In the academic periodical "Journal of Terrorism Research" which published by the Centre for the Study of Terrorism and political Violence in St. Andrews University, Saroj Kumar Rath has published a study assessing the abilities of one of biggest jihadist groups in the South Asia, the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) which has been attacking India from early 1990s in the name of Kashmir. Rath aims, in this study to assess the groups' ability after its bloody attack in Mumbai in 2008 when members of group have stormed historic buildings in the city taking hostages and caused the death of hundreds. The author argues that the groups –against the predications after 2008 attack- still able to conduct attacks against India, and has not declined since the Mumbai attacks. He thinks that couple of factors played role in that; mainly he links that to the response of India. The study says that on internal level "almost all the political figures who resigned as a result of the [Mumbai] attacks either back in their old jobs or promoted to other plumb posts." Moreover, "the India's post-Mumbai public appraisal and official introspection is no match to the response of the US after September 11". The author argues that US even looked to the threat of the LeT through the prism of al Qaeda and "hence it is paranoid with the very thought of a repetition of 9/11". This can explain listing the founder of the LeT Hafiz Saeed "as one of the ‘Most Wanted Terrorists' with a US$10 million bounty" after Mumbai attacks. Contrary to the US paranoia, argues Rath, "India has been continuously under attacks from the LeT. Since 1990, nearly 95% of LeT operations were directed against India. As per the South Asia Terrorism Portal, which list chronologically the attacks conducted by the LeT, there were dozens of LeT attacks on India since November 2008." These attacks were extended in various sities of India. Also, Rath argues that "while the US government has commissioned at least a dozen of official studies on LeT after the Mumbai attacks, India government commissioned none." And therefore, the author concluded, "The LeT is gradually growing from strength to strength by encompassing the role of a political pressure group under the guise of Difa-e-Pakistan [Pakistan's host]." This Difa-e-Pakistan, also played –according to the study- significant role in the LeT's strength. He argues that the group although was banned by Pakistan in Novmber 2011 –not listed as terrorist group though-, it had changed its name into Jamaat-ud Dawa (JuD); "which is one of the aliases of LeT is no more a banned organization in Pakistan." This Difa, includes, according to Rath "easy and uninterrupted flow of funding (from Saudi Arabia, expatriate Pakistani and ISI [Inter Services Intelligence of Pakistan]), cadres (from Pakistan), weapons and operational guidance (from army and ISI). In other's opinion, the LeT, by all that," has become the ‘civilian extension of Pakistan army, which is consistently on war with India."
