IB sources told rediff.com that following the success of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, the Lashkar-e-Tayiba had major plans to carry out a strike during the 2010 Commonwealth Games, which is scheduled to be held in New Delhi in 2010.
The CWG in New Delhi stands at the top of the list of terror targets. IB officials say that there are at least ten terror alerts they pick up every week regarding the games.
When David Headley was in India, he had conducted a reccee of various targets, including those which were attacked on November 26, 2008. He was also present in the control room that helped coordinate the attack. It was after the Mumbai attacks that a plan was hatched by the Lashkar leadership to carry out a fidayeen-styled attack at the Commonwealth Games. The Lashkar wanted Headley himself to survey the targets and prepare a chart. However, before the plan was executed, Headley was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the United States.
IB sources, however, add that the threat to the games has not vanished altogether after the arrest of Headley. The threat perception at the games is still very high, but Indian agencies are prepared to ward off any threat. There is constant monitoring and every alert being picked up is shared with the officials concerned. For India, the games are a matter of national reputation and it will take every step to secure the same, home ministry officials pointed out.
Headley, during his visit to New Delhi, had gone around the sites where the games are to be held. However, his prime focus was the Mumbai attacks then, and he did not go too much into the details of the games venues. He had planned a return to Delhi after the Mumbai attacks, and then carry out a thorough reccee of the area.
Security experts say that securing the games should top the priority of every agency in the country.
"We need to rely upon inputs not only from within the country, but also from other countries as well. This should not be treated as a subject of New Delhi alone, but a coordinated effort needs to be adopted. It is not necessary that only a Delhi module would be working on the games. The Lashkar keeps changing its strategy from time-to-time, and in many cases, modules from an alien land have worked on different targets," IB officials also point out.
