclear cooperation with US, launch of an Israeli satellite to spy on Islamabad, increasing its force size by a million and allocation of $40 billion to purchase new weaponry, Bin Laden claimed.



“These giant steps predict an incoming storm. India has focused its attention on Pakistan's internal situation,” the booklet said.

Unfolding his strategy of taking over Islamabad, the ex-al Qaeda chief told his followers to devise a strategy to control parts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) and Balochistan provinces to weaken the government.

“We have to launch raids against Pakistani Army deployed on the Indian border. The border armies will not come to the rescue of armies in K-P and Balochistan, and will focus their efforts on strengthening their positions in their areas, as they are sensitive areas from the point of view of Pakistan’s war with India,” the former al Qaeda chief is quoted in the booklet as saying.

This article originally appeared on The Times of India.