Having sought an immediate US ban on Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) following Monday's gruesome fidayeen attacks on Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, India is understood to have provided Washington with additional evidence on the terrorist organisation's close links with Osama bin Laden's Al-Qaeda network. Apart from JeM Chief Masood Azhar's known camaraderie with Bin Laden, New Delhi has also drawn America's attention to a close nexus between several other terrorist organisations operating in J&K and the Saudi fugitive's Al-Qaeda. The terrorist outfits shortlisted for inclusion in the American ban order include Lashkar-e-Tayyeba (LeT) and Hizbul Mujahideen.
Sources said India's demand for a freeze on the funding of these Pak-based terrorist outfits with close Bin Laden links was based on the fact that Al-Qaeda's huge international network had managed massive financial support for their jehad in India, J&K in particular. On his part, Masood Azhar is reported to have raised huge funds in the United Kingdom (Birmingham area) apart from recruiting mercenaries from Afghanistan, Yemen, Nigeria, Sudan and Pakistan.
Masood is reported to have visited at least 25 countries to raise funds for the JeM's jehad since the formation of his terrorist outfit on Jan 31, 2000. Having worked closely with Afghanistan's Taliban leadership in the formative years of their jehadi initiation, Masood is perceived to be very close to Mullah Omar — the reigning Taliban leader. He is on record as having supported the Taliban cause while hailing Osama as a great "Mujahid" (fighter) and an asset to the Islamic cause spread out across the globe.
After his release from India in exchange for the hostages of the Indian Airlines flight IC-814 in December 1999, Masood is understood to have met senior Taliban leaders and Bin Laden.