Plotter's book lays bare the mind of a jihadist

Dhiren Barot, born as Hindu, converted to Islam and jihadism, unveils his innovative plans to bring the enemy down. He has been senteneced to life imprisonment by a British court.

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Plotter's book lays bare the mind of a jihadist
Last Updated: 2:27am GMT 08/11/2006
Read Dhiren Barot's book: The Army of Madinah in Kashmir (pdf)

Planning barbaric acts of terrorism was not Dhiren Barot's only preoccupation. Still available on the internet is a book he wrote in 1999 about the struggle in Kashmir on the disputed border between Pakistan and India.

It is dedicated to his sister, who had not converted to Islam, with the words: "My sister, this should explain much. X [cross] the line."

His writings give an insight into the mind of a man who left London to fight in Kashmir, only to find the real battles were being fought at top-level diplomatic meetings in which deals were carved out between the great nations.

The Army of Madinah in Kashmir charts Barot's journey from the foothills of Pakistan, across the mountainous line of control and into the valley of Indian-occupied Kashmir. He was following in the snow-filled footsteps of young men keen to fight for their faith, but his conclusion was a stark one.

Having drawn jihadis in with a romantic description of his experiences in Kashmir, Barot concluded that they should be attacking economic targets at home.

He was a member of a "rag tag force" which faced a "harrowing" crossing, carrying supplies and dressed only in the "flowing shirt and trousers of the shalwar kameez" and living in forests.
For a young man from London the outdoor life was a shock. "Kashmir is also a land with wildlife, wildcats, bears, jackals and snakes," he wrote. "A great burden for the Muslim fighters living out in the open is the blood sucking swarms of mosquitoes that constantly torment them."
He described lice in his hair and clothes and "festering" sores caused by infected cuts and scratches, made worse by wading through rivers. There was a risk of frostbite and amputations as the fighters dug themselves winter hides.

He described leaving delayed explosives, setting up mortars and firing rocket propelled grenades and machineguns as well as laying ambushes and road blocks. But there is no first-hand description of confrontations with the Indian army, suggesting Barot may have felt he was wasting his time.

He described Kashmir as "semi-farcical" and a "secondary rate jihad" in which "thousands upon thousands of guest mujahideen [holy warriors] are being slaughtered at a phenomenal pace".
He said Pakistan and its secret service the ISI was using "sincere but unsuspecting young men" as "pawns in the game that adequately serve as cannon fodder, performing the country's dirty work".

Barot told his readers: "Jihad has many great spheres and it would be a misconception to confine it simply to the mountain-tops of foreign countries, as we are so prone to do. Instead we are forced to ask the question, do we put the fear of Allah into the enemies of al Islam?
"The indigenous believers that reside in these meddling countries, however, can only do this. For it is they, the locals, and not the foreigners who understand the language, culture, area and common practices of the enemy whom they coexist amongst."


Writing two years before the World Trade Centre was attacked on September 11, Barot concluded: "To attempt to bring any one of these interfering nations to its knees is a major task which undoubtedly takes a great deal of carefully coerced interaction."