Subject: India - details and assessment of attack at Coca-Cola plant
From: [email-masked]
To: [email-masked]
Cc: [email-masked], [email-masked], [email-masked]
Date: Mon, 22 Oct 2001 12:55:17 -0700 (PDT)

Details:  

	Early Sunday morning, a Marxist rebel group known as the "People's War Group" bombed a Coca-Cola plant near the town of Atmakuru in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh.  The attackers left behind a note in the local Telugu language saying the attack was in protest of the U.S. bombing of Afghanistan and "US imperialism."  The note also threatened further attacks against other Western companies in Andhra Pradesh.  In response to the attack, local police are stepping up patrols in Hyderabad (the capital of Andhra Pradesh), and security was also beefed up around the city's technology park, which houses a number of US software firms.
	According to a statement from Coca-Cola, a dozen or so PWG members rode up to the plant via jeep and motorcycle and locked the night security guards in a room before entering the factory and setting up steel cans filled with explosives, which they detonated.  Although the attack caused extensive damage, there were no deaths or injuries.  Several of the bombs apparently malfunctioned and did not detonate - these were later defused by the police bomb squad.

	Assessment:  

	The PWG are engaged in an armed conflict against the Ahdhra Pradesh government to press for sweeping land reforms in favor of poor farmers.  This is their first attack against a Western firm.  To date, they have not operated outside of Andhra Pradesh and thus most likely pose little threat to the Enron facilities in Mumbai and Dabhol, both of which are located in Maharashtra.  However, the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce issued a statement noting that it was concerned about the safety of US nationals and companies operating in India.  They noted, "American companies in India are a soft target for terrorists.  The government must see this and step up security to prevent any flight of capital."  Business Controls has contacted the local security firm providing guard services for our offices in Mumbai and asked them to be vigilant - particularly at night - for signs of possible copycat attackers.  Business Controls is also in contact with management at the Dabhol site regarding security matters.